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$-$$ For something different, try On the Bridge (1581 Webster St., Suite 205;
% 415/922 - 7765; daily 11:30am-10pm; MC, V), which presents a quirky mélange
of American and Japanese food known as the Yo-Sho-Ku-Ya style. Yankee classics
are given an Asian spin, including calamari and kimchee (Korean pickled vegeta-
bles) spaghetti ($10.25) and a selection of rice bowls piled with vegetables,
béchamel sauce, and three types of cheese ($8.75 to $10.75). Sometimes it works,
sometimes it's noble experiment—with mixes like these, it's a matter of taste—but
you're sure to find something memorable. Perhaps most interesting of all is its
location inside a narrow, arched bridge over Webster Street that connects two
buildings of the Japan Center. If the food here doesn't interest you, have a stroll
around the Japan Center, where a few other noodle houses and sushi bars (and an
expensive Benihana grill) also fish for customers.
$$ A charming Italian spot that's well situated for Civic Center jaunts (crowds
build before showtimes, so plan accordingly), the bistro Stelline 5 (330 Gough
St., at Linden; % 415/626 - 4292; Mon-Fri 11:30am-9:30pm, Sat 5-9:30pm, Sun
4-9:30pm; MC, V) is popular with locals. There's not much concerted drama in
terms of decor—red-checked tablecloths, a crude painting of the Leaning Tower
of Pisa—but the menu is solid across the board (the osso bucco [$12] and garlic
bread, served free with many mains, have strong adherents) and prices are afford-
able, too, at around $10 a plate of pasta. Considering how pricey the rest of Hayes
Valley can be, this place is a gem. And it's right across the street from the beloved
Blue Bottle Coffee Kiosk (p. 86), so hold off on the post-meal espresso.
$$-$$$ A classic hole in the wall with just a few stools at a marble counter, Swan
Oyster Depot 55 (1517 Polk St., at California; % 415/673 - 1101; Mon-Sat
8am-5:50pm; cash only), which opened in 1912, is revered in town for its fresh
seafood and its salt-of-the-earth service staff. There's usually a line; an hour's wait
isn't unusual at high mealtimes. The only problem is that it closes right around
the time the rest of us are gearing up for dinner, but that's by virtue of the fact
that seafood arrives freshest in the morning. The shellfish is absolutely, just-spent-
the-morning-flipping-around-on-the-dock fresh (oysters, crab, lobster—most
around $11). If you don't like any of that, Swan won't have much else for you,
despite its perky hand-painted menu on the wall. While not dead cheap, it's still
a better value than any of the tourist traps at Fisherman's Wharf, and when I'm in
the market for seafood, I come here first.
The service is frenzied but the food connects at Max's Opera Café 9
$$-$$$
(601 Van Ness Ave., at Golden Gate Ave.; % 415/771 - 7301; www.maxsworld.com;
daily 11:30am-10pm; MC, V), a very busy deli-style bistro by the Civic Center sling-
ing massive portions of piled-high salads, fat sandwiches (I like the bacon, lettuce,
tomato, and avocado [$12]), the drippy Reuben ($14). You could share nearly
everything. It's rare to have space in your stomach after the giant portions cross
your table, so try to save room. As inspiration, have a look at the dessert-stuffed
glass case that's by the entrance, which enshrines some insanely intense treats such
as five-layer chocolate cake (around $7). This spot is popular with the California
state workers from the government buildings across the street, so try to time your
arrival out of lunch hour. And then there's that gimmick: aspiring-singer waiters
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