MERIGAN SUB SHOP...I SO WANTED TO LIKE THIS PLACE

There's been a lot of fuss made about $4 toast in this town and how it's indicative of a larger problem. I've yet to try that toast so I'll reserve judgement on that, what I say though is that it all started before the toast with the $8 and $9 sandwich, something I've railed against for awhile now. Sandwiches full or local, organic, artisan stuff that don't come with any sides--no chips, no fries, no salad, no nothing. I'm looking at you The Sentinel (one of the original purveyors of this), Salumeria, Deliboard, American Grilled Cheese--the list goes on. I mean, some of their sandwiches are good--but really--do they need to be that much? Especially when you can get an amazing bahn mi at several places in this town. And so it is that a new place is adding it's name to the list of slightly above cost sandwich spots--Merigan Sub Shop.

              

54 MINT IN SAN FRANCISCO....WELL, IT'S OPEN, SO LET'S GIVE IT A TRY

It's an early Sunday night and this whole getting dark early really throws off my circadian rhythms, not to mention my eating habits. Me and the SO are wandering through the Apple Store and decide to grab a bite to eat since it's getting late, but really isn't. Sadly, The Cavalier is way too crowded so we wander through Mint Plaza and stumble across 54 Mint--a place I can honestly say I'd never heard of. I don't usually go through this part the plaza as it's far at the back and more off the alley way next to it. After a brief glance at the menu, it's Italian, the SO goes in and they say they have a table, so why not.

PROPOSITION CHICKEN....THE CHICKEN SHOULD HAVE SAID NO

Fried chicken is a Southern food staple that many places try to replicate across the country. It's like a comfort food when done right and folks across and region in the U.S. can appreciate it's juicy, crunchy goodness. Thus when a new place in town opens I'm always interested to give them a try, such was the case with Proposition Chicken. The space is bare bones industrial and the first thought that comes to mind is hipster chicken joint.

        

GOLDEN WAFFLE AND CANDYBAR FOOD TRUCKS GETTING OUR JUST DESSERTS

In the world of food trucks, ones that specialize in desserts are not as common as say burger or taco trucks. Yet, even in this health conscious world and town, the options for some mobile sweet treats is on the rise. On a recent visit to SOMA StrEat Food Park, there were actually 4 trucks doing just desserts, and while me and the SO can totally chow down on the sweets, we limited ourselves to choosing just two of them try. Waffles out of a truck is not a totally novel concept, to me they seem to have been one of the first kind of trucks you'd see outside bars late at night along with the taco trucks. Because sometimes when you are drunk or whatever, you don't necessarily want salty you might crave sweet. Needless to say, I was in the mood to try some waffles so we hit up Golden Waffle first.

SMASHBURGER DEBUTS IN SAN FRANCISCO AND...WELL...IT'S A SMASH

There's a new trend in chain restaurants these days--I call it hipster fast food. Think Chipotle, Umami Burger, Super Duper Burger and to a lesser extent The Melt--all with varying degrees of foodie-ness. They try to appeal to folks who want something quick but not standard fast food quick. Each store has the basic decorative bones--wood, steel, etc.--but throws in artwork or something that is either city or neighborhood specific. Adding themselves to this canon of dining places with it's first San Francisco location is Smashburger in the shopping plaza at Portrero Hill. They've got stores all over the country, especially down LA way, so I was intrigued to try them out as an alternative to say In-And-Out. It's a pretty large space in the strip mall and they've done it up with some nods to both San Francisco and California based on some of the "artwork" on the wall. 

BOULI BAR AT SAN FRANCISCO FERRY PLAZA WHERE ITALIAN FOOD MEETS THE MEDITERRANEAN

**UPDATE--They've done some reorganizing of things here. New tall bar tables, a new bar and a prix fixe dinner. But you can still get the salad and pizza as far as I can tell. New look appears to be working as I see the place full whenever I walk by***

It's a hectic Saturday morning at the Ferry Plaza, but really, all Saturdays here are like that. It's a mob of tourists and locals getting their fix of the Farmer's Market and coffee. Since we live relatively close by me and the SO often make a visit there to meet up with folks or just get ourselves out of the house, which is what we were accomplishing on this particular day. There are a myriad of food choices from the vendors outside the building to the permanent ones inside. A recent new edition inside is Bouli Bar. An offshoot/addition to Boulette's Larder which is around the corner and is sort of an upscale meat and stuff to go place. Like most new places in town it was packed with folks......