This may not be the most important crusade in the world, what with global warming, the economy, and assorted crises to keep our attention, but someone’s gotta say it so it might as well be me – we need a few more late night dining options out here in the Inner Sunset!
More and more often, as I travel and come home late, often to an empty fridge because I forget to go grocery shopping, I find my dining options are limited to whatever one of the cheap corner stores is selling at 10pm. And let’s just say that while the novelty of Spam or overpriced frozen burritos sounds good, one’s digestive system has a way of issuing payback fairly quickly.
There are a few pizza places open, like Milano’s, which will serve up a decent slice, but most places shut down around 9pm. However, that said, I think there’s a market for late night tacos, Korean tacos, or what have you served from one of the many wheel based culinary concerns out there, particularly on weekends. The Inner Sunset has quite a few bars out here and if someone were to pull up and offer hot, decent food, I can almost guarantee a legion of well-soaked patrons for said food trucks.
Now, none of this is meant to slight the many awesome locally owned restaurants in the area, but most close early anyway so I don’t see this as harming their business. Alternately if just one place was open past 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays and did a good job getting the word out, I see riches in their future.
Heck if no one else does it maybe I’ll go rent a truck and do it myself. I can make some pretty awesome food when I bother to go shopping, and not all of it is crap. Anyone who’s had my barbecue knows that!
So what do you think? Should we encourage one of our mobile kitchens to the neighborhood? Make your thoughts known in the comments section!
UPDATE: The Chronicle did a story on food carts just a few days later and big suprise, SF’s myriad of regulations conflict with the state, and seem to exist primarily to extort money without much public good. They also had a list of food truck options, but most of these seem to exist in the Mission.
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I know we have Yummy Yummy, but this should show up on a Tuesday when YY is closed: http://twitter.com/whatthepho
“There are a few pizza places open, like Milano’s, which will serve up a decent slice…”
Where is this alternate universe Milano’s that serves good pizza instead of the one on my street that serves flavorless dough slabs?
I guess my only question is where such trucks would really park and sell their stuff. Parking continues to be an issue in the Inner Sunset on the weekends so they would need to work something out about locations pretty specifically.
But now that you mention it, it is pretty odd that the Inner Sunset really has zero 24 hour eating joints. Unless you scary deep fried cake donuts from Donut World.
@smallerdemon: didn’t you see the finale for FRINGE? It’s in the same dimension where Len Bias was voted MVP in the finals, and the Obamas move into the new White House.
Seriously, I got a slice there one night when I got home wayyyy late and it was ok. Most pizza in the sunset seems to subscribe to the “Doughy’s Pizza” recipe to begin with.
Parking is a problemo here, but I’ve seen food trucks navigate far worse, here and in LA, so I’d imagine if someone was trying they could pull it off.
Unfortunately you’ll need a hard-to-get permit to operate one of these trucks.
I’d kill to be able to get good food, late at night, that isn’t pizza. Pipe dream time: 24 hour Chinese, Japanese, Thai, taqueria, burgers that aren’t Jack in the Box, etc. With delivery.
While I’m still getting over the loss of Canvas, Pacific Catch does late food at their bar.
@Ciaran: I have sometimes tried to go there but they are closed sometimes, so I wasn’t sure if they were still doing it. Their happy hour menu is a wonderful bargain though!
I only visit Inner Sunset when I stay at the motel at the N beach terminal or when I’m exploring N-line country, but the problem of where do you park something as bulky as a “weenie wagon” or “roach coach” was the first thing that came to mind. Also, when it comes to food ingredients, how late is the Safeway at Church and Market open? I thought it was 24 hours. Or are we trying to avoid chain stores?
Oh man. I live at the other end of the Sunset, and would totally love to see decent food carts on this side of town… even if in the Inner Sunsetish area. For now, the 66 runs until almost midnite.
@Bob Davis: When I get home off a flight and its 11pm after a day of travel, the last thing I think about is going shopping….plus sometimes if you’re out with friends you might want something while you’re at the Blackthorn, and if nothing’s open you’re outta luck and aren’t likely to do the super long late night train to Church and Market..
I’m with Greg…I often get in at 10 or later, and the food options are few and far between. The Castro has a couple of places, with a couple more on weekends, that stay open until 11 or 12. Why is that so rare in SF?
One of the things I love about NY, and to an extent Vancouver, is that there are a number of decent late night dining spots in many neighborhoods.
“didn’t you see the finale for FRINGE? It’s in the same dimension where Len Bias was voted MVP in the finals…”
Clearly it must be some other universe, in that I don’t know what any of that even means.
@smallerdemon: in the finale, Agent Dunham gets to meet Dr. Bell (played by Leonard Nimoy) in the alternate dimension. A newspaper has the following headlines:
-Former President Kennedy addresses UN
-Obamas move in to new White House
-Len Bias voted MVP
Len Bias was recruited in the late 80s for the NBA but died of a drug overdose before he ever got to play a single game. The idea being that in this alternate reality, that never happened.