#46 Chips and Salsa at Papalote

When I saw this on the list, I was thinking that the chips and salsa either had to be pretty damn good or the rest of the food at Papalote had to be pretty unspectacular. I mean how would chips and salsa beat out something like a burrito or a quesadilla? The chips and salsa came with my order of a burrito so didn’t have to pay for the item on the list! Definitely a plus.

So I got down right to it. Gotta say the chips aren’t anything special but that fire-roasted tomato salsa…..BOMB. It’s smoky, it’s spicy, and very addicting. They give you a pretty small side of salsa. If it wasn’t for the burrito I ordered, I might have considered a whole order of salsa. And then there’s a good chance I would have spooned mouthfuls of salsa down my mouth. Next time I gotta remember to ask if they sell that salsa in bulk to go!

In addition to the chips and salsa, I ordered the a carne asada burrito. I would say it was good but didn’t think it was better than the burritos you can find on Mission. That is unless you pour the salsa on the burrito!

#98 Basil Gimlet at Rye

Rye is pretty chill spot to grab a drink around the Union Square area. The parking sucks but there’s no cover and no lines. Made our way here after unsuccessfully going to a few bars throughout the city. Knowing that the Basil Gimlet was on the list, I decided to buy the round of drinks. The cool thing is they use fresh lime juice in the gimlet and spend a good amount of time muddling the basil leaves. The drink was refreshing and had just the right amount of basil in it; not too little so that you couldn’t taste it but not so overpowering that it would be gross. Definitely recommend to try it and make sure you tip the bartender.

#85 Pulled-pork Sandwich at Roadside BBQ

Wow. It’s been way too long since I’ve made a post. It’s not that I haven’t been eating. I have and it’s starting to show a little at the waist. Hopefully, I’ll be able to catch up on the backlog soon. Anyways…on to the show!

Roadside BBQ. I’ve seen this place many times back in the days of Alpha Bar but I never thought thought that it would provide list-worthy BBQ. You see San Francisco isn’t really known as a BBQ destination. When you think good BBQ, you think Texas, Memphis, St. Louis….not California. So I was a bit skeptical, although excited to see how this would turn out. Unfortunately, after several months of chowing down on really good Texas BBQ in Houston, Roadside doesn’t quite live up the challenge and further enforces my opinion about California BBQ.

It’s not that the pulled pork sandwich wasn’t good. I did wolf it down in about 10 minutes flat. It’s just…well…just not memorable. Given that it’s been several months since I ate it, there wasn’t one thing about this sandwich that makes me want to say “YOU MUST TRY THIS SANDWICH!” My only memories of it were that 1) it was dry despite the BBQ sauce and coleslaw and 2) I needed to drench this thing in extra BBQ sauce to make it easier to swallow. That is all I can say.

So after a disappointing sandwich, I thought maybe banana cream pie could make it better. I mean I am a total sucker for this stuff so this should have been easy. Unfortunately, again it was kind of a letdown. Sure it wasn’t bad but somehow a Nation’s banana cream pie is more memorable than this. Something has to be wrong. Eh…I guess you can’t win ‘em all.

#28 A Gibraltar at Blue Bottle Café

This is the way coffee should be. Not the Starbucks crap found at every corner. Blue Bottle has been around San Francisco for a while and they sure know how to make a good cup of coffee. The Gibraltar is like a small latte or an espresso with a smaller amount of milk and is named after the glass its served in. The Gibraltar is very strong so I wouldn’t think about having it late in the afternoon but it would be a great way to kickstart the morning. It’s not bitter at all and not sour like some bad espressos from a certain coffee chain….

Definitely do yourself a favor and stop by Hayes Valley or the Ferry Building for one of these!

#36 Dry-Fried Chicken Wings at San Tung

This is the sole reason you go to San Tung and see the long lines out the door. The rest of the food at San Tung is pretty unspectacular but these sweet, slightly spicy chicken wings are so damn good that you keep going back. The only thing is I wish we ordered a full order here rather than the lunchtime special.

#25 Loaf of bread straight out of the oven at Tartine

Sometimes the best things in life are the simplest things. Bread fresh out of the oven is one of those things. And what can make it better than to slather it was some buttery-good cheese. The smell of fresh bread is enough to make me hungry.

Tartine’s country loaf is so good that most people will either put a loaf on hold or wait in line shortly before 5pm, when the loaves are ready for sale. The crust is very crunchy and the inside is so moist that the bread would be good to eat by itself. However, a quick trek half a block down from Tartine and you can pick from a variety of excellent cheeses. I picked up a small portion of Brillat-Savarin, which is a very creamy cow’s milk cheese. Not wanting to wait to get home to enjoy my fresh loaf, I found a table outside at Tartine and proceeded to have myself a small feast of bread and cheese. What a great afternoon snack!

#35 Salted-Caramel Ice Cream at Bi-Rite Creamery

After some great pizza at Pizzeria Delfina, we decided to head down the block to Bi-Rite Creamery. This little ice cream shop is filled with out-of-the-ordinary flavors like balsamic strawberry, brown sugar, and lavendar. But the one that seemed most interesting was the one on the list: salted-caramel ice cream. Salty ice cream??? I was a bit hesitant but what the hell, let’s give it a try.

And I’m so glad I did! This is one of those weird combinations that works. It’s kind of like the whole McDonald’s french fries and ice cream deal. The combination of salty and sweet works just right. It’s not overly salty and it balances out the sweetness. Of course, there’s the familiar caramel flavor in the background. What a way to end dinner.