Lamb shawerma – Truly Mediterranean

Posted on October 13, 2011 by vicentesf

Thin marinated slices of lamb and beef, broiled tomatoes, parsley, seasoned onions, tahini sauce, hot sauce and wrapped in a grilled lavash.
Truly Mediterranean, San Francisco

The shawerma at Truly Mediterranean are SO big and SO yummy! The meat is tender and flavorful, and I love the meaty broiled tomato wedges. The seasonings they put on everything is so good, as is the tahini sauce. I always agree to add the hot sauce, but it’s not very hot. So for those who need the heat, don’t expect much. Regardless, this wrap is very delicious and will definitely fill you up. The guys at the 16th Street store are very friendly and helpful. It’s a tiny shop with a stand up counter and a couple sidewalk tables. I don’t go there for the ambiance, I go for the food!

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

Lamb shawerma - Truly Mediterranean //embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js
April 5, 2015. $9.99

Italian sausage pizza – Firewood Cafe

Posted on October 10, 2011 by vicentesf

Mild Italian sausage, red and green bell peppers, Bermuda onions and homemade tomato sauce. $10.75
Firewood Cafe, San Francisco

If you like THIN crust pizza, Firewood Cafe in the Castro is the place to go. They have one of the thinnest crust around which is great for their mostly carb-conscious patrons, hehe! I personally love thin crust so I often order pizza from here. They have 5 different pizzas on their regualr menu and usually one daily special, and they’re all pretty good. The pizzas aren’t the most creative, but they are tasty, decently sized, and very affordable. Win, win if you ask me. This Italian sausage pizza was delicious. I like how the thin crust stayed crispy, and the vegetables did too. Their homemade sauce isn’t particularly noteworthy, but it’s yummy enough and doesn’t detract from the toppings. For $10.75, I’m sold!

These marinated olives are complimentary with your order. The small dishes are lined up at the counter. I always want to take more than one! I can’t help it, I’m a sucker for olives…

Squash pizza – Beretta

Posted on October 8, 2011 by vicentesf

Delicious pizza with squash, provolone, prosciutto, onion and goat cheese. $15
Beretta, San Francisco

I usually don’t go for vegetable pizzas, but this one was spectacular! Granted it also had prosciutto (that was my compromise, hehe). You can see that it had SO much squash on it – I kind of felt healthy eating this pizza. The thin crust was very good and it was sturdy enough to support all the toppings. It had a nice bite, good char and a great flavor. Beretta is up there with Delfina Pizzeria as one of the places where I feel confident on consistently getting a delicious pizza!

Carne asada burrito – El Farolito

Posted on October 5, 2011 by vicentesf

Super burrito with soft flour tortilla filled with grilled steak, rice, beans, fresh tomatoes, onions, cilantro, salsa, cheese, sour cream, and avocado. $6.25
El Farolito, San Franciso

Like most Mission burritos, this one from El Farolito is ginormous (and quite delicious if I may add)! The carne asada was tender and flavorful, and the other ingredients are evenly portioned. They don’t over-fill the burrito with rice like some other taquerias. The salsa, however, was SO frickin’ salty! It pretty much destroyed my taste buds and ruined several bites of the burrito. I immediately stopped using more once I figured out that it was the salty offender, lol! If you plan on tackling this huge burrito, save your appetite or stow half for later!

7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

Boston clam chowder – Anchor Oyster Bar

Posted on September 27, 2011 by vicentesf

Boston clam chowder Anchor Oyster Bar
A mouth watering cup of one of the best clam chowders in San Francisco! Cup $4.25
Anchor Oyster Bar, San Francisco

This creamy Boston clam chowder has such amazing flavor! It’s not too thick, nor is it too runny. What I love about this chowder is it’s simplicity – the ingredients are the stars. You can taste all the vegetables, the clams, and the cream. Anchor Oyster Bar has always served straightforward food made with amazing ingredients. And I think that’s the key to their success. It’s a small restaurant and there’s always a wait for their delicious seafood, but don’t get discouraged, the tables somehow turn quickly.

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

Boston clam chowder - Anchor Oyster Bar
March 14, 2015. Bowl $6.50

Sourdough bread Anchor Oyster Bar
There’s a bowl of cute oyster cracker bags on every table for the chowder, but you can also get a large chunk of delicious, crusty sour dough bread with pats of Dairygold butter. How cute! $1.95

"3 cups" chicken clay pot – Shanghai Dumpling King

Posted on September 22, 2011 by vicentesf

Chicken thigh pieces with sliced onions, mushrooms, green onions, ginger, garlic, and star anise. $6.95
Shanghai Dumpling King, San Francisco

I was surprised at how much this clay pot tasted like Filipino chicken adobo, just less vinegary and with more ingredients. I think the addition of mushrooms and star anise made it more earthy, resulting in a more Chinese flavor. This dish was super hearty and very delicious! I personally love clay pots because they tend to be saucy and pair perfectly with steamed rice to soak up all the yummy juices. This is definitely going on my “Re-order” list!

Porchetta sandwich – Roli Roti

Posted on September 7, 2011 by vicentesf

Tender slices of slow rotisserie roasted pork on an Acme roll with caramelized onions, arugula, and herb sea salt.
Roli Roti Gourmet Rotisserie, San Francisco

Can you say fatty, salty, tasty, tender, amazing, deliciousness!? I’m in love with this sandwich. And apparently, so is everyone else if the long lunch line at the Ferry Building food stand is any indication. Roli Roti rotisserie roasts the porchetta right out of their cart/truck, and it’s mesmerizing to watch the beautiful fat drip down the stacked spits.

After slicing the pork, they soak up all the delicious juices left on the cutting board with a split Acme roll before piling on the meat, onions and arugula. They make sure to add pieces of the crispy skin for good measure. What results is heaven in a to-go bag! Count me in!

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

Lumpia Shanghai – Kuya’s Asian Cuisine

Posted on August 30, 2011 by vicentesf

Filling of seasoned pork and beef, minced onions and carrots, and beaten eggs in a lumpia wrapper, deep fried, and cut into bite sized pieces.
Kuya’s Asian Cuisine, San Bruno CA

I grew up eating lumpia prito (fried lumpia) which are much larger and have more vegetables: sprouts, carrots, string beans, peas, onion, and sometimes potatoes. My family always used ground beef in our lumpia, and it was great sitting around the table wrapping them to be stored in the freezer. I’m sure my parents still have trays of it in their freezer, ready to be given to guests to take home.

As a kid I only had lumpia Shanghai at parties and, later on, at Filipino restaurants in the city. Both lumpia varieties have their advantages, but lumpia Shanghai are less labor intensive to make and because of their small size, make excellent finger food at parties. I’ve been known to order trays of it to serve at my house. You can get a traditional “lumpia” sauce at Asian markets, but I prefer a regular sweet chili sauce because it has more flavor. Beware, lumpia is VERY addictive!

Chopped liver on toast – Bar Agricole

Posted on August 22, 2011 by vicentesf

This appetizer came with a side of dressed radicchio and garnished with sliced, pickled onions. $9
Bar Agricole, San Francisco

I didn’t grow up eating chopped liver, but there are Filipino dishes from my childhood that had plenty of liver in it. I don’t mind the strong, minerally taste that I remember so I’m never scared of ordering it at restaurants. This Jewish staple is definitely not like the liver I grew up with! It has a more mellow flavor and a smoother consistency. Bar Agricole’s chopped liver was well seasoned and had a great texture. It was a rustic preparation and you could see the seasonings and add-ins in the coarse mixture. The toasted bread was cut thick enough to hold the generous slathers of chopped liver. Very good! The radicchio, however, was SO salty. Personally, I love salt and can tolerate plenty of it, but these were inedible.

Ropa vieja – Esperpento

Posted on August 9, 2011 by vicentesf

Beef, chicken and chorizo stew with onions, green and red bell peppers, chick peas, garlic, and garnished with chopped parsley.
Esperpento, San Francisco

The combination of all 3 proteins makes this a very hearty stew, but not too heavy. Spanish chorizo tends to enough saltiness to a dish so be light handed on the salt when preparing something like this at home. The parsley was a nice touch to add brightness and a fresh flavor. Great comforting dish and bursting with flavor.

Chinese BBQ platter – Mission Chinese Food

Posted on August 8, 2011 by vicentesf

Smoked beef brisket, pork trotter and hot link with smoked cola BBQ sauce. Side of pickled cucumbers, onions and jalapenos.
Mission Chinese Food, San Francisco

I randomly read on Eater.com that Danny Bowien, the chef at Mission Chinese Food, had acquired a smoker and was going to start having bbq on the menu. So I HAD to order the Chinese bbq platter when I finally saw it on the menu. I must say that the brisket tastes pretty amazing with a great smoky flavor and oh so tender. The hot link was ok, didn’t taste very different from others I’ve tried. I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked the pork trotters – very flavorful. I was afraid that I wouldn’t like the texture of the skin, but I hardly noticed it from the rest of the meat. And of course, the homemade pickles were great!

Sausage and lentil soup – Credo

Posted on July 31, 2011 by vicentesf

Warm soup with sausage, lentils, zucchini, squash, white beans, carrots, potatoes, onions, celery, and topped with chopped parsley.

Credo, San Francisco

This hearty soup tasted surprisingly light considering the amount of ingredients. The trick to soups with this many vegetables is to cook them all to the same doneness. Unfortunately, the carrots and white beans in this soup were mushy compared to the other vegetables. However, it was still a nice, tasty soup for a warm summer day.

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