Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
may please those who have never tried the cuisine before. I could dine all day on
the
roti prata,
which is stringy, pan-fried bread served with curry dipping sauce—
a treat in Indonesia and Malaysia. That seems to be a theme here—food is not
strictly Indonesian, but endemic to Muslim Southeast Asia in general. Don't make
the mistake of tempting the chefs to hurt you by asking for dishes to be made
hot—they will. For dessert, the black rice pudding stands astride sweet and
salty—either you can't get enough of it or a single spoonful will do. Even among
Indonesian-descended diners, there's an ongoing debate concerning which of
these two restaurants do things best.
$$-$$$
A Union Square institution since 1938,
Sears Fine Food
55
(439
Powell St., at Sutter;
%
415/986
-
0700; www.searsfinefood.com; daily 6:30am-
10pm; AE, MC, V)
is famous for serving mini Swedish pancakes—18 delicious lit-
tle ones per plate, to be exact, served only until 3pm for some odd reason ($8).
You can order diner-style dishes such as burgers, pot roast, and sea bass, too
($14-$24), but the best value is in the breakfast foods. I've endured some horrific
service train wrecks here, but I find it endurable when I'm not in a hurry because
the scene—a crowded dining room that looks a little like a greasy spoon and a lot
like an old saloon—is so old-fashioned and yet still energetic. Sit at the bar, for
example, and you're as likely to be next to a wide-eyed tourist as you are beside a
newspaper-reading matron who has her bowl of clam chowder here every day of
the week. It makes some 77,000 pancakes a week, most of those on weekends
when a line of brunch-goers stretches out the front door.
NORTH BEACH & TELEGRAPH HILL
North Beach is heavily touristed, so you'll find lots of spots that glide by on foot
traffic despite higher-than-necessary prices and plainer-than-acceptable food. In
general, this is not the area you go to for novel dishes, but it's where you head for
classics, or with your mom on her birthday.
$
Greasy as you please,
Buster's
9
(366 Columbus, at Vallejo;
%
415/392
-
2800; daily 11am-2am; cash only)
is probably the best place in town to pick up
a Philly-style cheese steak. Seating's at the counter, where you can observe the
cook scatter and grill the meat. The bright-yellow walls could use a good sponge,
but otherwise, the food is quick and manly, and everything's made to order.
Choose from five types of cheese topping including, of course, Cheez Whiz, as
every Philly fan would insist upon. From the fridge, pull out a bottled Mexican
Coke, which are made with real sugar and not the industrial high-fructose corn
syrup that makes American-made Coke so cheap. A small sandwich costs $5.50
and is more than enough food for most people.
$-$$
My favorite North Beach Italian restaurant
,
L'Osteria del Forno
555
(519 Columbus Ave., at Green;
%
415/982
-
1124;
www.losteriadelforno.com;
Wed-Mon, 11:30am-10pm, closed Tues; cash only)
is everything a family-run
restaurant ought to be—sensible prices, attentive service, a lovely central location,
and a 12-table dining room, which has yellow walls that gently evoke Tuscany but
is ultimately as unfussy as the food. Arrive early unless you want to wait because
