Mr. Holmes Bakehouse Peach Cardamon Danish: An entire think piece could be dedicated to Mr. Holmes Bakehouse, a pastry shop in the heart of San Francisco's Tenderloin district. The Dominique Ansel Bakery of SF, it has an equally iconic dessert: the Cruffin. A cross between a muffin and croissant, the Cruffin is filled with a seasonal cream and is made in limited quantities, requiring those willing to wait to get in line early (the bakery opens at 7am on weekdays). But unlike DA Bakery, Mr. Holmes is not based in the SOHO of SF. To... (read more) 4.0/5.0
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iTea Guava green tea with lychee jelly and boba: I can’t tell if the fruit teas are generally underwhelming or the quality of this bubble tea shop has just declined over time, but this guava green tea from iTea on Kearny in SF was too sweet, even at 30% sweetness, with a syrupy taste and no trace of green tea. Contains lychee jelly and boba, both of which were decent. Lines were incredibly long at the end of a weekday. Questioning whether I should just stop returning to this once-favorite place. 2.0/5.0
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YakiniQ Strawberry yuzu lemonade: A remarkably thirst-quenching summer drink, with strawberry seeds mixed throughout and citrus rind (in the same pulpy form as Asian citron tea) at the bottom. Well balanced; sweet and tart, and ultra fresh. One of the best beverages I’ve had in recent memory. Seasonal offering from this small cafe in the heart of Japantown in SF. 4.5/5.0
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Arizmendi Bakery Oatmeal raisin cookie: Based on the Cheeseboard Co-op in Berkeley, Arizmendi had virtually the exact same offerings, like pizza, baked goods, and hot beverages. If the cookies are any indication, though, it is far inferior. This cookie had a crunchy texture and bland flavor. It ate very dry, with little sweetness. Quite simply not good. 2.0/5.0
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Garden Creamery Black sesame and oolong ice cream: By now, I've become wary of long lines in San Francisco, and there is nowhere else where this sense of trepidation is stronger than in the Mission, the tech-saturated, ultra-entitled west coast version of Williamsburg. Regrettably, I do find myself here once in a while, often to see a show at the neighboring Chapel, which is exactly what brought me to Garden Creamery, an ice cream shop squarely at the halfway point between the 16th and 24th street Mission BART stops. I had some extra time ... (read more) 4.0/5.0
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Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous Cookies and Cream Ice Cream: An all-too-familiar story: San Francisco ice cream shop with a 15 minute line, wrapping around the corner. Organic Strauss milk and cream sign. $16 bag of peanut brittle, $9 bag of chocolate malt balls at the register. $5.50 for a single scoop. Really creamy but otherwise unremarkable set of everyday ice cream classics (I ordered the cookies and cream - other flavors on the day I went included chocolate chip, sweet cream, burnt sugar, e.g., flavors you can easily find in the grocery aisl... (read more) 2.5/5.0
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