PORTOLA

When I mention Portola as an SF neighborhood, most locals say “Where??” Like me, you probably don’t spend a lot of time eating south of Bernal Heights. But I’ve kept quiet for too long about two gems full of dingy charm on San Bruno Avenue. In the midst of Asian food hole-in-the-walls, fast food joints, banks and ethnic markets, lies these two delicious, thankfully unhip food havens:

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Breakfast at Tiffany’s:
2499 San Bruno Avenue (between Felton St & Thornton Ave) 415-468-0977

Like stepping back into the ‘70’s, this weathered breakfast shop flanked with a countertop and ripped, brown vinyl stools, is refreshingly down to earth. I love a faded “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” poster of Audrey Hepburn on the wall, cheerfully mocking the name of this dive. Sure, there are a few aged diners left in the city serving greasy breakfasts, but the difference here is that the food is great! Portions are huge and prices cheap. For $7, eat massive plates of everything from eggs to French toast. My favorite is Tiffany’s pancakes filled with fresh blueberries. They taste even better after you’ve watched them transform from batter to fluffy cakes on the griddle. I am crazy about the hash brown “sandwiches”, addictively stuffed with ham, cheese, onions, or other good things. The service feels straight out of a movie: everyone seems to know each other and treat you as if you’re a regular… even if you aren’t. A cassette tape player (yes, you heard right!) playing comforting oldies from the 1950’s and ’60’s completes the perfect picture of a neighborhood breakfast joint.

Johnson's BBQ

Johnson’s BBQ: For this avowed BBQ lover, I have to admit SF isn’t exactly swimming in fabulous BBQ joints. There are a few gems, some of the best outside the city, such as incomparable Uncle Frank’s in Mountain View. One of my city favorites is Johnson’s, also on San Bruno Ave right by Breakfast at Tiffany’s. This is Arkansas style BBQ… when they say their sauce is hot, they mean it. Lunch is a deal: for $6.75, I get a half order of the “pork sandwich” plus two sides (coleslaw, baked beans, yams, etc…), which is actually a huge heaping of BBQ pulled pork over a slice of bread (worth it even if you don’t want the bread!) They serve ribs, catfish, oxtails, links and more. I have to say the dingy environment is not appealing, though authentically like many of the best BBQ joints in the South. I get it to go.