Urban Stomach

The Stone Pot Bibimbap Will Induce A Food Coma

We all have restaurants that we drive by a hundred times but never think much about. Until recently, Han II Kwan, an old Korean spot in the Richmond district, was on that list for me. It doesn’t look terribly exciting and there’s always a tour bus parked in front, a sure sign of mediocrity I thought. However, a mention by Jonathan Kauffman of the stone bowl bibimbap on SFoodie’s list of 92 favorite local dishes piqued my curiosity (This is off topic but I think that Jonathan Kauffman has been a much needed addition to the food criticism scene in San Francisco. He’d be my pick to replace Michael Bauer). After three visits, I can safely say that the bibimbap lunch special is one of the best deals in the city.

Banchan

Let’s start with the banchan, a series of little snacks that are served before most Korean meals. It’s like a bread basket but far more flavorful, colorful and interesting. At Han II Kwan, an impressive seven varieties of banchan are spread out on the table including cucumbers with sesame oil garlic dressing, bean sprouts with a similar dressing, kimchi, dried anchovies stir fried with sesame oil, garlic and sugar, and fried fish cakes also with sesame oil, garlic and sugar. While the flavors of the banchan tend to be similar, the textures are anything but. The flavor and texture of a Korean restaurant’s kimchi is similar in importance to that of the pickle selection at a Jewish deli. Everyone has an opinion as to which is the best. At Han II Kwan, the kimchi is crispy and on the more pungent side. It’s pure funky goodness. My other favorite is the fish cakes. Served warm and having only a faint fish taste, it would be easy to mistake this for tofu.

Mung Bean Pancake

Because you need an insane amount of food at lunchtime, the server then delivers a mung bean pancake, made of ground mung beans and green onion. Barely fried, the pancake has a light, crispy texture and a mild flavor enhanced by a quick dip in the soy-chili sauce served alongside. Want more food? Good. A caldron of soft tofu soup is brought to the table. Only once did I find the soup to be spicy enough for my liking. It’s introduced as being “on the house” and the first time I had it, I thought that I was getting the VIP treatment. Why would I be considered a VIP? I soon noticed that every table around me had the soup and I was offered the soup on every subsequent visit. I guess that we’re all VIPs.

The Prized Bebimbap Crust

After all of this, the star of the show arrives, the bibimbap. A scalding pot, loaded with rice, vegetables including soy bean sprouts, cucumbers and carrots, marinated beef and a fried egg, is cautiously placed before you. Quickly, after a few squirts of hot sauce if you’d like, you take your chopsticks and start stirring the ingredients, watching in anticipation as the yolk breaks and coats the rice. Finally, you have your first taste and you smile. The tenderness of the beef, the crunch of the vegetables and the softness of the egg-dotted rice make for an experience in your mouth unlike any other. It’s scalding hot but it’s so damn good that you don’t care. You keep going back in for bite after bite. Then, just when you think that it can’t get any better, it does. The bottom of the stone pot is coated with a layer of crispy rice that you pry away with your chopsticks and soup spoon. The final bites are super crunchy with a burnt, but not too burnt, smoky flavor permeating your lips. This digging and chipping is the closest that I’ll ever come to being an archaeologist and, to be honest, I’d rather discover this crispy rice than a rare, inedible fossil.

The cost for this feast? $8.50. One more time. $8.50. Let me give you a quick warning about the service. It varies widely depending on whether or not there is a group of Korean tourists in the back dining room. There is only one server, no matter what, and he can get stretched pretty thin. On one occasion, I was in and out in thirty minutes. On another, my meal took nearly an hour. The food was consistently very good though and that’s why I’ll keep sneaking over for lunch. I suggest that you do too.

Han II Kwan
1802 Balboa Street
(between 19th Ave & 20th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94121
415-752-4447

Bibimbap Lunch Special: $8.50

I Might Paint A Flying Pig Above My Bed

First off, let me say that Richmond, VA is a really cool place, way more fun and interesting than I anticipated before arriving there for a conference recently. I was expecting a rundown, boring city and I was completely wrong. I’m not a history buff by any stretch of the imagination but was completely fascinated by the state capitol building, designed by Thomas Jefferson, and the garden of statues that surround it. Carytown, a roughly five block shopping district, reminds me a bit of Ann Arbor with Plan 9 music as good of a record store that I can think of outside of Amoeba or the old Schoolkids. The University of Richmond, our host, has one of the prettiest campuses around with first rate facilities and trees and water seemingly everwhere. I even caught a Double A baseball game, the Giants affiliated Flying Squirrels, at The Diamond, where $8 buys you a 32 oz. lager. Finally, the beautiful, new Westin hotel, my home for three nights, has the hottest, strongest showers outside of my mother-in-law’s new bathroom on the Upper East Side. But, of course, I was most excited about the food. I was hunting for two things: Southern barbecue and Virginia ham.

Ribs Dinner At Buz N Ned's

Buz N Ned’s Real Barbecue, properly junky in appearance with two large smokers and a pile of wood out back, might be the most famous restaurant in Richmond, what with its many accolades and “Throwdown” victory over Bobby Flay. On a warm Tuesday night, I sampled a half-rack of baby back ribs with hushpuppies and mac and cheese, a pulled pork sandwich and an order of sweet potato fries. The ribs were good, not great, as they were a bit tough and overly basted with a just too sweet sauce. I tasted little smoke. The hushpuppies and mac and cheese were fine but nothing that I would go out of my way for. The pulled pork, super tender and smoky, was enhanced, not dwarfed, by a dousing of vinegar based sauce. It was delicious. The sweet potato fries stood out from their San Francisco cousins (Pacific Catch’s are my favorite) by being tossed with cinnamon and sugar. Totally addictive. Buz N Ned’s gets major points off for their over the top promotion of their “Throwdown” victory with one tv playing the episode non-stop on a loop and “Flayslayer” t-shirts for sale. Annoying. If I’m ever in Richmond again, I’d stop by for a pulled pork sandwich and an order of sweet potato fries and eat outside to avoid the tv.

Country Ham And Eggs At Dairy Bar

The Dairy Bar, opened in 1946, was originally the cafeteria for the Curles Neck Dairy plant workers and then became a restaurant when the plant closed in the ’80s. I was here for a traditional country breakfast of ham, eggs, grits and a biscuit and I wasn’t disappointed. The standout was the ham, fattier and saltier than I’m used to. If this ham was served in a San Francisco brunch spot, there’d be a health police rally going on outside. In Richmond, I enjoyed every bite in peace and quiet. Calories don’t count when away from home. The bonus surprise at The Dairy Bar was the peanut butter and chocolate milkshake. Made of Garber’s ice cream from Winchester, VA, this shake blew my mind. Maybe the best thing that I ate in Richmond.

How Old Is This Sign?

Sally Bell’s Kitchen opened in 1924 and is a Richmond institution. Serving only Monday-Friday from 10-4, they are best known for their box lunch, comprised of a sandwich of your choice on a fresh baked white roll, potato salad, a deviled egg, a pecan topped cheese wafer and a cupcake. There is really nowhere to eat so I took my food outside and ate atop my rental car. While everything was good, the potato salad was really incredible. It was on the creamier side and, while the first bites were sweet, it gradually gained a kick of spice and a little onion. This was like no other potato salad I’d ever tasted. The Smithfield ham was salty, similar to Dairy Bar, but not as fatty. Good thing since it was on a sandwich. The cupcakes are unique as they’re completely covered in frosting. I chose the Orange Cream and it was a little less soft than I prefer. Fine but not memorable.

The Smithfield Ham Sandwich Box Lunch At Sally Bell's Kitchen

Part of the joy of Sally Bell’s is just the experience. NOTHING has changed here. Many of the women behind the counter, and it was all women, looked and acted as if they’d been working at Sally Bell’s for years, and I say this as a good thing. When I pulled out my camera, I was told that I had to ask the manager before I started snapping shots. Love it!

You Know The Brisket Is Good When The Pepsi Machine Looks Like This

At one year old, Alamo BBQ was the newest restaurant that I tried in Richmond and came highly recommended by the manager at Sally Bell’s (yes, she did give me permission to take photos but only of food, not people). I opted for the Texas brisket sandwich with a side of jalapeno mac and cheese and both were winners. I had to clear off most of the onions and jalapenos in order to truly enjoy the expertly smoked meat in the sandwich but it was well worth the effort. Why ruin beautiful meat with ballpark jalapenos and raw onions? The jalapenos were much better suited for the creamy mac and cheese, where they added a nice zing without taking away from the cheesiness that we all love. Alamo has a charming junk pile in the back (see above picture), a working smoker on the side, and just 7-8 tables on an outdoor patio in front. The fact that it sits in a residential neighborhood adds to its Southern charm.

The Beef Brisket Sandwich At Alamo BBQ

So thanks Richmond for being a great surprise on many fronts. The fact that I ate as much as I did yet want to come back to try other places that I heard about, and revisit some new favorites, is a ringing endorsement from the Urban Stomach.

Buz And Ned’s Real Barbecue
1119 North Boulevard
Richmond, VA 23230
804-355-6055
www.buzandneds.com
Monday-Thursday, Sunday: 11:00AM-9:00PM
Friday-Saturday: 11AM-10:30PM
Half-Rack Baby Back Ribs Dinner $17.99
Pulled Pork Sandwich $4.99
Sweet Potato Fries $3.99

Dairy Bar
1602 Roseneath Rd
Richmond, VA 23230
(804) 355-1937
www.dairybarrestaurant.com
Monday-Saturday: 7:00AM-3:00PM
Sunday: 7:00AM-2:00PM
Country Ham With Two Eggs $7.39

Sally Bell’s Kitchen
708 W Grace St
Richmond, VA 23220
(804) 644-2838
www.sallybellskitchen.com
Monday-Friday: 10:00AM-4:00PM
Box Lunch $7.60

Alamo BBQ
2202 Jefferson Ave
Richmond, VA 23223
(804) 592-3138
www.alamobbqva.com
Open Everyday From 11:30AM-9:00PM
Beef Brisket Sandwich $6.00
Jalapeno Mac & Cheese $1.75

Steam Rises From The Shanghai Soup Dumplings

Sometimes, it’s fun to go to a restaurant without having heard much hype from friends or blogs. Last Friday, needing a quick and cheap bite near Stonestown (is there a worse food court?), I hopped on Yelp and found Kingdom of Dumpling on Taraval. They specialize in, you guessed it, dumplings and also own a small factory on Noriega where they make frozen dumplings. You gotta love a place that calls itself a “kingdom” yet consists of seven tables. The wall decorations are notes from local kids. But I don’t come to places like this for atmosphere. I come for dumplings.

Pork And Corn Dumplings

Two dishes stood out. The Shanghai Soup Dumplings are now my favorite in San Francisco, barely knocking off Shanghai Dumpling King on Balboa. Eating soup dumplings can be tricky as you have to gently bring each morsel to your mouth with chopsticks while holding a spoon underneath to catch the soup should a disaster occur and your wrapper breaks. At Kingdom of Dumpling, I was well rewarded for my work. The wrappers were just thick enough that they never snapped and the liquid inside was plentiful and piping hot. We devoured two servings of six and I wish that we had ordered more. The Pork and Corn Dumplings were a first for me (well, the corn part). They came twelve to an order and tasted of the sweet corn as much as the pork. Really tasty. Whoever is steaming the dumplings in the kitchen is clearly a “Dumpling Natural” as, like the soup dumplings, the wrappers had a wonderful texture and only added to the overall flavor.

Fresh Cilantro Bean Noodle

We were fascinated by the Fresh Cilantro Bean Noodles as they were on every table and looked so vibrant and fresh. If you love cilantro or bean curd, you’ll love these. Otherwise, I’m not so sure. We weren’t blown away but I would definitely try them again. My family thought that the onion pancakes were tasty but I couldn’t get over their flimsiness. My piece drooped so much that it hit the bottom part of my hand. I also wouldn’t order the Pan Fried Shanghai Dumplings again. On paper, these sounded amazing but, in this rare instance, frying actually didn’t make something taste better. Instead, the dumplings were bland and the soup effect was lost. On my next visit, I want to try the Lamb Dumplings and the Shrimp Dumplings. I would highly recommend Kingdom of Dumpling if you want a cheap meal and you love dumplings. Besides, how often do you get to hang out in a kingdom?

Kingdom of Dumpling
1713 Taraval St
(between 27th Ave & 28th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94116
415-566-6143
Shanghai Soup Dumplings $4.95
Pork Dumplings With Corn $6.45
Fresh Cilantro Bean Noodle $5.95

The Inaugural Flavors

Tonight, I took my seven year-old daughter down to our new neighborhood ice cream place, Mr. & Mrs. Miscellaneous. It was their first day open and we were really excited to try it so you can imagine our horror (well, my daughter was actually pretty mellow about it) when we got there and saw a “Closed” sign hanging in the window. Luckily, the super cool owners, Ian and Annabelle, took pity on me, umm I mean us, and opened the door for a few last scoops. We were both so glad that they did. Dogpatch is now home to some of the Bay Area’s top sweets.

A Kids Coffee Cone Held By An Adult Hand

Of the three flavors that we tried, the coffee and the candied ginger were my favorites. The coffee is a no frills, no tricks affair and that alone had me hooked. It’s damn good coffee ice cream, not too dark, not too sweet. I’m already daydreaming about covering it with their homemade hot fudge. Ian was nice enough to let me know that it was caffeinated before feeding it to my near-bedtime daughter. Mrs. Stomach wasn’t there though so I let her eat the whole thing. While I’ve only had maybe four or five ginger ice creams in my ice cream deprived life, this was my favorite. Spot on taste with sweet and savory dancing on the tongue with every bite. Texture wise, the ginger was somewhere between traditional ice cream and sorbet. I brought this home in a pint and had to remind myself to put down the spoon a few times before I actually did. Choco-malted crunch was good but a tad too sweet for my tastebuds.

Next Time, The Peanut Brittle

Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous is also selling their own candies and baked goods including peanut brittle, caramels and chocolate peanut butter malt balls. We tried the malt balls and loved the combination of the malt crunch and creamy peanut butter. I can’t wait to go back and try more at this shop that is so clearly a labor of love. In particular, the Ballpark ice cream, with Anchor beer, peanuts and chocolate covered pretzels, is beyond intriguing. I predict that this will be their trademark flavor, a la Secret Breakfast. Ian and Annabelle live nearby with their adorable toddler (why didn’t my parents own a sweet shop?) and they are so clearly psyched to have a casual place of their own after years of working in “fine dining” kitchens including Chez Panise, Spago and Postrio. Welcome to the neighborhood.

Mr. & Mrs. Miscellaneous
699 22nd Street
(between Illinois St & 3rd St)
San Francisco, CA 94107
Daily 11:30AM-8:00PM
Kids Cone or Single Scoop $2.50
Double Scoop $3.50
Chocolate peanut butter malt balls $7.99/lb

The "Original" Cheese Fondue

Fondue. Spear a small piece of good French bread, dunk it into a vat of melted cheese spiked with wine, and eat. Right now, between those simple words and the picture of said bread and cheese above, you’re probably hungry. I can stop writing and I will have done my job which is to make you want to eat at The Matterhorn. But I’ll tell you a little more.

The Matterhorn has been owned by Brigitte and Andrew Thorpe (she works the front of the house and he’s the chef), both from Switzerland, since 1994. Yet every time I ask a friend if they’ve eaten there, the response is usually “no, but I’ve always wondered about that place”. The location is a little odd. On a busy stretch of Van Ness, The Matterhorn is located in the back of a non-descript (putting it kindly) apartment/office building lobby. However, once you enter the actual restaurant, it’s like you’ve entered the “It’s A Small World” version of Switzerland minus the puppets and annoying music. The entire dining room is made of wood, with stained glass and Swiss art decorating the walls. Some might find it cheesy (no pun intended) but I think that it works. While Mrs. Stomach and I used to go with groups of friends to The Matterhorn and get loaded on Gewurztraminer, nowadays it has become our traditional place to celebrate our kids’ birthdays. Whereas we used to stumble out of here at 10PM and head straight to Jack’s Bar on California for a pint of Old Foghorn and shuffleboard, we’re now done by 7PM and rushing home to get the kids showered and make sure that lunch is made. Oh how things have changed.

The Mixed Green Salad

All meals begin with a Mixed Green Salad which is actually a pretty boring description of a really tasty salad. Mixed greens, cucumbers, tomatoes and, sometimes, chopped egg are tossed with a creamy vinaigrette that has a hint of garlic. I’ve never figured out why there’s chopped egg sometimes but not others. We always add the Alpine Delight plate of cured meats to our order and share it. In today’s world of house-made charcuterie plates, which I’m a huge fan of, there’s something refreshing about an old-school meat plate! At The Matterhorn, it typically consists of smoked ham, farmer’s sausage, salami, and air cured beef.

The Alpine Delight

The cheese fondues are delicious. We always order “The Original” and “The Natural”. “The Original”, the adult favorite, is a blend of Emmenthal and Gruyere spiked with wine, a little kirsch, garlic and black peppercorns. It has an easy, boozy flavor that doesn’t overrun the glorious cheesiness. I’m always the last one still dunking and I keep going until the sides of the pot are scraped. “The Natural” is a bit blander as it has a little more Emmenthal and a little less alcohol. It tastes more of pure cheese and is our daughters’ favorite. While I’m happy just dipping the included bread, my family also likes to plunge boiled potatoes and apples into the fondue as well. At this age, our kids still love to play the game where you have to kiss someone at the table if you drop your bread in the fondue. In the ’90s, Mrs. Stomach and I used to play that game too but it was a little different. Well, a lot different. Like I said, how things have changed!

How Do You Not Order Chocolate Fondue?

Of course, you must end with chocolate fondue, served with a variety of fruits, as well as marshmallows, for dipping. I wish that the chocolate was a little warmer but its flavor, derived from a blend of milk and dark chocolates, is spot-on. Service at The Matterhorn is mostly provided by Brigitte, the owner, and she’s very friendly and helpful with ordering. Sometimes though, she can get caught up in a conversation with other tables, thus becoming unavailable for a refill or some more bread. This would be fine if she had more help but, typically, there are only one or two other employees doing all of the busing and extra work. This isn’t a problem to the point that it detracts from your meal but is just good to know before you sit down to eat. The Matterhorn also offers meat fondues and a full menu of Swiss-German specialties, think Schnitzel, but we always go for the cheese fondue.

In a town with a never-ending parade of ethnic restaurants for every occasion, a Swiss restaurant is a genuine novelty. Yeah, $19 a head might sound pricey for melted cheese and bread but, really, are you going to stay up all night scrubbing the cheese off the pot at home and then find somewhere to store that pot until next year? Didn’t think so. Stop wondering about The Matterhorn and go check it out!

The Matterhorn Swiss Restaurant
2323 Van Ness Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94109
415-885-6116
www.thematterhornrestaurant.com
Tuesday-Sunday: 5PM-9PM
Alpine Delights Cured Meats Plate: $9.50
Cheese Fondue For 2 (includes dinner salad): $38
Chocolate Fondue For 2: $18

Peas Sprouts With Garlic

When someone asks me where to eat in Chinatown, my list is usually short. I love Lychee Garden. R & G can do the trick for a banquet-style meal.
City View’s dim sum is a huge fave. For a tourist not from L.A., Boston or New York, House of Nan King is an easy crowd pleaser. It’s small, dumpy and crowded so it must be good? It’s fun once every two years or so. I dig Hing Lung on Broadway for jook but most people asking me about Chinese food aren’t looking for jook. Then there’s…there’s…there’s I don’t know. Honestly, my Chinese food consumption normally happens in the Richmond or Sunset districts. So I was particularly psyched to be invited recently to a dinner at Z & Y Restaurant in, you guessed it, Chinatown. Eight diners, all with food blogs . This was going to be good. Eight diners, all with cameras. This was going to be comical.

Spicy Numbing Beef Tendon

The photographers jostled for the best angle and then flashes began to pop wildly. Had Thomas Keller dropped by ready to get his spice on? Lady Gaga have a hankering for some Tan Tan Noodles? No. It was the red carpet arrival (well, unvacuumed maroon carpet) of our first course, Spicy Numbing Beef Tendon! And what a first course it was. Hung like laundry on a
mini-wooden rack, the presentation was a conversation piece all its own. Each thinly sliced piece of tendon was served cold with a slice of cucumber draped over it. We lazy Susaned (making up my own verb) the rack around the table so that we could each snatch a piece with our chopsticks. A small vat of “numbing” chili oil made for some fine dunking, creating a prickly but not spicy sensation in my mouth. The texture was what I imagine raw bacon would chew like with a mouth-cooling crunch provided by the cucumber. Quite the first impression.

Chicken With Explosive Chili Peppers

Oohs and Aahs were heard as we were presented with Chicken With Explosive Chili Peppers. Again with the cameras! Our table’s new celebrity was a mound of brilliant red chili peppers specked with Sichuan peppercorns. A few pokes with the serving spoon exposed a hidden treasure, small fried chunks of boneless chicken bathing in a pile of heat. The chicken was nice and spicy but not crazy. No one was sweating or anything. It was well fried with a good crunch but little grease.  While you’re not supposed to eat the peppers, I couldn’t resist and downed a few. These were hot and I’m quite sure the reason that I felt gurgling in my upper esophagus the next day. But it was worth it.

Special Pork Belly

“Special” Braised Pork Belly literally gleamed at our lenses and had the elegance of a 1940s Hollywood star. Eight square pieces lightly topped with a barely sweet sauce were quickly snapped up onto our plates, leaving behind a splotched platter with a few lonely pieces of broccoli. So much for elegance. But oh the pork belly! How tender was it you ask? So tender that we all cut it with only our chopsticks. Easily. The skin on top barely crackled and underneath was silky flesh with a mild porky flavor. In my world, “porky” is a huge complement. I loved the simplicity of this dish. Tricked out pork belly is getting old fast. Other favorite dishes included Yunan Style Steamed Chicken Soup, Eggplant With Garlic Sauce, and an exemplary Pea Shoots With Garlic. Hot Braised Sea Bass, presented as a disk topped with, of course, peppers, was moist and super flavorful. Again, spicy but not overkill. Cured Beef Wrapped In A Scallion Pancake, kind of a Chinese Stromboli, was a new one for me. I’d never even heard of it. I’d definitely order it again.

Chinese Stromboli

If you decide to eat at Z & Y, and I really hope that you do, I strongly suggest that you stay away from the Americanized items on the menu. Remember, because Z & Y is in Chinatown, they kind of have to offer Sweet and Sour Chicken, Beef With Broccoli and all of the other usual suspects. You want to come here for the Sichuan stuff! A huge thanks to @cookingwithamy for the invitation and the well thought out selection of amazing dishes. Also thanks to my new food friends and fellow foodarazzi @chefjen, @summertomato, @alphaprep, @divinacucina, @heatherhal and @Jeters. I can safely say that we’ve all found a new place in Chinatown to recommend.

The Menu
Spicy Numbing Beef Tendon
Scallion Pancakes
Yunnan Style Steamed Chicken Soup In Clay Pot
Peking Duck
Pea Sprouts with Garlic
Special Pork Belly (not on the regular menu)
Chicken With Explosive Chili Peppers
Hot Braised Sea Bass
Eggplant With Garlic Sauce
Cured Beef Wrapped In Scallion Pancake (courtesy of Z & Y)
Fresh Fried Mini Red Bean Cakes (courtesy of Z & Y)

Z & Y Restaurant
655 Jackson St. (near Grant)
San Francisco, CA 94133
415-981-8988
Monday-Sunday 11 AM-10 PM
Pre-Ordered Nine Course Meal For Eight: $200 after tax and tip (no drinks)

Just a quick growl as I took the family to Tony’s in North Beach last night and found it to be just as good as my first two visits. This time, we tried the Calzone with Meatballs, Garlic, Mozzarella and Ricotta and we all loved it. The meatballs, which I raved about as a starter in my original review, work really well in the perfectly baked, golden crust. The only bummer was that the marinara sauce, served on the side for dipping, was cold. I’d rather that it was warm. Also new for us was the Sicilian Style Burratina di Margherita square pizza. It takes about fifteen minutes longer than the other pies because of its sheer massiveness. Soft and focaccia-like except for a perfectly crisped bottom, the Sicilian crust reconfirmed for me that the pizza bakers at Tony’s really “respect the craft.” It even says so on their t-shirts. I would’ve liked a tad more sauce on the Sicilian as I love Tony’s sauce. We ate the Sicilian leftovers cold for lunch today and it was perfect leftover pizza. And I wasn’t even hungover. Next time, I would get the Sicilian with some toppings as it has the heft to hold up some serious sausage, pepperoni or whatever your greasy deliciousness of choice is. However, my favorite continues to be the New Jersey Tomato Pie, just as good as my first go-around in March. I’m already plotting my next visit to sample more of Tony’s pizza.

Tony’s Pizza Napoletana
1570 Stockton St. (corner of Union)
San Francisco, CA 94133
415-835-9888
Website
Wednesday-Sunday: Noon-11:00 PM
No reservations
The Original Tomato Pie $15
Margherita Pie $18
Sicilian Style Burratina di Margherita $29
Baked Manhattan Calzone $12

My Scripture

Can a man have a love affair with a corner store? Yes. My first visit to Roxie’s was in 1986 as a junior in high school. I didn’t just instantly fall in love with the sandwiches, I also instantly fell in love with the place. I absorbed the constant chatter from the guys behind the counter and learned about the real world from observing the cops, construction workers, local crazies, college students and other characters who frequented Roxie’s. It was as much a class to me as was Mr. Simon’s Math or Mr. Weiss’ Computer Architecture. Only a two-minute drive, it was far enough from school to feel like we were leaving campus yet close enough that we could go for lunch or during a fifty minute “dead period”. During my senior year, I often visited Roxie’s twice each day, once in the morning to have a donut and and get the AM chatter from the counter guys who all called me “Shorty”, and again with my friends for lunch, which we ate in my beloved 1979 maroon, diesel Cadillac Seville or outside on the sidewalk. It was like our secret clubhouse. My penchant for food challenges ramped up at Roxie’s where I regularly ate an entire Hostess Snowball in one bite. Though grades weren’t my highest priority, I was hellbent on eating every item on Roxie’s menu by the time I graduated. While I came close, I consider it to be my biggest failure in life that I didn’t finish.

12/31/1999: Shorty, The Roxie Kid And Our Heroes At The Last Lunch Of The Century

Visits home from college weren’t complete without a visit to see the guys at Roxie’s and feast on a Roxie’s Special. “Hey, Shorty’s back in town!” they would yell out. Yes, a corner store on the city’s outskirts was the only place where I was known, but my ego skyrocketed when the Roxie’s guys remembered me. Still does. When I took Mrs. Stomach to Roxie’s for the first time, roughly four months after we started dating, I was worried about what she would think of my paradise. She loved it. However, more prominent on my mind was what would the Roxie’s guys think of Mrs. Stomach? If they disapproved, I’d have a dilemma on my hands. From behind the counter, one of the guys yelled “Hey look! Shorty’s got a new girlfriend! Hey, Shorty’s girlfriend, do you like pastrami? Here’s a taste!” Luckily, Mrs. Stomach charmed them and they all approved. I could safely proceed with the relationship. My last lunch of the 20th century was a no brainer. Roxie’s.

The Roxie's Special

Ok, ok..what about the food you ask? The Roxie’s Special is my favorite sandwich in San Francisco and it’s what I order most of the time . Ham, mortadella, salami, your choice of cheese (I recommend that you let them decide), and the usual sandwich fixings make up the inside of this beast. Ask for your order warmed up and you’ll be rewarded with a truly oven-baked, meltingly good lunch that will make you ask “Why can’t all corner store sandwiches taste like this?” No Quizno’s crap here.  While Roxie’s has a great bread selection, I go Dutch Crunch every time. This roll is crunchy like a cracker on the outside but soft like a Philadelphia pretzel on the inside and makes for the perfect casing. Finally, the ingredient that puts the Roxie’s Special over the top is marinated artichoke hearts. They add just the right amount of zip and the texture against the meat, cheese and bread works magically. While the high school Urban Stomach could easily polish a Supreme sized sandwich, nowadays I go for the Junior which is still a pretty hefty lunch. Note that Roxie’s has maybe the largest drink selection of any corner store in the city. You’ll need a few minutes to pick one which is a good thing as sandwiches, because they’re made with love, can take a while during peak hours. At lunchtime, you’ll be in and out in roughly 15-20 minutes.

The Unparalleled Dutch Crunch Roll

I have to give two big shout-outs as I conclude my love letter. First is to Duncan Mitchell. Though Duncan went to a different high school, he’s the one who told my friends about Roxie’s and thus is the reason that I started going. To this day, Duncan, now a New Yorker, is one of my favorite eating partners but I still have issues with the fact that he likes the Spanish roll as much, if not more than, the Dutch Crunch. Lunacy. My second shout-out goes to Justin Grover, a.k.a. “The Roxie Kid”. Justin was there for my very first sandwich at Roxie’s and we’ve been well over 100 times since. He’s a Tuna Special guy and I respect that. Now a father of two little stomachs, I get a little teary eyed when the Roxie’s guys scream “Hey, Shorty’s here with his daughters. Those are two beautiful girls. Shorty’s all grown up now!” It’s my own circle of life come to fruition.

The Stomachs At Our Favorite Picnic Spot

Roxie Food Center
1901 San Jose Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94112
Monday-Saturday: 6:30 AM-9:00 PM
Sunday: 7:00 AM-8:00 PM
Junior Roxie’s Special $5.99

A 23 year old Stomach (on the right) at Charlie Vergo's Rendezvous in Memphis

My friend loved Rendezvous BBQ so much, he never ate meat again

Last night, I licked my television. Why you ask? I was watching Tony Bourdain’s “No Reservations” and he was doing a food porn piece on barbecue. A beautifully crusted, slow-smoked brisket was shown being carved, juices dripping with each cut. I wanted to hop on a plane and fly to this barbecue pit, in New York of all places, and dive naked into an orgy of smoked meats. Mmmmmmm! Ooooooh!

I love barbecue. Barbecue makes me emotional. Barbecue makes me lick televisions. We don’t have much barbecue around these parts. The best barbecue that I ever ate, in 1994 at The Rendezvous in Memphis, brought me to to a food orgasm that I wasn’t sure I could ever achieve, and have rarely achieved since. Don’t even mention “dry rubbed ribs” to me or my knees will go weak and my eyes will roll back. The worst barbecue that I ever ate, in 1980 at The Great American Beef Rib Company in L.A., was an insult to the genre. Dry, tasteless ribs made even a ten year-old Urban Stomach angry. It’s been thirty plus years since that debacle and I’m still pissed.

A pile of meat: The 3 Meat Combo of Ribs, Chicken and Pulled Pork

Housed in an orange train car in Pacifica, Gorilla Barbeque is serving my favorite barbecue in the Bay Area. If you’re a first timer, I suggest that you bring a friend, your family, or both and order a 3 Meat Combo. On a recent sunny Sunday afternoon, the Stomachs started with a pile of pulled pork, chicken and pork ribs (beef ribs are nothing but pretenders). The ribs are large, meaty, and have a great bark on them. I’m not sure what’s so satisfying about eating big hunks of meat off of a bone but if I could eat pasta off of a bone, I would. The chicken is nice and juicy and the skin gets a little crispy but not burnt. I found myself using my index finger to scrape bits of skin off of the bottom of the styrofoam container. When I’m eating barbecue, I’m not a sauce guy. I’m a firm believer that the meat should be able to stand up flavor- wise on its own. However, I was happy to drench my pulled pork, a little blander than the other meats, with Gorilla’s vinegary sauce that provides a nice kick of spice about three seconds after every bite.

Beef Brisket and Mac & Cheese at Gorilla Barbeque

What you see above is a kid’s portion of brisket. My kids couldn’t finish it between the two of them! Gorilla’s brisket is dry-rubbed and then spends fifteen hours in the smoker, resulting in smoky, tender slices of pure joy. I was picking this stuff up with my hands, dangling it in my mouth, and taking bite after pleasurable bite. Of all of the Gorilla meats that I’ve tried, the brisket tastes the most of smoke which is a big plus in my book. You can see the red smoke rings around the edges of the meat. The macaroni & cheese is one of the cheesiest versions I’ve ever encountered as Gorilla uses four kinds of cheese and then bakes the noodles under a crust of ground cheddar goldfish crackers. Let me repeat, they put cheddar goldfish crackers in a grinder and then use the finely ground bits to bake a crust on top of the macaroni and cheese. Who thinks of this stuff? Brilliant. And very, very rich. Cole slaw is on the traditional side with plenty of mayonaise to cool down the smoke from the meats and the heat from the sauce.

Smoked Brisket Cheesesteak deserves its own visit

I can’t conclude without mention of Gorilla’s cheesesteak. It’s completely untraditional both as barbecue and as a cheesesteak but it completely works. They combine a hefty portion of chopped smoked beef brisket with white american cheese, onions and peppers and sandwich it in a well griddled soft roll. I’m generally not one for food trickery but this sandwich is worth the drive to Pacifica alone. I’d suggest eating it on a separate visit as it’s a little much when combined with all of the other smoked meats and the mac & cheese. Well, maybe a lot much.

This was my fifth visit to Gorilla over the past year or so and I’m really impressed with their consistency. On weekends, there’s almost always a line but it moves fairly well. You should know that Gorilla is take-out only and they don’t take phone orders. There are a few picnic tables up on a small hill and you’ll want to dress warmly if you plan to use them. It’s Pacifica. However, cold weather aside, Gorilla Barbeque is a godsend for Bay Area barbecue lovers like me.

Gorilla Barbeque
2145 Coast Highway
Pacifica, CA 94044
650-359-RIBS (7427)
www.gorillabbq.com
Wednesday-Monday: Noon-8PM (if visiting after 5PM, call to see what they have left)
3 Meat Combo with choice of 2 sides, cornbread and beans and rice:$19.50
Kid’s Combo with choice of 1 side and cornbread: $6.25
Philly Cheesesteak Combo with choice of 1 side: $8.25

Namu's Korean Tacos

Fusion. In the early to mid ’90s, I was all about fusion. When I wanted to impress Mrs. Stomach (then a new girlfriend), I took her to The House. “It’s in North Beach but they’re mixing up Chinese, Korean and California ingredients! Crazy!” When my relatives came to visit, I hoped for a dinner at Flying Saucer. “Please, stack my food as high as possible as that will make it more delicious.” When a friend owed me a meal for helping with a move, Cafe Kati was the spot. “What? They’re doing a Caterpillar Roll with a reduction sauce? I’m there!” But sometime during the late ’90s, my tastes, along with the tastes of many San Franciscans, began to change. Don’t get me wrong, despite my teasing, fusion could be delicious, as it was at the three aformentioned restaurants (and don’t forget that Cafe Kati and The House are still thriving). It just got tired. So as both the food gliteratti and my friends simultaneously started talking up Asian taco trucks and carts, I was hesitant to jump in line. I’m glad that I finally did.

A Trio Of Kung Fu Tacos

Found at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, Namu’s Korean tacos successfully push the limits of food gimmickry. Instead of a tortilla, Namu uses a sheet of toasted seaweed as its foundation. This brilliant innovation ensures the perfect crunch with every bite but without feeling like a midwestern school cafeteria hard-shell taco. Loaded on top are kalbi short ribs, seasoned rice and kimchee salsa. I am a kimchee lover so the salsa totally works for me but even dissenters of kimchee, no friends of mine, should be fine. It’s not crazy pungent. The total bite tastes like your favorite Korean BBQ but without the self- cooking, the frenzied crowds and the unwashable stench on your clothes that makes others think that you’ve been pulling bong hits all night. Take a plastic fork as the seaweed can only hold up for so long and you’ll want to scarf every last bit of the kalbi. Not that you’ve been pulling bong hits.

Kung Fu Taco

My friend Doug, a successful attorney who could be a professional chef, turned me on to Kung Fu Tacos. Kung Fu parks most weekdays in the lot of the now closed Jeanty at Jack’s on Sacramento St. downtown. Now, if a Chinese taco truck successfully doing strong Financial District business next to a shuttered, three-story French restaurant isn’t a sign of the times, what is? At noon on a recent weekday, the line was six-deep but moving rapidly. I chose three tacos: the Roast Duck, the BBQ Pork and the Mushu Veggie. As Doug had promised, the Roast Duck taco was basically Peking Duck in a tortilla. Make that really good Peking Duck in a tortilla. How can you go wrong with Peking Duck in a tortilla? Great stuff and my Kung Fu favorite. The Mushu Veggie tacos consisted of Shitake mushrooms, carrots and cabbage tossed with “Asian salsa”. I don’t know what Asian salsa is but I do know that the crunch of the veggies mixed with the heat of the salsa made for a yummy few bites. I’d actually eat this before the duck taco as I’d enjoy the sweetness of the duck after the heat of the veggies. Kind of like a duck dessert. I wasn’t as wild about the pork taco mainly because it tasted too similar to the duck but minus the lusciousness. I’d rather just order another duck.

So I don’t just “get” the Asian taco trend, I completely embrace it. My only quibble is the price. The tacos sound reasonable at $2-$3 each but they’re really small. It would take 4-5 of either Namu’s or Kung Fu’s tacos to fill up The Urban Stomach. Maybe 3-4 for a regular stomach. You do the math. Do Peking Duck and Kalbi replace Carnitas and Carne Asada as my favorite taco fillings? No way! I’m a traditionalist. But they’re still damn tasty. And a little fusion every decade or so never hurt anyone.

Namu
Ferry Plaza Outdoor Farmers Market
Thursday (in front): 10:00 AM-2:00 PM, Saturday (in back) 8:00 AM-2:00 PM
Follow on Twitter: @namusf
Korean Taco $3 or 2 for $5
Tacos also available at Namu Restaurant
439 Balboa Street (at 6th Ave.)
San Francisco, CA 94118
415-386-8332

Kung Fu Tacos
Follow on Twitter: @kungfutacos
Website
Usually on Sacramento between Kearny and Montgomery, Monday-Friday between 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM
Peking Duck Taco $3, BBQ Duck Taco $3, Mushu Veggie Taco $2

Is there such a thing as a curry high? After my first experience tonight with the Magic Curry Kart, I’d say yes and, three hours later at 1:30 AM, I still haven’t come down. Some background: During the past year, San Francisco has seen an explosion in food carts, especially in the Mission District. Most of these carts are run by one or two people who post their whereabouts on Twitter and/or their own blog. Brian Kimball, who operates the Magic Curry Kart, helped to start the street food trend when, hoping to make a little extra money, he started making curry in front of his apartment using a makeshift cooking setup. As word of an almost mythical “curry guy” spread, the crowds gathered quickly.

Cut to one year later. The Magic Curry Kart has evolved into a two burner, two rice cooker mobile machine. I was thrilled to learn from Brian’s tweets that the cart would be on 16th near Mission as I was getting off at the 16th St. BART station on my way home from the Warriors game (where the food sucks by the way). At 10:45, Brian had just finished setting up the cart and asked me to put my name on a list indicating what type of curry I’d like. Tonight’s choice was simple: Chicken red curry or Vegetable red curry. I opted for the chicken and was rewarded with a bowl of perfectly spiced, expertly cooked curry. Unlike the stringy pieces commonly found at Thai restaurants, the chicken was cut into small chunks The vegetables snapped perfectly in my mouth. The Kart’s curry is on the creamier side, how I like it, and the rice becomes well coated so that you still get many forkfuls of flavor after the chicken and vegetables are gone. Brian described the curry as being “medium spicy” yet for the first few bites, I wasn’t feeling it. Then, the heat slowly settled in on my tongue and remained at a perfect level for the remainder of the bowl. I love spicy food but not to the point that all other flavors are drowned out. Magic Curry nailed it.

As I’m beginning to delve into the street food scene, I’m curious to find out if the quality is there or if it’s the novelty that’s attracting the crowds. I have to admit that there was something cool about standing outside in the Mission District on a crisp night while eating from a cart that only some people even know exists. However, the Magic Curry Kart’s curry would make this stomach happy anywhere, anytime. For you early birds, the cart is often out in the afternoon and early evening. Follow the cart on Twitter and check it out.

Magic Curry Kart
$6 for a bowl of curry with rice
Check Twitter for times and locations
www.twitter.com/magiccurrykart
www.magiccurrykart.com

Roughly six years ago, I was up late one night frantically searching Chowhound (when Chowhound used to matter) for chicken wings. I was sure that there had to be something that I was missing. In college, wings were a staple of my umm, “balanced” diet. I once proudly ate 27 Mr. Spot’s jumbo wings in one sitting on a dare. How could San Francisco, with such a great diversity of food, be void of a decent wing joint? A place with cold beer on tap, maybe a few big screen tv’s with football on, and, most importantly, hot, greasy, messy wings by the basket with celery and processed blue cheese dressing on the side. Well I found that place…and it was called Hooters. At the Wharf.

But I also found San Tung, the venerable Chinese place on Irving and 11th. I didn’t even know that such a thing as Chinese style chicken wings existed but the Chowhound raves were so numerous, I had to trot out to the Inner Sunset for a taste. The Chowhounders were right. These wings, while completely different than my Mr. Spot’s memories, were a revelation. However, San Tung was nearly impossible to get into, especially with young kids who weren’t going to put up with a 45 minute wait for a table (ok, me). More Chowhound research ensued and the result was SO, a small place further down Irving at around 23rd. SO was owned by James, the son of the San Tung owners, and he smartly created a menu with San Tung’s greatest hits including the potstickers, the black bean sauce noodles and, yes, the wings. SO became a regular part of my Chinese food rotation until, one day around three years ago, there was a “CLOSED” sign in the window and, much to my disappointment, they never reopened.

So (no pun intended), I’m up late again surfing food sites a few weeks ago (some things haven’t changed in six years) when I notice that #3 on the “hot” restaurants on Yelp is a place called SO. “No Way!” , I thought to myself. Then, I saw the SOMA address and figured that this was a total coincidence. Maybe SO was yet another locavore, organic blah, blah, blah. But I clicked anyway and started reading Yelpers’ thoughts. Every single review mentioned chicken wings. Most reviews mentioned potstickers. SO was reopen! Five minutes away from our house!

Wanting to try a variety of dishes, I asked my cousins to join us for dinner this past Friday night. While the decor was a little bit nicer than the old Irving St. location, not much else had changed. To my memory, the menu was nearly identical with a variety of fried items, noodles, potstickers, and fried rice. I’m beyond happy to report that everything tasted exactly as I remembered it, maybe even better. Let’s start with the star of the show, the wings. SO’s wings are very lightly fried, to a point that you get a glassy crunch, and then tossed with a simple combination of roasted red pepper, garlic, and ginger soy sauce. The results are both stunning and addictive. If there weren’t six other hungry diners with me, I would have easily polished the whole order myself.

While the wings are my “essential order” at SO, the potstickers are also not to be missed. There’s no secret ingredient or anything unusual about them but rarely in San Francisco have I had potstickers this well executed. Well browned pillows of dough hug a perfectly balanced mixture of ground pork and ginger. Hint: Order the potstickers early as they tend to take longer than then other dishes to arrive at the table, a result of proper pan frying in the kitchen. Other winners included the SO Black Bean Sauce Noodles, a spicy mix of house made noodles, pork, and scrambled eggs and the Dried Sauteed String Beans, cooked with super fresh beans and a little bit on the garlicky side.

If you can’t tell by now, my excitement about the relaunch of SO is boiling over. It’s the perfect place for a quick dinner or to stop by on the way home from work for takeout. Prices are very reasonable with no dishes on the current menu costing more than $7.50. Including my two young daughters and two teenage boys, seven of us ate for $63 after tax and tip. So are these the best wings in San Francisco? Right now, I’d say a big yes.

SO
1010 Bryant St. (b/t 8th and 9th)
San Francisco, CA 94103
415-552-7676
Monday-Saturday, 11AM-9PM
Website

Gourmet donuts make no sense to me. I’ve tried hard to love The Donut Plant in New York and Dynamo Donuts here in San Francisco but I just don’t get it. Why again am I paying $3 for a donut? I don’t care that donuts are organic or are baked with Indian spices or are filled with heirloom fruit. It’s a donut damnit! It should be cheap, a little greasy, and flavorful. The words “hint of” and “nuance” shouldn’t be spoken when discussing donuts. When I dream about donuts, I dream about Bob’s, one of the oldest of the old school haunts left in San Francisco.

My favorites at Bob’s are the Maple Filled, the Apple Fritter and the Plain Glazed. Each are exemplary of their donut genre. The Maple Filled is heavy on the external glaze and has a liberal spread of artificial maple frosting on top. Inside resides an eggy, almost pudding like custard that squirts uncontrollably with each bite. The Apple Fritter will sink you. It’s heavy, crusty and doughy and it tastes nothing like a real apple. Perfect. In contrast, the danger of the Plain Glazed is its lightness. With a thin layer of vanilla glaze and an airy interior, it’s easy to knock down two or three of these in one sitting (not that I ever have).

The Maple Glazed Donut At Bob's

Back in the day when Mrs. Stomach and I regularly were out past midnight, Bob’s was often a stop on the way home. Why? They make all of their donuts between midnight and 4AM. We knew the donut making schedule so well that it dictated our nightlife endgame. Feeling like an Old Fashioned? We better hustle over to Bob’s right now because they stop making them at 12:45. How about a Glazed? Let’s have another drink! The Glazed don’t come out until 2AM. Oh, how I miss those hot donuts! Coffee at Bob’s is a do-it-yourself affair utilizing glass coffee pots, filled with Maxwell House or maybe Folger’s, and uncompostable styrofoam cups. I don’t want to worry about the environment when I’m eating my donut.

Bob’s Donuts is exactly the same as it was when I first started going as a teenager and that is a big part of why I love it so much. I’m all for food fads and culinary progression but, sometimes, I just need something really simple and pleasing. Bob’s is just that.

Bob’s Donuts
1621 Polk Street (between Sacramento and Clay)
San Francisco, CA 94109
415-776-3141
Open 24 Hours

No photos available for tagalog

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We recently had the good fortune of being last minute fill-ins at a Filipino Feast for six guests here in San Francisco. Our friends Robert Aguirre and Lisa Fung had put together this meal as an auction item for our kids’ school and Robert recruited his mom to do all of the cooking (14 courses!) and his dad to hang out with us and teach us about Filipino traditions and history. Many of the foods that I tried at this meal were new to me and I was blown away by the variety, quality and quantity of what we were served. Thanks to Robert and Lisa and their family for an unforgettable night. To my memory, this was the most full that I’ve ever felt both during and after a meal…and that’s saying something!

When I think of the corner store sandwich, I envision a turkey or maybe a roast beef sandwich on a semi-stale, hard Italian roll with bland, rubbery cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo or mustard. The guy behind the counter isn’t really that into making sandwiches and also serves as the cashier and is also probably the owner of the store. Boring sandwiches. Boring life. Recently though, mainly in the Mission District, there has been a complete reinvention of the corner store sandwich and its place on our palates. The bread is fresh. The ingredients more flavorful. The sandwich maker is enthusiastic. Exciting sandwiches. Exciting Life.

The Korean Steak Sandwich at Rhea's

Rhea’s Market and Deli had been on my omnipresent mental list of places to check out for some time but then faded from memory. However, when Jonathan Kauffman, the SF Weekly’s excellent new restaurant critic, recently proclaimed Rhea’s Korean Steak Sandwich to be “one of the best Korean fusion snacks in the city”, I was beyond intrigued. The first thing that I noticed during my lunchtime visit last week was the attention to detail going on behind the sandwich counter. There were three guys making sandwiches with one, presumably the owner, checking each sandwich for proper ingredient distribution and style. Two sandwiches, having failed inspection, were reopened for a quick addition of onions or a hit of hot sauce. Wow. Rhea’s menu lists the Korean Steak Sandwich’s ingredients as: “Marinated rib-eye in soy sauce, garlic, ginger, honey & spices served on an Acme organic roll, choice of cheese, chili garlic sauce, house pickled red onions & jalapenos, grilled onions, fresh red onions, iceberg lettuce and garlic aioli.” When reading this, I thought that this sandwich could be divine or it could be a total mess. I’m happy to report that it was divine! All good sandwiches start with good bread and this was no exception. The Acme roll was very fresh with a nice crunch to the crust yet an easy chew. I liked how the bread sopped up the delicious marinade juices, creating an extra level of flavor. Each bite was like a “best of” Korean barbecue flavors festival going on in my mouth. The attention to detail behind the counter paid off as every bite had an even spread of ingredients, a rare feat. Minor points off for one piece of gristle but otherwise, this is a pretty unique and fantastic sandwich.

The Chicken Milanese Torta at That's It

I was embarrassed to learn about the tortas at That’s It Market from the San Francisco episode of Tony Bourdain’s show, “No Reservations”. When Bourdain was munching on his torta on-screen, Mrs. Stomach shot me a look letting me know that I had let her down. How didn’t I know about this place until last summer? While That’s It looks like a typical corner store on the outside, inside they have a small counter that can seat six towards the back. Behind the counter stands Alicia, my Torta Queen, who is solely responsible for these masterpieces. While Rhea’s sandwich is a gourmet spin on a Korean classic (I’m guessing that Acme doesn’t have a bakery in Seoul), That’s It’s tortas are about as down-home as you can get. As per the menu board, the tortas are made “estilo DF”, meaning in the style typical of food stands and carts in Mexico City. Much like Rhea’s, the bread here is the engine that drives the sandwich. A quick turn on the griddle gives the roll a super light crisp and a faint buttery flavor. This is then stuffed, and I mean stuffed, with your choice of meat (I suggest the chicken milanese or the chorizo and egg), refried beans, queso fresco, avocado, onion and tomato. The end result is a sandwich that tastes like a lighter but more flavorful burrito. These tortas can easily feed two for lunch and maybe even dinner depending on your appetites. For $6.50! I’m now a regular making up for lost time.

Rhea’s Market and Deli
800 Valencia St. (at the corner of 19th St.)
San Francisco, CA 94110
415-282-5255
Deli counter open M-TH: 11:30 AM-7PM, F-SUN: 11:30 AM-8PM, Closed every 2nd Monday
Korean Steak Sandwich $8.75

That’s It Market
2699 Mission St. (at the corner of 23rd St.)
San Francisco, CA 94110
415-285-9883
Mon.-Sun.: 11AM-11:30 PM
Chicken Milanese Torta or Chorizo and Egg Torta: $6.50

The Number 4 Combination Plate at Cordon Bleu

There are only two restaurants in San Francisco (well, three if you count Popeye’s) where I regularly order chicken as an entree. One is Zuni Cafe, where the Roast Chicken with Bread Salad is a longtime favorite. But you’re probably sick of hearing about Zuni’s chicken. The other is Cordon Bleu on California and Polk, next to the Lumiere Theater. Now, if you’re like most of my friends, you’re either thinking “Cordon Bleu? I haven’t been there in forever!” or “What’s Cordon Bleu?”. Everyone seems to have forgotten about this hole-in-the-wall or never knew about it in the first place. Include me in the crowd that forgets about it. Though I first ate here in 1985 and was a regular for a while when I was twentysomething, the only time that I’m reminded about Cordon Bleu is when my sister-in-law visits from New York. She lived in San Francisco for a year back in the mid ’90s and Cordon Bleu is on her “must eat” list every time she’s here. Maybe you have to leave town to appreciate this gem? Two recent visits are strongly imprinting Cordon Bleu back in my memory.

A counter with ten seats and two tables, one that is also used for food prep, make up this Vietnamese barbecue chicken shack in our old ‘hood (and four blocks from where I grew up). The Five Spiced Chicken Combo (Number 4) is, in my opinion, the thing to order here as it comes with 1/2 of a well-seasoned bird char-grilled right in front of your face. I’m of the mind that if I can see my food being cooked, it tastes better. Better yet, I’m pretty sure that the woman cooking my food is the same woman who was there back in ’85! The chicken skin is crispy and mostly burnt, how I like it. For the most part, the chicken remains moist though I encountered a few dry bites here and there. Not enough to bother me. Also, you get a heap of rice with a delicious, almost Bolognese-like, meat sauce unlike any I’ve ever tasted ladled on top (I like the sauce on my rice while Mrs. Stomach likes it on the side). It’s kind of a Vietnamese-Italian hybrid sauce. Finally, a scoop of “Country Salad” is balanced on the edge of the plate and its light, vinegary flavor and hefty crunch provide a refreshing contrast. Start with an order of Imperial Rolls, fresh fried. They’re not served with all of the accoutrements that you might find at The Slanted Door but, for $2.60 an order, I’m not complaining. The only other item that I’ve ever ordered here is the Shish Kebab and I don’t love it. The flavor is ok but the meat is so thin that it tends to get overcooked on the flames and, therefore, becomes tough.

If I can see the flames, it makes the food taste better.

In a city where restaurants and fads come and go, Cordon Bleu soldiers on, unconcerned with such trends but instead serving its mighty fine chicken at an impossibly high level of consistency day after day, night after night. Save a spot in your memory and drop by for a soul satisfying, cheap meal.

Cordon Bleu
1574 California St
(between Larkin St & Polk St)
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 673-5637
Tuesday-Saturday: 11:30 AM-10:00 PM, Sunday: 4:00PM-10:00PM
Number 4 Special (1/2 Five Spiced Chicken, Meat Sauce on Rice, Country Salad): $7.60
Imperial Roll: $2.60

Margherita Pie

When my family first moved to the Bay Area in 1981, pizza here flat out sucked. Dan Ledeux, one of my first friends in sixth grade, enthusiastically told me that Straw Hat and The Pizza Machine were “rad”. Even coming from Michigan, where the locals swear by Buddy’s horrific excuse of a pizza, Straw Hat and The Pizza Machine were dreadful. My parents hinted that I might break off my new friendship. Goodbye Dan Ledeux. In my family, suggesting a bad restaurant is about the worst offense there is. Talk about us behind our backs, swindle us out of our money, steal our possessions but please, for God’s sake, don’t you dare send a Hochman to a lousy restaurant. It won’t be forgotten. Ever.

Our move to the city in 1984 didn’t improve the pizza situation much. Other than Giorgio’s and Tommaso’s, San Francisco was a pizza wasteland (it’s no coincidence that both of these places are still thriving). But in 2005, things began to change quickly. Delfina Pizza and Picco, in Marin, both opened and were instant hits. The floodgates opened and we’re now overrun with really good pizza. Gialina, Pi Bar, A16, Pizzaiolo in Oakland…the list goes on and on. Just when I thought that the pizza craze had gone too far, along came Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in North Beach. I think that I’m falling in love.

The New Jersey Style Tomato Pie With 1/2 Sausage

Tony Gemignani’s pizza career has been well documented by the local food media. He and his brother have long owned a pizza place in Castro Valley and he was the first American to win the World Pizza Cup in Naples, Italy in 2007. However, I was skeptical when learning of his plans for a new pizza place in North Beach last year. Why? Gemignani planned to install four pizza ovens so that he could prepare four different styles of pizza. Uggh. This sounded like a recipe for disaster and a little gimicky as well. San Franciscans don’t dig gimmicks. Two recent visits have proven me totally wrong.

The first pizza that I tried was a 1/2 sausage New Jersey Tomato Pie under the “Classic American” section of the menu. It flat-out rocked. The crust was thin and crispy but not annoyingly so like some cracker crusts in town. It had some substance. Even on the sausage side, with a little extra grease, the crust held up well. The perfectly sweet tomato sauce was evenly spread on top of just the right amount of cheese. The outer crust, fluffy and crispy all at once, is worthy of being a snack unto itself. This “Classic American” pizza is meant to evoke orgasmic memories of East Coast pie palaces and it succeeds. If I smoked, I would have lit up a cigarette after scarfing this pizza and laid in a daze for an hour or so before passing out in pizza bliss.

Yes, there are three meatballs under that blanket of sauce and cheese.

The Margherita Pie from from the “Napoletana” section of the menu has the pedigree of an odds-on favorite at the Kentucky Derby. This is the pie that won the World Cup and only 73 are made each day. Ingredients include extra virgin olive oil from Campania, San Marzano tomatoes, Mozzarella Fior di Latte and “dough mixed by hand using San Felice flour then proofed in Neapolitan wood boxes”. While this pizza was also delicious, it ranks slightly behind the Tomato Pie for me. Why? I was taught from an early age by my New Yorker parents that a crisp crust is the proper crust . A true Napoletana pizza has a crust that is chewier rather than crispy as it spends only 90 seconds in a blistering hot, wood fired oven. Tony’s Margherita is exemplary of this style. The flavors are amazing but I simply prefer a crispier crust. Still great stuff.

I can’t finish this review without mentioning the meatballs. If you’ve ever salivated watching Tony Soprano eat meatballs, order these. For five dollars, this hefty order is a steal and not to be missed. Tony’s is an easy place to come either on a date or with friends and family. The vibe is festive and there’s a full bar with many beers on tap. On both of my visits, service was really friendly. Tony’s feels like a pizza place should. I didn’t even get to the Calzones, the Sicilian Style pies or the Strombolis but I’m already plotting my next visit.

Tony’s Pizza Napoletana
1570 Stockton St. (corner of Union)
San Francisco, CA 94133
415-835-9888
Website
Wednesday-Sunday: Noon-11:00 PM
No reservations
The Original Tomato Pie $15
Margherita Pie $18
Meatballs 3 for $5, 6 for $7