Mission

San Ho Won to feels warm and familiar, with all the care and attention to detail of fine dining. (It’s the work of Chef Corey Lee, whose flagship restaurant Benu has three Michelin stars, and Jeong-In Hwang, who trained there under him.) On the surface it’s a Korean barbecue spot, and aptly all about the grill: beef tongue, bulgogi, and tender galbi, all roasted over lychee-wood charcoal made just for the restaurant. Fill in the gaps with green-onion pancakes with fat slabs of yam, riblet and tteokbokki stew, four kinds of kimchi, and scoopable egg soufflé with rock seaweed sauce.

Don’t panic. While Nopalito’s Inner Sunset location has closed, Broderick is still very much open, as is this new and very timely takeout window in the Mission. While you’ll spot many of Nopalito’s greatest hits on the menu, there are some Mission-exclusive dishes (hello, totopos con carnitas) that entirely justify the trip. For a hearty, outrageously tasty lunch on-the-go, the plato completo con pollo might just be the best rice bowl ever: Tomato-y rice, pinquito beans, pickled onions, and chicken under a shower of cilantro and lime. Afterwards, walk it off around the neighborhood with a spiced coffee in hand.

Gemini Bottle Co. takes its aesthetic as seriously as its inventory. The store is beautiful in a pared-back, minimal way that encourages customers to hang out and really look around. This is the Mission spot you pop into for small-grower natural wine, a jar of anchovies, bountiful CSA boxes from local farmers, and fresh, hook-and-line caught fish. There’s a robust selection of craft beers, plus all the accoutrement you need to stock a bar at home—right down to the glasses. Gemini holds weekly complimentary tastings, runs a wine club, and keeps environmental concerns at the forefront of their business. Images courtesy of Lauren Hanussak.

Beit Rima translates to “Rima’s house.” (The chef’s mother’s name is Rima.) Lunch here really does feel like a feast prepared by an accomplished home cook. In other words, the food is all comfort. The menu is an ode to Palestinian and Jordanian flavors: Expect simple, satisfying dishes like shakshuka; flatbreads scattered thick with za’atar; fresh, crunchy fattoush; and grilled kebabs. The restaurant has three locations, all with great outdoor seating and a solid takeout menu for pickup or delivery via Caviar.

Anthony’s is the holy grail of cookies in San Francisco. People who love it—which is to say people who know it—talk about it with such reverence and awe, you’ll think they’re a little out of their minds…until you try a cookie yourself.

The Civic Kitchen is an entirely purpose-built (meaning every amenity is built to spec) cookery school in San Francisco’s Mission district. More than just a kitchen, this space is a fully immersive culinary experience for the gourmand with floor-to-ceiling shelves packed with cookbooks for inspiration, a large communal table for meal sharing, and the cook space itself, which feels like the cozy, well-designed kitchen of a friend. The classes are intended to be practical—themed around building meals and menus rather than zoning in on individual, complicated dishes. Choose to learn how to pull together a full Sunday brunch, how to cook a chicken and assorted grains ahead of time for easier meal-making during the week, or, if the mood strikes you, how to prepare a full celebratory Chinese new year dinner (dumplings, noodles, steamed fish, the works). The school has over a dozen chefs on staff (each one with their own particular area of expertise) and classes never go above fourteen students.

The team at Heath, one of our long-time favorite SF and LA destinations for gorgeous mid-century-inspired minimal tableware, has nailed the aspect of creating a true community by opening a neighborhood newsstand.

Opened a year ago, Tartine's light-filled, warehouse-like offshoot is a foodie paradise with lines out the door to prove it. There are the same amazing breakfast and lunch options you can find at the original location, but here you'll also find beer and wine, a soft-serve machine, and (blessedly) a full-on dinner menu. There's a separate, and semi-secret, line for people who are just buying bread and jam, but if you want to wait for something from the full breakfast menu, or a gem from their pastry case, there's a Blue Bottle next door offering sustenance and caffeine in the meantime.

Founded by two friends, Todd Masonis and Cameron Ring—who got their start roasting up cocoa beans just for fun in a garage—Dandelion Chocolate sources the highest-quality beans, and, in small batches, crafts incredible chocolate that really draws on the complex flavors of every bean. At their Valencia Street café, you can grab a hot chocolate (or an espresso drink and a pastry made in-house by Executive Pastry Chef Lisa Vega) and watch the entire bean-to-bar process from start to finish. And, of course, you can get your hands on their amazing chocolate offerings. In addition to their Mission District location, they also have a spot in the nearby Ferry Building (as well as a factory and café in Tokyo).

Ice cream sandwiches steal the show at Cream, from waffle-based to cookie, brownie, mini-sized, gluten-free, and vegan. There are locations in a few states now, and in addition to this SF shop, there's also a second outpost in Stonestown Galleria. Also, note: Cream caters—and what's more awesome than an ice cream sandwich bar?