Mission specific: what have I missed?
I've been getting some uberuseful comments here http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/736933?tag=main_body;topic-736933 on our upcoming visit itinerary -- thanks to all. Thought I'd trespass further on your hospitality by asking for some specific feedback on a Mission tour I've cooked up for a couple of Van Hounds who haven't been to SF before.
I've organized it roughly by area and in address order with the help of a Muni map. If I should outright dump anything, I've missed any of your favourites (places or foodstuffs) or anything has closed/changed hands/gone downhill, I'd love to hear about it.
This jaunt will take place on Sunday, Nov 7 from about 11-3. Obviously we won't get to everything on the list but it'll be fun to try :-).
Mission ideas:
24th area:
Papalote 3409 24th btwn Valencia and Poplar (415) 970-8815 for something veg or the triple threat but beware size!
Arizmendi 1268 Valencia St. at 24th St., 415-826-9218 Mon-Th 7am-7pm Fri 7am-9pm baked goods, chai
Taqueria San Jose (2830 Mission btwn 24th and 25th) where they do the al pastor gyros style on a spit. salsa cruda
La Taqueria (2889 Mission at 25th) for carnitas tacos dorados
Dianda’s at 2883 Mission at 25th is an Italian bakery with a Latin feel and some very ornate cakes on offer
Mr Pollo with its Colombian and Ecuadorian offerings
King’s Bakery Café at 2846 Mission with its bbq pork buns
Mission Pie 25th and Mission sweet and savory pies.
“mall” with the Peruvian grocer El Perol and many other points of interest including Altena 2588 Mission St btwn 22nd and 21st
Taqueria Guadalajara 3146 24th btwn Shotwell and Folsom (415) 642-4892 for carnitas taco super version
Mission Local Eatery 3111 24th St near Folsom 415.655.3422 LUNCH Tues-Fri 11:00 – 3:00
Sat-Sun 10:00 – 3:00 DINNER Wed – Sat 5:30 – 10:00 BRUNCH Saturday and Sunday Great place for lunch, coffee, pastries. High end ingredients. All under $10. .
Philz Coffee 3101 24th at Folsom chai tea with mint or Turkish coffee
El Delfin 3066 24th btwn Lucky and Treat (415) 643-7955 pozole weekends only, caldo de pollo, molcajete, shrimp in creamy garlic sauce or others, green mole enchiladas, fresh made fruit juice, slow service, avoid salads, chips, red salsa, guac, catfish ceviche (ask), ask for snapper instead of tilapia open 9 am
Rancho Grande 3064 24th St. combination grocery/butcher/loncheria; cactus tacos and pupusas (which you can order singly apparently
)Humphry Slocombe corner of Harrison and 24th
El Tonayense taco truck usually parka by the kid's playground at 23rd and Treat. Also at Harrison and 19th streets. Harrison and 22nd streets, and Shotwell and 16th streets) (415) 550-9192. Breakfast, lunch, dinner daily.
Taqueria Vallarta 3033 24th St btwn Treat and Harrison where the tacos are served from what used to be an outdoor cart.
Haltun Mayan 2948 21st St btwn Treat and Harrison 415-550-9410 Mon-Sun10-10 pm try the platter, also has a window (formerly La Cachanilla)
El Gallo Giro Taco Truck: Parque Ninos Unidos at Treat and 23rd The Michoacan-style carnitas here are excellent, more like straight-up roast pork, with a healthy cap of fat that's crisped and gilded in the frying. Order it in tacos, and you get irregular hunks and fibers of meat, chewy, soft, and a little elastic, doused with a salsa that lets you taste the comal that's blistered its tomatoes and chiles. SF Weekly Aug 17/10
La Victoria Bakery 2937 24th St at Alabama. A takoyaki cart makes occasional appearances outside La Victoria Bakery & elsewhere. http://twitter.com/TakoyakiSF; pastries here are only okay
El Farolito 24th at Alabama a good burrito choice if we didn't hit Papalote ?!
Mercado Casa Lucas 2934 24th St
Tortas Los Picudos 2969 24th St btwn Harrison and Alabama, 415-824-4199 carnitas torta
Dona Tere’s street cart 21st and Alabama. For $1.75 tasty pork tostada and tamale 2-9, elote and flautas
La Palma Mexicatessen 2884 24th St btwn Florida and Bryant cactus tortillas, housemade papitas (potato chips) and corn tortillas being hand-patted out
El Metate 2406 Bryant at 22nd little store attached to a restaurant
Sugarlump Lounge 24th just before Bryant organic coffee, savoury pies. Free Wifi. Open from 7a-10p everyday.
Roosevelt Tamale Parlor 2817 24th at York. Tamales and lots of them. Big portions and good eats. Open 10am–9:30pm, Sunday till 9pm, closed Monday.
La Torta Gorda 2833 24th at Bryant for mostly Poblano-style Mexican food
St Francis Fountain 2801 24th Street between Bryant and York. fun place for a sweet bite, Mitchell’s ice cream, retro candies
Dynamo 24th street between York and Hampshire for different coffee and whacky doughnuts
Pal’sTakeaway 2751 24th St at Hampshire across from Dynamo (415) 203-4911
16th area:
Ritual Coffee 1026 Valencia near 21st more coffee!
Rocky's Navajo Frybread Fabric8 3318 22nd St at San Jose (415) 647-5888 Amnesia 853 Valencia btwn 19th and 20th (415) 970-0012
El Buen Sabor 699 Valencia at 18th (415) 552-8816 for carnitas
BiRite Grocery 3639 18th near Oakwood
BiRite Creamery 3692 18th btwn Dolores and Guerrero
Tartine Bakery 600 Guerrero at 18th (415) 487-2600
Pizzeria Delfina 3611 18th 415-437-6800
Acaxutla at 2282 Mission near 18th (Guatemalan) and Las Tinajas at 2338 Mission near 19th (Nicaraguan)
Balompie Café 3349 18th St at Capp between Mission and South Van Ness (415) 648-9199 pupusas with loroco or pasteles -- a meat-stuffed corn dumpling steamed in a banana leaf.
Mission Chinese Food 2234 Mission St. btwn 18th and 19th 415-863-2800 Sichuan peppercorn in the vast majority of the items, along with fragrant star anise, cumin, and coriander in the kitchen’s trademark spice mix. open 7 days 12-10 Sundays
Taqueria Cancun 2288 Mission btwn 18th and19th (415) 252-9560 for cebollitas
Yamo 3406 18th at Mission (415) 553-8911 to try another version of tea leaf salad Lunch, dinner Mon.-Sat.
El Maya Yucatan Cuisine 2022 Mission at 16th – Torta de Cochinita & happy hour
Poc Chuc 2886 16th S btwn South Van Ness and Shotwell (415) 558-1583 closed Wed; Sun 10-5 only; 10:30-10; try salpicon de res special if available, homemade tortillas, habanero salsa; focus on the “appetizers” in platillo maya
Four Barrel Coffee 375 Valencia at 15th for a restorative if needed
PICA PICA MAIZE KITCHEN 401 Valencia at 15th 415-400-5453 pernil arepa
CafeZazo 64 14th St at Harrison (415) 626-5555; 7-6 Mon-Fri 10-4 Sat 10-3 Sun made to order chips
STARSTREAM 1830 Harrison at 14th St 415-864-6390 Blue Bottle coffee. individual Roman-style pizzas at lunch
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El Maya Yucatan
2022 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Tartine Bakery
600 Guerrero St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Sugarlump
2862 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Mission Pie
2901 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Taqueria Cancun
2288 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Taqueria Vallarta
3033 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
El Tonayense
3150 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Pizzeria Delfina
3611 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
La Taqueria
2889 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
El Delfin
3066 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Altena Restaurant
3346 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Dianda's
2883 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
La Palma Mexicatessen
2884 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Yamo
3406 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Poc Chuc
2886 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Tortas Los Picudos
2969 24th St, San Francisco, CA
Blue Bottle Cafe
66 Mint St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Roosevelt Tamale Parlor
2817 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Balompie Cafe
3349 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Four Barrel Coffee
375 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94103
El Metate Restaurant
2406 Bryant St, San Francisco, CA
Acaxutla
2282 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Las Tinajas
2338 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
El Perol
2590 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Mission Chinese Food
2234 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
La Torta Gorda
2833 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Sabor
72 N Almaden Ave, San Jose, CA 95110
Arizmendi
1002 4th St, San Rafael, CA 94915
La Victoria Bakery
2937 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
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re: grayelf
mariacarmen
Nov 11, 2010 07:17 AM
oh alright (said grumpily.) waiting semi-patiently. ( : glad you're safely home!
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possumspice
Oct 31, 2010 02:05 AM
Anthony's Cookies at 25th & Valencia. The Cookies & Cream and Toffee Chip cookies are very good (and I say this as someone with hardly any sweet tooth).
La Oaxaquena is consistently tasty and could be an interesting departure from the more traditional taquerias you have listed.
I've heard that Pica Pica is missable, but haven't eaten there myself.
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La Oaxaquena
2128 Mission St, San Francisco, CAAnthony's Cookies
1417 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA›6 Replies-
re: possumspice
grayelf
Oct 31, 2010 08:08 AM
Anthony's noted.
I left out La Oax because we have been three times (huge fans of Oaxacan food) and unfortunately didn't find it consistent. Last visit all but the very un-Oaxacan pupusas was mediocre to bad.
Pica Pica might be missed because of geography but will bear your comment in mind.
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re: grayelf
grayelf
Oct 31, 2010 09:00 AM
As usual, I am amazed by the generosity of SF Bay Area Hounds in sharing valuable chow tips with an interloper -- thanks to all! My only way of paying you all back is to ensure I post a writeup and I will.
Even if I didn't give you a personal shoutout rest assured your suggestions have been added. I doubt we'll get to a quarter of these places (at least to eat, I'm hoping to poke our noses in to many) but that is the beauty of compiling a list. It will be there for future visits, and of course I'll be asking for updates.
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re: ankimo
grayelf
Nov 1, 2010 12:13 AM
Thanks vulber, we probably won't have room for a steak this time, even split several ways :-). And no way are we getting through the whole list in 4 hrs but I wanted to have lots of options. I think I may have to get one of the tortas with an egg in it this time, ankimo (love your handle BTW) -- the plain carnitas one was killer last time! No Commonwealth though -- doesn't seem like my style of resto, somehow, though I know it's one of the major hot spots right now.
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Mari
Oct 30, 2010 11:22 AM
I'd add two other places to this list.
Casa Sanchez on 24th Street (and York?) for the corn chips. They have the best packaged thick cut chips and they have been in the neighborhood forever.
Also add La Santaneca on Mission St. between 24th and 25th for pupusas, particularly the rice flour pupusas, and their Salvadorean style horchata (very different from Mexican Horchata). Those are my favorite pupusas in SF.
As for Dianda's, I would go for the rum-based desserts including the Chocolate Dildeaux ( I used to call it a mushroom before I found the official name on this site), which has been discussed on the board before, or the Fedora Cake. Also, the rum balls are quite good as well. It's like eating a mini croquembuche.
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Dianda's
2883 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110Casa Sanchez Restaurant
2778 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94110La Santaneca
3781 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110›12 Replies-
re: Mari
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re: mariacarmen
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re: wolfe
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re: mariacarmen
grayelf
Oct 30, 2010 10:59 PM
Anyone remember ordering an orgasm the first time you got into a bar? Deffo have to attempt ordering the dildeaux, even though I'm not much of a chocolate fan :-). Great to have specific target items at Dianda's and the two new to me recs, Mari. And special thanks to Melanie, who provided many of the recs that made it onto my list, from a Mission tour she did and wrote up a couple years back.
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Dianda's
2883 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
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Melanie Wong
Oct 30, 2010 09:36 AM
Las Tinajas might not be open on Sundays. Mr Pollo no longer Ecuad/Colombian under new operator, serving up Venezuelan and his own personal cuisine. Instead of Roosevelt, consider Espiga. And La Palma now has sidewalk tables tomconsume your purchases so might be worth a re look.
La Victoria, Fabric 8 and other venues feature a changing array of street vendors each week. You'll want to do more research on the possibilities to add to your list.
ETA: at your stated hours, you won't catch many of the new style street vendors.
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Las Tinajas
2338 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110›1 Reply-
re: Melanie Wong
grayelf
Oct 30, 2010 10:56 PM
Thanks Melanie -- I may have to wait on the street vendors for another trip when we can go in the evening. My guests have never been to the Mission so we are starting from scratch. Also re the changes at Mr Pollo. I'll add Espiga -- anything particularly worth seeking out there? We'll check out La Palma's new setup as well. I like their store but the lineup protocol drives me a bit loca, even in the new(er) place.
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re: vulber
grayelf
Oct 30, 2010 10:52 PM
Fear not vulber HS is on the list (you probably missed it in all the verbiage, it is one LONG list). I'm hard to please when it comes to pie so I take your words to heart. As for the Poc Chuc vs Maya Yucatan question, I've been to PC a couple of times and really enjoyed their corn based stuff, less impressed with the meaty/stewy dishes. We'll give MY a chance with the cochinita torta for sure.
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Poc Chuc
2886 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94103
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mariacarmen
Oct 29, 2010 11:17 PM
how didi i miss this post, greyelf? and how in HELL are you doing even an eighth of these in your four days here? or is this just for your friends?
good choices. only one i don't personally care for her is Pi Bar - i find their pizza bland. good once you doctor it up.
Mr. Pollo - i tried two things there - one the arepa and the other... maybe the cachapa, can't remember. but both good - made to order. liked pica pica too, same type of thing.
the mall you refer to - Perol is the Peruvian restaurant itself, not the grocer. this is literally around the corner from my place. i may be joining you for part of this day too!! the things i like best at Perol are the papa ala huancayna, the causa, and i'm not sure what they're calling it but it's an empanada-like thing with spiced ground meat inside. yum.
king's bakery - this weekend i'll check out this name, because there are two chinese bakeries on the same side of Mission Street, and one is much better than the other, but i can't remember the names - they're only about 2 blocks apart.
El Maya Yucatan - i've only gone in once and tried something, and it was good, but not so good i feel like going back again and again. that particular part of mission is really unappetizing, and that kind of thing usually doesn't bother me. but even the restaurant was kinda scuzzy.
shamefully, I STILL have not tried Pizzeria Delfina.
I just went to Tartine last weekend with out of town friends - i hadn't been in years! (that's how spoiled we are - i can go years without haivng something so wonderful in my own backyard) - it was as good as i remembered it.
Arizmendi is a sister co-op to Cheeseboard Pizza in Berkeley, and the only difference is the dough - Arizmendi's is crisper, and I actually prefer Cheeseboard's, but the flavors in their pizza are identical. other baked goods too. the scones are wonderful. those, and the english muffins - made me feel like i'd never had the real deal on either one before i had theirs.
i'm REALLY intrigued about this:Rocky's Navajo Frybread Fabric8 because i JUST heard about Fabric8 and had no idea what it was until your post. i walk by the sign all the time and i literally thought it was some hipster fabric store - i never went to the actual place, or the website. i love indian fry bread!
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El Maya Yucatan
2022 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110Mr. Pollo
2823 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110Pizzeria Delfina
2406 California St, San Francisco, CA 94115Arizmendi
1002 4th St, San Rafael, CA 94915›3 Replies-
re: mariacarmen
Civil Bear
Oct 30, 2010 09:25 AM
Agree about El Maya Yucatan. Particularly when Poc Chuc is so close by.
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El Maya Yucatan
2022 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110Poc Chuc
2886 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94103-
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re: vulber
wolfe
Oct 30, 2010 02:16 PM
Glad to see you remembered the name.
"The most comprehensive Mayan menu in the neighborhood" is quite a statement, given the existence of Poc Chuc and the place at 16th and Mission whose name escapes me."
vulber on May 21, 2010-----
Poc Chuc
2886 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94103
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I'd add Pi Bar on Valencia and Rosamunde on Mission. In both cases decent food option enhanced by pretty good beer selection.
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Pi Bar
1432 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110Rosamunde Sausage Grill
2832 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110›2 Replies -
Robert Lauriston
Oct 29, 2010 10:52 AM
Dianda has great amaretti, good choice for a walking tour.
Very traditional Italian gelato at La Copa Loca. Not necessarily the best gelato in town, but it's the closest to an average gelateria in any random town in Italy.
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