Jenn X.'s Profile

Found Little Nepal on GrubHub -- it was listed as a restaurant that delivers to my neighborhood. I decided to order from them, thanks to the favorable reviews on Yelp. I already knew I'd be spending a little more money than usual for delivery, but it was surprisingly expensive for two people. The delivery took well beyond the estimated 45 minutes to get our food, which had, in the meantime, gone cold. Worse, the samosas had been forgotten from my order. I phoned the restaurant; the man who had taken my order remembered me. He said he would cancel the charge to my credit card and reprocess for a lesser amount. He even phoned back after he'd done so.

So now you know everything that went wrong. I wasn't especially angry or inconvenienced, and honestly, the gentleman at Little Nepal was courteous and helpful.

It was easy to see how the samosas had been forgotten; we'd ordered combination meals, and that made for several containers of food. Each combination dinner comes with sides of rice, naan, chutney, vegetables, and soupy lentils. Wow! I'm tough to please when it comes to rice and naan, and this was perfect.

The vegetables were wonderful, and the lentils were out of this world. We split orders of Kukhurako Ledo (that's Tandoori chicken) and Bhanta Tarkari (that's a spicy eggplant dish). The Kukhurako was, for the price, a little on the dry side, but it was delicious. The eggplant dish was stellar. Eggplant, of course, has a naturally spicy, slightly nutty flavor which, in this dish, was enhanced and complemented by subtle spices. Mmm! I'm a believer.

While I'm not opposed to having food delivered again, I think next time I'll make the trip out and visit the restaurant proper. Really wonderful food; highly recommended.

At the last possible instant, Seana made a phone call to tack me onto the reservation. I was in the office bathroom. When I came out of the bathroom, she got me by the wrist and let me know I was coming with. I grew up in south South Texas, where the Tex/Mex is really fantastic, so usually when I'm told I'm going to a 'cantina' I am annoyed and unenthused.

Seana and I arrived and hovered near the front door, peering in through the windows. We were waiting for her boyfriend, two of our coworkers, and three of their roommates. These are incredibly punctual, reliable people; they arrived only a minute before our reservation.

Lord God Almighty. Matt said the restaurant was good, and he and Ryan pointed us to the delicious. The menu is tight and succinct, making it difficult to pick one thing. The chips and salsa are homemade; the pineapple margarita pitcher is heaven on earth. Soon enough, the conversation and laughter were flowing. We were cramped in a corner, and we did not mind. I am in love with the man who waited our table who, due to a mishap, comp'd us an entire pitcher. I was just full enough; my vegetarian cactus enchilada whatever had clearly been touched by God Himself. Keywords: jalapeno Jack cream sauce. Everyone looked pretty happy with their steak tacos, too.

I can't stop using religious language because this meal was revelatory. This is the happiest dining experience I've ever had.

I dropped into Spec's for a birthday party, for this guy I didn't know, exactly, but he invited me so I showed up. That was last month.

I've come back like four times. You can't get me out of this bar! But why is everyone calling it a dive? It's no dive; it's a sea shanty with walls.

I guess I'd blown a substantial chunk of my paycheck when the bartender said, "Four dollars, dear -- I'm buying your drink." What I'm saying is, you can cultivate your 'regular' status in two seconds flat.

I've already watched several couples on dates here. What a good idea! This is my new favorite bar.

My friends and I agree that this bar/restaurant is a great litmus test of whether you're likable.

Yes, yes, you've heard it all. There's an owner and his cat and delicious Irish coffee and really hot bar staff (male and female) and Damocles cycles overhead. You already know if you'll like Eddie Rickenbacker's or if you won't. And if you won't, go next door, where there are Doritos and sports.

Norman, the owner (a real catch in his heyday, if you can believe it) sits in a chair near the always-blaring television set, frequently champing at a cigar in spite of the whole oxygen tank thing. His exasperated staff, at his whim, frequently plays old Christmas tunes, even in summertime. They say pets resemble their owners and Higgins, the enormous tabby cat lazing on the bar, is further testament.

The bar itself is cluttered and gorgeous, with celebrity motorcycles dangling from the ceiling and a gun rack on the back wall. Another Yelp review alluded to the fortitude of the bar in case of zombie attack; this has been a conversation I, too, have had in Rickenbacker's. Everything is smoky and wooden, and the bar itself is bright, not dank. Everything is ancient and grand. Angela, the coy blond girl rattling complicated drinks behind the counter, has described Rickenbacker's as "someone's living room." She's right, and it basically is. They don't make 'em like they used to.

The food is fine. My mom swore by their minestrone, but they've struck it from the menu; the Best-Of now includes a fantastic Reuben, stellar quesadillas, a chicken salad with walnuts, apple, and bleu cheese that cannot be beat, and steamed vegetables from heaven. (Everything else ranges from Mmm to So-So, but nothing's really bad.) At night, for drunk workaholics -- this is the financial district, homeslizzle -- there's a new Late Nite Drunk Person Menu, which encompasses hot dogs and french fries.

Also after hours, when you see the bar workers light up their ciggies, you're welcome to do the same.

In the end, a bar is not the stuff on the walls or its cantankerous owner or the looming dread of mortality and the human condition: it's people. And you'll find that this bar, as defined by its customers and staff, is really good people.

I can't tell you how happy I am. I moved here a year and a half ago from Chicago, and I have *finally* found my favorite Thai (delivery!!) in San Francisco.

My companion and I enjoyed the "Golden Bags," which, with their -- no, no, I'll quote now -- "minced shrimp and chicken, potatoes, onions, carrots, and curry powder," taste like the perfectest golden triangles crossed with the deliciousest samosas in the world. They advertise that their Golden Bags come with a cucumber salad; rather, the "salad" tastes like a chutney. That means it is delicious with the potato without overpowering its delicate flavor.

We placed orders for the corn fritters (over the internet!), but Chai-Yo phoned back with their apologies to let us know they were out. We decided to substitute with the prawn rolls instead. Mmm, very good.

For my entree, I ordered the Thai Pasta in Green Curry Sauce. It was hotter than hell! I all but guzzled my almond milk tea to get rid of the curry's heat. My upper lip went numb. It was incredible, absolutely delicious fast food that I could not forget for several minutes. My companion ordered the Squash Curry. His curry had the perfect heat, and it soaked into the rice just right. The kabocha squash was a little dry, but I've had drier. The squash and basil both lent his dish a welcome sweetness.

Speaking of sweetness, we didn't think to look at the dessert menu, and now we are regretting it. Perhaps next time we will try the red sticky rice or the fried banana with honey.

I have wanted to tell you about this place for forever.

Since having moved to the Bay Area, I have long sought THE take-out/delivery experience. A million trips to GrubHub.com later, and I think I have finally found it. So here it is: Hai Sun.

(Please note that I have never set foot into Hai Sun, as that would defy everything I believe about delivery service and me not leaving my sofa.)

Hai Sun advertises on the front of the menu that they are "None Fat / Low Fat Chinese Cuisine."  When they cook, they steam rather than fry, and they avoid using oil. The vegetables taste really fresh. It's a little bit like the crappy Chinese delivery you know you already love, but healthier, tastier, quality-er, and at cheap-o delivery prices.

There's something for everyone on Hai Sun's menu. My friend always gets the Happy Family. I want to have babies with their Mango Chicken, although I recently learned that the Mu Shu there is what is truly, completely unstoppable. It's the tastiest Mu Shu I've ever had, and if the pancakes didn't fall apart so much, it would be so, so perfect. The steamed Gyoza are pitch-perfect. Sometimes the potstickers from other restaurants turn out too limp, or too brown, but Hai Sun's are just right. They are masterful! The foil-wrapped chicken appetizer must be tasted to be believed. The Crab Puffs, Hai Sun's take on rangoon, are also really delicious (although, one night, it was very much a "miss").

Ordering from Hai Sun is fast and easy, and when you do, you should request that all your chicken dishes come with white meat--I read that once in another review, and he was right, because it'll improve the quality of your food substantially. You can also order beer, because Hai Sun is full-service and awesome.

Here's what not to do: NEVER ask for something "less spicy." I did that when I ordered the Hunan General Chicken, and what I ended up with was perfectly inedible. It was the worst food experience I've ever had, and to tell you the truth, I blame myself. I should never have offered direction when none was needed. Hai Sun! Forgive me!

Hai Sun is friendly and fast, and for me, my food always comes in thirty-five minutes or less. It comes in these really cool, sturdy, Chinese take-out boxes that are microwave-safe. I always thinking about rinsing a box out and keeping it, because they're so cute, but I guess that would be silly.

In the end, and especially if you have guests who want to eat family-style from a bunch of boxes all over your living room, Hai Sun makes tummies happy. My mom visited me and we ordered Hai Sun delivery, and she couldn't believe how delicious. There's always enough food for me to get two meals out of a single serving. Mmm! Hai Sun, I love you.

Hemlock's my favorite joint in town, easy. It looks like a dive, but it's a full-fledged bar experience. There's constantly live music way in back (you have to push through the plastic meat-locker curtains), a very active pool table by the ATM, and for the dying, there's a smokers' atrium just through the glass doors. As an added bonus, the walls are decked with pastoral paintings and elk horns. I really, really like the Hemlock because it reminds me of a nice homesick Chicago beer.

As the bar fills up, though, the crowd gets kind of tough. One time I came in with coworkers and some jerk was a total ass to my boss. And one of the bartenders smirked at my friend cruelly when she asked for a Hefeweizen--I shoved in and I was like, "She meant an Anchor Steam." Whatever. There's Pabst BR in bottles, and plenty of Malibu, so either way I'm good to go. I've made more friends than enemies in Hemlock, and everyone I've ever dragged in with me has left happily.

It's also worth noting that the Hemlock is next door to Space Gallery, and located conveniently along the Polk Drag, so if the bar doesn't suit you, the night's no loss.

I was in a really bad mood when I showed up at the Space Gallery for the Stickers and Stencils show last month. I was partly aggravated because one of the artists' names had been repeatedly misspelled on fliers and signs. And I went inside, all pissy because of the way the art lined the narrow stairwell so that it was tough to stop and look at it, and then the way people were sitting in front of some great art I wanted to see, and blah blah blah.

What a jerk, right? Then I noticed the barS. There's one counter downstairs, and then another one set up upstairs. And they serve sake! In a shot glass! For one damn dollar! The space itself really grew on me as a gallery, and it was so well suited to the kind of show it was, where the art is really integrated with the environment. And there was an awesome band with a banjo and a harmonica at what was essentially this urban art show--totally wild.

Actually, the whole show was really great. We stayed till closing, examining everything and making friends and drinking gaily, and then moved our party to the Hemlock right next door. My friends and I still talk about how cool Space was.

I've been to the Grubstake again and again, but only recently was I able to remember having ever done so. It turns out that the same hamburger I've ordered every time is really good. The onion rings, too. There's also an impressive array of bottled beers, but if you're at Grubstake you've probably already had too many.

The Grubstake is located somewhere convenient--near Polk, I think--so it's a good place to kick-start your bar-hopping, or to wrap it up. There's an ATM inside and another WaMu machine close by, too. The outdoor patio is a nice place to smoke while you're waiting to be seated, and also when it's rainy. I like Grubstake a lot. I really hope they don't remember me, though.

So I woke up on my friend's couch with a teetery stomach and a terrible migraine. She groaned when I asked her what she wanted to do for a midday hangover breakfast. She admitted she had no idea. "Heeey," I said. "I haven't been to this one place in like a year. Wanna drive up and down Divisadero until we find it?" She was game ("Only if they have a BLT on the menu"), and we parked at a meter across the street.

There was actually a line of hipsters waiting to get in. That seemed weird. But ten minutes later we got a booth. My coffee mug had hearts on it. My friend decided against the BLT in lieu of some kind of club sandwich, along with a bottomless glass of iced tea. I had the eggs (scrambled with cheese) with sausage patties and the side of biscuits (get them! Don't shortchange yourself!). I also lucked out with a pretty big coffee mug--if you get the Hello Kitty mug, you're screeeewwwed. Our plates arrived like five seconds after we ordered them, which was completely amazing because another friend was mere blocks away, hurrying to meet us. The check arrived before she even made it through the door. She squeezed into the booth with me and ordered herself a root beer (no orange soda on tap, unfortunately) and a side order of fries.

Eddie's has stickers all over the walls, each and every one promoting some band or protesting Bush, an amazing storybook legacy told in tiny squares that you can read like tree rings. The staff is amazing and kind, the food is cheap, fast, and good, and the regulars lining the counter are enough to tell you it's worth coming back again and again.

When I first moved to San Francisco a year ago and I was really sad, I liked going into Eddie's by myself, and taking cameraphone pictures of my food and sending them to people in Chicago. I think the biscuits are smaller and less homemade than they seemed last year, but I'm not really complaining. I am really, really happy I went back! It is still warm, vibrant, and delicious.