family style

Restaurant Website: http://www.babybluessf.comGoogle Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=3149+Mission+St.+San+Francisco&sll=37.797018,-122.411685&sspn=0.009275,0.013304&ie=UTF8&ll=37.747626,-122.419066&spn=0.009281,0.013304&z=16&iwloc=A

Located in a vintage drugstore, with the neon signage still intact, this is the third Baby Blues (the other two are in LA). The décor is eclectic—sort of DIY, garage-sale chic, including mismatched stools and a rustic communal table. The let-the-good-times-roll vibe is encouraged.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>Although there’s a mix of regional styles of barbecue here, the three kicky, vinegar-based hot sauces set on every table make everything taste good. To get the best out of the large menu, all you really need is a plate of Memphis-style pork ribs and some of the moist corn bread and you’ll be licking your fingers and downing glasses of Shiner Bock. If you have a sweet tooth, get the banana pudding made with ’Nilla wafers.</p>

Google Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1639+Irving+St.+San+Francisco&sll=37.738498,-122.463806&sspn=0.009282,0.013304&ie=UTF8&ll=37.764456,-122.475715&spn=0.009279,0.013304&z=16&iwloc=A

Painted a shocking yellow, aggressively lit and furnished with only Formica tables and utilitarian chairs, this below-ground spot (sister restaurant to nearby Kingdom of Dumplings) is easy to overlook—but find it and you’re in for a fine Chinese meal.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>As the name suggests, the main draw here is the noodles, hand-pulled to order by a recent immigrant from Shandong who has decades of experience in the magical art of stretching a ball of dough into yard-long strands. The nubby noodles, their variable thickness a charming hallmark, are the perfect vehicles for hearty sauces. We particularly like the house special, a combination of scrambled eggs, mushrooms and bits of roast pork, and the whole wheat noodles topped with bean paste, ground pork and tofu.</p>

Google Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1801+Alemany+Blvd.+San+Francisco&sll=37.752971,-122.420461&sspn=0.00928,0.013304&ie=UTF8&ll=37.723886,-122.437456&spn=0.009284,0.013304&z=16&iwloc=A

This restaurant is located at the center of a busy intersection, far out in the Excelsior with nary another Chinese restaurant in sight. The most significant design element is the enormous flatscreen television, which shows all manner of bizarre and spectacular Chinese pageants. If you can’t stomach the Formica tables and bright lights, you can always get take-out, but then you’d miss out on recommendations from the sweet staff.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>Though you’ll find a handful of familiar Chinese-American dishes on this large menu, far more exciting are the Northern Chinese specialties, from glutinous flour balls—small round dumplings stir-fried with vegetables and meat—to fried crepe-like pancakes filled with ground pork and vegetables. A long list of dumplings (including an unusual fennel-filled variety) and hot pots tempt, as does a pungent, love-it-or-leave it dish of lamb showered with cumin seeds.</p>

Google Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=3611+18th+St.,+San+Francisco&sll=37.793581,-122.399328&sspn=0.011836,0.019312&g=230+California+St.,+San+Francisco&ie=UTF8&z=16&iwloc=addr

The little sister to the ever-booked Delfina next door, this is where you’ll find some of SF’s top Italian-style pizza. Because it’s tiny and doesn’t take reservations, the best strategy is to go with no more than one friend, put your name on the chalkboard, order a glass of wine from the strictly Italian list and plant yourself under the heat lamp until your name is called. A second location, on California at Fillmore, is just as busy—weekday lunch is one way to beat the crowds.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>Yes, there’s a clam pie and a salsiccia (fennel sausage) one, but it goes without saying that a margherita sets the pizza standard, and this one does not fail: The sauce is tangy and topped with creamy, house-pulled mozzarella, and the crust is chewy, crisp and blistered. One could live off of this alone, but the veggie antipasti are also worth trying, particularly the garlicky broccoli di ciccio or the green beans with pickled shallots.</p> <p>MUST ORDER: Arancini (when they have them) and Meatballs</p>

Google Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1713+Taraval+St.++sf&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=27.089481,54.316406&ie=UTF8&ll=37.74481,-122.484598&spn=0.006583,0.013261&z=16&iwloc=addr

This small restaurant looks a bit like the waiting room of a doctor’s office, except every table is covered with bamboo steamers filled with dumplings—before long, the lone picture window is fogged up, obscuring your view of Taraval Street. The warm welcome from the owner makes even first-timers feel like regulars.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>As the name suggests, dumplings are the thing to order here: Shanghai soup dumplings, chicken-and-corn dumplings and lamb-and-Chinese-vegetable dumplings are just some of the 30-odd options, all made by hand. Start with the boiled peanuts and the tofu-noodle salad (spaghetti-like noodles made from soy, slicked with sesame oil and tossed with cilantro), and supplement your selection of dumplings with one of the specials listed on the whiteboard, such as garlic eggplant with shrimp. Note: You can also pick up bags of frozen dumplings to take home.</p>

Google Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Gaspare's+Pizza+House+%26+Italian+Restaurant,+sf&sll=37.832294,-122.433701&sspn=0.097346,0.215263&gl=us&ie=UTF8&ll=37.82226,-122.443657&spn=0.103597,0.215263&z=12&iwloc=A

You come to Gaspare’s to relive a) your East Coast childhood or b) your fond memories of the movie Moonstruck. This Outer Richmond relic has all the ingredients: Chianti in straw-wrapped flasks, table-side jukeboxes with a time-warp playlist (Dean Martin, Chubby Checker or Mario Lanza) and murals of (on the east wall) Sicily and (on the west) SF. It’s also the perfect venue for kids.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>Though you can get meatballs at Gaspare’s, along with chicken piccata, eggplant alla Parmigiano and baked lasagna, this is really a pizza joint. The menu lists 27 different varieties of pie, each with a crust that’s properly thin and a not-too-sweet tomato sauce. We like the classic pepperoni variety.</p>

Google Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=2109+Clement+St.,+San+Francisco,+CA&sll=37.787064,-122.4069&sspn=0.006478,0.013454&gl=us&g=845+Market+St.,+San+Francisco,+CA&ie=UTF8&ll=37.784113,-122.481916&spn=0.006478,0.013454&z=16&iwloc=addr

This modern space, with its vibrant green walls, dark wood floors and affable waitstaff is a cut above the other neighboring noodle joints. Stop in for a bite here before (or after) a movie at the venerable old Four Star Cinema a block away.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>Pho Garden’s menu skews toward traditional and familiar rather than ambitious or modern, which is just fine by us. You can count on the pho ga, which has a light, fragrant broth and generous shreds of chicken, and comes with a bountiful plate of fresh herbs, bean sprouts, lime wedges and chiles. You can also depend on fresh spring rolls, plump with shrimp, pork, vermicelli and vegetables. Can’t decide? The affable waiter will pull up a chair to discuss your order, expounding on the relative merits of lemongrass chicken with vermicelli and the Vietnamese crepe.</p>

Google Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Lahore+Karahi+,+++sf&sll=37.848833,-122.43576&sspn=0.097324,0.215263&gl=us&ie=UTF8&ll=37.795339,-122.423229&spn=0.024349,0.053816&z=14&iwloc=A

One of the many Pakistani joints in the ’Loin, this intimate spot differentiates itself with full table service and a dedicated owner—Guddu Zulsiqar—who runs his restaurant like a one-man band. Everything is made to order in the open kitchen, so this is no curry in a hurry—schedule in some extra time, and prepare to smell like a tandoor oven for the remainder of the day.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>Lahore specializes in solidly home-style food of the Punjab region, and although the menu offers the usual curries and biriyanis, it also has a few stars, such as a sizzling platter of tandoori fish, fragrant with a “secret spice” blend, tart with lemon and showered with shredded cabbage, as well as the off-the-menu goat and beef curries (available with advance notice).</p>

Google Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=enjoy+vegetarian,++sf&sll=37.789777,-122.402544&sspn=0.026318,0.053043&gl=us&ie=UTF8&ll=37.791608,-122.469063&spn=0.105268,0.212173&z=12&iwloc=A

If the bright sherbet-colored walls or giant happy Buddha statue at the entrance of this cozy 40-seater in the Inner Sunset don’t beckon you, the expansive menu (125 vegan Chinese dishes!) will. Expect fast and friendly service from chef-owner Alice Poon, who will happily take a break from cooking to chat about the health benefits of gingko seeds, lotus root and yam flower.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>Enjoy is a Buddhist restaurant, so in addition to is the food being vegan, none of the dishes contain onion or garlic (these ingredients are said to agitate the mind). Despite these limitations, the kitchen churns out an amazing variety of dishes, including some that contain very passable vegetarian versions of chicken and duck that will sway even hard-core carnivores. Our favorites include anything with tofu skins and the crispy lettuce cups with shredded mushroom, “chicken,” sweet peas, corn and pine nuts.</p>

Google Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=joey+eddies+,++sf&sll=37.77872,-122.404346&sspn=0.051829,0.107632&gl=us&ie=UTF8&ll=37.842868,-122.417908&spn=0.103568,0.215263&z=12&iwloc=A

Located in the space that formerly housed Moose’s, with a view of Washington Square Park, Joey & Eddie’s can’t be missed—literally—the oversized neon sign will lure you in. Owned by Bronx-born Joseph Manzare (Globe, Zuppa, Tres Agaves) and partner Eddie Maiello, this North Beach restaurant serving heaping helpings of old-school Italian is an homage to the East-coast red-sauce joints of legend.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>Dig into rib-sticking plates of spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parmesan and saltimbocca (and not fancified Cal-Ital versions of the originals, either), all ordered off of wall-mounted menu boards. The mood here is convivial and fun; come with a group so you can sample your way through the menu, but prepare to take leftovers home—and try, if you can, to save room for the boozy tiramisu.</p>