I really love this place, so much that I was even on the fence about even sharing it. The best thing though is the Tuesday special, $7 cheeseburger and fries! It’s printed on the table tent that sits on each table, otherwise you wouldn’t know about it unless you read…

Here’s the beautiful cheeseburger and fries! The burger is pretty darn big and the fries are crispy crinkle cut.

The french fries are crinkle cut – glorious, crispy, hot and salty. My very favorite kind!

The cheese is cheddar. It comes with a side of mayo.

Here’s a shot of the inside. It’s a real classic place, lots of locals, really laid back and really good food. All of the people who work there are very nice and friendly. I’ve never had anything I don’t like here, will definitely have to Fryhole some more stuff soon (the cheesesteak, the club, the danish meatball sandwich… omg).

The Lighthouse Cafe
12 Tamalpais Drive
Corte Madera, CA 94925

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If you haven’t been to Homeroom yet, it is a mac and cheese restaurant. It’s really good and you should definitely go!

Here’s the outside. There’s usually a line, even on really hot days. I’m always surprised because it can be in the 70s and sweltering hot, yet people are still waiting around to stuff their gullets with creamy mac n cheese… I don’t get it, but whatever lol!

I start off with an iced tea. It’s house-brewed and has a floral essence to it… really good.

Ahhhhh the TRAILER MAC, my FAVORITE. Mac and Cheese mixed with hot dogs and topped with a generous handful of potato chips. BEST. In the spirit of my fat kid soul, I usually start inhaling this by the forkful – a few chews, but mostly so good I end up swallowing it whole before the heat wears off. I don’t suggest doing this – if you can, try to slow down and enjoy it.

OMG, the homemade oreo cookie. I don’t usually crave baked goods, but this cookie is too good to be true! It is NOT a cookie for sharing, get one of your own!

Homeroom Oakland
400 40th St
Oakland, CA 94609

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Some background… one night Hav and I were watching tv and we saw a feature on KoJa Kitchen on the Food Network (I think?) about this place… I remember them talking about the rice buns and how they had the molds custom made… and the special hot sauce had a ton of ingredients. The buns were what initially peaked my interest. So we decided to go to the Off the Grid at UN Plaza in SF to check it out. I was so excited… !!

We got there right before lunch time so we just missed the long lines (whew), and as we were looking at their very high tech food truck (they have tv displays with the menu, whoaaa), I saw it….

KAMIKAZE FRIES. OMFG. So I ordered the KoJa combo with the beef koja and the kamikaze fries.

Here it is!! The presentation was amazing (that’s the vegetarian koja on the right… holy crap I couldn’t find a place fast enough to sit down and dig in!!

The Koja sandwich was AWESOME!!! The garlic rice bun was toasty and kind of crispy on the outside but still sticky rice-like on the inside. It was really good and a super unique alternative to traditional buns. The beef was very tender and flavorful! It was so good I ate every last bit.

Now for a truly life changing moment… THE KAMIKAZE FRIES. Let me just say that it has been almost 2 months now since I’ve had these fries and they are still a) on my mind almost daily, and b) have saved me from awkward situations as the topic of many conversation starters. When I’m bored and thinking about what I’d like to be eating at any moment, the kamikaze fries are either 1st or 2nd on my mind.. I’m not kidding.

If you didn’t know, I freaking love french fries. They are my favorite food EVER and it’s been a real challenge out here on the west coast to find a) good fries and b) disco fries of any kind. So hail to the fry gods, lord fry is here!

Take a good look at the fry pic. I know it’s not that good. That’s because I was so eager to eat that I just took a few really fast pics after I received the food from the window (because a long line was forming around me)… When we finally sat down I was too impatient and started eating right away so I messed up my opportunity to take amazing photos… but that’s ok because I know I’ll be back.

Anyway, back to the fries. They are WAFFLE fries and are topped with – or should I say drenched in korean bbq beef (ground up), sour cream, hot sauce, green onion, and probably some other stuff that I can’t remember – but it doesn’t matter because it’s A-MAZING and you’ll be snarfing this little paper tray of fries faster than you can breathe. The waffle fries are perfectly fried and crispy. I don’t know what kind of oil they fry them in but whatever it is, don’t change it!

Basically KoJa Kitchen is the freaking BOMB… you need to go there asap. Holy shiitake! Since experiencing KoJa Kitchen for the first time in Oct, I’ve definitely found myself first in line at 10:50am waiting for fries… need I say more?

KoJa Kitchen travels around the Bay Area – they’re always somewhere different everyday… so follow them on Facebook and Twitter to find out where they will be next!

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This time I planned on getting there early enough to get a seat! Swan Oyster Depot opens promptly at 10:30am. We arrived at 9:50am on a Thursday. We were the first people there! So we walked up the street and got a cup of coffee and walked back to the Swan to officially get in line. It was about 10:10am and we were still the first people in line… but not for long.

People began to appear and suddenly the line was about 20 people deep. Apparently this was a “slow morning”.

Here’s a guy setting up the windows. The sun was beating down so he had white paper covering all of the fish until the sun wasn’t so direct.

This shot was taken right after they put all the stools down… 5 minutes before this shot all of the stools were piled up in sets of two against the wall. This is it though, this is the entire restaurant. One main counter with stools. It doesn’t seat many people, hence why there is always a line to get in. It’s awesome, old school, authentic and everything you’d hope a seafood diner would be.

Yay, they finally opened and we took our seats about halfway down the bar, directly in front of the menu on the wall. I ordered what I had the last time I was there – the combination seafood cocktail and a bowl of clam chowder.

There was a huge bowl of oyster crackers every 3 feet or so… we were lucky enough to sit right in front of one! When you sit down you also get a big hunk of bread and butter, but I forgot to take a photo of that…

My view from the bar…

Ahhh the combination seafood cocktail! It’s served in a little sundae dish and it looks small but boy does it pack a big punch. The bottom is filled with lump crab meat, it’s topped with a jumbo shrimp and an oyster. And you get a big dish of cocktail sauce to dip everything into. It’s pretty mild and ice cold which is yum.

The first time I had this clam chowder I remember it being the absolute best clam chowder I’ve ever had. This past time I beg to differ but only because it was slightly luke warm… but I’m going to blame it on the fact that it was 10:30am and we were the first people in line. It was still very good and I ate almost the entire bread chunk they gave us.

What makes this soup so tasty is the fact that the broth is super flavorful and isn’t not super chunky… it’s definitely creamy but on the thinner side which makes dipping bread into it completely OCD and oyster crackers absorb the broth faster.  It’s really, really good.

So, long story short, place is great. Despite all the hype surrounding this place, I still think it’s worth going (if you have time). The seafood is super fresh, nice and cold, and the ambiance brings me right back to the diners of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  You really don’t find many down home places like this in San Francisco. I love everything about it, except the super long line.

Swan Oyster Depot
1517 Polk St
San Francisco, CA 94109

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The place is literally a window down the middle of Ritch St. which is kind of near the ballpark, off 3rd street. It’s really a hidden gem – unless you know it’s there, you would never go there.

The guy working the window was really nice, and I liked him even more because he was wearing a Phillies hat!

Here’s the window, so cute!

They had a tiny skillet of 1.25″ buttons… I took one of course.

Here’s the menu…

And here’s the little area next to the food window where the hot sauce and other condiments are.

I preferred the honey jalapeno hot sauce on the right… omg so good – sweet and spicy!  So for my meal I ordered the chicken and waffles with 2 pieces of chicken.

OH MY GOD. This is the BEST FRIED CHICKEN IN SAN FRANCISCO.  Actually no, it’s the BEST FRIED CHICKEN IN THE WORLD.  I’ve never had such good fried chicken in my life. The first bite sent me right over the edge… I took a bite of the wing first.  The meat was tender and juicy and the skin was super crispy and thin (no chewy bits, not soggy), it was seasoned absolutely perfectly. Turn on the vacuum, this box of food is ready to get inhaled.

The skin was awesome because it wasn’t oily and greasy like a lot of fried chicken. It was absolutely perfect – thin, not too much breading, the seasoning was flavorful, and I ate it all down to the bone. I usually don’t go so far as to eat every last crumb of breading, but I couldn’t stop myself.  The chicken was really good to dip in the hot sauce, in between bites of waffle (I preferred the green one).

The waffle was also very excellent. It was crispy on the outside and soft and moist on the inside, which was perfect for the syrup, which was absorbed right away after pouring it on. The waffle was savory and filling yet it was not heavy and soggy, even after being covered in syrup. Together with the chicken it was the perfect combination.

There’s not really anywhere to sit and only a 3ft counter to stand at… but there’s a loading dock across the street that people sit on to eat… everything’s to go so you can either sit there or go back to your car or office.

So, the chicken is like a DRUG.  It’s been a day now and I’m still thinking about it… I definitely see myself measuring all future chicken and waffles against the chicken and waffles from Little Skillet… paradise in my mouth! I can’t wait for this chicken to get back in my body, it was that good (holy crap!).

Little Skillet
360 Ritch St
San Francisco, CA 94107
website

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If you haven’t been before, it’s located in the Dogpatch neighborhood of SF, down south of the ballpark. It’s not really a place many people go to unless they work or live down there, but I’m telling you, if you want great pizza, go to Piccino.

I started off with a nice, cold and refreshing iced tea. It was really good – house made and had some kind of floral essence that I could not identify.

We arrived at 2:30, right before their lunch cutoff time of 3pm, that’s why it was empty. Piccino closes daily at 3pm for lunch and re-opens at 5pm for dinner.

The first time I ever ate at Piccino I ordered a bianca pizza with english peas, I’ll never forget it. It was a daily special so they don’t have it on the regular menu, but the regular bianca pizza (parmesan, pecorino, mozzarella, shaved garlic, chili oil) is the same thing minus the peas.

Here’s the pizza! It’s large enough to share with someone (plus a salad or other side), or you can just eat it yourself. I really wanted to order my own pizza, but ended up sharing this one instead.

What sets Piccino pizza apart from other bay area pizzas is the dough and crust. The crust at Piccino is absolutely perfect. It is thin, firm, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and it has a wonderful sweet flavor that is reminiscent of authentic east coast pizza. Piccino pizza does NOT flop. You can hold a slice in your hand and it will stand straight out. Real hard to come by in the Bay Area.

Here is the burrata salad (early girl tomatoes, burrata, crispy polenta, watercress, red wine vinegar) that comes on top of a crispy polenta cake and tomatoes. It was AMAZING!  The polenta cake was crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and it was super savory and salty – absolutely perfect.

I really love Piccino. There’s nothing I don’t like about it, in fact I’ve never had anything I didn’t like from this restaurant. The food is spectacular, the pizza is as perfect as it can get, the restaurant is clean and modern, and the service is great.

They also have tables outside that you can sit at and bring your dog too if you want (I’ve brought Harley there before).

In a nutshell, if you’re from the mindset that Delfina has the best pizza you’ve ever had, go to Piccino and you’ll change your mind real fast.

Piccino
1001 Minnesota St
San Francisco, CA 94107
website

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I went to Humphry Slocombe again last night, my 2nd time in the past week. Talked some friends into going there who had only a “so-so” first experience. I had to help change their minds!

long story short…

for the love of freaking freakshow, go there NOW and get the red hot banana ice cream!! It is seriously one of the best flavors i have ever had in my entire life.

I’m not normally a banana person. Sometimes I eat bananas, but I’m not bananas for bananas if you know what I mean… but I thought to myself, “hey, since I’m here again I should try something different.”

Well let me tell you, because the photo below does not even begin to tell you how amazing it is… if you like banana, the ice cream is banana flavored. It’s not yellow, it’s kind of an off white color so it doesn’t really look like banana, but it is sweet and creamy and super banana-y! And the red and pink specks… well, those are RED HOTS smashed up and stirred around in the ice cream. So you take a sweet lick of banana, then get a nice little cinnamon kick of red hots, and if you’re lucky, you’ll get a crunchy glob of hot cinnamon bits!

Holy crapola, I need to get back to Humphry Slocombe again this week before they run out of this flavor…

I really wasn’t expecting to have my mind completely blown into a billion red hot pieces… I’m still thinking about this ice cream and plotting another trip back there ASAP!

Humphry Slocombe
2790 Harrison St
San Francisco, CA 94110
website

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I haven’t had pupusas in about 4 years (WTF is wrong with me) yet it is a food that I do crave and wish I could get easily in the east bay but I haven’t found a good spot yet (any suggestions?).

El Zocalo has a very special place in my foodie heart, because this was the first restaurant I ever ate at when I moved to San Francisco. I flew from JFK to SFO with my friend and my 2 cats in the airplane, and this was the first place we went to after we got to my new apartment and dropped everyone off.  It actually her favorite restaurant from when she used to live here years ago, so it was cool to go back there with her.

Anyway, here it is. It’s on the border of the mission and bernal heights. Most places classify it as bernal but I always think of it as just far out there in the mission.

I ordered my old regular… 2 pupusas with beans and crema and an order of platanos con crema (plantains and sour cream). I get the “revueltas con frijoles” pupusas, pork with cheese and beans.

Here’s the food, ain’t it lovely? Couldn’t wait to dive face first right into that plate… it comes with a side of slaw that you put on top it’s a tangy vinegary slaw…

I never had pupusas before I moved to San Francisco. Boy am I glad I tried them, they are up there on my list of most perfect foods (and in good company with other stuffed/pocket favorites, lol). Basically it’s a corn tortilla stuffed with meat, cheese, beans, etc and patted flat into a disc and cooked on a griddle!

OMG NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM. Cut a row into little squares. Put it on your fork with the slaw and dip it in the beans and sour cream = SO FREAKING GOOD!!

Here’s the platanos con crema. They are so good too!! It’s hard to go to this place without ordering both things… of course the chips and salsa are free, and the chips are house-made, so they’re super crunchy and sometimes come out warm.

This place is very popular, especially on the weekends after parties end down the street at at El Rio – the BEST time to go is in the afternoon after the lunch rush… between 2-4 pm is perfect! When it’s busy it takes a long time to get your food… just an FYI, don’t go there if you’re in a hurry. It’s really worth the wait.

El Zocalo has made me into a pupusa snob. The only other place I’ve had them is Balompie in the mission which is also very good (but kind of sports bar like)… but I prefer the nostalgia of “the ZOC”!

El Zocalo
3230 Mission St
San Francisco, CA 94110

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I usually only get over to Humphry Slocombe every few months or when my sister is visiting… haven’t been there in a while. It was awesome because I arrived around 2:30pm and there was NO ONE there. Ahhh the lucky off-hour… nothing better than having the whole freakin place to myself!

I peeped into the ice cream fridge scanning around for the watermelon sorbet… IT WASN’T THERE, ugh! So I tasted and then ordered a delicious cup of Bluebottle Vietnamese Coffee.

Since the place was empty and I was there to fryhole, I started taking some photos… and before I sat down to eat my ice cream I asked the guy when they would have the watermelon sorbet again – and he said they were out of it… ugh! Super disappointed… I came to late and it sold out!

THEN… a guy appeared in the back holding a white tub and said “you want watermelon?” OMG! He had a secret extra tub of it! Holy crapola, it was my lucky day!! So I bought a cup of that too, hehe.

It took me about a half hour to eat both cups of ice cream. The Vietnamese coffee was AMAZING. I would definitely get that again – super smooth, sweet, and just a hint of coffee flavor, not overpowering like some other coffee ice creams out there. Definitely had that condensed milk sweetness that Vietnamese coffee has… super creamy and freaking awesome.

The salted watermelon sorbet was definitely worth it!! It tasted exactly like the watermelon from the salad I make every summer with watermelon, feta, mint and sea salt. OMG. It was crumbling everywhere because it was extra frozen so I kind of made a big mess all over the counter… but I ate the whole cup and boy did I have a huge brain freeze when I was finished with both cups.

If you haven’t gone yet, GO. And if you want to avoid lines, go between 2-3pm.

Humphry Slocombe
2790 Harrison St
San Francisco, CA 94110
website

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Now that I live in the East Bay I only get to go to Sightglass when I happen to be in SOMA. Having the most amazing tax accountant ever just a few blocks away helps, which gives me an excuse to come to SF early to hang out/work and get caffeinated before I have to go talk about money.

Here’s the front of the building. Isn’t it cool?

Here’s the front counter where you order drinks and pastries. The roasting equipment is also right there too and a few places to sit along the window in front.

I ordered my usual, a cappuccino. Regular, with no sugar or anything. Kind of a purist when it comes to drinks with steamed milk.  I used to put sugar in my drinks but now I only put it in coffee. If you haven’t had Sightglass before, you’ll find the flavor is a little nutty, a little sweet and super smooth. Not too overpowering but yet still strong, and will definitely make you wake up. I like to call it “gettin dizzy”, LOL.

All of the seats in front were taken so I went upstairs. First time ever up there actually, and that too was crowded, even at 12:30pm. Found a seat along the railing looking down below. You can see the roasting equipment to the left and the seating along the window.

Unfortunately I didn’t have much time to stay and hang out… wish I did.

If you’ve never been to Sightglass, GO. It’s a true San Francisco coffee experience.

Sight Glass
270 7th St
San Francisco, CA 94103
website

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