Anything like Animal or Momofuku in SF?

[keenanreilly]

Hey cool kids, I'm in your neighborhood for a week and I was wondering if there was any place you would consider similar to Animal in LA or the Momofukus in NYC. I don't mean in terms of genre of food as they are clearly very different, but I mean in the sort of gorilla vibe they have. Obviously the food is the key but these two places really tap into the specific youth culture of the two cities and I would love to experience something like this in your beautiful city. Let me know your picks, I'll probably go to all of them.

[wingman]

I moved out here from NYC after spending a couple years in VA for grad school. Haven't found any restaurants that really capture the culture here like Momofuku does in NYC but would give the following suggestions and reasons:

Philz Coffee- Mission - best captures the vibe of this city and its love of coffee
Monk's Kettle - Mission - amazing beer list and has great gastropub food, kind of like Spotted Pig but the food isn't as good and vibe isn't as cool
Magnolia - Haight - microbrewery, good food, very San Francisco Vibe
Romolo 15 - North Beach - SF style speakeasy with an awesome grilled cheese, not as exclusive as NY speakeasies like PDT or Milk & Honey (a few years ago)
Burma Superstar - Richmond - more casual than the others on the list but shows the international flair this city has in a really fun envrionment
The new Soma places (zero zero, rn74, town hall/ anchor & hope/ salt bar) - what SF is emerging to, SOMA has the most big city vibe of any area of the city
Suppenkuche - Hayes Valley - fun, german style bar

In general I haven't found anything super sceney in SF, the vibe is really laid back and come as you are which is what makes this city great. Some other options are the burrito joints in the mission, Papalote or El Farilito are both solid and where the locals over there would most go.

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Suppenkuche
525 Laguna St, San Francisco, CA 94102

The Monk's Kettle
3141 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94103

Burma Superstar
4721 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA

[pauliface]

I've not been to Animal or Momofuku (though I am gonig to Ko a week from Sunday!), so techinically I have no idea what I'm talking about.
But for good food + hipness quotient, I'm gonna go ahead and recommend the following, pretty much all are in the mission:
-- Nombe
-- Lolo's
-- people will probably tell you to stay away, but what the hell, I like Luna Park
-- bar bambino

And then if you are hung over on Sunday, the other hungover youth are always waiting around for brunch at Boogaloo's.

[Robert Lauriston]

Chef change at Nombe.

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Nombe
2491 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

[pauliface]

Also Nihon Whiskey Lounge. This has more of a lounge/LA vibe than an East Village/guerilla vibe.

Also, I don't think this is what you're after but there's also a big younger scene in the Chestnut Street/Marina area. That's more your post-collegiate upper-west-side type crowd, as opposed to the more hipster feel of in the Mission.

Ah and remember how I mentione Boogaloo's for brunch? Well if that's where the hungover hipsters are having their eggs at tables, then Lime in the Castro is where the folks go who are ready to dress up a little and drink mimosas and have snacks with loud music and a big crowd are gonna be. Have not been in a while, but they've always had some tasty morsels (lots of small plate food) and they know how to mix a proper cocktail.

[pauliface]

Check out this thread:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/710627

[carfeng]

Mission Chinese Food comes to mind. There is also a strong food truck scene as well pop-up dinners once in a while.

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Mission Chinese Food
2234 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94110