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5 days ago | 
theinfatuation.com | Julia Chen |Patrick Wong |Ricky Rodriguez |Lani Conway
Beit Rima in Duboce Triangle is loud (as is their other location in Cole Valley)—so any dramatic personal details are kept relatively confidential while you swipe pita through every square inch of the no-skips mezze sampler. Be sure to throw in the puffy za’atar-topped house bread to get the last bits of tangy lebna and the muhammara that’s smooth enough to lay a brick wall. When your group has so much to catch up on that you have a shared Notes app agenda, book a table at Kitchen Istanbul.
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1 week ago | 
theinfatuation.com | Patrick Wong
You’re in the middle of it all at Wabi-Sabi. The 12-seat dining room shares the same tiny space as the open kitchen. A meal at this cramped SoMa Japanese restaurant is far from relaxing, but it’s entirely worth it for their consistently impeccable sushi. To see the full array of their raw fish mastery, go with the moriawase. The $49 pre-set selection comes with 11 pieces of nigiri—an unbeatable deal in SF—and will often include a bonus piece or two and some fruit to end the meal.
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2 weeks ago | 
theinfatuation.com | Patrick Wong
While the burritos at Panzón in SoMa don't quite stand up to the many other fantastic ones in SF, they are a solid option in a neighborhood that’s largely burrito-less. Theirs are filled to each tortilla’s capacity limit, but the meats and other fillings aren’t as flavorful as those of the city’s institutions. That said, this Mexican restaurant has figured out the best way to cater to the neighborhood’s tech-working crowd.
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2 weeks ago | 
theinfatuation.com | Patrick Wong
Golden Star in Chinatown runs at 2x speed. As soon as you step inside, waitstaff will wave you over to a free table and ask for your order before even handing over a menu. In less than five minutes, a plate of crispy imperial rolls or a steaming bowl of phở will appear, and hand sanitizer, hoisin, Sriracha, and chopsticks live on each table to facilitate expeditious eating. While the pretty solid phở doesn’t break any new ground, it is huge.
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2 weeks ago | 
flipboard.com | Patrick Wong
10 hours agoWe Asked 8 Bartenders: What's the Most Overrated Bourbon? (2025)Popularity does not always equal personal satisfaction in the bourbon world.
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2 weeks ago | 
theinfatuation.com | Patrick Wong
photo credit: Patrick WongRESERVE A TABLESome same-day reservations are available, but mostly for smaller parties after 8:30pm. Walk-ins are likely to encounter a line. After teasing its arrival back in spring 2024, Jagalchi, the massive 75,000-square-foot Korean food complex finally opened in Daly City. And so far, it's giving the DMV a run for its money with seemingly endless lines at street food stalls, the store's bakery, the entrance to the store itself, and Pogu.
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2 weeks ago | 
theinfatuation.com | Julia Chen |Patrick Wong |Lani Conway
If there’s one thing SF isn’t good at, it’s staying up late. Thankfully, there are places like Big Apple Pizza N Grill. The Tenderloin bodega-style counter-service spot—opened by a team from NYC—is open until 3am most days except for Friday and Saturday when they’re feeding late night crowds until 5am. Get the forearm-length chopped cheese first and foremost and consider getting a slice of pepperoni pizza if you’re feeling nostalgic about a New York dollar slice (but willing to pay $5 for it).
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2 weeks ago | 
theinfatuation.com | Patrick Wong
Halal Cart, a food stand on Market St. in the Financial District, likely has the shortest order-to-ready ratio of anywhere in SF. An overflowing tray of meat, rice, lettuce, pita, and white sauce appears almost as soon as you finish your order. This place is good for nearby office-goers, but, none of the rice plates are worth making more than a few minutes walk for. The white sauce needs more seasoning and there needs to be more of it.
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3 weeks ago | 
theinfatuation.com | Patrick Wong
For a party of two, same-day reservations are easy to get, even on weekends. For larger parties, last-minute tables are usually available any day, but you may need to sit outside if you don't plan ahead a couple days in advance. While SPQR’s pasta ranges from just fine to good, it’s a reliable choice for an upscale-ish last-minute date night. a parking spot at Serramonte on a weekday, the tables here are almost always available.
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3 weeks ago | 
theinfatuation.com | Patrick Wong
The Financial District needs more restaurants open after the streetlamps turn on—it's almost mythical to find a place serving dinner past 8pm in the area. While The Third Floor, a swanky restaurant on the third floor of the Jay Hotel (not to be confused with Prelude on the ground floor), won’t blow anyone away, its later hours and upscale dining room make it a solid option for hotel guests and anyone stranded in the neighborhood looking for an evening meal that isn’t a Subway Footlong.
