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- Worth the Wait
There are some occasions when timing is everything and you need it to run smoothly. Then there are times when you’ve got nowhere better to be than waiting in line to build your appetite. Don’t let the wait dim your enthusiasm and don’t think the hype is unfounded - these places are guaranteed slam dunks:
🎷 Brenda’s French Soul Food / frenchsoulfood.com
Beignet flight // image credit: Eater SF
Eating at Brenda’s for the first time is a treasured memory for me and it remains the top (read: only) pick in the city for soul food. There isn’t much more to say here, this place rocks.
Order This ⬇️
Beignet flight (crawfish and sweet)
Low country gumbo
Shrimp po’ boy
So many sides
NOTE: if you don’t feel like waiting around in the Tenderloin for the original restaurant, Brenda’s Meat and Three on Divis hits the spot, plus they have a location in Oakland.
Eat Here 🔗 Reservations | Delivery & Takeout | Map
🦪 Hog Island Oyster Company / hogislandoysters.com
image credit: Hog Island Oyster Co.
For all the amazing seafood we have in SF there aren’t many places I would classify as serving comfort food, and although it is a venerated establishment that occupies some of the best real estate in SF, tucking into a meal at Hog Island feels like home.
Order This ⬇️
Fresh oysters
Halibut crudo
Mussels (add old bay fries)
Rustic seafood stew
NOTE: if you feel like making a day out of it, you can visit their oyster farm out in Marshall.
🥟 Dumpling Home / dumplinghome.com
Pork xiao long bao // image credit: SF Chronicle
In a city famous for its Chinese food and dotted with dim sum parlors, Dumpling Home stands apart for its Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings). It’s probably the only worthy San Francisco-based challenger to the global champion of XLB, Michelin-starred Din Tai Fung. Best to go with a group.
Order This ⬇️
Fresh cucumber with garlic sauce
Pork xiao long bao (numb and spicy also excellent)
Spicy chili oil wonton
Pork and vegetable pot stickers
Dan dan noodles
Dry cooked green beans
NOTE: the xiao long bao really are the main event here, so optimize for that.