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Restaurant Website: http://www.littleskilletsf.comGoogle Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=360+ritch+st.,+san+francisco&sll=37.790416,-122.396167&sspn=0.052838,0.075874&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=360+Ritch+St,+San+Francisco,+California+94107&z=17

The only scene at this window restaurant—a spin-off of downtown soul-food restaurant Farmer Brown—is the line of people waiting patiently to get their chicken-and-waffles fix. It's a lunch and late-night only affair and there is no seating, but on a sunny day, plenty find seating directly of the sidewalk across the alleyway for a little urban picnic.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>The brief menu here includes, yes, excellent fried chicken and Belgian-style waffles. But it goes on to include a pulled pork po'boy (which is really a sloppy joe), Cobb salad, biscuits and sausage gravy, and a slightly dubious over-the-top bacon-wrapped waffledog. Forget calorie counting for the time being because even the mini pecan pies are worth it.</p>

Restaurant Website: http://www.carte415.comGoogle Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=101+second+st.,+san+francisco&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=53.609468,77.695313&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=101+Second+Street&z=15

This little kiosk, permanently parked in the lobby of 101 Second St., resembles a hot dog cart from afar. But a closer inspection reveals that the offerings from this mobile operation, owned by former Michael Mina chef Joshua Skenes (who also runs the weekly pop-up restaurant, Saison), are not your average cart fare.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>A daily-changing selection of  sandwiches satisfy downtown office drones, who stop by for a weekday lunch. The turkey confit, spread with fig jam and stacked with fresh mozzarella and watercress, is a more refined version of the post-Thanksgiving “gobbler” sandwich; the vegetarian niçoise combines all the requisite ingredients, save for tuna. Side dishes include smoky baba ganoush or hummus (served with crispy crackers), and a potato salad enriched with aïoli. Don’t leave without a freshly baked walnut-chip cookie.</p>

Restaurant Website: http://www.pibarsf.comGoogle Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1432+Valencia+St.,+san+francisco&sll=37.793753,-122.40249&sspn=0.006604,0.009484&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=1432+Valencia+St,+San+Francisco,+California+94110&z=17

The Pi Bar space bears none of the hallmarks of its former occupant, Suriya Thai. Gone is the pink paint and the elephant mural, replaced by a vaguely sports-bar esque interior, the centerpieces of which are the long bar and the communal table set in the window up front. A chalkboard advertises the nightly draught beer options.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>The pizzas here—and pizza is the centerpiece of the menu—are New York style, the large one (21 inches) the size of a manhole cover. Topping options are limited to more classic choices, such as anchovy, housemade Italian sausage and portabella mushrooms, the sauce is appropriately tangy and the cheese is laid on with a heavy hand.  A slice (which sells for $3.14—that is pi) and a beer at the bar isn’t the heights of culinary creativity, but on nights when that’s what you’re after, Pi hits the spot.</p>

Restaurant Website: http://www.canerossosf.comGoogle Maps Link: This is Mexican food with a NorCal spin—snack-tastic totopos, freshly-made tortilla chips tossed in arbol chile salsa and topped with crema and cotija cheese (think of them as chips with salsa) blue corn quesadillas, sandwiching cheese and braised greens, and chunks of bay-scented pork carnitas that you pull apart with your fork, accompanied by a tart cabbage salad. Complimentary fried chickpeas and Mexican wedding cookies bookend the meal.

A small corner of the Ferry Building has been transformed into a reasonable facsimile of a rustic Italian rotisserie. Open shelving holds apple boxes piled high with seasonal vegetables and fruits and chickens and porchetta spin on spits behind an open counter, where chefs lovingly prepare sandwiches, salads and plates. Order from the wall-mounted menu, then grab a table (or take it to go).

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>Everything at Cane Rosso is remarkably fresh and perfectly delicious. Lunch may be the heart of the business (and with offering such as beef brisket sandwiches, the meat piled high on a soft bun, why shouldn’t it be?) but you can also assemble a fine dinner from some of the rotisserie-cooked meats and a few sides, which run towards the rustic—giant white beans, roasted potatoes and rich polenta. On the weekends, gear up for the day with housemade yogurt topped with fruit compote, fried egg sandwiches and broken farro, which takes the place of oatmeal.</p>

Restaurant Website: http://www.kitchenettesf.comGoogle Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=958+Illinois+st.,+san+francisco&sll=37.752888,-122.407298&sspn=0.006608,0.009484&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=958+Illinois+St,+San+Francisco,+California+94107&z=17

The decidedly déclassé set-up—nothing more than a table on the loading dock in Dogpatch—means that the box lunches from Kitchenette, an off shoot of catering company Living Room Events, are best taken to go (though there are a couple benches for those that arrive early).

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>The inspired sandwich creations at Kitchenette (which change daily and are available Monday through Friday) run the gambit from the “Dogpatch Millionaire”—an Indian-inspired fried chicken sandwich—to fried fish tacos with tartar sauce and porchetta with figs and aïoli. Freshly baked sweets, such as irresistible chocolate-coconut cookies and raspberry-nectarine galettes with whipped cream complete the meal.</p>

Restaurant Website: http://www.palstakeaway.comGoogle Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=2751+24th+st.,+san+francisco&sll=37.800052,-122.440014&sspn=0.006604,0.009484&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=2751+24th+St,+San+Francisco,+California+94110&z=17

Walk past Tony’s Market, on the far reaches of 24th street near Potrero, and you’d never know that amidst the beef jerky and Doritos a preeminent sandwichery resides. Head to the deli counter, where you can order a creative, thoughtfully composed meal-on-bread. Plan accordingly: Pal’s is only open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday, and they sell out quickly.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>Crafted from meats and vegetables sourced locally, the ever-changing options at Pal’s might include a shrimp banh mi, Marin Sun Farms roast beef on a Kaiser roll with blue cheese, or a vegetarian option that combines hard-cooked eggs, watercress and green beans, dressed with vinaigrette (sort of like a tuna-less niçoise). A daily dessert is also on offer—in summer, fruit crisps, come fall, treats like chocolate babka.</p>

Restaurant Website: http://www.schmidts-sf.comGoogle Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=2400+folsom+st.,+san+francisco&sll=37.782054,-122.410932&sspn=0.006606,0.009484&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=2400+Folsom+St,+San+Francisco,+California+94110&z=17

Like Walzwerk, the sister restaurant, the focus here is on German food and drink. But whereas Walzwerk’s dining room is  a cozy cell that only serves dinner, Schmidt’s is airy, bright and high-ceilinged and also offers lunch. The servers, efficient and brusque, do not suffer fools lightly.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>The signature sausage plates, heaped with spaetzle or mashed potatoes and sauerkraut, are always a good choice, but the expanded offerings at Schmidt’s also include an irresistible golden brown veal schnitzel, and—as official gild to the lily—it’s topped with a fried egg and a couple white anchovy filets. If you’re going to do this kind of eating, you may as well throw caution to the wind and have a couple oversized steins of German beer, especially since the few desserts are nothing to fuss over.</p>

Restaurant Website: http://www.showdogssf.comGoogle Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1020+market+st.,+san+francisco&sll=37.758923,-122.412185&sspn=0.006608,0.009484&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=1020+Market+St,+San+Francisco,+California+94102&z=17

The owners of Foreign Cinema have established this temple of the dogs—hot dogs, that is, along with sausages, French fries and onion rings. The triangular space, with its oversized glass windows, is a prime spot for witnessing some of the “local color” on that stretch of Market Street. It’s convenient location near the Warfield makes  it a good spot for a quick pre-show bite.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>With a menu of sausages and hot dogs sourced from some of the area’s best purveyors—4505 Meats, Fatted Calf and more—this is no pedestrian hot dog stand. Though selections change frequently, look for a lamb merguez topped with fig chutney, corn dogs and fiery Louisiana hot links. The fries (regular and barbecue) and lacy onion rings are well-above average, and a good selection of draft beers, all available in eight-ounce pours perfect for midday tippling, rounds out the experience.</p>

Google Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1639+Irving+St.+San+Francisco&sll=37.738498,-122.463806&sspn=0.009282,0.013304&ie=UTF8&ll=37.764456,-122.475715&spn=0.009279,0.013304&z=16&iwloc=A

Painted a shocking yellow, aggressively lit and furnished with only Formica tables and utilitarian chairs, this below-ground spot (sister restaurant to nearby Kingdom of Dumplings) is easy to overlook—but find it and you’re in for a fine Chinese meal.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>As the name suggests, the main draw here is the noodles, hand-pulled to order by a recent immigrant from Shandong who has decades of experience in the magical art of stretching a ball of dough into yard-long strands. The nubby noodles, their variable thickness a charming hallmark, are the perfect vehicles for hearty sauces. We particularly like the house special, a combination of scrambled eggs, mushrooms and bits of roast pork, and the whole wheat noodles topped with bean paste, ground pork and tofu.</p>

Restaurant Website: http://www.tropisueno.com

There’s not a whole lot of Latin flavor to be found right next to the Four Seasons, but this Mexican restaurant is straight from Central Casting, with heavy wooden furniture, punched tin lanterns, woven curtains and colorful bouquets of paper flowers. By day, the restaurant operates as a taqueria, while at night it puts on its finer-dining hat, with a full menu and table service.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>At lunch, choose from the usual suspects—tacos, quesadillas and burritos among them, all a good notch above average. Come dinner, choices expand to include ceviche, albondigas (meatball soup), a superb chicken mole and other substantial plates, many of which are served with rice and beans. Margaritas here are made with fresh juices and rimmed in spicy salt.</p>