Category Archives: Dining

Where to eat in San Francisco

Ruchi

Southern Indian food.

Ruchi, located in the SOMA district of San Francisco, is not much to look at, outside or in. Almost under a freeway overpass, it serves Southern Indian food. The plain interior has a few mediocre photographs taken in Andhra Pradesh and you order at the counter, with the food delivered to your table. Yet I must say the whole experience was thoroughly worthwhile. The people working in the restaurant are most charming, as gentle and well mannered as one could imagine. And the food I ordered, the Lamb Thali, was simply delicious, suffused with a thousand fragrances and gently spiced.

474 Third Street.

The Lamb Thali.

The crowd is 20% Suits, 80% software types, and the noise level is low.

The whole thing, with a Maharaja pilsner, ran me $17.

As usual, lunch inspired me and I lucked out with a snap of the only attractive Parking Warden in the United States, around the corner from the restaurant:

G3, kit lens.

Fringale

A spot of France.

Fringale, at Fourth and Brennan in San Francisco, is not your common or garden lunch joint. It may be in a grotty area, but the prices are strictly top dollar and the fare is high quality French. So much so that I was too intimidated to ask for a beer, fearing I might be chucked out on my ear for such crassness.

Click the picture for the site.

I wanted to keep things light – meal and check – so opted for the Salade Niçoise, my crackerjack French pronunciation somewhat smoothing the waters, earlier ruffled by the appearance of my tired Levis. That’s a nice slab of medium rare tuna atop.

The service here is outstanding, the very French proprietor charming and the whole thing comes with a white table cloth feel in a light, clean interior.

Prices are high, especially when you add $10 for a small glass of wine.

Not my regular sort of place, but a nice change for those days when I make a bit of coin in the markets. Too bad about the beer, though I did luck out with a nice street snap right after, inspired by the tuna salad:

Protests, politics and milestones. Fourth near Market Street, SF. G3, kit lens @22mm.

The Brickhouse Café

A convivial setting.

The crowd is strictly arts and geek here, my favorites, and the atmosphere warm and convivial.

I passed on the ‘Big Ass burger’ special, preferring to indulge in some delicious fish on ciabatta bread, washed down with a glass of Draft Firestone red.

First on the G3, the other two on the iPhone 4S.

Click for the web site.

Metropol

Another from the storefront series.

Metropol. G3, kit lens @43mm, 1/250, f/5.6, ISO 1600.

The original needed quite a bit of work, and there was no way of avoiding the utility pole at the time I pressed the button.

Original snap.

Content Aware Fill and the Clone Stamp tool, taken in several small bites, got rid of the lamppost and selective application of Curves lifted the dark interior. On Sutter Street in San Francisco.