Pizzeria Delfina

The other night, R and I had our final dinner together before she moves! She wanted to try out one of the better known pizza places before the big move, so we headed to Pizzeria Delfina. I'm the worst gluten-free person ever - always looking for an excuse or special occasion to splurge. Perfect choice to do so. Pizza, amazing. Crispy crust and fresh toppings. Went perfectly with the bottle of red wine the waitress picked for us. They only seat complete parties and don't take reservations - So be prepared for that! The table next to us ordered meatballs which looked big and juicy and like something I'd like to try. And its in the Mission. Can't get enough of that neighborhood! 

Burma Superstar

The Food Network featured a couple of recipes from Burma Superstar, once upon a time; therefore each night you'll find yourself on a wait list. They are so popular that they opened a sister restaurant just one block away called B Star, which is nearly as busy. F and I put our name in for a 30-45 minute wait and grabbed some hot tea and hot chocolate at a cozy cafe across the street.

One hour and 10 minutes later, the hostess finally sat us.  Immediately we ordered their Food Network featured tea leaf salad, which we'd actually enjoyed at their sister store a few weeks back, and some chicken samusas - filed with a curry ravioli, potatoes, and served with their special secret sauce, lightly fried. The salad lives up to expectation with its varied textures and fresh flavors. Although the samusas hit the spot, they aren't a must have and the best part about them definitely is the sauce.

We split a lamb curry, per the servers recommendation, and some string green beans, both solid choices. Perfect kick of spice (I'm a huge spicy food lover). Looking forward to the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Other cool tidbit about this place - it's reasonably priced and one of the first times we've spent less than $30/person in I don't know how long (given we didn't drink). One not so great tidbit - the bathroom is kind of gross. Hold it if you can!

In short: yummy, will return, won't wait more than 20 minutes in the future.

Waterbar, Chinatown Grocery Shopping

I visited Waterbar once during my first week after moving to San Francisco. Ever since, I've been meaning to return, but finally succeeded yesterday. They have happy hour oyster specials, only $1 before 5:30pm, along with a cute outdoor patio that overlooks the bay and the Bay Bridge. I arrived early and enjoyed a cocktail from their "America's Cup" inspired list called "White Squall" (Rum, pineapple and orange juices, pomegranate - aka delicious). I sat in the sun slurpping down oysters and reading my Kindle until my friend M arrived. We played catch up until F arrived and all had a late lunch. Perfect leisurely afternoon on a day off. 

As M departed to run some afternoon errands, F and I made our way to Chinatown to buy some ingredients to make dinner. Even though I had meandered through Chinatown numerous times, I'd never bought groceries there, and it's quite the experience. They don't have the clean cut organization you'd find in a conventional grocery store like Safeway or Trader Joe's. Cardboard boxes of produce line the aisles as people crowd all around. The fish - well see the pictures below. And I'm pretty sure it's always crowded in these stores. Anyways, F picked up what we needed, making an excellent dinner later that night.

Haight-Ashbury Shopping

Even after having lived in the city for more than a year, I had yet to experience shopping on Haight Street! Yes - it counts as a new experience, and if you have ever been near the Haight-Ashbury intersection, you know why! The stores are colorful and full of life. Definitely a lot of 70's thrift shops, tie dye T-shirts, tattoo parlors, and fetish costumes alongside really awesome food spots and boutique clothing stores. Actually did some fairly legitimate shopping and found a new favorite store: Ambiance San Francisco. Ladies, you could spend hours in this stores: colorful shirts, dresses, shoes, jewelry. R and I popped our heads into a few thrift shops to see the standard tutus and crazy dresses along side standard 70s style platform shoes. A must visit neighborhood, all around.