Spork
Spork in San Francisco is my new favorite restaurant. Pat and I went there for dinner after a lovely day in the Mission, checking out all the vintage stores and eating Dymano Donuts. Spork is a place serving old-school classics in a new-school fashion.
They have sustainable-this and local-that versions of slow-food takes
on old classics. And despite the political correctness of their
offerings, everything tastes like it was pan-fried in lard in a steel
skillet by my grandmother. That's a very good thing!
The In-Side-Out Burger ($14) screamed "eat me" from the menu. The beef is fresh from Sun Marin Farms.
Two patties griddle-fried, peppery and crispy on the outside. Moist and
pink on the inside. The concoction towers over the plate. It is a stack
of ingredients as follows starting at the plate: Butter lettuce, tomato
slice, beef patty, bun circle, special sauce, beef patty, tillamook
chedder and a grilled onion topping so sweet it could be applesauce.
The special sauce reminded me of the spicy thousand-island type I make
at home, only no islands. You have to eat this with a fork and knife,
but it doesn't diminish the burger experience.
The Smashed Fries are an interesting idea. Small potatoes with the skins on, are
deep-fried and smashed flat. They are crispy and salty and tasty. Not
your classic fries, but a very scrumptious alternative like everything
at Spork.
Pat
had the pork chop ($23). Big enough to feed a family of four, it was
thick and juicy and perfect. For desert we had the After School Special
($6). Humphry Slocumbe malted vanilla ice cream with chucks of
chocolate covered potato chips and caramel swirls. Enough said.
As for the ambience, the place is in a converted KFC location. Turns out KFC invented the spork,
a combination spoon and fork. The kitchen is in the old freezer. They
have converted the old oven hood to a light fixture. We lucked out with
a table by the window and watched Valencia Street traffic with more
stylish bicyclists than cars. Go. Eat. Spork.
Spork Restaurant – 1058 Valencia St., San Francisco CA 94110 – 415.643.5005.
- Also published on Hoosier Burger Boy
New England
by Kitty Kaufman
Capital Grille is fine dining in Providence. It seems like they've been around forever and it's 25 years, so it is forever. It opened in 1990 and this is the original store tucked behind old Union...
Philadelphia
by Laura Johnson
Just recently my mother asked me to pick up some vanilla ice cream she wanted to serve with a pie she had made. I came home with a gallon of 'Pet' vanilla ice cream. She asked me why, out of all...
New England
by Melanie Chartoff
I hail from New Haven, although I've frankly never in my life hailed, even for a taxi cab. It's simply not my style. I visit the Elm City (although I'm not sure why it's nicknamed thus as all the...
Florida
by Ann Nichols
On the second day of our Florida trip, we dined at one of our favorite, always good, “coming home” restaurants in Apalachicola: The Apalachicola Seafood Grill. Located in the heart of “downtown”...