Unless you've been deadbolted inside your apartment eating non-perishables with rubber gloves for the last month, it's likely you're either on your way up to or down from a rather bizarre kind of flu-cold achey thing that's been ripping its way around town. And that, for better or worse, means we've officially arrived at the peak of soup season.
See also: East Bay Bite of the Week: Southeast Asian Paella at Spice Monkey
Those who have had the good fortune to visit New Orleans know the power of a good beignet. And while the landscape of San Francisco bears little resemblance to the streets of the French Quarter, some of our spheres of fried dough dusted in powdered sugar come awfully close to the best examples from the Big Easy. For more than 20 years, Just For You Café in the Dogpatch has been serving some of the city's best. Adorned with vintage, neon-hued posters and a giant marlin that keeps a constant, watchful eye on the dining room, the small but bustling breakfast and lunch spot is a favorite for those seeking amiable and attentive service, a good, strong cup of coffee, and most of all, absolutely delicious beignets.
It really would be hard to find a bad thing to say about Mazza Luna, the new Lebanese restaurant and lounge on Van Ness, except that Van Ness has too much exhaust. The new upscale offering from the team behind Hayes Valley's Mazzat aims high on presentation, on all fronts, with an affordable price point so out of sync with 2014 S.F. that is almost defies belief.
Despite the 65 degree sunshine here in the middle of January, it's still winter. And since it's winter, that means it's our chance to seek out warm, comforting foods. With all respect to mac 'n' cheese and meatloaf, food doesn't get any more comforting than a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup -- or, for chicken soup taken one step further, a bowl of sweet, ginger-heavy pho ga.
