Yummy Yummy Haight Street

All You Knead. I guess it’s all right there in the title, but this Haight street jewel is one of my favorite restaurants in the city. It’s the kind of place where everything on the menu is delicious, and they even serve breakfast all day! The huge booths are broken in and comfortable and there is always something interesting to look at on the walls. The extensive menu offers everything from breakfast to sandwiches to pizza-the best part is it’s cheap! Two people can easily dine for less than 20 dollars. I have spent much of my life eating BLT’s (bacon, lettuce, tomato-just incase), and for that reason I might even call myself a BLT connoisseur. All You Knead has one of the most amazing BLT sandwiches I have ever tasted, and I even bring my friends and family to AYK and make them order this delightful treat. It is served on fresh baked 7-grain toast with just the right amount of perfectly sliced tomato’s and crunchy lettuce, and they never skimp on the bacon, which is cooked just right! All You Knead also cuts their own French fries and season them with a secret red spicy powder. Although the place can get a bit crowded for breakfast and lunch on the weekends, don’t be discouraged, the service is relatively quick and orderly. Bottom line if you are ever on Haight street and wondering where to stop in for a quick bite, look no further that All You Knead! Oh and if you want my advice, order a BLT, I promise you will be satisfied.

Art Gallery: Intimidation

Art tends to be inherently intimidating. Thanks to my Father, I have never felt that intimidation. Between the home I grew up in and the one my parents live in now, there was always enough art hanging on the walls and on bookshelves to have filled the Art Institute of Chicago. Anyway, when it comes to art galleries and museums, bring ‘em on! Pretentious art brokers and zany artists don’t intimidate me, they intrigue me. That is until I walked into “Off the Wall Art”, a gallery on Haight Street that sells posters and reprints of famous paintings. The first time I went into the shop it seemed like there was no one else in there, including anyone working. My friends and I walked around for five minutes or so but got annoyed that no one was there to help that we left unsatisfied.
Months later I saw a sign in the window of “Off the Wall” that said ‘Lost Our Lease Closing in 3 Days.’ I decided to give the place another chance, figuring that at least there would be a decent sale. Well I wish I hadn’t gone back in because the sales woman/ owner of the shop who had failed to help us the first time, was snippy and a tad feisty. My boyfriend and I found the one poster in the place that wasn’t on sale and the woman was short with us as she rang up the purchase. The poster is a pretty awesome map of the Haight-Ashbury area, with a key telling you where all the musical people of the 60’s and 70’s lived. I walked out of “Off the Wall” with 150 dollars less than when I walked in, and a new intimidation of art (one that I had so fortunately avoided for 21 years). After 23 years, “Off the Wall Art” a store full of posters and reprints has lost its lease and is moving to Ninth and Folsom. Haight Street in San Francisco is one of the friendliest places on earth, between the hippies and tourists; I guess there just is not room for pretentious art.

A Little Taste of Chicago...in Hayes Valley

Moving to a new city comes with its fair amount of pros and cons. Pros for example may include an exciting new job or school, new friends, and new adventures. And the cons…well they seem more obvious, being far away from family and the life we were used too. When I moved to San Francisco from Chicago, almost three years ago the two big struggles were trying to make a long distance relationship work and trying to find some decent Chicago style deep dish pizza. My long distance relationship ended quickly; however, I met the love of my life! Now it seemed all there was left to do was find some delicious pizza (those two things may not be on the same level for the average person, but Chicagoans are pretty hard-core about pizza)!

After diligently searching I found the answer to my prayers in Hayes Valley, a quaint neighborhood in San Francisco. Patxi’s Chicago Pizza was just the place I had been searching for. The menu isn’t huge but with pizza’s including, The Favorite (Pepperoni, mushrooms and black olives) and Hawaiian (Canadian bacon, pineapple and onions), I promise no one will leave hungry. Colleen Jackson, a Patxi’s regular, said “I try to come at least twice a month, and my favorite pizza is Chicago style with sausage and green peppers.” Patxi’s serves both Chicago style and thin crust pizza and with a large selection of salads this place always hits the spot.

Although it is not exactly like home, heading down to Hayes Valley for some deep dish pizza is a lot cheaper than jumping on a plane back to Chicago. So, next time you move to a new city and you are a little homesick, find yourself the stuff that makes you happy. Which apparently for me were a new love and some awesome pizza?