42 Degrees, 235 16th Street
"Think: near the bay, warehouse chic, jazz tunes, and a Mediterranean point of latitude…Forty-Two Degrees is the worldly hotspot." Laurie Timms
Chez Papa 1401 18th Street
Food from the South of France, delicious bistro fare with a fun scene for people-watching.
Eliza's, 1457 18th Street
"Jane and Ping Sung share visions and temperament that go far beyond what I have come to expect from a Chinese restaurant, and their visions are broad, vivid and lush, like great impressionist landscapes." Stu Smith
San Francisco BBQ, 1328 18th Street
"Carnivores and herbivores alike can fill up on large, tasty portions while trading thoughts on the San Francisco-ness of the eatery (un-SF only in its reasonable prices!)." Lisa Cholak
I've
heard and read about this oasis of tranquility for many years yet only
found it for myself while visiting San Francisco General Hospital as an
outpatient the past year. I felt almost schizoid as I walked into this
joint half expecting Ozzie and Harriet Nelson to be running the place
with help from Ricky and David. Or maybe even Dennis the Menace. The St.
Francis Fountain has been in this location for over 80 years. No one has
felt compelled to remodel or comtemporize it in all that time. It's warm,
friendly, inviting, it looks clean yet like it's used by herds of respectful
folks having every kind of 'family value' type experience imaginable within
its comfortably worn walls.
Walking in off 24th Street, I'm amused and relieved to find a countertop so simple and authentic--a far cry from the smug 24th Street of Noe Valley-- so authentic that it couldn't be used as a prop for a Hollywood recreation of the Andy Hardy series. On the left of the front door is a candy counter that looks like what See's would have been like if white wasn't a color. They make candy, almost every type imaginable. Everything appears simple and honest, I felt no pretense or ego; that energy is saved for the things they make and serve, how quaint and charming. My first visit was all about the legendary 'milkshakes' people have told me about for years, and they are like finding your Mom's lost wedding ring in the plumbing trap after a 25 year absence. The shakes are fantastic, and as thick as you want them to be, same for the malteds, and the old fashioned sundaes. I left actually looking forward to my next visit to S F General for treatment I'd rather not describe just for the chance to return and try more from their limited but 'totally retro' menu.
I had to try their burger, which is nothing to write home about in times like now that celebrate unlimited varieties of the once simple idea of ground beef grilled and placed inside a toasted bun, choice of American or no cheese, lettuce, pickle and tomato on the side. Wow! What a mouthful. Even the plate my burger was served on was authentic in the sense that it seemed to have a kind of blue smudge around the rim that no amount of elbow grease is capable of removing. What I'm trying to illustrate is that this is the burger our parents knew so well, before MacDonald's and the 'streaming' of the ultimate American fast food.
The Fountain offers a complete selection of traditional sandwiches of that era, all good, simple, inexpensive and portioned like people ate 'back then.' There are daily specials like meat loaf, roast turkey with all the trimmings, roast pork, grilled shrimp sandwich, things chosen each day of the week long ago to satisfy the needs of people in a safer and simpler time, and it just feels good. The service is the same, familiar, warm, friendly and inviting. I almost felt compelled to tell the genuinely personable gal serving us what's been going on with the rest of my family lately, but got sane for a second, and just enjoyed eating my 'kinder, gentler time' meal, washed down with another of those heavenly, thick shakes. They have some truly delicious homemade pies for dessert, and of course, one can choose a scoop or two of their 19 homemade ice creams to put on top of that warmed fresh pie. Jeez, what a great place. And just think, you can get homemade candy and ice cream to take home when you're done.
This place is really a joy to visit, and it's a bargain to boot. I highly recommend the St. Francis Fountain.
Stu Smith