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Restaurant Website: http://www.myizakaya.comGoogle Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&q=nombe+san+francisco&fb=1&gl=us&hq=nombe&hnear=san+francisco&cid=0,0,991014118131577965&ei=VeVYS6OEE8ejlAftuoHzAw&ved=0CBAQnwIwAw&ll=37.759791,-122.418594&spn=0.006412,0.012789&z=16&iwloc=A

Japanophiles and savvy Missionites fill the two-part dining room of this unlikely izakaya restaurant that has the remnants of its former trappings: The space used to be a café, complete with a black-and-white checkered tiled floor, that then became a taqueria. Sidle up to the bar, revel in the funky space and focus on the great food.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p><span style="font-size: small;">Nicolaus Balla, the former chef of O Izakaya Lounge, has spent time cooking in Japan and it shows. Roasted beets are tossed with nothing more than a tingle of freshly grated wasabi and a salad of fried calamari is mixed with fresh mizuna. Balla is also doing traditional yakimono, grilled skewers of everything from chicken skin to chicken thigh with ume and shiso. Don’t forget to look to the specials, which might include a perfectly balanced dish local halibut sashimi on thinly sliced fennel, with hijiki seaweed, grapefruit and sesame seeds. The restaurant is open until 2 am on weekends, serving ramen, which paired with a beer, makes the ideal midnight snack.</span></p>

Google Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=chilango+san+francisco&sll=37.759791,-122.418594&sspn=0.006412,0.012789&gl=us&ie=UTF8&hq=chilango&hnear=San+Francisco,+CA&ll=37.777092,-122.428551&spn=0.025644,0.051155&z=14&iwloc=A

Though this Castro spot still bears the hallmarks of its earlier iteration as a slap-dash taqueria, the owners have done their best to spruce up the space in accordance with their new menu and table service. Black-and-white market and food images of Mexico City hang around the room—the best seats are in the windows, where you can watch the foot traffic.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>If you were to judge Chilango by its tortilla soup and churros it might be considered one of the finest Mexican joints in town—both are very fine renditions, made with thought and care. The soup is overflowing with shredded white and dark chicken meat, potatoes and cubes of queso fresco and avocado and topped with crisp tortilla strips; churros are custardy within with a crispy exterior, generously dusted with cinnamon-sugar. Tacos, crafted from tortillas made in front of your eyes, are filled with the likes of pork maw and filet mignon and accompanied by red chili and tomatillo salsas—they too are very good.</p>

Restaurant Website: http://www.littleskilletsf.comGoogle Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=330+Ritch+St.+San+Francisco&sll=37.765601,-122.402117&sspn=0.037115,0.053215&ie=UTF8&ll=37.779653,-122.394068&spn=0.009277,0.013304&z=16&iwloc=A

With window-only service, this offshoot of Farmer Brown has brought a little soul to SoMa. On a sunny day, Ritch Street—an alley lined with brick warehouses—is full of people with Little Skillet to-go boxes in their laps, making the most of a their lunch break. Dinner service is rumored to open in near the future.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>It’s hard to go easy here. The menu tempts with all sorts of decidedly non-salad options, including excellent, crisp fried chicken and Belgian-style waffles (with a side of maple syrup), biscuits with sausage gravy, dutifully sloppy Sloppy Joes, plus sides of crisp, pickled cucumbers and cole slaw. It’s really Southern picnic fixings for the urban dweller. We’re just happy that there’s another window café right next door selling Blue Bottle coffee for a caffeine bump; it’s not easy feasting on this kind of comfort food and then settling back to work.</p>

Restaurant Website: http://www.phatphilly.comGoogle Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=3388+24th+St.+San+Francisco&sll=37.792456,-122.400312&sspn=0.009275,0.013304&ie=UTF8&ll=37.752971,-122.420461&spn=0.00928,0.013304&z=16&iwloc=A

A former Mediterranean restaurant in the Mission has been reborn as a spot to get the most renowned of Philadelphia’s culinary offerings: the cheesesteak. The stainless counters and tables and bright lighting give this little space a squeaky-clean feel.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>Phat Philly makes a reasonable facsimile of the prized sandwich that put the city of brotherly love on the map—a length of soft bread flown in from Amoroso's bakery, American Kobe beef and your choice of cheese (Whiz is the classic, but they also offer a cheddar-beer sauce). Go ahead and gussy it up with grilled onions or mushrooms, then anoint with hot peppers from the self-serve condiment bar.</p>

Restaurant Website: http://www.biritecreamery.comGoogle Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=3692+18th+St.+San+Francisco&sll=37.787335,-122.41396&sspn=0.009276,0.013304&ie=UTF8&ll=37.762284,-122.425869&spn=0.009279,0.013304&z=16&iwloc=A

This ice cream shop is an offshoot of nearby Bi-Rite Market. Whether the sun is shining or the fog is blowing, gourmet ice cream aficionados line up around the block for sundaes and scoops. Seating is limited inside which means on nice days, Dolores Park is the go-to spot.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>Like the market, the Creamery has an obsession with quality: Ice creams and sorbets are of the small-batch, artisanal variety, made with an organic base sourced from Straus creamery. The runaway favorite flavor may be the salted caramel, though mint-chip, toffee-coffee and honey-lavender have their devotees, too. Not for babies: “Sam’s Sundae,” a mix of intense chocolate ice cream, topped with bergamot olive oil, Maldon sea salt and whipped cream.</p>

Google Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=560+larkin+St.+San+Francisco&sll=37.787946,-122.410312&sspn=0.009276,0.013304&ie=UTF8&ll=37.787335,-122.41396&spn=0.009276,0.013304&z=16&iwloc=A

This closet-sized to-go spot, devoted almost solely to cheap and cheerful Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches, is one of the city’s great gems. Be ready to order when the no-nonsense counter lady turns her attention to you; the line of hungry regulars waiting for their fix suffers no fools.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>Banh mi here are assembled on lengths of crusty toasted baguette made in part with rice flour, then split, spread with mayo and hot sauce and filled with your choice of fillings (such as grilled pork, grilled chicken, meatballs, paté or tofu) and a zippy salad of shredded pickled carrot and daikon, plus sliced jalapeno and loads of fresh cilantro.</p>

Google Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=430+Geary+St.+San+Francisco&sll=37.753242,-122.411921&sspn=0.00928,0.013304&ie=UTF8&ll=37.787946,-122.410312&spn=0.009276,0.013304&z=16&iwloc=A

Though Union Square can feel like a culinary wasteland, this hole-in-the-wall stands as a significant bright spot. Duck through the Japanese curtain and grab a table—they all put you in very close proximity to your neighbor, but no matter. Open late, the Japanese joint makes for a great cheap eat, post-theater; A.C.T. is right across the street.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>Although Katana-ya serves far more than ramen, most people here go straight for the excellent noodles. Choose your broth (we like miso, soy or salt) and your add-ins (roast pork being our favorite, but fried chicken and spicy tofu are great too), then slurp to your heart’s content. Drink cold beer now—lots of it.<br /></p>

Restaurant Website: http://www.humphryslocombe.comGoogle Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=2790+Harrison+St.+San+Francisco&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=38.008397,54.492188&ie=UTF8&ll=37.753242,-122.411921&spn=0.00928,0.013304&z=16&iwloc=A

Though done up like an old-fashioned ice cream parlor, with white tile and red swivel stools, there’s nothing classic about the flavors offered at this new-fangled scoop shop located deep in the Mission, where punk music is more likely to be playing than Musak.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>Owner Jake Godby—the former pastry chef of Coi—is so committed to ice cream that he has 31 miniature cones tattooed on his forearm. At his ice creamery, he applies his fine-dining training and creativity to flavors ranging from hibiscus-beet sorbet to foie gras to more classic versions such as Blue Bottle Vietnamese coffee to his signature, “secret breakfast”—made with bourbon and cornflakes.</p>

Google Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=2445+24th+St.+San+Francisco&sll=37.790269,-122.404196&sspn=0.009276,0.013304&ie=UTF8&ll=37.753955,-122.404196&spn=0.00928,0.013304&z=16&iwloc=A

At night, Jack’s Club, located across Potrero Avenue from SF General, is just another Mission bar. But during the day it plays host to Yat’s, which serves an impressive roster of no-frills New Orleans classics along with the cheeky motto, “Be nice or leave.”

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>Post-Katrina transplant Yon Davis is recreating the flavors of the Big Easy right here in SF, from the massive shrimp po’boy spilling forth from a length of French bread flown in from New Orleans’ Leidenheimer bakery to red beans and rice and huge slices of corn bread. <br /></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>