Shot and edited by: David Pond

The San Francisco Food Dude returns to his homeland, the great state of New Jersey, and visits the place that formed his earliest memory of what a deli should be,in Newark, NJ.

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Shot by Matt Davis and Henry Nguyen

Edited by David Pond

Who’s got the best bagel in San Francisco? That’s exactly what The Food Dudes, and a cast of thousands, find out in this episode. There ARE decent bagels to be had, you just gotta look around. Come along as we travel many miles and sample multiple offerings from bagel shops across SF (and one from Burlingame!) Only one shall be crowned “THE BEST”. Is it your favorite, or one you never even heard of?

Bagels aren’t just something you eat for breakfast, they’re a way of life! We want you to enjoy the best bagels possible – short of flying back to NYC – and that’s why we put so much time and effort into this episode.

Special thanks to everyone who participated in our bagel tasting contest – we couldn’t have done it without you. And extra big thanks to the folks at 18 Reasons Why for letting use their gallery space. www.18reasons.org

PS: If you enjoy whitefish salad on your bagel, a personal favorite of Jeff’s, Bi-Rite Market on 18th Street makes the best. It’s worth the trip, trust me.

Okay, stop reading, start watching, and spread the word (and the cream cheese.)

THE BAGEL BAKERY
151 Townsend St
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 543-0900

HOUSE OF BAGELS – BURLINGAME
260 Lorton Ave
Burlingame, CA 94010
(650) 343-3633

HOUSE OF BAGELS – SAN FRANCISCO
5030 Geary Blvd
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 752-6000

SOUR FLOUR
in La Victoria Bakery
2937 24th St
San Francisco, CA 94110-4126
(415) 642-7120
FREE BAGELS on MONDAYS!!!

CROSSROADS CAFE
699 Delancey St
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 512-5111

Recently I appeared on SF Live TV to talk about the SF food scene. Check out the video!

“SF is a wonderland for foodies! Great inexpensive food can be found everywhere in San Francisco. Christina Marie interviews Jeff Kramer “The SF Food Dude” for his picks of well kept secrets,delicious resturants, and the ever so popular food trucks in our fine city. You can check out his website at www.FoodDudeSF.com for more SF LIVE shows go to www.SFLIVETV.com! thanks for watching!”

Shot by Matt Davis and David Pond

Edited by David Pond

Let’s be honest: a lot of the restaurants at Fishermans Wharf are really just tourist traps. I’m not saying ALL of them, but … many of them.  The people running them are not interested in serving you great food – they’re interested in taking tourist’s money.  And, no one who lives in SF ever says, “Honey, let’s go to Fishermans Wharf for lunch/dinner today!”  Well, gratefully, TANGUITO is the exception to the rule.

No clam chowder, no fried fish, no crab cakes – just great food at extremely reasonable prices, ESPECIALLY given the rip-off prices prevalent at so many Fishermans Wharf spots.

I’m really proud of this episode because it’s a return to the true spirit that launched Food Dude, namely: turning you on to places that make great food at reasonable prices, spots that you might not have discovered on your own.  Tanguito is all of those things.  The owner/chefs, Stephen and Bettina, are two of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.  They love cooking, they love making people happy with the food they prepare.  Their prices cannot be beat, and the quality, taste, flavor is top notch.  Honestly, where in SF can you get a GOOD Burger with fries and a soda for $8???

Standout dishes include the Spanish Tortilla (which they can totally modify using any meat, or make vegetarian style) and any of the empanadas.  In particular, the Ham and Cheese empanada is something special.

You must go, you must tell them you heard about it on Food Dude.  Just remember one thing: good food at cheap prices doesn’t happen quickly.  Be prepared for a wait.  But hey, if you live in SF, you’re probably used to that, right?  I see people standing in line for 45 minutes for ice cream at the Bi-Rite Creamery, or a sandwich at Ike’s Place.  As a wise man once said, “Good, Fast, Cheap – pick two out of three.”

Shot by Atticus Culver-Rease & David Pond.

Edited by David Pond.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people attend conferences and trade shows at The Moscone Center in San Francisco.  This episode is for you!  The SF Food Dude offers up the best places to eat that are close to Moscone Center, places that won’t leave you feeling ripped off or treated like a tourist.

NOTE:  Everything around Moscone Center is over-priced, including these recommendations.  But, at least these places aren’t AS MUCH OF A RIP-OFF as some of the other joints.  This is about grabbing a bite to eat for lunch, and heading back to your conference.  If you want recommendations for the best CHEAP EATS in SF, check out the other videos on this site. 

FINDING IT:

The folks who run the Food Court must be trying to hide something, because they do NOTHING to promote themselves.  No signage, nothing to indicate that there is a whole WORLD OF GOURMET FOOD waiting for you.  Ah well, luckily they have ME to do their promoting for them.

Officially, the entrance is on Market Street, but for anyone coming from Moscone Centre, that would mean walking an extra block. So, use the address below if you need to plug something into your phone, or tell your friends where to meet you, but IF YOU ARE WALKING FROM MOSCONE CENTER, your best bet is to enter from Mission Street, between 4^th Street and 5^th Street, at the Bloomingdale’s entrance, just like we show you in the video.

My favorite part of any Korean meal - the "banchan" or side dishes. Pickled vegetables, seaweed, spicy treats, and more. We got this at Sorabol, our top pick at The Food Court

One of the many salads you can choose from.

Yum! Grilled Panini with mozzarella, basil, and tomato.

The Food Court at

San Francisco Centre

Concourse Level

865 Market Street

San Francisco CA  94103

(415) 512-6776

Click on the link above for an extensive interview with The SF Food Dude and David, producer and editor extraordinaire!
Sound Bites is a weekly radio show all about Bay Area food folk. It airs on Pirate Cat Radio (www.piratecatradio.com) every Sunday. This interview was from December, 2009. Give a listen and find out everything you always wanted to know about Food Dude, but were afraid to ask.

Shot by Matt Davis & David Pond.  Edited by David Pond

Hands down the Best Jewish Style Deli in SF.  Meaning, it blows doors on Moishe’s Pippic in Hayes Valley, and the less said about David’s on Geary Street, the better.  (It is NOT Kosher, so if you need Kosher, you’re out of luck.)

Not only do they get the food right, but they get the ATTITUDE right, especially during the lunch rush. Plenty of banter between the guys behind the counter and the customers, the way it should be.

VERY GENEROUS PORTIONS for the price.  Your money goes a long way at Miller’s. Huge sandwiches that would easily cost fifteen – sixteen bucks in NYC are only $11 at Miller’s.

If you’ve never been, GO, and if the last time you went was back in 2006, GO BACK and try it again.  They made some management and personnel changes in 2007, and the food has improved dramatically.  I’ll admit, the first time I went there, in 2004, I was not impressed.  But things have changed and now I love it.

Things we didn’t get to show in the video: They have a nice assortment of Deli Style Fish – Lox, Whitefish Salad, Sturgeon, Pickled Herring, etc.  Unfortunately, it does not photograph very well.  But if you’re looking for some quality nautical nosh to top your bagel, they’ve got a nice selection at their deli counter.

Rumor has it they do a good Fried Chicken here as well.  But, I’ve never ordered it, I’m always having too good a time with the deli sandwiches.  If anyone can confirm that the Fried Chicken is good, send me an email.  Thanks!

Shot by Matt Davis. Edited by David Pond.

Trying to pick the best Burrito in The Mission is challenging. There are SO MANY CHOICES, each with subtle differences from the next, and the majority of them are pretty amazing. So, we’ll save that particular discussion for another day. What we are highlighting here is the AMAZING BREAKFAST DEAL at El Castillito. Honestly, I don’t think there is any place you can get this much food, this fresh, for under $7.

Things that I like about this place:
– they bring your food to you. I know, they are not the only ones who do that, but a lot taquerias don’t do it, and it’s a nice touch.
– they have a salsa bar. Again, this isn’t their idea exclusively, but not everyone is doing this, and I really like being able to get more salsa on my own, without having to ask the folks behind the counter.

We can argue about the merits of grilled tortillas vs. steamed tortillas, and whose Burrito is the biggest or best forever. (They grill their tortillas here, which is BETTER OF COURSE THAN STEAMED!) For now, let’s just say that for breakfast – desayuno – no one can touch the deal at El Castillito. They will serve it up any time of day or night, which is great for late sleepers like me, or brunch on the weekend.

Just in case you forget what you were coming here for.

If it’s good enough for The Virgin Mary, it’s good enough for you.

Help yourself, just don’t be greedy.

El Castillito is located at
2092 Mission St
(near corner of 17th St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 621-6971

Shot by Matt Davis. Edited by Atticus Culver-Rease.

This represents everything that I hope to accomplish with Food Dude, namely bringing attention to great places you might overlooked. Juan and his crew really CARE about the food they are serving you. THAT is the difference between an okay place and a GREAT PLACE TO EAT.

They know about good, quality ingredients. Don’t let the low class location fool you.

From the outside, you would think it’s all Costco Brand salad dressings and condiments, but in reality it’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil, BALSAMIC Vinegar, DIJON Mustard. This is definitely a don’t judge a book by its cover kind of place. Very high quality food, prepared with love and care, at very reasonable prices.

TIP: Stick with the specials, the deluxe sandwiches. They are absolutely worth the price. Any sandwich with a crazy name, like “Al Pacino” or “Godzilla”, etc., is a hit. The regular sandwiches are just that – regular. Go with DELUXE, you won’t regret it.

Things we didn’t get to show in the video: They do REALLY GOOD SALADS, at very reasonable prices. If you are into the whole Atkins/no carb thing, you can get a very nice assortment of greens, tomatoes, avocado, etc., AND ADD real roast turkey, or steak, or chicken to it. And it’s under $8! Seriously! When I was working in the area I used to order that all the time.

The only downside: Hey, you can’t rush greatness. It’s good, it’s cheap, but good food takes time. If you’re in a hurry, you can always go next door to McDonalds. But if you want good food made with good ingredients, AT AFFORDABLE PRICES, this is the spot.

Fine Dining Al Fresco!

CLICK ON IMAGES to be able to read menu items.
Just one of the many DELUXE sandwiches. Check the ingredients.

Many great VEGETARIAN OPTIONS. Seriously, this is one sandwich shop that doesn’t short-change you Veggie types. It’s not just a “normal” sandwich minus the meat. They create unique, delicious sandwiches just for you. (And don’t forget, salads are available, too.)

Breakfast sandwiches, hot and delicious. Beef Chorizo? Oh yeah! Say it with me now: “Beef Chorizo!” Feels good, don’t it?

The Sandwich Place is located at
2029 Mission St (betw. 16th and 17th Street)
San Francisco, CA 94110-1217
(415) 431-3811

Shot and edited by David Pond.

I know, this place doesn’t exactly qualify as Cheap, but sometimes you gotta spend good money for TOP QUALITY. And these are definitely some of the finest fruits and veggies (as well as bread, meat, and prepared food items) available. CELEBRATE the fact that you live so close to so much great farming. This produce was harvested within 100 miles of here!

It wasn’t shipped via container, it was driven in somebody’s TRUCK! You gotta love it! You’re buying food from the people who GREW IT. In this day and age, that’s pretty amazing.

Big thanks to Devils Slide, the bluegrass band responsible for our impromptu soundtrack. Find their music at: www.myspace.com/devilsslidesf

WARNING: Drinking fresh juices can turn your hair purple!
(Click on image to view full Juicey Lucy Menu.)

Free Range Children also available. Come early for best selection!

Obligatory “Abundance of the Harvest!” shot.

World famous Honey Sticks! Kids love ‘em, parents convince themselves that they’re healthy. (Well, healthier than Pixie Sticks I suppose.)

For more information, visit
www.noevalleyfarmersmarket.com

The Farmers Market is located at
3861 24th St.
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 248-1332
Hours: 8am – 1pm SATURDAY