Let's Be Frank

(Photo by pengrin via Flickr)

Let's Be Frank dogs are not your typical Oscar Meyer weenies. Unlike most hot dogs, whose ingredients tend to be of questionable, if not downright frightening origins, Let's Be Frank dogs are made with premium cuts of meat from all natural, grass-fed, pasture-raised animals. This means that you can enjoy one, or more if you are really hungry, without worrying that you are filling your body full of nasty chemicals, hormones, or antibiotics. Plus they are nitrate free, making them safe to eat if you are pregnant and craving the forbidden goodness of salty, cured meats. 

Let's Be Frank dogs come in four delicious varieties: The Frank Dog (100% grass fed beef), The Brat Dog (family-farmed pork), The "Hot" Dog (spicy Italian pork sausage), and The Bird Dog (pasture-raised turkey). Each of these delightful dogs come nestled in a freshly-baked Acme bakery bun, and topped with grilled onions they create one of the tastiest meals you can eat with one hand. 

In addition to grilled onions and the typical hot dog condiments like relish, mustard, ketchup, and sauerkraut, Let's Be Frank offers a unique topping they refer to as Devil Sauce. This spicy, pickled concoction of peppers, garlic, ginger, and hand-toasted spices, reminiscent of Indian chutney, is an interesting and surprisingly yummy addition to any of their dogs. 

All of Let's Be Frank's dogs run $5.50, which may seem steep compared to a COSTCO weiner, but keep in mind that what you are getting for this price is actual FOOD, and not a tube of reject bits and fillers. 

Let's Be Frank has a stand at Crissy Field, one of the most beautiful and versatile outdoor recreational areas in San Francisco. There are few things better on a sunny day than to walk or bike down the approximately 1.5 mile promenade, taking in the sweeping views of the bridge and bay, and then refueling at the end with a nice, juicy hot dog.

The Let's Be Frank cart is located at Crissy Field near the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge on weekends and holidays from 11am-dusk. For more information visit their website at http://www.letsbefrankdogs.com/index.php


You can find more SF cheap eats on my examiner page at http://www.examiner.com/sf-in-san-francisco/robyn-webster

Home Sweet Home-The Richmond District

Why is the Inner Richmond one of the best neighborhoods to live in San Francisco? Because it is not the Mission, the Castro, or the Haight. Don’t get me wrong, these are all vibrant, interesting neighborhoods, but I’m sure you’ve heard the saying about not eating where you...well you know. 

What I’m trying to say is that the Mission, the Castro, and the Haight (as well as North Beach, SOMA, etc.) are all great places to visit but when it comes to choosing a place to live, do you really want to be surrounded by hoards of hipsters, tourists, or gutter-punks with pit bulls? Wouldn’t it be preferable to just visit these iconic SF neighborhoods when the mood strikes, and then go home when they inevitably become tiresome? And think about it, do you really want to deal with being spare-changed or having your picture snapped when you go for the morning paper, or venture out for that hangover-curing breakfast? Yeah, me neither.

The Inner Richmond has a reputation for being a mellow, community-oriented, family-friendly kind of place. While all of these descriptions are true, they only tell a part of the neighborhood’s story. The part that is left out is this area’s diversity, a mix of people and landscapes that make it hard for any one vibe to dominate. Yes it is true that many middle-class families call the district home, but so do college students, recent immigrants, trendy teenagers, old hippies, single techies, elderly couples and many, many others who defy easy categorization. 

Yes the Inner Richmond is peaceful, but it can also be exciting. Packed into a small square situated between Arguello Blvd. and Park Presidio, this hardworking neighborhood can morph from a calm green oasis into a bustling urban center in only a few short blocks. The neighborhood’s southern border is Golden Gate Park, a lush swath of greenery reportedly bigger than New York’s Central Park, and the perfect place for a picnic, a hike, or a visit to one of the two world class museums it houses: the DeYoung and the Academy of Sciences. The northern border of the neighborhood is only one block away from another park, which means that it is embraced on both sides by the calming presence of nature. This other park, named Mountain Lake, has a lovely pedestrian-only trail that curves around its namesake lake, a playground for the kiddies, and an off-lease dog run for the pups. 

Between the two parks lies both sleepy residential streets and busy shopping districts. Clement Street, also known as “the New Chinatown” or “Chinatown-lite” is a swarming buzz of bodies lured by the Asian groceries, spice shops, restaurants, and cheap housewares stores. Mixed in are several Irish pubs, an amazing independent bookstore, an art gallery that showcases local artists, a french restaurant that rivals any in the city, and several high-end boutiques down at the Arguello end. The dim sum on Clement beats anything you can get in tourist-laden Chinatown, and the array of Vietnamese, Japanese, Thai, Korean, Burmese, Malaysian, and Singaporean cuisines offers a more eclectic palate than can be found there as well. 

One block south from Clement is Geary St., the major artery that runs through this part of town and the place to catch the 38 Geary bus going either towards the beach or downtown. A variety of good eats can also be found on this street, as well as numerous coffee shops, a few gas stations, several convenience stores and produce markets, a medical marijuana dispensary, some laundromats and bars a plenty. Two blocks over on Balboa St. some additional amenities can be found, guaranteeing that the Inner Richmond resident never has to venture more than a few blocks for a bite to eat or a cold beer when the mood strikes.

Sounds almost perfect, right? Well like any other place the Inner Richmond does have its downsides, most notably the thick fog that reportedly blankets the neighborhood on a regular basis. Ask someone about the Richmond and the fog is probably the first thing to come up. More accurately it is the Outer Richmond and Sunset Districts that get the brunt of this the fog as it comes off the ocean, and often by the time this wave has reached Park Presidio it has thinned out considerably. But yes it can be foggy, although this is a small price to pay for all the other wonderful things that this neighborhood has to offer.

Cheap Eats-San Dong House

"Thump, thump, WHACK. Thump, thump, WHACK." Deliciousness has a sound, and you can experience it for yourself at the newly opened San Dong House located at 2nd Ave. and Geary St. The sound is the first thing you will notice upon entering this bare-bones Chinese restaurant, and comes from a guy in the kitchen preparing their already famous (at least in the Richmond District) hand-pulled noodles. 

If you have never had fresh noodles, hand-pulled to order, then you are in for a treat here. Dense and toothsome, the noodles at San Dong are worlds away from the dried variety, and even the fresh ones that are sold in packages. There is something about serving noodles minutes after pulling that takes them from "good" to "I can't get that meal out of my mind." You can't really go wrong with anything containing noodles at San Dong, and with 18 different types of noodle soups and stir-frys there are a lot of yummy options to choose from. 

In addition to anything noodle-related, another unique dish not to be missed is the beef roll which takes a naan-like piece of bread, slathers it in plum sauce, and rolls it up with cucumber and warm slices of beef. The dumplings, which they also sell frozen and in bulk, are best avoided as their preparation is uneven, arriving soggy on some occasions and overly dry on others. 

The service at San Dong tends to be slow and not very attentive, but this is a small price to pay for great food and enough of it to fill up even the most voracious of eaters for under $10.

San Dong House is located at 3741 Geary Street. For more information call (415) 668-5888.

Interested in eating well on the cheap? Check out my Cheap Eats Examiner page at www.examiner.com/sf-in-san-francisco/robyn-webster

Fun Places For Doggies and Their People

*and by lil 'uns I am referring to the the hairy, four-legged 

      creatures that outnumber children in The City.

San Franciscans love them some dogs, making San Francisco one of the most dog-friendly cities in the nation and possibly even the world. So where do the locals take their pooches for some quality outdoor romping? Below is a list of the best places around to get out and explore nature with your own little beast(s). 

Fun Places For Doggies and Their People:

(in order of awesomeness) 

1. Fort Funston-This has got to be one of the most beautiful public off-leash areas that exists anywhere. Epic views of the bay, ample room to run around, and beach access makes this the best doggie fun spot EVER!
2. Chrissy Field- Another great place for both humans and dogs, Chrissy Field boasts one of the best views of the Golden Gate, beach access, and a huge lawn perfect for long-distance frisbee. Also off-leash, but beware of bikes. More on Chrissy Field here. 
3. Ocean Beach-What dog doesn't love running in the sand, splashing in the waves, and sampling washed-up sea delicacies? Dogs are allowed off-leash from Kelly's Cove (which is the side of the beach nearest to The Cliff House restaurant) to about the Windmill across the street (there is a small sign marking the boundary on the beach as well). *Small dogs will not want to miss Saturdays at 10am when hordes of mini-beasts gather on the beach around Lincoln St. The sheer volume of these little buggers make them hard to miss, and on nice days it is not uncommon to see them number in the hundreds.

All of these places have robust parking situations, and can easily be located using MapQuest. If you don't happen to have wheels, don't worry. Muni allows one muzzled and leashed dog per bus to ride for a fare equal to the owner's (except during the weekday hours of 5-9AM and 3-7PM.) Muni directions can be found here.

It's Raining, It's Pouring

Two Non-Boring Ways To Pass a Wet San Francisco Day:

1. Japantown Center-The Japan Town Center, located on Post between Buchanan and Webster, is a good place to wander around when it is wet outside. Here you will find dozens of cute little stores selling japanese items, as well as a sword shop, a bookstore with a huge collection of Manga, and a place where you can get your picture taken at an array of little photo-booths. There are also plenty of places to eat and most of them are good. On a cold and rainy day my favorite way to warm up is through consuming a steaming bowl of miso ramen topped with japanese mountain vegetables from Mifune, located in the area of the center called the Kintetsu Mall.

Attached to the Japantown Center at Fillmore and Geary Streets is the Kabuki Spa, which is also a great place to kill a few hours. Kabuki is not cheap at $25, but for this price you can enjoy their dry sauna, wet sauna, cold pool, and hot tub for as long as you like. They also offer tea, magazines, and lounge chairs which makes it easy to put in some serious hours. If it is still raining when you finish the Sundance Kabuki Cinema is just around the corner.

2. Exploratorium-This wild and wacky museum is not just for kids! (Although it is a good place to keep them entertained if you happen to have some). Located at 3601 Lyon at Jefferson in the Marina District this science extravaganza is the perfect place to head towards if your Crissy Field outing starts to get a bit wet. And no worries if it happens to turn ugly while you are in a different area. Directly outside the Exploratorium the parking is free and the spots are a-plenty

Unlike other museums that tend to have a look-but-don't-touch policy, the Exploratorium encourages its patrons to man-handle the exhibits. A few of the cool things you can do here: Stand in a giant bubble, suspend a ball on a stream of air, make a full body contact photo on a huge screen, and teach a computer to talk. For an extra $5 you can also visit the Tactile Dome, which is a pitch-black space that you must walk, crawl, and slide through relying only on your non-seeing senses. While not for the claustrophobic or faint of heart, making your way through the Tactile Dome is a completely unique sensation that must be experienced to be truly understood.

This place does draw a rather kid-heavy crowd so if the thought of sharing the fun with a bunch of rug rats sounds unappealing, check out the adults-only "Exploratorium After Dark" series on the first thursday of each month from 6-10pm. With special adult themed exhibitions and booze, it is worth the trip even in the nicest weather. You can find more info on the Exploratorium here.
  

I Live Here SF

I Live Here SF is a great blog that proposes to, "share the spirit and fascinating layers of this city through the words and faces of those who live here." This interesting and worthwhile project really does a fantastic job of capturing The City's spirit, and should not be missed by anyone curious about the people who call it home.

The most recent profile caught my attention because the subject Rose Marie is just soooo San Francisco. Check her out here.

Bottoms Up

What is there to do in San Francisco? Well have a drink, of course. According to the Daily Beast The City is the 3rd drunkest in America, out-ranked only by Milwaukee, WI and Fargo, ND.

So if you want to do as the locals do, park yourself at one of the numerous bars and -BOTTOMS UP!