San Francisco is a good place to live if you love food. There are endless options and I can always find something to satisfy my cravings. There are so many different types of cuisines here, it’s truly limitless. I’ve hit up a few great San Francisco restaurants over the last couple of weeks and rather than just post a picture I figured I could share some of the highlights. Here’s my restaurant roundup:
LIMÓN ON VALENCIA
I got dinner with my friend and my brother a couple of weeks ago and was blown away by how delicious everything was. They describe themselves as a “modern” Peruvian restaurant that specializes in rotisserie chicken. And specialize they do, because their half chicken with yuca fries and veggies was to die for. The chicken is so juicy and flavorful and those fries are crack. They served everything with “Aji” sauce which is creamy and spicy and I loved it. I also don’t know what it is. But I wish it flowed through my veins.
We also got the Queso Empanadas with oaxaca cheese. As someone who is an advocate for filling any type of breading with melted cheese, empanadas are pretty high on my list of favorites. These were crispy and oozing with cheese. They were also accompanied by that delicious mystery sauce that I loved so much.
The Ceviche at Limón is amazing, so I get it every time. We went with the Ceviche Mixto this time. This dish comes with fish, calamari and tiger shrimp so essentially it is my dream come true.
We shared the Carne a la Parilla which came with marinated skirt steak, yuca potatoes and chimichurri drizzled on top. I also believe that chimichurri should be provided at every restaurant, with every meal. We got the steak medium rare and it was so tender and succulent. The mashed potatoes were creamy and buttery. My only complaint is that I preferred more chimichurri. There is never enough. Sigh.
Not pictured is the Truffle Mac & Cheese which smelled so intoxicating that we devoured it in less than two minutes. I forgot to take a picture. Food has that effect on me sometimes. My favorite mac and cheese in the city can be found at Social Kitchen & Brewery which is also a truffle version. I am very loyal. But I have to say, this might be better. It was so unbelievably creamy and cheesy with just the right amount of truffle. By right amount I mean a lot. I could have had three to myself. If you go you have to get it. And also invite me, thanks.
We finished off the meal with the Chocolate Bandido which is chocolate cake with ice cream. It fell apart immediately and was so warm and gooey I really considered getting one to go. For just me. The strawberries on top add the perfect fruity contrast to such a decadent dessert.
I am so hungry right now it’s unreal.
SOUVLA ON HAYES
Not only is Souvla delicious and a great lunch spot sitting in the middle of Hayes Valley, it is also precious. Their decor is bright and cheery and their menu is simple. They offer “spit-fired meats” among other tasty greek inspired options that will leave your tummy very happy and very full. I stopped in last week with my brother during a sunny afternoon. We started off with their Souvla Greek Rosé and their Souvla Greek Beer. I am not a wine expert as I am not very sophisticated but I loved their rosé and thought it wasn’t overly sweet.
I got my two favorite things off of the menu: the greek fries and the avgolemono soup. The fries are crispy and covered in olive oil, lemon juice, parsley and mizithra cheese. We ordered their garlic greek yogurt and it is excellent for dipping. It has also been added to my list of things I wish flowed through my veins. The soup has egg, lemon, chicken and rice in it and I am addicted. I get it every time. There’s something about rice in soup, you know?
My brother got the pork shoulder salad and of course I stole 13 bites. The salad was crisp and fresh and complimented the tender pork shoulder nicely. Definitely a filling and satisfying option if you’re looking for a solid lunch that’s on the healthier side.
Finally, I got the baklava crumbles & honey syrup frozen greek yogurt which is an absolute must. The greek yogurt is so tart and is complimented perfectly by the sugary Baklava chunks. It is a real treat.
STACKS ON HAYES
Coincidentally I found myself back in Hayes Valley a few days later to grab brunch with a friend. Stacks is actually just two doors down from Souvla so you know, maybe hit up both?
Stacks has a giant menu that is semi overwhelming but mostly exciting because everything sounds so good. I went with the Crab Crepe because I am a seafood junkie and it is never too early for me. It comes with avocado, jack cheese and chives. It’s also smothered in hollandaise sauce which, you guessed it, is another sauce on that exclusive list I mentioned previously. Or maybe not so exclusive at this point.
The crab tasted fresh and was balanced out well by the creamy avocado and melted jack cheese. It was incredibly filling and a true challenge to finish. It also came with delicious potatoes that did not help in the fullness department. What also didn’t help is that I saw this meal was also going to come with a bagel which seemed like carb overload so instead I got chicken apple sausage. Needless to say I took a big nap after this.
My friend got the Eggs Louis which was a top contender for me before the crepe won it all. It’s essentially eggs benedict with crab so basically a dream come true. I was so overwhelmed by my giant and tasty meal that I did not get a chance to taste hers. However, judging by her empty plate I’m going to go out on a limb here and say it was great.
If you need to put someone in a food coma, take them here.
CREPEVINE ON IRVING
The Crepevine has been a long time favorite and can be found in several locations outside of San Francisco as well. I took my friend there on Saturday after we finished a shoot in the park and it was the perfect late lunch.
There are so many things I love from their menu, but I was in the mood for something light and fresh. I went with the Athena salad with salmon. They cook their salmon perfectly every time and it works so well with their greek salad. The salad in the picture is their SMALL salad by the way. It’s huge. Definitely have never found it necessary to get the large!
The salad comes with red onion, kalamata olives, tomatoes, cucumber and feta. It’s tossed in an oregano vinaigrette which also tastes great with the salmon.
I can’t ever be that healthy (I’m pretty sure the amount of dressing on this salad disqualifies it from the healthy category anyway, but…) so I always get a side of their fries with their housemade ranch. Their ranch is so creamy and tangy. The fries are pretty well done, which is my favorite way to have them. Nothing better than dipping a crispy fries into cold ranch. Mmm.
Wondering where to go in SF? Tell me in the comments and I can help you out!
If you really want to get hungry, check out some of my favorite restaurants I’ve reviewed below:
The Best Deviled Eggs At Hog & Rocks
My Favorite Pasta Dish In The City
Xoxo,
She
