Panchita’s Pupuseria And so I continue my mission to find a pupusa that would justify, at least in my mind, their ubiquity, nay, their very existence.  In Panchita’s No. 2 I’ve found a pupuseria whose product at least gives me hope and prevents me from writing them off as nothing

  So Noodles Almost always, one of two means are used in selecting the next spot upon which to grace my wobbly prose: either word of mouth, or spur-of-the-moment curiosity.  Working in the restaurant industry myself, I’m constantly fielding a steady stream of recommendations from cooks, bartenders, servers, etc., not to

Fireside Lounge For those who aren’t familiar with the tiny appendage attached like a tenacious little barnacle to the lower side of Oakland known as Alameda….that’s what it is.  You reach it and escape it vis a vis one of two means, a tunnel on one end, and a bridge

Whiz Burger The above photo is my ham-fisted attempt to juxtapose two distinct types of iconography: one surrounding retro burger joints and the other, Catholic churches.  I wouldn’t blame you if it didn’t elicit the observation that the almighty American hamburger is something of a golden calf, an object of

Dona Tere’s Market Dona Tere’s Market has existed on the northeast corner of 21st and Florida for a little over a decade, a respectable age for any restaurant, but it feels ancient and worn beyond its years, like an old bristlecone pine tree bearing silent witness to San Francisco springing

Yamo What is it about Burmese food and long waits? Burma Superstar in the Inner Richmond is legendary for the starving throngs that gather like cicadas at the entrance, killing over an hour in the hope of obtaining a table. Yamo isn’t nearly as popular, but it’s a fifth the size,

Upcider I’ll start with a disclaimer: the subject of this article is in no way an example of a “broke-ass” restaurant.  Any perception to the contrary is a result of the reader’s misapprehension, not of any malicious intent on my part. Upcider takes up a sprawling second floor corner in the