Mission District,
Noe Valley, Bernal Heights
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Atlas
Cafe (20th at Alabama). The back patio of this neighborhood cafe
(reached through the side door on Alabama) is full of friendly dogs,
and there's a water bowl for the dogs and good draft beer for the
humans.
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Beretta
(Valencia at 23rd). The staff was happy to serve the entire pack
outside when no-one else was crazy enough to brave the chill of the
evening, and brought water. Otherwise there's not much here for Huxley,
especially as the humans usually drink the strong stuff here and it
doesn't come with corks.
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Esperpento
(22nd St. at
Valencia). After a period of not having outside tables, this sister
restaurant to Picaro is back
in Huxley's sights. The tables aren't as sheltered, but the food and
the corks are just as good, and the location is
a lot closer to Huxley's house, which means more visits.
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Farina
(18th St. between Valencia & Guerrero). Though there are some
interesting corks, the heaters are too high overhead to make up for the
chill wind blowing down 18th Street and the food, although good, isn't
the sort that the humans will share with Huxley.
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Garçon
(Valencia
& 22nd). This neighborhood French restaurant has several sidewalk
tables and friendly staff always ready to serve you there. Though there
are no heaters, partitions moderate the evening breeze. Huxley even got
a lamb bone here once! |
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Humphrey
Slocombe (Harrison at 24th). Huxley doesn't think the novel
flavors here are any more exotic than what he finds on the street every
day, but he lives for the end of the cone just the same. Less spilled
ice cream than Mitchell's, but more outside seating.
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Le Zinc (24th St.
between
Noe and Castro). Sit out front to watch the street, just like a
Parisian tourist, or in back under the heat lamp. Huxley particularly
likes the corks from the well-chosen list of French reds.
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The
Liberties (Guerrero & 22nd). Although this Irish pub has had
outside tables for a while, they only recently became able to serve
beer at them. That's what was needed to make a pleasant outing for the
whole pack. The second bone is for the friendly, dog-loving owner, and
some special consideration that we're not at liberty to discuss in
detail.
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Mitchell's
Ice Cream (San Jose
Avenue at 29th St.). Nothing is better than a visit to San
Francisco's finest ice creamery, always mobbed with friendly humans and
dogs, a chance to slurp up fallen ice cream off the sidewalk while the
humans relax on the benches outside, and, if Huxley is lucky, the end
of a cone.
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Noe's
Bar (24th St. at Church St.). Just what you need after a hike to
Las Papas: a couple of tables with umbrellas, draft beer, and all of
Noe
Valley going by. Hux heard he could go inside; he hasn't tried yet, but
if it's true another bone is sure to follow. On the other hand, we
haven't dropped by since the adjacent restaurant appeared and aren't
sure to whom the tables belong now.
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Phat
Philly (24th St. between Bartlett and Valencia). This hopping
fast-food joint would have three bones if Huxley ever got a scrap of
the delicious-smelling cheesesteaks. Meanwhile, there's usually one or
two left of the giant portions of fries. The kind servers even
sometimes
bring water when it's not too busy. The four outside
tables are right out in the foot traffic and just right for greeting
human and canine passers-by.
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Picaro (16th St.
between Valencia & Guerrero). Something about this taperia makes
the humans generous. Huxley has been known to get a whole cantimpalito
(a snack-sized chorizo), usually when the humans get near the
bottom of a bottle of Spanish red -- a delicious cork at a reasonable
price. Tables are protected by a little fence and the neighborhood is
always interesting to watch.
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Vino Rosso (Cortland
at Anderson). There's only a bench outside, which means only glasses
of wine for the humans and no corks for Huxley, but the water bowl is
very welcome after hiking
around Bernal Heights and there are always friendly human and canine
passers-by. Other humans have been seen eating outside as well as
drinking, so this place's star is on the rise.
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Xanath
(Valencia at Liberty). No doubt Huxley appreciates the difference
between the several different kinds of vanilla at the Mission's newest
and most exotic ice creamery, but he also keeps coming back for the
good location, the handy benches and the big bucket of water provided
for dogs. And did we mention that he might get the end of a cone?
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North of Market: Financial
District, North Beach, Union Square, Tenderloin, Polk Gulch
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A La Turca (Geary St.
at
Larkin). Delicious Turkish food at reasonable prices for the humans,
water for Huxley, and sidewalk
seating in a neighborhood where it's rare.
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B44, Belden Taverna,
Brindisi, Cafe Bastille, Plouf (Belden Place). All of the many
restaurants on Belden Place have covered outdoor seating and heaters.
Huxley usually sits at one of the tables farthest from the restaurants
(and the heaters) where there's more room to sniff around. Two bones
for the reliability of all these restaurants as a group; one of them is
bound to be open at almost any time. Cafe Bastille has been open for
weekend lunches when the others were not. The humans like the tapas at
B44 and the mussels at Plouf best, but Huxley is most interested in
Cafe Bastille's aromatic andouillette.
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Cafe Claude (Claude
Lane). Huxley will never forget his first visit to this outpost of
traditional French cooking, when a kind waiter treated him to the
remains of someone's charcuterie plate, boiled chicken left over from
making stock, extra hamburger from a steak tartare, and even a lick of
the steak tartare mixing bowl. The humans were so jealous. Excellent corks as well.
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Emporio Rulli (Union
Square). During Huxley's stay downtown in 2006, this was the place to
enjoy an early continental breakfast and watch Union Square wake up. |
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Giordano
Bros. (Columbus at Broadway). The outside tables here aren't
quite as comfy as at SF Brewing Company, but the fries that regularly
fall out of the overstuffed sandwiches more than make up for it.
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Gitane
(Claude Lane). This new hot spot from the Cafe Claude people is a
must-visit for dogs, with an awning, heat lamps and water brought out
right away. Bones from the humans' pork ribs made it a three-star visit.
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The
Grubstake (Pine at Polk). This Portuguese diner has a covered
porch to relax on and water for thirsty dogs, and vinho verde for
breakfast means happy humans might give Huxley a little piece of
bacalao.
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Honey Honey (Post
& Taylor, formerly The Crepe House). What's not to like about
breakfast with a cheery tiki god?
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Irish
Bank (Mark Lane, near Grant & Bush). Convenient to Union
Square and open all afternoon. There is endless outside space, much of
it protected by awnings. Huxley has sometimes sat in a puddle here, but
has forgiven all since that time the waitress dropped an entire platter
of fries.
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Leland
Tea Company (Bush near Polk). Huxley much prefers the humans to
join him at the single outside table than to keep an eye on him from
one of the inside tables by the window. Not much here for Hux, but if
it keeps the humans going, that means a longer walk for him.
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Mario's
Bohemian Cigar Store (Washington Square). Hux has never actually
had one of Mario's meatball sandwiches, but the smell keeps him coming
back just in case. The outside service is a little slow, but that's
just perfect for relaxing and enjoying this interesting corner location
with lots of people and dogs to greet as they walk past.
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San
Francisco Brewing Company (Columbus at Pacific). Closed! The humans seemed to think
better of the beer than the food here, but there was no better
place for a dog, or a human, to watch the world go by than one of the
tables tucked in around the main entrance. The new bar planned for the
location intends to open in January; we'll be watching anxiously to see
if they keep those tables.
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Wine (Embarcadero
Two). Hux prizes this place not for the corks -- the humans tend to
have glasses here, not bottles -- but for actually having been allowed
inside a couple of times before there was sidewalk seating. Now there
is, and it's perfect for a snort or three as early as ten and as late
as
midnight.
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South of Market
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The Butler and the Chef
(South Park). Hux fits right in with the strict French ambiance. The
kindly chef, who's been known to bring out a dog treat, and all
of the other dogs visiting the park made this his favorite lunch stop
back when he worked in this neighborhood.
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South Park Cafe (South
Park). The nicest place Huxley knows of to watch humans eat dinner
South of Market. It's not far from his old office, there are dogs in
the park in the evening, too, and he usually gets a cork.
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Zebulon
(Natoma near 2nd St.). That guy at the other end of the leash sometimes
seems awfully relaxed here for a weekday lunch. Yes, there's beer as
well as sandwiches. There's not really much here to interest Huxley,
but it's a welcome oasis in this neighborhood.
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Around town
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Betelnut
(Cow Hollow). Three words: logo water bowl. Plenty of outside tables
and heaters, too. We usually get here by walking from home, which means
a long sit with a beer or two.
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Liverpool
Lil's (Cow Hollow). This pub has a dog at every sidewalk table
and good fries, but our neighbors kept their dog so nervous and worked
up that Huxley understood why we sometimes make fun of the Marina.
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Sociale
(Presidio Heights). San Francisco's most charming patio, heaters that
can handle the foggiest night, and an excellent and unusual selection
of corks.
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Tango
Gelato (On Fillmore in Pacific Heights). A refreshing stop in a
mostly unfamiliar neighborhood, with a couple of little outside tables
and maybe the end of a cone.
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Park Chalet (behind
Beach Chalet, on the Great Highway at JFK
Drive). Three bones for abundant outdoor seating, heat lamps near every
table, lots of other dogs to greet, and the brewpub beer and erratic
service, both of which keep the humans from moving on too quickly. And,
of course, because coming here means a long walk in Golden Gate Park or
on Ocean Beach or both.
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Ziryab
(Divisadero between Fell and Hayes). This Mediterranean place has
crowded but plentiful outdoor seating in a front patio set back from
the bustle of Divisadero. They're open all day on weekends, making them
a handy stop in this neighborhood. Huxley didn't get any of the
excellent shawarma, but he did get a few of the very good fries.
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