Travel Adventure: San Francisco Eats

Happy Leap Day, everyone!

For today's special post, I wanted to recap some of the places I went to when I visited my friends J and V up in San Fran over the summer. The summer!? Yes, the summer! I know, I know... this post is long overdue, but I really wanted to set time aside to truly dedicate my posts to the wonderful city and all the fun (and tasty!) times I had. I'm going to be breaking down my visit into a series of posts. Be sure to check out my Travel Adventure: San Francisco Sights and Travel Adventure: San Francisco Sweets too!

So on with SF Adventure Eats recap!

BLONDIE'S PIZZA
63 Powell St.
San Francisco, CA 94102

Blondie's Pizza

This place was recommended to me by my lab partner E. When I first walked in, there were a few customers ahead of me, but after I got my order, the place was packed! It didn't really make sense to me because it was 4pm! Maybe it was the late afternoon snack/pre-dinner rush?

Blondie's Pizza - BBQ Chicken Pizza

I had a slice of the BBQ Chicken, which was their Daily Special, for $3.75. It had mushrooms, onions, green and red bell peppers, chicken and BBQ sauce. Honestly, I thought it was just okay. I've had better BBQ chicken pizza before. I think maybe there was just too much going on for my taste so the flavors didn't meld as well as I had hoped.

IKE'S PLACE
3489 16th St
San Francisco, CA 94114

Ike's Place

Ike's Place is this crazy sandwich place with a menu that can make some laugh and others blush! Check it out for yourself!

Ike's Place Menu

It was packed with Berkeley students when my Big N and I went, but the cashier was super friendly and patient. She asked if it was our first time and offered helpful recommendations. If you actually check out their menu on their website (http://www.ilikeikesplace.com/menu), you can order off-the-menu items. They all sound so delicious!

Ike's Place - Menage A Trios $11.11

I ordered the "Menage a Trois" on Dutch Crunch bread, one of their most popular sandwiches. It had halal chicken, real honey, honey mustard, BBQ sauce, pepper jack, swiss, and cheddar. Delicious! It was a little too sweet and very messy (juices were dripping everywhere!), but it was so good. I really loved the Dutch Crunch bread. It had a crunchy crust but was soft and chewy inside. If you know of any places that have it in LA, please let me know!

Ike's Place - We're Just Friends $9.99

N got the "We're Just Friends" also on Dutch Crunch. It had halal chicken, orange glaze, avocado, and pepper jack. It tasted really similar to mine, but with avocado. It was sweet, but not as sweet as the Menage and it definitely wasn't as messy. Both sandwiches were really good. I slightly prefer the We're Just Friends just cause it didn't leave my hands covered in BBQ juices.

Ike's Place has been added to my list of favorite sandwich places! I wish we had one closer to home! Just a word to the wise, Ike's doesn't have tables inside - just an area for waiting - so N and I went to a nearby park and had ourselves a picnic.
PALOMINO
345 Spear St.
(between Folsom St & Harrison St)
San Francisco, CA 94105

Palomino

After J got off work, we met up with V and a few of J's friends at Palomino for Happy Hour. We have a Palomino a few blocks down from UCLA and they both were very similar. I think I liked the Westwood location more because the tables are more open, but Happy Hour is all about cheap eats with fun people and that's what we had at SF's Palomino.

Palomino - Cranberry Mojito

Palomino - Dungeness Crab and Artichoke Dip (with burnt roma crisps :[ )

Palomino - Bruschetta Sampler

The Cranberry Mojito was girly and sweet. (Just the way I like my cocktails. ^_~) The Dungeness Crab and Artichoke Dip was creamy and rich - just like the one served at Palomino in Westwood. I was disappointed that they burnt the crisps though. I tried one of the Bruschetta and just thought it was okay... nothing special. Foodwise, I also preferred Palomino Westwood (they have more flatbread pizzas for happy hour), but this was a fun experience with different people at a new location.

THALASSA
2367 Shattuck Ave
(between Channing Way & Durant Ave)
Berkeley, CA 94704

Thalassa - Drinks

Thalassa is a wonderful bar and pool hall. Definitely a college hangout spot. They had about 20 pool tables and was packed with Berkeley students. It was pretty dark inside (as you can tell by the photo) but it added to the mood of the place. I wish UCLA had a place like this.

BRAZIL CAFE
1983 Shattuck Ave
(between Berkeley Way & University Ave)
Berkeley, CA 94704

Brazil Cafe

Oh, Brazil Cafe... How I love thee! J's friend, G, suggested this place after our trip to the farmer's market. I had never had Brazilian food before so I was pretty excited.

Brazil Cafe - Main Menu

I wasn't sure what to order, but G recommended the tri-tip so I went with that.

Brazil Cafe - Brazilian Rice Bowl with Tri-Tip $6.99

I got the Brazilian Rice Bowl with Tri-Tip for $6.99. It came with grilled onions, fresh cheese, and cilantro garlic sauce. Ah... the cilantro garlic sauce! *contented sigh* It was soooo good! Totally made the dish! If anyone has a recipe for it, please be kind enough to share! I want to make it at home! The meat itself was not as tender as I would've liked and I wish they had caramelized the onions, but that sauce and fresh cheese really had me overlooking these shortcomings.

Brazil Cafe - Tri-Tip Plate $8.99

G got the Tri-Tip Plate, which was basically the same thing as the bowl, but with a salad and an extra piece of bread for $8.99. We all agreed that the bowl would've been the better deal.

Brazil Cafe - Tri-Tip Sandwich $7.99

J ordered the Tri-Tip Sandwich for $7.99. I'm not sure if she got the works (which comes with fresh cheese, grilled onions, pineapple, olives, jalapenos, lettuce, tomato, and the cilantro garlic sauce), but it kind of looked like someone took my bowl or G's plate and sandwiched everything between bread, instead of serving it over rice. J said it was good, but as a word of caution, it's easier for the bits of cilantro in the sauce to get stuck between your teeth when you have to bite through it in a sandwich so be sure to double check a mirror after you've finished your meal. ;)

So here were some of the SF Eats that I wanted to blog about! I know many of them aren't famous locations, but they dished up tasty dishes and memorable experiences. Stay tuned for more about my summer adventure in SF!