Thomas "TPapi" T.'s Profile

Boloco is a Boston burrito place in all the right and wrong ways.  Boloco seems to do a great job of being part of the neighborhood, keeping aspects of the original architecture, listening to their patrons, outdoor seating, engagement with the community.  I love that.  But the burritos taste like an anglicized version of a burrito, not the deliciously spicy and comforting meld of cheese, rice, beans and meat wrapped in a tortilla for easy consumption that delivers a full taste experience in every bite. These are not those San Francisco burritos that I first fell in love with.

Boloco burritos are a little bland and dry.  Give me some cilantro and salsa to liven these poor guys up. The wrap is good and tight so that it doesn't fall apart on you, but the mojo just doesn't seem to be in the filling.  Boloco has a rotating special burrito like the Memphis this summer and the new Jambalaya.  Some say it's a wrap not a burrito, but if I can accept a California sushi roll then I'll allow Boloco to serve me a Jambalaya burrito and admit that it was good enough to bump my review a star.

If you are a fan, be sure to sign up for their customer appreciation program to earn free meals, get special deals on their new burritos, etc. It's well worth it. You can even order online and pick up, not that the wait is long. But I suggest that you let this wet your appetite for more adventurous experiences in taquerias.

Porter Square Books is a neighborhood bookstore and and they are a great neighbor.  They provide a great selection, including a rich kids section, travel, non-fiction and all varieties of fiction.  They schedule a nice series of readings.  They host the community well, with ample seating in the kids area, a quiet table in the back, and outdoor seating.  Their staff is friendly and helpful.  They do a great job in recommendations and will go out of their way to order you a book that you want quickly.  They've even had my girls in to discuss young adult books in order to increase their collection.   Porter Square Books is exactly what a community needs to feed their mind and soul.  Frequent them and keep them around for year to come.

China Fair is the spot in North Cambridge for inexpensive kitchen stuff.  It's a little shabby, what's there is what's there (you may not find a particular name brand if that's what you are looking for), the stuff is wrapped in this morning's newspaper and you absolutely want to wash the accumulated dust off of anything you buy there, but you get back in price what you gave up in ambiance.  

China fair is perfect for plates, bowls, mugs and glasses and another side of the store is full of pots, pans and kitchen utensils that you didn't know that you needed and make great gifts.  There is a room full of wicker baskets and downstairs has all sorts of storage, canning stuff and Tupperware.  You can also pick up party stuff (plates, cups utensils), gift wrapping stuff and even pinatas.  

Basically a great place for cheap stuff for entertaining.  Keep an open mind and you will get what you need for a good price.

This is the hotel that I stay at when I am in San Francisco.  I love this boutique hotel that is just outside Union square toward the Tenderloin.  The staff is friendly and amazingly helpful. Rooms are clean and attractive, with nice furnishings, very comfortable beds, stereo, and DVD player, though small, but isn't that what you expect at a hotel like this.  For business travelers there is a desk and ergonomic chair in every room as well as free wifi.

In the evenings guests are invited out of their rooms to the lobby for a wine tasting.  Their gym has just been redone with new equipment and the restaurant downstairs is good, but there are plenty of options nearby for culinary exploration.

The hotel is dog friendly, so you can bring your pooch if you like and Zac, a chihuahua hangs out at the front desk.  Stay here to enjoy the atmosphere, friendly help and make your stay in San Francisco as pleasant as possible.

Big airy, bright and clean  this place looks practically suburban despite the giant virgin of Guadeloupe mural.  It's the kind of place that my waspy grandmother wouldn't be concerned about eating at the tables.  Despite all that the burritos are delish,

The wrap was quality ensuring that every bite had a good mix of meat, beans, salsa, rice, sour cream and guacamole and that it kept it's form to the very end.  The chile was well seasoned, but not particularly spicy and neither was the salsa, but I'll bet a better order could have solved that.  I read some complaints about having a hard time getting salsa when ordering to-go, but that was no problem for me.  I got just what I ordered with my chips.  I'm going for the burritos, but the tamales, chiles and chorros looked good too.

A damn fine burrito even if the wait was long considering that I was one of two customers that afternoon.  Ah well, there were plenty of tables and I caught up on a telenovela that was playing.  Their burrito is big, really big and a super burrito comes packed.  Again they use pinto beans here, what's up with that and by the time you work your way through the burrito it's a bit of a mess, but you're happy, full and satisfied in the way that only a mission burrito can leave you.

El Farolito is well loved so I was surprised that I didn't think as highly of the burrito that I had there.  They use pinto, rather than black beans, which is one strike against them, then the wrap was loose enough that it started falling apart before reaching the end.  The burrito was a little dry, but the excellent salsa bar that they have fixed that right away.  I'm convinced that I was there on a bad day and despite that I'll give them 4 stars and will be back to try them out again.

La Taqueria is fantastic for both the atmosphere and the food.  There's a great community feel for the diners, fun music and happy stomachs.  This is the one place that I've ever found a chorizo burrito.  It's smokey and rich and takes burritos up to a special level.  They are expert wrappers so you can be sure that your burrito will stay intact to the last bite.  They use pinto rather than black beans, which is a strike against them for me, and I've gotten them a bit mushy before, but I forgive them.  If you are in the Mission and looking for an authentic quality burrito, this is the spot.

El Metate has a great look and was certainly busy the night that I came for a takeout burrito, which resulted in a really long wait for a burrito.  My bistek burrito with black beans was nicelyu seasoned and with a tangy sauce.  The burrito wrap was tight, but despite that the burrito turned out a little mushy and with a hard rind on the tortilla.  It's a quality burrito, but not for the long wait.

Delicious.  We had a marvelous time with a great waiter who did a very good job of steering us towards the right selections.  For appetizers the asparagus with chanterelles and truffle oil was outstanding as were the shrimp that were over sized and well seasoned.  The taps plate was good as well, with the real stand out being the prosciutto.

I had the duck which included one breaded fried leg and a roasted breast which were each tender and delicious in their own way for an excellent pairing.  The pink trout and scallops that my friends had were also very tasty.

The wait staff were very good in being pleasant without hovering and steered us in exactly the right direction for both food and wine.  Have the Hitching Post 2006 Pino.  It is wonderful.