Chairman Bao

Pork belly steamed bun with pickled daikon

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Braised pork steamed bun with savoy cabbage and and preserved mustard seeds

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Bao chips

The apex of our obsession with pork products might be Chairman Bao, peddled from the roving food truck we were first introduced to at Off the Grid Fort Mason. As it swung by our neighborhood today, we couldn't pass up the chance to snag a few of our favorite buns. Rosie greedily opted to get two pork belly buns and a braised pork bun while Cheney had two pork belly buns and a bag of Bao chips, which were deliciously greasy deep fried wonton skins with nori. As always the pork belly was heavenly, with crisp skin, incredibly juicy meat, and a layer of velvety fat. Offset with tart and crunchy daikon and the soft bun, it was perfect. The braised pork bun was good, but less memorable. Without the benefit of the pork belly's sauce, it had a drier texture while the shredded cabbage seemed a little limp. Satiated, we left the Civic Center in such a state of glazed happiness that even seeing a dead pigeon and what might have been human feces on the way home (Oh, living in the Tenderloin) couldn't completely shake it.

Pizzeria Delfina

Pizza Carbonara: scallions, guanciale, farm egg, pecorino, black pepper

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Pizza Margherita: tomato, fior di latte mozzarella, basil 

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Ginger ale

On yet another unseasonably beautiful afternoon, we met up at Delfina before Cheney's Spanish class, in which she is in constant fear of lapsing into French. True to our blog name, upon being informed that each pizza feeds one and a half people, we shamelessly and immediately ordered two pies. While the margherita was a mandatory classic, the revelation that guanciale is heavily seasoned and cured pig jowl cinched the fact we had to get the carbonara. Noticing that our table's breadsticks were pressed flush against the none-too-clean looking wall, Cheney quipped that Mission-dwelling hipsters probably didn't care about such things. Rosie thought that it was kind of a paradox that hipsters, those favorite whipping boys of the 21st century, are associated in stereotype with both snobbery and with dirtiness. She was then amazed when Cheney, picking up a slice of carbonara pizza, saw that some of the perfectly gooey egg yolk had fallen onto the table in transit, and unhesitatingly scooped it up and plopped it back onto its parent slice. Good lord that pizza was delicious, though. While neither of us usually enjoy scallions, the flavor blended perfectly with the rich moistness of the egg yolk and the tender and salty guanciale. The margherita was simple and fresh in contrast to the carbonara's decadence, with perfectly tangy tomato sauce pulling the whole pie together. Our waitress commented that since she started working at Pizzeria Delfina, she sometimes found herself eating an entire pizza by herself at 11 PM, five times a week. Rosie suppressed the urge to ask if they were hiring.

Fiona's Sweet Shoppe

Gummy raspberries // Maynard's wine gums // Rhubarb and custard hard candies // Sugar-dusted chocolate toffee almonds

Sushiritto

Crispy Ebi: tempura shrimp, melted pepperjack cheese, shredded crab,

 plantain, avocado, cucumber with sriracha crema 

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Three Amigos: tuna, salmon, hamachi, yuzu tobiko, avocado, asparagus, 

cucumber, shaved red radish with wasabi mayo

Newly open, and a block from the Montgomery BART, Sushiritto is a portmanteau of two of Rosie's favorite foods. For reasons that are completely mystifying, Cheney is not a fan of Mexican food, so a sushi burrito is an appropriate compromise. We headed out half an hour before they opened to beat the long lines that have been snaking out their door, and sure enough, we weren't the first ones hovering eagerly outside of their storefront. Pathetic? Yes. Gratifying? Definitely. A sushiritto is basically a more girthy, uncut sushi roll (which has the added benefit of sounding like a particularly bad double entendre). Wrapped tightly in paper and encased in a compostable clamshell container, the 'rritos were enjoyed at a sunny rooftop garden on Sansome street. The sriacha crema in the Crispy Ebi was more subtle than expected but the wasabi mayo gave the Three Amigos a perfect kick. We agreed that both rolls would have been even better with the addition of soy or tempura sauces, but were were still very good. The rice was perfectly vinegar-soaked, the cucumbers and radishes crisp, and the fish buttery and fresh. Rosie has actually committed the shameful act of trying to walk down the street while eating a regular roll of sushi on a plastic take-out box with chopsticks. Having a wrap nicely solves the problem of sashimi cravings on the go. Quantity to cost-wise, Sushirrito is also a great deal; the greater diameter means you get more sushi for about the same price. Cheney pointed out though, that this means that if you don't have someone to split the 'rrito with, the lack of variety might be tiresome. We'll probably be back soon.

Turtle Tower

Phở Gà Lòng: Chicken noodle soup with giblets 

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Chè Ba Mầu: Three Color Bean Dessert

Phở is the perfect supplement to a morning spent in recovery. After successfully concocting cucumber gimlets from scratch the night before, we ended up doing some sort of five hour mash-up dance marathon (the peak of which was probably an ingenious mash-up of "99 Problems" and "99 Luftballons" and whose nadir was most definitely a "Genie in the Bottle" remix, which somehow sounds more lurid than ever). Therefore, it was with throats sore from improvised karaoke and legs sore from artless swaying that we headed to the Little Saigon corner of the Tenderloin for something greasily soothing.

Turtle Tower is supposed to have the best chicken phở, which we were eager to try, already being fans of rare beef phở. It is also served up Northern Vietnamese style at this particular restaurant. This knowledge, combined with her general state of tiredness caused Rosie to briefly mistake a Ghostbuster's shirt on a fellow diner for a hammer and sickle. We discovered that Northern Vietnamese phở comes with only jalapenos and lemons, which was a shame since the bay leaves usually lend a much appreciated fragrance to the soup and bean sprouts are the perfect crunchy counterpart to the springy noodles. Cheney went the safe route and chose the regular chicken option while Rosie decided to be adventurous and get the addition of giblets. She then hoped anxiously that this did not include a fertilized egg, and was relieved to find only delicious chicken innards. The broth was incredibly soothing, and perfect for anyone feeling under the weather. Being overly ambitious, we both got large portions and surrendered halfway through due to the extremely generous serving of noodles heaped in the bowl. Overall, the phở did not seem too distinctive, just like a very good chicken soup, but at least it did its job this time.

Paulette's and Chez Papa Bistrot

Coconut, Sweet Wedding Almond, Sicilian Pistachio, and Earl Grey Macarons

Anson Mills semoule, roasted chanterelle mushrooms, truffle oil, cypress hills goat cheese 

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Mussels "Provencale" with garlic, shallots, cherry tomatoes, nicoise olives and Pastis

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French fries with aioli 

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Pan roasted chicken breast with haricot vert, lardon, white corn, whole grain mustard jus

Boccalone's Tasty Salted Pig Parts

Salame Pepato and Orange Fennel Salame

Possibly our number one addiction, and a large part of the reason that our quality of life will drastically decrease if we ever have the misfortune of moving away from San Francisco. Boccalone is located in the Ferry Building, and thus visiting it offers added pleasure of stopping the nearby Llama Lady's stand in order to lavish  pets on the overpriced and ineffably soft collection of stuffed animals. Whether sliced thin and layered neatly on brown paper, in a sandwich form with a juniper soda, or packed into one decadent sausage, the salame is briny, fragrant, and dotted with creamy fat -- an unhealth-conscious carnivore's dream. One day we will work up the courage to try one of lard-infused salted caramels that sit in a jar next to the cash register. And cough up the money for a fluffy mini llama figurine.

One Market

Bay Fog Cooler: grapefruit juice, vanilla, cucumber, Spice Wheel: pineapple juice, lime, Bundaberg ginger beer  

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Pan Seared Cod with chickpeas, savoy spinach, and saffron 

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Pecan Tart with vanilla bean ice cream