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Screw Sexy. Serrano's Pizza is Bringing Real Pizza Back

[rating: 5]

San Francisco is obsessed with perfecting the Neapolitan pizza. Actually, a better way to say it is San Francisco is obsessed with adding their own unique twist to the most classic definition of Neapolitan pizza, instead creating variations that almost classify as the original but more closely resemble a close cousin. A16, Flour and Water, Ragazza, Delfina Pizzeria, Beretta, Una Pizza Napoletana, Tony's Pizza Napoletana, Zero Zero…the list goes on. It’s so prolific that, other than a few, well-known deep-dish pizzerias I began thinking that this was practically the only non-chain type of pizza available in this city....Continue Reading

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Finding the Best Eggs Benedict at Local: Mission Eatery

What was your single favorite thing that your parents cooked when you were growing up? Was it some kind of special pasta? Or maybe your mom cooked chicken a way that no one else has ever been able to replicate? Because my parents happen to be quite adept in the kitchen, I could probably list 20 different dishes that are deeply ingrained in my memory. However, if I had to name just one, there's a particular dish that has always stood out: I grew up eating the best eggs benedict most people have ever tasted...Continue Reading

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KelsEats’ Top 10 Dishes of 2010 – #9

9) Whole-Roasted Poularde, Saison

2010 also marked the year that I was introduced to the high-end chicken dish. No more of those traditional marinated, grilled, or fried preparations that I’d been used to – no, no. Instead, “poularde” replaced the common “chicken” on upscale menus, and techniques like “slow-cooked” or “Hung for 3 days to intensify flavor” started popping up. In just one year this mild, overlooked, household meat transformed into a tender, moist, must-order entrée, and nobody did it better than Saison. In 8 extraordinary dishes, it was the Whole-Roasted Poularde with berbere spices, smoked date milk, and roasting juices, paired with a chard leaf rolled with foie gras mousse, that stood out...Continue Reading

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Local Bites: B3 for Scoutmob San Francisco

Below is my latest article for ScoutMob SF!

PBR, we can never get enough of it, right? I mean, there’s a reason it has an award ribbon on the can. We’re used to gulping them down three, I mean, one at a time, but the Mission’s B3 has found a way to use one of our favorite refreshments to make one of our favorite foods: onion rings. But there’s way more to the menu than just Pabst Blue Ribbon beer-battered onion rings. As Local Scout Kelsey Elliott explains, before you go anywhere else, go to B3.

Let's talk onion rings. I think we all know what we don't like: super greasy batter covering scalding hot onions that come out whole as soon as you take a tiny bite. Unfortunately, for the most part, this is the world of onion rings we live in...Continue Reading

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Hey Phil. Good Coffee.

Philz has completely ruined me. I used to be happy with a regular grande coffee from Starbucks. I used to pay $2, $2.50 max for a cup of coffee. I used to be ignorant and happy. But now that I know how incredibly delicious coffee can be, now that I know its true potential, there's no going back to the naive bliss I once had.

Now if I don't start every single morning with Philz coffee I'm a bitter, angry person. It sounds arrogant, but it's honestly become difficult to drink anything else. It's just too. damn. good....Continue Reading

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Humphry Slocombe Gets It Done

It all began one cold January night at Frances. I ordered a dessert featuring Humphry Slocombe's olive oil ice cream, which was so shockingly good I set out to discover what other treats this little ice cream parlor had to offer. Little did I know that only 4 months later I'd be calling to ask about their flavors 4 times per week, have their phone number into my contacts, and eventually find myself living a mere 4 blocks from their front door...Continue Reading

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Nom Nom Nom Nombe: Where a Japanese Izakaya Menu Meets California Cuisine

If someone would’ve told me five months ago that, by October, I’d be craving a chilled suimono salad once a week, I would’ve looked that person right in the eye and said, “What the hell a chilled suimono salad?” After hearing that it’s made with sea bean, cucumber, squash blossom, wakame seaweed, tofu, and served in a dashi broth ($14), I would’ve politely explained that I’m not the biggest fan of cucumber, seaweed, tofu, or dashi broth and proceeded to laugh at such a ridiculous prediction. Ah, silly, silly girl.

This unique salad, the ultimate expression of freshness, is one of many reasons why in a very short span of time Nombe has become one of my favorite restaurants. It was in the spring when Nombe first impressed me with its California-inspired take on traditional Japanese izakaya fare, offering both a fixed selection of dishes, as well as many that evolve with the season. Now five months later, even with the summer’s proliferation of much-hyped restaurants, Nombe has continued to stand out from the crowd...Continue Reading

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A Tribute to the Men Who Arepa'ed Me - Part 2

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Following Jonathan Kauffman's footsteps, my quest to find San Francisco's best arepa led me to Pica Pica Maize, a relatively new Mission eatery located at 15th and Valencia. Although Kauffman was rather critical of many of Pica Pica Maize's menu selections, his description of his arepa led me to believe that I would have a similarly satisfying arepa experience. I was wrong. Comparing Mr. Pollo to Pica Pica is like comparing McDonald's to In&Out - the menu selection may be similar, but the quality of food is radically different...Continue Reading

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A Tribute to the Men Who Arepa'ed Me - Part 1: Mr. Pollo

I want to say thank you to a man, a man, I'm sure, most of you are familiar with. A man whose unmitigated arrogance and exaggerated self-confidence actually led me to one of my most cherished dining discoveries. Bobby Flay, if it wasn't for that historic episode of Throw Down in 2008, I would have never made Caracas Arepa Bar a dining destination on my visit to New York City. Without you sir, I would have never known the messy, all-encompassing delight of a perfectly cooked arepa...Continue Reading

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Why I Want to Start Every Morning at Knead Patisserie

[rating: 5]

Nine weeks, three extra pounds, and 21 check-ins later, I think it's just about time to write an update to my first glowing review. If you follow me on Twitter (KelsEats), you've likely seen my daily morning tweet, which serves 2 purposes. First it says to the world, "Guess what!? I'm at Knead!" in case anyone wanted to stalk me. Secondly, that little tweet illustrates my full-blown, uncontrollable addiction to those evil little pastries better than any words could describe...Continue Reading

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