Friday, October 3, 2008

We'll make it happen in the 'Loin

You know, I'm usually pretty wary of lists trying to tell you about the "best food and drinks" in any city, or the best of anything, really.. and especially if it's a city of any significant size or density. Like San Francisco. But the folks over at chow.com have recently -- well, recently, when I first noted the article a month and a half ago -- offered up such a list for our fair city.

At least they acknowledge that the act of compiling such a list is "a bold statement"; and so by qualifying it as such, I feel better about the whole endeavor. haha. So, check it:

Grit and Grub in SF's Tenderloin
http://www.chow.com/stories/11247

And you know what? Part of the reason that this article caught my interest (and why I can't refute too much of its contents) is that I can't really say much about the Tenderloin; I just don't have intimate knowledge of the neighborhood. I mean, over my years here in San Francisco, I've really just fluttered through those roughshod downtown streets for the occasional drink, the occasional show, or the occasional meal; I've really only concentrated my (social) affections, for better or worse (but mostly for the better), on The Mission, SOMA, The Lower Haight, and, more recently, on Hayes Valley, Divis Corridor, and parts of Civic Center.

In any case, I keep *meaning* to explore the Tenderloin a bit more (I think I say that about a lot of spots about town), but in the weeks since this article was published, I still haven't visited any of the places on the list.. and these are places that I actually *want* to check out, like Turtle Tower Restaurant (for the pho ga, natch) and Fish & Farm (maybe just for the delicious-looking/sounding desserts and cocktails). What's up with gittin'er done?

Let me just say that the next person to suggest that we do something -- at least of a non-sexual and/or non-drug nature, other traditional vices of the area (although there is a time a place for, um, most things; haha) -- in the Tenderloin, well, we'll make it happen (it takes two to tango, kid). No questions asked.

'Loin, activate!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

As much as I'd like to continue reading, my supper beckons, so I'll leave it at this; I Look forward to continue reading your stuff.
Also, grande choice in movies and books. Can I ask if the 'Black Earth' you're reffering to is written by Andrew Meier?

Eric said...

Hi Eric,

Thanks for the kind words, man. As for "Black Earth", we've read the same one just before my trip to Russia in the summer of 2007; I was a fan of Meier's writing style and choice of experiences. He certainly got my imagination going!

My trip was awesome in it's own way, but orders of magnitude more pedestrian.. I only really hit up the bigcity life there (concerts, cafes, parties, etc., in Moscow and St. Petersburg), but am looking to go back to do more exploring further afield.. southwestern Russia or the far east come immediately to mind.

In any case, I caught a few entries on your blog; if you're not already gone in, good luck in bootcamp. Let it be your life for the time that you're there -- it's probably easier that way -- but don't forget the bigger world and your eventual place in it.

The world needs all the good people it can get. March on.. but tread lightly. Salud, Eric..