Cooking
Passing by Tommy's Joynt always makes me smile. The big colorful murals catch my eye and remind me I'm in San Francisco, nowhere else. That's why it was a treat for me to interview general manager Susie Katzman, niece of the original "Tommy" and learn a bit more about the place.
A vanishing breed, Tommy's is a "hofbrau" a term used on the West Coast for a type of establishment that serves hand-carved roasts and meats that are served with beer. There used to be lots of them but only a few remain in San Francisco, such as Tommy's and Lefty O'Doul's. Neither of them are a destination for vegetarians, and I can't say the menu is exactly cutting edge, although Tommy's was certainly serving buffalo way before any other restaurants in town.
While the heyday for Bay Area hofbraus is long past, there is a nostalgic appeal that goes along with an unpretentious every man atmosphere and big plates of food for not much money. You never know who you'll see in the place. There are always some tourists, people on a budget, possibly a news anchor from the TV station up the block and while you might not see Metallica, you may see fans of the band as Tommy's is a footnote in the bands history.
Personally my favorites are the corned beef and the pastrami sandwiches. Carved to order it's the next best thing to a real deli, something San Francisco is sorely lacking. But that's ok, real deli is just one more reason to visit a city like New York, just as Tommy's is one classic tourist stop in San Francisco.
Tommy's Joynt
1101 Geary St. @ Van Ness
San Francisco
415.775.4216
Open everyday except Christmas
Bar open 10 am - 1: 45 am
Restaurant open from 11 am until 1:45 am
FOOD + SAN FRANCISCO
- Mango Cucumber Salad Recipes
Ok here's a crazy idea, one basic salad that can be either sweet or savory. I was trying to think of what to do with some mangoes coming my way from the National Mango Board this week and then I saw a tweet from @SimpleGourmetLA with the idea for...
- East West Eats
The deadline for registration has been extended through Tuesday May 30th, so I'm making one last pitch for you to consider attending the East West Eats dinner. Register to attend online. Some delicious new details: There will be demonstrations...
- Bargain Bites Of San Francisco
Bargain Bites is one of my favorite editions of the San Francisco Chronicle magazine. This year it is even better than it's been in the past. There are tons of great places to eat where you can find "a good-tasting entree for $10 or less." Some of...
-
I love the weekly "posts of the week" feature over at Too Many Chefs. I can't help but find myself heading over there every Friday to see what they've discovered. Recently Foodgoat also jumped on the bandwagon, even choosing one of my posts as...
- Reviews
Books +Hungry Monkey Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express Sweet Life in Paris Bittersweet Divina Cucina's Recipes Products +Kitchenware Precision Pro Digital Scale Soda Stream Sparkling Water Food Antoine Amrani Chocolates Little Pots & Pans Tarts...
Cooking
Restaurant: Tommy's Joynt
Passing by Tommy's Joynt always makes me smile. The big colorful murals catch my eye and remind me I'm in San Francisco, nowhere else. That's why it was a treat for me to interview general manager Susie Katzman, niece of the original "Tommy" and learn a bit more about the place.
A vanishing breed, Tommy's is a "hofbrau" a term used on the West Coast for a type of establishment that serves hand-carved roasts and meats that are served with beer. There used to be lots of them but only a few remain in San Francisco, such as Tommy's and Lefty O'Doul's. Neither of them are a destination for vegetarians, and I can't say the menu is exactly cutting edge, although Tommy's was certainly serving buffalo way before any other restaurants in town.
While the heyday for Bay Area hofbraus is long past, there is a nostalgic appeal that goes along with an unpretentious every man atmosphere and big plates of food for not much money. You never know who you'll see in the place. There are always some tourists, people on a budget, possibly a news anchor from the TV station up the block and while you might not see Metallica, you may see fans of the band as Tommy's is a footnote in the bands history.
Personally my favorites are the corned beef and the pastrami sandwiches. Carved to order it's the next best thing to a real deli, something San Francisco is sorely lacking. But that's ok, real deli is just one more reason to visit a city like New York, just as Tommy's is one classic tourist stop in San Francisco.
Tommy's Joynt
1101 Geary St. @ Van Ness
San Francisco
415.775.4216
Open everyday except Christmas
Bar open 10 am - 1: 45 am
Restaurant open from 11 am until 1:45 am
FOOD + SAN FRANCISCO
- Mango Cucumber Salad Recipes
Ok here's a crazy idea, one basic salad that can be either sweet or savory. I was trying to think of what to do with some mangoes coming my way from the National Mango Board this week and then I saw a tweet from @SimpleGourmetLA with the idea for...
- East West Eats
The deadline for registration has been extended through Tuesday May 30th, so I'm making one last pitch for you to consider attending the East West Eats dinner. Register to attend online. Some delicious new details: There will be demonstrations...
- Bargain Bites Of San Francisco
Bargain Bites is one of my favorite editions of the San Francisco Chronicle magazine. This year it is even better than it's been in the past. There are tons of great places to eat where you can find "a good-tasting entree for $10 or less." Some of...
-
I love the weekly "posts of the week" feature over at Too Many Chefs. I can't help but find myself heading over there every Friday to see what they've discovered. Recently Foodgoat also jumped on the bandwagon, even choosing one of my posts as...
- Reviews
Books +Hungry Monkey Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express Sweet Life in Paris Bittersweet Divina Cucina's Recipes Products +Kitchenware Precision Pro Digital Scale Soda Stream Sparkling Water Food Antoine Amrani Chocolates Little Pots & Pans Tarts...