Category Archives: 7×7 Big Eat SF

Cracked Dungeness crab – Swan Oyster Depot

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Cracked 1/2 Dungeness crab Swan Oyster Depot

Large portion of half crab served with bread and butter and your choice of cocktail sauce, Louie sauce, or butter for dipping. $17.95
Swan Oyster Depot, San Francisco

This place is crazy popular! I arrived before noon on a Thursday and there was already a line out the door! There’s limited seating inside, only stools at the singular counter so you must wait until a seat becomes available. I wouldn’t recommend going here with a large group because you might be waiting a long time! The wait is definitely worth the wait for the freshest seafood and great service. The guys behind the counter are super friendly and the place just has a very cool, old-school vibe.

The dungeness crab was delicious! They do a great job cracking the shells so it’s fairly easy to remove all the yummy flesh. I ordered mine with cocktail sauce but next time I’ll try the Louie sauce. That would complete the decadent meal, hehe!

Sourdough bread Swan Oyster Depot

Sourdough bread and butter. Complimentary.

7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2011, 2012, 2013

Fried shrimp po’boy – Brenda’s French Soul Food

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Fried shrimp po' boy Brenda's French Soul Food

Cornmeal fried shrimp with lettuce, tomatoes and chipotle remoulade on a toasted French roll. Served with coleslaw and pickled watermelon. $9.75
Brenda’s French Soul Food, San Francisco

This sandwich was SO good! The shrimp were cooked perfectly and the chipotle remoulade tasted amazing. You can put that sauce over anything and it would taste good. This meal was very rich and fattening but it’s nice for an occasional treat. I definitely wouldn’t be eating this every day!

The restaurant is super popular so if you’re going during lunch, you better arrive early otherwise you’ll be waiting for a while. They’ve expanded their dining room but every table gets filled. I had to sit at the front counter the last time I went. I don’t mind that sort of thing, especially for lunch and the people next to me were friendly enough and unobtrusive.

Coleslaw Brenda's French Soul Food

Coleslaw of cabbage, carrots and red cabbage. Love that it’s not so mayonnaise! It’s nice and on the lighter side.

Pickled watermelon rinds Brenda's French Soul Food

Pickled watermelon rinds. Yummy!

Watermelon tea Brenda's French Soul Food

Sweet watermelon house tea. $2.25
So frickin’ refreshing!

7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2010, 2011

Devils on horseback – Magnolia Pub and Brewery

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Devils on horseback Magnolia Pub and Brewery

Goat cheese stuffed, bacon wrapped dates with a kolsch gastrique. $6
Magnolia Pub and Brewery, San Francisco

These bites were very flavorful and heart-stopping! No really, I could feel my arteries getting clogged and my heart stop for a second, lol! Like that’s stopped me before. 🙂  These were delicious and the beer gastrique provided additional sweetness. I did eat the bed of lettuce leaves to balance out all the fat, lol!

Devils on horseback Magnolia Pub and Brewery

7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2014

Deep Ellum Dubbel beer – Magnolia Pub and Brewery

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Deep Ellum Dubbel beer Magnolia Pub and Brewery

Belgium style beer. 13 ounce for $6
Magnolia Pub and Brewery, San Francisco

I’ve said it before – I’m not a big beer drinker but I’ve been getting lucky with my choices lately! This dark, caramelly Belgian style beer was absolutely delicious! Really great, rich flavor and I loved the cute etched glass that it came in. Helps me to forgive the place for having a Kalifornia Kolsch. Don’t they know that only beer brewed in Cologne (Koln) can be called Kolsch!?

7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2011

The Laphroaig Project cocktail – Rickhouse

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The Laphroaig Project Rickhouse

Green and yellow chartreuse, Luxardo maraschino, Laphroaig Quarter Cask whiskey, fresh lemon juice and peach bitters. $10
Rickhouse, San Francisco

“A tropical and light cocktail featuring a peaty single-malt? Balderdash, you say? We insist that you reserve judgment before you arrive to such hasty conclusions, good sir. Lest you tragically deny yourself that rare and elusive pleasure that is both delightfully intellectual and wickedly visceral. Godspeed!”

Rickhouse uses large ice cubes – love that! This drink was absolutely delicious and true to it’s menu description, tropical and light. Noms! I had some preconceived notions about Rickhouse before I went. I figured that since it was a nicer bar in the middle of the Financial District, that it would be full of douche-y guys drinking early to avoid their lame corporate jobs. Not true! The place is tastefully decorated inside and the bartender was super friendly and inviting. The guys sitting at the bar were chill and at least didn’t give off much of a douche-y vibe. I’d go back and try more of their intricate cocktails. The bartenders must be good to execute such involved recipes.

The Laphroaig Project Rickhouse

Did I mention I love large ice cubes?! Hehe.

The Laphroaig Project Rickhouse

All gone!!!

7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2011

Warm egg salad sandwich – Il Cane Rosso

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Warm egg salad sandwich Il Cane Rosso

Petaluma Farm egg salad, anchovy garlic butter, aged provolone cheese, greens. $9
Il Cane Rosso, San Francisco

This was REALLY good! And huge! I could barely eat it all but I didn’t want any of it to go to waste. The eggs were good perfectly, soft and creamy. The anchovy garlic butter put it over the top – SO nommy! I also loved the simple salad that helped to cut the richness of the egg salad.

Warm egg salad sandwich Il Cane Rosso

Definitely worth tackling the crazy tourists at the Ferry Building, hehe!

Flowers Il Cane Rosso

Roses on the table with my order number. It was cold outside that day, brr!

7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2011, 2012

Irish coffee – The Buena Vista

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Irish coffee The Buena Vista

Whiskey, coffee, sugar, whipping cream. $7.50
The Buena Vista, San Francisco

This place claims that the Irish coffee was first introduced to the United States at this very spot by Stanton Delaplane. I like to think that this is true because stuff like that is kinda fun. The place is SO touristy, but has a cheesy quirky charm that I can appreciate.

The Irish coffee was very good! I can’t say that I have them often, but the combination of whiskey and coffee with the topping of cream has a soothing quality about it. The bartender was a no-nonsense and efficient older gentleman. The place was surprisingly calming despite the hordes of tourists!

This is what is inscribed on one of their displays next to the bar counter:

How To Make The Perfect Buena Vista Irish Coffee

1. Preheat 6 oz glass with hot water and empty
2. Drop in two sugar cubes
3. Pour hot coffee into hot glass until it is about three quarters full. Stir until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved
4. Add full jigger of Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey
5. Top with a collar of lightly whipped whipping cream by pouring gently over a spoon. Enjoy while piping hot!

Irish coffee The Buena Vista

7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2011

Sopa de albondigas – Mijita

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Sopa de albondigas Mijita

Mexican meatball soup. Beef and pork meatballs in a tomato based broth with carrots, onions, zucchini, celery, lime, parsley, and shredded tortilla chips. $8
Mijita, San Francisco

Yet another soup that was served luke warm! Was this suppose to be served that way? I like my soups HOT! If they’re too hot, then I’ll just wait a couple minutes for them to cool down, but I enjoy them so much more when they’re able to warm my stomach, literally! This soup was OK. Not sure why it’s on the 7×7 Big Eat list. There are plenty of other soups out there that have more flavor (and are served piping hot). The meatballs are tiny, making them easier to eat I suppose. With that much vegetables in the soup, you’d think that it’d have a little more flavor.

Oh, and a sea gull tried to attack me while sitting at the outside table. That was my cue to move inside, but there are still birds running around there too. Gross, so unsanitary!

Sopa de albondigas Mijita

7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2010, 2011, 2012

The Real Korean "taco" – Namu

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The Real Korean taco Namu

Ssam style “taco”, seasoned rice, daikon and kimchee salsa, kimchee remoulade, housemade teriyaki sauce, folded into Japanese and Korean toasted seaweed, with beef. $3
Namu, San Francisco

I love food stands and Namu is one of the best at the Ferry Building Farmers’ Market. This taco was pretty spectacular! I love the exciting combination of flavors and textures, and the kimchee remoulade knocked my socks off. The beef was also very tender and had a great grilled flavor. The only thing I didn’t like was that the double layer of seaweed was impossible to bite through. Maybe they could use drier seaweed or maybe only use one sheet. The taco is messy to eat already because of the abundance of toppings but fighting the seaweed wrapper made it oh so much messier.

The Real Korean taco Namu

7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2010, 2011, 2012

Lumberjack cake – Frances

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Lumberjack cake Frances

Pink lady apple, medjool dates, maple-walnut ice cream, powdered sugar. $8
Frances, San Francisco

This sinfully dense cake was SO fickin’ good! It had a beautiful dark and rich color and it was bursting with yummy fruits which helped to keep the cake very moist. The ice cream scoop almost looks fake in the photo. I love the texture of it in the pic – it still looks super cool! Amazing flavors all around in this great dessert!

7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2011

Roasted pork banh mi – Saigon Sandwich

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Project 365: Day 19

I wasn’t feeling well this morning so I stayed in bed for most of the morning, then drove to the Little Saigon area in the Tenderloin to grab some banh mi. They were SO good. I proceeded to catch up of DVR all day and just generally relax so I could start feeling better. The last thing I need is to get sick right now. I need to remain healthy so I can get in great shape for the cruise, lol!

That and T-Head is taking me to Locanda tonight for a late birthday dinner. I’ve been wanting to try that place, but I know that it’s one of those super dark restaurants that you can barely see what your eating. I’ve mentioned this before, but I hate that! Isn’t part of enjoying your food is being able to see it! I ate at Bar Tartine which is near Locanda and that place was almost pitch black, argh! At least the food at Locanda should be very good. That’s what the reviews say anyway. I’ll be the judge of that!

Roasted pork banh me Saigon Sandwich

Vietnamese sandwich with sliced roast pork, pickled carrots and onions, jalapenos, cilantro and mayonnaise on a toasted roll. $3.50
Saigon Sandwich, San Francisco

I can understand why this is on the 7×7 Big Eat SF list. It’s super tasty and ONLY $3.50. I wasn’t too hungry but it’s a decent sized sandwich and I couldn’t finish it. The pork was very tender and flavorful and all the pickled vegetables, jalapenos and cilantro stuffed inside made it a very hearty meal. A winner!

7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014

Pozole – San Jalisco

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Pozole San Jalisco Mexican Restaurant

Pork soup in a red, homemade spicy sauce complemented with corn hominy. Served with cabbage, radishes, lime wedges, chopped onions, Mexican oregano, and chili peppers on the side. $9.95
San Jalisco, San Francisco

This pozole had great flavor, but I wish it had come out hotter (temperature wise). It was only warm and quickly became luke warm. Not the way you should enjoy pozole! The preparation was rustic which I don’t mind, but Silverfox didn’t like picking around the bones and connective tissue of the pork. I did enjoy the number of accompaniments this came with. You could flavor the soup just the way you like it.

I do have to mention that the service at this restaurant was particular sweet and friendly.

7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2011, 2012

Pozole - San Jalisco
June 27, 2014. $10.95
Looks like the price has gone up!