Blaine C.'s Profile

Rainbow, I love you, but you're too expensive. Receipts that come to more than $200 for a few weeks of basic groceries are just too much. I miss my Small Potatoes from Vancouver. In the meantime, my veggie days have moved to the Civic Center farmers' market, and pasta comes from the Kitchen Aid and the Imperia.

Two Rainbow notes: the Golden Moon Coconut Pouchong is the worst brake fluid, ever, their cheese people make cheese shopping impossible (I want to taste it all! It all sounds so good!), and don't try to get fancy with bulk containers - the cashiers all have different standards and the only certainty is that you will be glared at.

Coupons in the back of the phone book are 20% Wednesdays & Thursdays? many months, thus preserving the utility of phone books.

I went for breakfast at Cafe Grillades last week, and they have definitely been added to the roster. The food's inexpensive and tasty (don't expect gourmet like Modern Tea), and they're open at 8 AM, in Hayes Valley no less!

It seems like it would be a comfy environment to hang out for a few hours, as they have free wifi, and their mint tea is highly recommended.

This place appears to have been given a very rough ride on Yelp; definitely under-rated, probably more like 3.5 stars on average.

Good crepes, nice atmosphere, interesting drinks. Their savoury crepes are not quite as toothsome as I'd like, and their sweet crepes are a bit heavier than the perfect crepe. Keep it simple, and you'll be fine.

Inexpensive, reliable, and really great food. I just wish they had veggie meatballs.

My first visit was uninspiring, but a second visit changed my mind. Healthy for a tacqueria, if you can believe it.

Philz isn't coffee like Blue Bottle or Ritual. Don't go expecting a little espresso. It's all about manufacturer's cream, mint, and secret ingredients. I'm pretty sure Philz is in a "drug-free zone", which makes it all the more surprising that it's allowed to continue operating. If you can, get Phil to make your coffee; he's the real secret ingredient.

I have a soft-spot in my heart (and probably in my gut) for the Phone Booth. The first time I went there, the power was out. No obnoxious music, no flashing lights - just friends, candles, and booze (strongest drinks in SF, period). Fantastic. More recent visits have meant some away time for the Phone Booth and I.

I'm with Nish. Tip: top-shelf whiskey is stupid cheap.

The wait probably isn't worth it (sometimes you can bart to berekely in just about the same amount of time), but if you catch them during a lull, the food is good, if you can stand the crowds and get over paying Rs. 500 for a mediocre dosa. That said, I'm not aware of anywhere else in the city that serves uttapam.

Really tasty food, reasonbly priced, and beer lemonade. It's been a standby for long enough that I trust that they're reliable. If I lived nearby Burma Superstar would be a haunt.