The City By the Bay on $30 a Day

[MarketStEl]

I assume that most of you recall my asking for cheap-but-good-eats recommendations for the San Francisco Bay area -- then ordering cheesesteak on my first day there.

I trust the chronicle that follows will redeem me.

First, I really appreciate all the recommendations I got from all of you. I will file these for future reference, for I will be back. As I've already said, I can see why people come to San Francisco to visit and end up staying there. Like New York, it is truly sui generis among American cities.

However, on the one day I spent entirely gallivanting around the city by myself before a dinner that ended up not taking place, I also wound up not hitting any of the recommended establishments.

Nonetheless, I did have two very good, very filling meals that were better than what I would find in Philly in these genres (though not by much anymore) -- and I spent a grand total of $25 between them.

The day before that, however, I took your advice and started my excursion by getting off BART at Embarcardero and heading (ahem) straight for the Ferry Building.

This photo is proof positive that the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake was probably the best thing to happen to the San Francisco waterfront since, well, the erection of the Ferry Building itself in 1896. For comparison, here's a photo of the same scene pre-1989, from the entrance display describing the building's renewal:

Inside, the transformation is equally dramatic. The Great Nave is once again filled with light and now lined with specialty food and beverage shops of all kinds.

Here, for instance, is a shop that sells California olive oils. I've made a note to visit their Web site when next I get spare cash so I can purchase some of the Persian lime oil they had out to sample:

If Paul Steinke is reading this, here's an idea for a possible addition to the Reading Terminal Market, what with Kennett Square being close by. On second thought, Iovine's has this territory pretty much sewn up already:

This shop sells nothing but mushrooms and related fungus derivatives. Their prices weren't bad for organic -- or conventional -- and they had great variety and quality.

I bought some white button mushrooms and some shiitakes for the dish I would fix later that evening.

I should have bought the bread there too, but I'm getting ahead of myself -- you'll find out why in a bit.

I found this shop rather novel -- a Japanese "deli" from the Japanese outfit that opened the first American-style deli in Japan:

For fans of Simon and Garfunkel, there was this place:

and you could have just parked me here for the rest of the day with a knife and a box of crackers and I would have been happier than a pig in you-know-what:

Then there was the place I should have purchased my bread.

But I wouldn't find that out until much, much later.

In the taxonomy of public markets, the Ferry Building is less farmers' market and more upscale food court, but it offers plenty of quality raw ingredients for the serious cook. Still, it feels to me like it's tailored more towards the folks who ride the ferry there from Sausalito than towards folks like me. I think you'd find me more often at the outdoor market at the Civic Center, where I purchased some fresh garlic and cilantro for the evening meal. (I promise I'll have a cocktail at the Slanted Door on my next visit, though.)

From there, I took the F-Market line all the way to its end at Fisherman's Wharf, riding in a vintage 1918 San Francisco streetcar. As I walked along the piers, a large room with people baking bread in it caught my eye. The signs said that this was an actual working bakery, producing authentic sourdough bread according to an old family recipe. So I went into their retail store and purchased a round loaf of sourdough bread for dinner and a jalapeno-cheddar roll to curb my hunger pangs.

The roll was nice and peppery, but it didn't have that sour taste that's characteristic of sourdough bread. That should have served as an omen, but I ignored it as I made my way to the streetcar back. I was pleased to see this vehicle roll up--a little bit of home, saved by San Franciscans who appreciate what SEPTA management doesn't:

but I've never heard anyone in Philadelphia ever refer to these cars by the term the Market Street Railway folks used.

After a pit stop at the San Francisco Transit Museum, I made my way for Dolores Park, where the friend for whom I was cooking that night lives. He told me that there was a very good grocery store around the corner from him, and he was right.

Oops! Shot directly into the sun.

I'd certainly buy ingredients for my special-occasion cooking at this store, but for routine stuff, I'd probably shop at the Safeway I passed on the trolley to the Castro.

Seeing as how this was a special occasion, though, I dove right into the Sunday-afternoon crowd inside the store. I bought some boneless chicken breasts:

some pappardelle pasta, cauliflower and broccoli, a couple of cans of organic tomato paste, some organic chicken broth, some more mushrooms, and a bottle of Grenache/Syrah. The chips were for me to snack on on the way there.

I spent a grand total of $36 on this repast, including the wine. Given the change in my friend's mood as the evening progressed, it was money well spent. As I was cooking, though, I mentioned to him that I was bequeathing him the unused garlic and cilantro. Then he tells me -- after I asked him twice if there were any foods I should avoid -- that he didn't like cilantro. (He acknowledged that I had asked him, so there was no foul. Besides, he liked the resulting dish. Sorry, no pictures of the finished product.)

Now, about that bread. When my friend ate it, he said, "I usually don't like sourdough bread, but I like this." Why? It didn't have that sour taste. Even a clueless Easterner like me knows that if the bread doesn't have that sour bite, it's not sourdough. In other words, I had been sold a bill of goods, like most visitors to Fisherman's Wharf. My hosts in Oakland told me later that night that I should have gone to Acme Bread (pictured above) instead. Next time, I'll know better.

The next day started around noon with a window-shopping spree on Union Square. After calculating the interest on the mortgage I would need to take out to buy anything at Nieman Marcus--including lunch in its restaurant--and oohing and ahhing again at all the pretty objects in Gump's, I was beginning to get hungry. I noticed that Chinatown was just a couple of blocks away.

As I hadn't printed out the recommendations, I was pretty much on my own for figuring out where to eat. I wandered through the neighborhood, scoping out menus. The bargain-hunter in me stopped in his tracks when he saw this on Jackson Street:

but a quick look inside disabused me of the notion that I'd enjoy lunch there.

So I pressed on and came to this Vietnamese restaurant.

The menu looked enticing and the price was right, so I went inside.

As I waited for my meal, I caught up on the news and saw something I found disturbing but not surprising in that day's Chronicle.

When my order arrived -- very quickly, I might add -- I was sorry I didn't have a dining companion. I had ordered the Imperial rolls as an appetizer; they came out along with the iced coffee, which was served in an individual drip cup. I guess the substance in the bottom of the cup was condensed milk and sugar.

Shortly afterwards, my main course was served: the house special hot and sour soup, with shrimp, calamari and a variety of fish products: fish balls, surimi "crab" legs and fish cake slices.

The broth had just a hint of heat from the Thai chili peppers in it, and the heat was balanced by a slightly sweet vinegary tang.

Two people could have shared this easily. Instead, I ended up eating the leftover portion for breakfast the next morning.

That portion survived my light rail tour of the city just fine. (A friend told me that I had to ride the J-Church inbound for the view. This too was a good recommendation: there's a stretch where you ride in the median of a street through a canyon, then as you emerge from the canyon and crest a slight hill, the entire city opens up before you--an absolutely breathtaking sight in a city where such sights are commonplace.)

As the sun was setting by now, I decided that this would be a good time to try one of those places in the Mission District that had been recommended to me. But because I hadn't printed out the recommendations, I had to go by feel. I walked down 24th, turned left on Mission, and walked up the block.

I narrowed my choices down to two. The first place was bright, clean, and airy -- and almost totally empty.

The second looked scruffier, but it was much, much busier.

I don't think I have to spell out which place I went into.

Even though it was Mexican, this place had more of a South Philly feel than that cheesesteak-and-hoagie place in Berkeley did.

They even had a big pile of thinly sliced steak cooking on a grill and an assembly-line setup, just like the busy cheesesteak places back home.

While I didn't see a vertical broiler, there was a painting of one on a rear wall, so I figured I couldn't go wrong ordering a taco al pastor here. I also ordered chips, a watermelon agua fresca, and a quesadilla Suiza.

The chips were nice and crisp, and the agua fresca was delicious. So was the taco al pastor; the pork used in the version served here was marinated in chili pepper, in contrast to the pineapple-infused version I ate at Taqueria La Puebla on 9th Street in Philly's "Italian" Market. (I put "Italian" in quotes because the historic market street is increasingly Asian and Mexican in character.)

And the quesadilla Suiza? If what I ate is any guide, "quesadilla Suiza" is Mexican for "cheesesteak." The piles of beef cooking on the grill should have tipped me off. It's very simple -- thinly sliced steak topped with Chihuahua cheese (or was that Monterrey Jack?), served between two flour tortillas -- and very good; I'd put this up against Tony Luke's any day. (Well, maybe not: it's amazing what a little sharp Provolone and broccoli rabe can do.)

The total for this haul came to $5.75. Add that to the $18.25 (including tax and tip) I spent at lunch earlier, and I'm under $25 for the day. I suspect that I could have found a place that served real breakfast for $6 or less, which would have brought the day's grand total for three meals to $30, well under Miss Ray's golden number.

As I left El Farolito, I spotted one of the places that had been recommended on the other side of the 24th and Mission intersection:

It looked to me like El Farolito was a better value still. It sure did taste good.

Restaurants mentioned in this essay:

Golden Flower Vietnamese Restaurant

667 Jackson Street

(415) 433-6469

Nearest transit service: MUNI bus routes 9X, 9AX or 9BX to Kearney and Stockton streets, or route 41 to Columbus Avenue and Kearney Street. Closest BART/Muni Metro station is Montgomery, 8 blocks south.

Taqueria El Farolita

2779 Mission Street

No phone

Nearest transit service: BART (any line except Richmond-Fremont) to 24th Street Mission station. MUNI 14-Mission, 67-Bernal Heights, 48-(mumble) and 49-Van Ness/Mission buses also stop at this intersection.

Edited to fix mildly insulting typo.

Edited April 13, 2007 by MarketStEl (log)

[annachan]

Looks like you had a great time. You got some really nice pictures!

[Hest88]

Wonderful account. Thanks! (BTW, Golden Flower happens to be my favorite pho place, so I'm glad you liked it---even if you didn't get pho.)

[SuzySushi]

Wonderful report so far, and great photos! We'll have to compare notes next time you (or I) are planning a trip to San Francisco. With your coming from Philadelphia, I shouldn't be surprised that you opted for a Mexican taqueria, but next time I'm in SF, I plan to check out one of the restaurants that specializes in El Salvadorean pupusas.

[MarketStEl]

Wonderful report so far, and great photos! We'll have to compare notes next time you (or I) are planning a trip to San Francisco. With your coming from Philadelphia, I shouldn't be surprised that you opted for a Mexican taqueria, but next time I'm in SF, I plan to check out one of the restaurants that specializes in El Salvadorean pupusas.

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Something tells me you will get back there before I do, so I'll want a full report on these. What are they, anyway?

[rancho_gordo]

El Farolito has always been my favorite. they used to have bowls of thin guacamole with tomatillos and tons of heat but now you have to ask for it. I'm glad you got to eat the pastor there. The burrito is good too as you have a pool of red pork love juice running down your hand by they end.

The farmers markets at the ferry building are only on Saturday and Tuesday. I think you went to the ferry building on a day without the market. Try and come back on a Saturday, although today was a rainy bust.

[SuzySushi]

Wonderful report so far, and great photos! We'll have to compare notes next time you (or I) are planning a trip to San Francisco. With your coming from Philadelphia, I shouldn't be surprised that you opted for a Mexican taqueria, but next time I'm in SF, I plan to check out one of the restaurants that specializes in El Salvadorean pupusas.

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Something tells me you will get back there before I do, so I'll want a full report on these. What are they, anyway?

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Pupusas

[Kent Wang]

Nice rhyming.

[alanamoana]

sandy! i'm sad we didn't get a chance to meet. but at least you ate at my favorite taqueria! i have loved the shady el farolito ever since i was introduced to it when i was living in san francisco. since moving back to the bay area, i took my husband and now all he can think of is al pastor.

so far, your trip sounds great!

[hzrt8w]

When my order arrived -- very quickly, I might add -- I was sorry I didn't have a dining companion.  I had ordered the Imperial rolls as an appetizer; they came out along with the iced coffee, which was served in an individual drip cup.  I guess the substance in the bottom of the cup was condensed milk and sugar.

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Condensed milk is very sweet by itself. That's what's typically in the cup, no sugar.

The imperial rolls look great!

Edited April 17, 2007 by hzrt8w (log)

[Pan]

I can't believe so many of you consider El Faralito your favorite taqueria in SF! Amazing. And I thought it was just one of the very good taquerias in the Mission District. I've been there a bunch of times but not recently (the last time I was in SF was probably 3 summers ago). I've never been inside Bi-Rite, but there's a hilarious sign on the garage next door about what awaits people shopping in Bi-Rite who have the gall to block the driveway. I don't remember the exact wording. Any help from you all?

That Vietnamese place looked really good!

Edited April 17, 2007 by Pan (log)

[rancho_gordo]

I can't believe so many of you consider El Faralito your favorite taqueria in SF! Amazing. And I thought it was just one of the very good taquerias in the Mission District. I've been there a bunch of times but not recently (the last time I was in SF was probably 3 summers ago).

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Personally, I like the one on 24th a little better. It's a bigger, brighter room in a more interesting neighborhood. I only ever have the pastor, so I don't know about the rest. And if you get a burrito, they grill the tortilla along with the meat instead of using one of those steam machines and it makes all the difference. But the pastor and that uberspicy thin guac is killer.

[eje]

Sandy,

Glad to hear you had a good time!

Also sad that I was out of town while you were here. Hopefully the next time you visit our schedules will align.

Thanks for the report and pictures.

Pupusas are kind of like griddle fried tamales, or fried, stuffed corn tortilla quesadillas.

Another fun, and similar, Mexican dish is called "huarache." These are griddle fried, fresh masa cakes with various toppings. Can be really tasty.

[rancho_gordo]

I can't believe so many of you consider El Faralito your favorite taqueria in SF!

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Just a thought: You're not confusing El Faro with El Farolito, are you?

[ludja]

Here's a link to the recent thread of rec's for places easier on the wallet in SF: click

Thanks for the nice report, MarketStEl...

[Pan]

I can't believe so many of you consider El Faralito your favorite taqueria in SF!

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Just a thought: You're not confusing El Faro with El Farolito, are you?

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Nope.

[MomOfLittleFoodies]

Is El Farolito a chain? There's one out in Concord that uses the same signage and seems to be very popular with the very large Mexican population in the area.

I love their Carne Asada burritos and super nachos. My husband works down the street from the Concord location and he goes there at least once every 2 weeks for lunch.

The nice thing about living so close to the Monument Corridor is the access to some very authentic Mexican food.