These six notable newcomers cover the gamut, from Mexican pizza and Jewish deli pop-ups inside established restaurants, to a food hall nailing cuisine from Africa to the Middle East. Alongside this month’s full restaurant reviews — Good Good Culture Club from Liholiho Yacht Club, Automat from Lazy Bear, Chuck’s Takeaway from Charles Phan, Fort Point Valencia and 6 newcomers cafe & food truck edition — these new restaurants are worth eating at now (as always, I’ve vetted, visited or ordered from every place reviewed here):
Unique Mexican Pizzas: Don Pancho Pizzeria inside La Vaca Birria, Mission
I wrote about (and loved) La Vaca Birria after it opened in August 2021 in 24th Street’s vivid orange Discolandia landmark. Birria is the Jaliscan-Mexican signature dish, but since January 20th, they launched Don Pancho Pizzeria inside the space, a delivery/takeout-only Mexican menu of 12 pizzas. I was excited about Mexican-centric flavors, like mole verde pizza, but uncertain if this would actually translate to good pizza. I’m delighted to say this is damn tasty pizza. Not so much “best pizza,” but delivering exactly what I hoped: true Mexican combinations on slightly thick, puffy crust.
The Birria Mama Mia pizza feels signature already since it showcases their halal beef birria with onions, cilantro, salsa, tomato sauce and a side of beef consomé, in proper birria form to either drizzle over or dip your slice/crust in. Its heavy meatiness needs the squeeze of lime that comes with. De Tu Pina Madre pizza goes for contrast with housemade beef chorizo, tomato sauce, pineapple, pickled jalapeños and cotija cheese. El Elotero pizza may have been my tops, a vegetarian white pizza of fresh corn, roasted cherry tomatoes, cotija, Tapatio salsa, cilantro and lime. Sizes aren’t listed on DoorDash, but I called and small is 12 inches, medium 14, large 16 and extra-large 18, so note that pricing you see is only for the small and each size adds on extra. These are filling, dense pizzas, offering something unique and truly delightful.
// 2962 24th Street; www.doordash.com/store/don-pancho-pizzeria-san-francisco-2615082
Jewish Deli Launch: Little Red Window
Red Window opened April 2021 serving Spanish tapas and quality sherry and low proof cocktails, while their literal “Little Red Window” has offered a range of options for takeout, including picnic baskets in nearby Washington Square Park. In February 2022, chef Adam Rosenblum and partner/bar manager Elmer Mejicanos launched the Jewish deli concept Rosenblum has long been dreaming of — and working towards, honing his pastrami since 2006 — served out of their little red window. Growing up mostly in Maryland with family in New Jersey, Adam ate at beloved Jewish delis with a fondness for rare treats like the Jersey-style “Sloppy Joe,” a sandwich of rye bread, two to three meats, coleslaw, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing. Here, it’s dubbed the Jersey Joe, layered with roast beef, corned beef and turkey. The hot pastrami sandwich is my pick, given the pastrami’s comforting tenderness. There are four other sandwiches, including a Reuben and tuna melt, but matzo ball soup is my other recommend, with fluffy dumplings and nurturing broth.
With few pastrami sources in town (Mike & Mark’s special deli pop-up serving from One Market; Hot Johnnie’s in the Castro, etc.), sandwiches at many of these run too dry and the pastrami doesn’t reach the elevation of the very best I grew up with in LA and NYC. Nevertheless, Little Red Window’s launch is a welcome addition for all of us craving Jewish deli fare (I want to try the kreplach and especially knish, another fave I miss).
// 1500 Stockton Street, theredwindow.com
Mortadella Pistachio Pizza: Napizza, Marina
Open January 10, 2022, in the Marina in the old Pluto’s space, Napizza is all about Neapolitan pizzas from owners of nearby Roma Antica. I wrote about the mortadella pizza at the Castro’s new Vico Cavone last December. Looks like we now have another source for this Naples-style pie in town. Napizza’s Mortazza pizza is creamy with stracciatella over fresh mozzarella, cushioned in slices of mortadella meat and dusted in crumbled pistachio. I was less sure about the Americana pizza with hot dogs and fries (!), while a micro arugula salad (classic with organic pears, gorgonzola cheese, toasted walnuts) had a few wilted, sad pieces of arugula. But the Mortazza pizza was classic Naples alongside other treats like pasta tonno (albacore tuna, olives, capers, tomato sauce) and Montanare Napoletane (lightly fried pizza dough dipped in San Marzano tomato sauce and Parmigiano).
// 3258 Scott Street, www.napizzasf.com
Algeria to Senegal in a Food Hall: La Cocina Municipal Marketplace, Tenderloin
La Cocina has long been an exemplary food-with-a-cause non-profit. Their women-centric, 7,000-square-foot food hall, La Cocina Municipal Marketplace, opened April 2021, slowly changing its corner of the Tenderloin with positivity, deliciousness, support of immigrants, LGBTQ and beyond. Drinking at their new bar, La Paloma, or Fluid Coffee Cooperative Cafe, supporting Trans-run third wave coffees, order an assortment of foods from diverse immigrant vendors, managed by chef Jay Foster of Farmerbrown & Little Skillet.
Each vendor is worthwhile, including all Mexican counters, Nepalese Bini’s Kitchen and Boug Cali, with its Creole-meets-CA menu. Kayma’s chef Wafa and Mounir Bahloul offer Algerian rarities like coca (flaky Algerian puff pastries filled with cumin ground beef or tomato and onion), or a nurturing Le Kus Kus Chicken Bowl of yogurt-marinated chicken breast over semolina couscous, peas, garbanzos, carrot and onion. Each visit, I find another Teranga dish I love alongside their bottled juices, vibrant with the likes of ginger, turmeric or whole tamarind pulp. Chef Nafy Flatley serves rare Senegalese/pan-African food like a nurturing maafe bowl of peanut stew over jasmine rice. Her Senegal Street-style spaghetti sandwich is ridiculously good with bolognese sauce spaghetti smashed between a crunchy Acme bakery roll and her smart add of chermoula sauce. Another play on Senegalese street food is her twist on Middle Eastern muhammara, with spicy organic baobab enlivening the traditional walnut, pomegranate, red pepper dip.
// 101 Hyde Street, https://lacocinamarketplace.menu/lacocina
Vietnamese Sandwich Treat: Banh Mi Love, Stonestown
Opened November 2021 in a medical building next to Stonestown Mall, Banh Mi Love isn’t exactly a convenient location, especially sans delivery options. But if you’re in the area, the tiny sandwich shop is yet another quality banh mi pick out of hundreds in SF. The lemongrass roasted chicken sandwich is a standout, with just the right amount of mayo to keep it from being dry. But the house signature already is BBHD (Bún Bò Huê Dip), spicy lemongrass beef brisket with dipping consommé, not unlike a French dip sando with au jus.
They make a limited quantity per day so call ahead or order online to pick-up to ensure it’s in. Note that all their banh mi include pickled carrots and onions, cucumber, cilantro, house soy and jalapeno by request. The other notable treat here is mango sticky rice (recalling more Laotian style than Thai), inducing a bit of sweet tooth ecstasy with neon green pandan coconut cream to pour over.
// 597 Buckingham Way, www.banhmilove597.com
Cheeky Shawarma Goodness: Mazra, San Bruno
Opened April 2020, family-owned Mazra is the oldest of the six I’ve reviewed here; thankfully one I stumbled across when scouting out San Bruno spots in early February. While those in the area know and mob the place (just let the mouth-watering smell of wood-fired meats grilled alongside the building in the parking lot draw you in), the rest of the Bay Area should, too. Shawarma wraps, Mediterranean platters and a daily-changing mezze bar from the casual, order-at-the-counter space make up a succinct menu (menu items run on the small side). Open rooms, cheeky artwork and funky Middle East street food vibe and humor (think massive artwork quoting, “rated best kebabs in the galaxy” by “the owner’s mother”) make it a playful space to linger with a cup of sweet house chai tea and food. The steak shawarma/hummus/tahini wrap is even better with an addition of fries inside.
// 504 San Bruno Ave W., San Bruno; www.eatmazra.com
