YOUR WEEKLY DIGESTION OF FOOD NEWS TO CONSUME

El Porteno is mainly known for empanadas (which you should definitely try--especially the mushroom) but at the Ferry Building they also sell shortbread cookies filled with dulce de leche and covered in white or dark chocolate. They are crumbly goodness that will give you a real sugar rush for only $2.50--a bargain that you can pair with a cup of coffee from Blue Bottle a few stalls away. 

• San Francisco Magazines Best of the Bay Area is out and here's the food list. 
• And yet another list, this time best Bay Area breads. 
• Local chefs go global in their search for new food to serve us local eaters. 
• Because everyone wants to know how M. Bauer keeps his girlish figure, here you go. 
• Here's where you can get a burger in the East Bay when you absolutely have to go there. 
• Another stalwart comes to an end as Coco5000 sells it's building to Marlowe.
• Tablehoppers chatterbox is LOADED with tidbits this week--seems she had quite the weekend.
• 17 (sort of newish) restaurant openings to be on the lookout for.
• Shaved ice! Snow cones! Italian ice! Because it's summer in San Francisco!!
• Giants create and edible park at AT&T Park. That's soooo San Francisco. 
• San Franciscos biggest food festival kicks off in July at Fort Mason..if you can afford it. 
• In such a food heavy city the SF Chronicle does away with it's food section. 

Q RESTAURANT....A FINAL MEAL AT LAST CALL WITH AN OLD FAVORITE

I (vaguely) remember when I moved here 16 years ago this month and marveled at this city by the sea. It was also at this time that I became enthralled, and a bit overwhelmed by all the restaurants that seemed to be everywhere. Little neighborhood spots that you heard about from friends, in the paper weeklies that filled newsstands or just stumbling across something while wandering around the different hoods. Internet was around but it wasn't exactly easily accessible to track down hot new things like cool new places to eat. Into this world was when Q Restaurant came into existence and me and my friend Miss O (who works in the neighborhood) found this place serving up Southernish dishes, like ribs and tater tots and drew us into it's food web. Thus it was with some sadness when I heard the news they were closing down, not because business was bad, but after all these years they were just ready to move on. As June 29th would be their last day I texted up Miss O and said we really need to have a last meal there and we finally got our calendars to mesh and showed up on a Thursday at 5pm right when they opened to have one last meal for old times sakes.

TABLE FOR ONE: EATING SINGLE IN THE BIG CITY....DINERS!!!

"Adam and Eve on a raft! Wreck 'em!" I first heard this phrase on an episode of "I Love Lucy" where the gang of four bought a diner to run together and then of course things fell apart and hilarity ensued. The term is diner lingo for 2 scrambled eggs with toast and it came to mind when I was thinking of places for solo eaters to dine. And of course, what better way to get a decent meal at a decent price when by yourself than at a diner--a place as ubiquitous to American eating as pie.

YOUR WEEKLY DIGESTION OF FOOD NEWS TO CONSUME

A side of veggies and one meat (pulled pork) for $8 from Golden Gate Meat Company at the Ferry Plaza is one of the better deals to be had there. You get a lot of each and if for $2 more you can get an additional side dish. The pork was actually pretty good by the way but they have other meats to choose from like brisket, sausage (on a stick), meatloaf and beef roast. 

• PieTisserie makes a comeback with a Lake Merritt location. 
• Exactly how much will that beer and pizza cost with a proposed $15 minimum wage?
• SFGate has 15 Bay Areas places for late night (past 10pm) weekday dining. 
• A hammock cafe is trying to get started in SF. Not sure I even know what to say.
• You know you want this grilled cheese cake for your birthday..come on admit it.
• Tasting Table now gives you their choice for best pizza in San Francisco. 
• Get in on the Saison test kitchen now! Yours for only $498!! Going fast!! (most likely)
• There are four new burgers in San Francisco and Thrillist has your rundown. 
• Chef Alexander Alioto explains his new Mission restaurant Plin and what to expect. 
• Southern food in the Bay Area? Why yes my dear, here's a list for you sweetie. 
• Zagat always gets the early tastes, this time it's Perdition. 
• And finally 7x7's bits, pieces and bites of food news to finish off your week. 

TOMMY'S JOYNT....NO IT REALLY ISN'T ABOUT THE FOOD

A few weeks ago The San Francisco Heritage Foundation completed their list of the 100 "Legacy Bars & Restaurants"  in town and like most folks I decided to look over the list and see how many of the places I'd been to over the years. Turns out I'd been to a fair number over the years, though some I hadn't hit up in a while. This whole list came to mind as me and the SO had just gotten out of a movie at Van Ness and were looking for something to eat when the neon brightness of Tommy's Joynt caught my eye. I took it as a "sign" to get back in touch with one of the first places I myself had eaten at upon my arrival here 16 years ago. Thus we made our way up the block and across the street to eat.

YOUR WEEKLY DIGESTIONS OF FOOD NEWS TO CONSUME

Dim sum from Delicious Dim Sum in San Francisco. Decent, basic dim sum in Chinatown and all this for about $5. For a quick bite while walking around it works fine. 

• Belcampo Meat Co., a new butcher and restaurant is now open on Russian Hill. 
• Samovar Tea Lounge has a new location on Valencia for those who aren't in to local coffee. 
• In case you aren't up to the above dim sum Food GPS says these are the best in town. 
• Outerlands has begun dinner service. TBD is now fixed price and other Tablehopper tidbits. 
• A former Top Chef contestant finally opens Aveline in town. Will she pass the quick fire?
• Places for soccer and food in the East Bay, if you are into that kind of thing. 
• Thrillist has a new favorite burger in town, you just have to go to Market & 6th St. to get it. 
• SFWeekly puts out a comics issue with stuff about, you know, food. 
• Inside the minds of chefs a chat with Michael Mina and Ken Tominaga about food and prices.
• IT'S SOFT SHELL CRAB SEASON!! If that excites you here's where you can get 'em. 
• So does this mean we can start bidding what we'd actually pay to eat at restaurants now?

FOOD TRUCK QUICK BITE: OUI CHEF FRENCH AMERICAN CUISINE

It's a mostly sunny, breezy Saturday and what better time to hit up SOMA StrEat Food Park to grab some grub while running errands. The SO and  get lucky with the parking and make the circle stroll to see what our choices are. Normally we end up getting different things but there are only a handful of truck today and by some miraculousness we both decide to try the same vendor and hit up Oui Chef.

YOUR WEEKLY DIGESTION OF FOOD NEWS TO CONSUME

Fried chicken waffle sandwich with olive oil vinaigrette cole slaw and gochujang sauce from Bok Ssam food stall at Off The Grid Fort Mason. Both spicy and sweet with tasty crispy chicken it's a big messy sandwich. I wish the waffle part was a little thicker but otherwise pretty good. 

• Here's a list of all the places newly opened or renovated last month. Have you been yet?
• Q Restaurant closing up shop after 16 years in business..this funky spot will be missed. 
• When you want something different every night from the same place try Pop Up Cafe!!
• First a new building now a Ferry Building kiosk--Dandelion Chocolate not so small batch. 
• Summer. Strawberries. Desserts. Zagat. That's all you need to know. 
• Chef Belinda Leong of B. Patisserie reveals her favorite San Francisco treats. 
• Tante Marie's long standing cooking school is closing, but classes here till September. 
• And not to be outdone, Fleur de Lys is to close also after more than 40 years. 
• Mission Bay gets a food emporium (like that Eataly thing) here's hoping it lasts. 
• Airbnb says group dinners are the new thing. Do they this has been going awhile here?

4505 BURGERS & BBQ....THE MEAT PARADE CONTINUES

After a brief break for brunch I'm back on the meat wagon again as the explosion of roast/smoke/barbecue houses continues in San Francisco. This time I'm turning my attention to 4505 Burgers & BBQ, the new brick and mortar location on Divisadero of the popular burger/meat vendor from the Ferry Plaza's Farmers Market.

YOUR WEEKLY DIGESTION OF FOOD NEWS TO CONSUME

The bacon and pea quiche with side salad from La Boulange Bakery in North Beach. A decent filling lunch for only $6.75. That's good for San Francisco. 

• Dandelion Chocolate blooms even bigger BUYS building space for new factory. 
• Even healthy San Franciscans made this carb heavy burrito sell out in no time.
• 8 new openings in the area Thrillist says are worth trying out. 
• Oh, yeah...another new coffee place opens (yawn) this time in Embarcadero Center. 
• And yet another new coffee place opening though this was adds tea into the mix. 
• Red Dog finally opens in SOMA. Though menu prices seem more fit for Pac Heights.
• The Tacolicioius folks are now slinging noodles at a place called Chino...in the Mission?
• Le Marais Bakery works on expanding their tiny Marina space into full on bistro. 
• The Bay Area's best Caribbean spots...according to Zagat. 
• Here's your full line up of food vendors for Outerlands because they are what really matter. 
• 6 new restaurants with outdoor seating because that's what we need this time of year.