Chris "the butter in my pocket is melting!" M.'s Profile

I just put in a review for In-N-Out -- OK burgers, not great. Pearls, on the other hand -- that's where great burgers are found.

The standard burgers are great on their own, and Pearl's offers a bunch of special burger topping combos (recommendations: pesto, spicy sly, but really, just get what sounds good). They also serve buffalo (err, bison)... so, so, so tasty -- they'll cook it to order, and it's lower in calories and cholesterol than beef -- heck, it's almost nutritious!

Be sure to get some fries with your burger. If you like garlic, get the garlic fries. And they serve milkshakes here in a bunch of crazy flavors (Black Forest, did I read that right?!?). I hear they're delicious, but I haven't been able to justify it. I mean, I just finished a huge burger and a large side of fries. But one day.

Problem: they're closed on Sundays. And what a bummer sometimes -- let's say you've been watching football all afternoon, enjoying some beers, and now you've got a hunger within. A delicious burger would be so awesome right about now -- but wait! Dammit! oh god why!?!

alas.

After moving to West Coast, all I heard from people was that I needed to check out In-N-Out. Good burgers. Great burgers. The best fucking burgers ever. And don't forget the fries and the milkshakes and it's all fresh and the bible verse and blah blah blah

I finally made it out there one day. And I had a burger. A 2x2. And it was good. But not great. Definitely not the fucking best. And the fries were pretty soggy -- apparently that's how they do them there.

People told me I did it wrong. I should've asked for animal style, and ordered the fries crispy, and the 3x3 is the only burger combo blah blah blah. So I tried again and again, and it was good. But not great.

I'm not sure where I'm going. I need to stop giving into the hype. In-N-Out: Good burgers. Not great.

I'm tempted to give every taqueria 5 stars... c'mon, burritos are awesome! but... I must be objective. So Pancho Villa gets 4 stars. It's delicious but arbitrarily not 5-star delicious. Or not arbitrary, but I can't exactly describe why it's not one of my favorites (I'd give 5-star delicious to a place like El Farolito, for example).

There's also something off about the atmosphere. It's a little too clean for a Mission taqueria. But I guess some people prefer that. It's also something like 10 feet from the 16th street BART station, so it's a popular place for those too scared to venture any deeper into the Mission.

So yeah... there's gonna be a line. Ahh, at least you get to watch the cooks making everyone else's food. And It really gets you craving that which awaits you at your journey's end.

Sakana's my favorite sushi bar in Union Square/Tender-whatever. The service has always been great, but whatever... that's not really why I come here. No, I want the freshest, most delicious fish I can find. *That's* why I eat here.

The sushi itself is always excellent, but even the other dinner fare (teriyaki chicken, scallops wrapped in bacon OMG) is tasty and worth a shot. But yeah, give me a spicy tuna roll and some veggie tempura and I'm a happy diner.

And for a sushi bar, it's pretty cheap. For SF and this area, it's an even better deal.

It gets crowded some nights and I'll typically put in a reservation beforehand, but it's also open until 1am or whenever on weekends, so even the reservation-less/nighttime sushi fiends can have their fill.

I'll stop in here every so often for a quick drink... it's right down the road from my place, and it's located right atop the Stockton tunnel stairs, making it a prime place to grab a cab to continue the activities elsewhere.

As for the place itself, there's the downstairs with the bar, and the upstairs with some couches and tables. It's nicer on weekday nights when there's a good chance of actually grabbing a seat, but that's of course not something unique to Tunnel Top.

I dunno... I know some people who really like this bar, and others who can't hold back their hate. I don't especially feel one way or the other, but if you're in the area, I'd give this place the ol' recommendation.

Great local spot to grab a sandwich -- fresh ingredients piled high, under $5 in most cases. Please don't bother with the Subway down the street.

There's limited seating within and on their little patio, and it's usually claimed by the tourists and art academy students who like to hang around here. I know, I know... but the owners are nice enough to make it worth your while regardless.

yes yes yes the tri-tip sandwich is excellent... everyone knows that. But there are other options that rarely get mentioned... for example, their turkey and brie is just about as delicious as the aforementioned tri-tip. Do feel free to explore to your stomach's content.

That said, keep in mind:
a) it's cash only
b) it's expensive

A sandwich and a cup of coffee will run more than $15... it's not really an everyday sort of place. But it's located on lovely Maiden Lane and it's got plenty of outdoor seating, so it's worth treating yourself every so often.

yeah I'm late with this review... I haven't had anything from College Inn in over a year now (no longer in cville). But I'd be remiss if I didn't put in a shout-out for the fried mushrooms... they sustained many a late-night gaming session back in the day.

I mean, the burgers and whatnot aren't exactly delicious, but who else is out there delivering the goods at 1:30am? That's what I thought.

Location, location, location... that's what this Walgreens has going for it. It's open 24-hours, so I guess it's got that, too.

It's a block up from Union Square so it's always packed with tourists who act like they've never seen the glory that is Walgreens, but it's also usually well-stocked and they're pretty efficient behind the registers.

It's your basic corner market, but usually my first choice since it's right across the street from me. They carry a decent selection of beer here -- from Chimay to White Lightning to your more typical varieties -- in addition to wine, champagne, and other liquors.

They also have other assorted market stuff here. And they're open until at least 2, which is a huge plus.