Food + Drink
FOOD: Northern California Love [San Francisco]
I'm East Coast through and through but there's no denying that the West coast is the best coast when it comes to food. I mean the vegetables tasted like they just been plucked from the ground and the fish from the ocean. Recently, I found myself back in the bay for a quick sprint and these were some fave rest stops along the way.
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Nopa
Every city needs a restaurant that serves rustic cuisine and drink on this level during normal business hours. But I walked off the airplane at 10PM and headed straight to Divisadero. Nopa is one of the best spots in the city and they serve phenomenal food until the wee hours. I devoured everything that was put in front of me grilled bread with trumpet mushrooms to the country pork chop. Their well-crafted drinks and wine pairings were heavenly as well. No wonder why this place continues to be San Francisco staple.
Mission Beach Cafe
I love it when a restaurant fuses inspiration from the old to create new gems. This is modern cuisine at it's best. But some things just aren't meant to be altered too much. The MBC huevos was fan-freaking-tastic. Pulled pork shoulder, yellow beans, pico de gallo in a soup-like broth of spicy salsa roja goodness topped with tortilla chips. Hands down the best I've ever had. And the quiche was perfect. Moist egg on a buttery flaky crust. I could eat this stuff every day.
Dirty Habit
After cruising through the mission after brunch, I went on a mission for some Korean wings but all leads led to a dead end. Apparently, it was just the wrong time of the day. So I wandered around the corner from my hotel into the Dirty Habit nested within the Kimpton Hotel. My first thought was fancy! I almost ate these wings with a fork and knife. But the barrel aged cachaca based, “Down in Rio” gave me enough liquid courage to quickly forget about the ambiance. Sweet sticky sauce on a crunchy wing with some fresh jalapeño. Not quite what ive come to expect in Asian style wings but no complaints from me. Definitely the prettiest wing ever and one of the better tasting too.
Ryoko’s
When I heard there was a sushi outfit with a DJ spinning old school hip hop on the weekends, I screamed,”WTF I want in.” Maybe it’s not the freshest cuts of raw fish in SF (which has some of the best if not the best sushi in this country) but not bad at all. Dope freaking concept. All they need to add is a dance floor and better sound system.
Trick Dog
Awesome drink list that would drive a connoisseur of craft cocktails crazy. The Evan Williams bonded bourbon, kumquat cordial, and walnut-infused Fernet was perfectly balanced. After a recent nod from the James Beard Foundation, I know that my affinity for this spot isn’t in vain.
Foreign Cinema
A lover of foreign films, I quickly fell for the concept. For those not in the know, they screen movies in the outdoor courtyard after dusk. This space is immaculate. It feels like you’ve been transported from the Mission to a modern gallery. The food was great. The drinks were flowing. The perfect place for my last meal in San Franscisco.
