Lalita

location: 96 mcallister (at leavenworth) , civic center

i've been working in civic center for over two months and i've always dismissed this place as a corner bar. from the outside you can barely see a sign, the windows are dark and they have a lot of beverage lights hanging up. but once you're inside it's an spacious restaurant with a large bar and seating area. during the lunch hour they were able to accommodate our party of nine quickly and at $13 a person (including tip) it was definitely a deal.

the lunch menu has several different options, almost too many. you can order like i did, a base food with sauce and rice, or you can go for one of the lunch combos that includes a small salad and spring roll.

i want for the tofu with black pepper and garlic sauce with onion and brown rice. it was a large serving that i was able to take home and finish for dinner. all of the dishes looked and smelled delicious.

the service was quick although one person in our party was served much later than everyone else which is always a little annoying. even with our large party we were in and out in under an hour.

recommendation: visit me in the 'loin and take me to lunch here.

tastiness: yay!

price vs. food: yay!

service: yay!

Park Chalet

location: 1000 great highway (at ocean beach), outer sunset

the park chalet is definitely worth the 35 or so minute ride from downtown on the n. even during a freezing cold summer. the park chalet (located underneath the beach chalet) is across from ocean beach at the end of golden gate park near that cute windmill. they offer american bar foods like small plates, soups, salads and sandwiches with an emphasis on seafood. i wanted to eat everything on the menu but settled on the ceviche and a crab roll sandwich. i subbed the potato chips for garlic fries and i'm glad i did because they were perfect. although i'm not sure how hard it is to perfect garlic fries. nevertheless, everything was tasty. L had the burger with sweet potato fries and we each enjoyed delicious cocktails for dessert.

the restaurant overlooks a really nice outdoor patio area that i'm told is fantastic on a warm summer day, although i'm not entirely sure how often those days happen out at ocean beach. the inside seating is warm and comfortable and the restaurant isn't too loud. our waitress was really great. not too attentive but didn't leave us stranded either. and completely ignored weird/awkward comments from L, which are normal during any meal the two of us have out together. the one thing i will complain about is my lost reservation. i made a reservation a week ago but they didn't have it when we showed up yesterday, it would have been annoying if it was really crowded but there was no issue.

recommendation: perfect date spot, spot to take out of town guests or place to go if you're looking to really get out of your 'hood.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: yay!

service: okay!

Ocean Taqueria

location: 1836 divisadero (between bush and pine), pac heights

ocean taqueria is quite literally a 'hole-in-the-wall." you walk by the window and you know it's there but even to walk in is confusing. are you entering the liquor store to the right, the apartment above or this tiny little mexican joint? they're all in the same doorway. i used to frequent this place pretty often after long nights out at the bars when s lived around the corner but it had been a while. i was waiting on divis so i popped in for some food and it was pretty decent.

the entrance isn't the only confusing thing about this place. once you get to the back it's hard to tell where to order and it's impossible to know what you're spending. the people that work here are very nice so you just have to make eye contact and see what they say. as you can see above, the hand written menu has no prices. i think they literally decide on the fly. i had the nachos and they were good but they were definitely over priced. most of the food here looks pretty fresh but they melted the cheese in the microwave before adding the toppings and at $8 for the plate it seemed a little excessive.

the restaurant itself has a fun decor and the wait, in my experience, has never been very long. they have beer and wine and occasionally they'll offer you whatever bottle they have behind the register, if you're into that.

recommendation: if you're drunk on divis it could be a good time.

tastiness: okay!

food vs. price: okay!

service: okay!