Anna Roth’s SF Weekly review of Ramen Izakaya Goku, which opened on 16th Street this summer, is better than lukewarm, but it’s not glowing in its praise, either. “Goku isn’t the best ramen in the world, or even in the city, but it may well be the best in the Mission,” Roth writes. The outpost near the 16th Street BART may not hold that distinction for long, however, considering Orenchi Ramen is slated to open on Valencia next year.
Eater SF published a map of what it considers to be the 20 most underrated restaurants in the city, with these six Mission eateries making the list: Local’s Corner, Fiore Caffè, Loló, Poc-Chuc, Mission Beach Cafe, and Izakaya Yuzuki (not to be confused with the aforementioned Ramen Izakaya Goku). Do you agree with the list? Are there any other Mission restaurants you think should be included?
CNN, in town for the America’s Cup, recently went on a tour of the murals and food businesses of the Mission led by Avital Unger of Avital Tours. The resulting video features some of the newer restaurants in the neighborhood, including Dandelion Chocolate, Hog & Rocks, Mission Cheese and Venga Empanadas, as well as longtime staple Bi-Rite Market. For a little authenticity, the tour takes you “by a man selling suitcases and shoes from the 1970s.” Hmmm… what’s missing here?
Speaking of Dandelion Chocolate: They’ve found a new pastry chef — and one with quite the pedigree, too. Lisa Vega is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America who worked as a bread baker at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon in Yountville before moving back to her native Southern California. But the draw of San Francisco was too strong, and Vega came back to work for the Mina Group. She most recently was the pastry chef at the beloved Restaurant Gary Danko. Vega is hard at work on a new menu at Dandelion, which should be unveiled in the coming weeks.
Salumeria, the deli on 20th Street, has opened a second location nearby, inside the Hamm’s Brewery building on Bryant. Salumeria II will no doubt be a lunchtime boon for office workers inside the recently remodeled building, but that won’t be its only focus. The new location will be also be open for breakfast and happy hour Monday through Friday.
Finally: Mission Graduates will hold its 5th annual Food for Thought fundraising event on October 16. The event is disbursed around 22 participating Mission restaurants. Proceeds from each meal at any participating restaurant will go to benefit the non-profit, which supports a college-going culture in the Mission. Make your reservations now, because it promises to be a busy Wednesday night.