GrubGirl.

Tea Garden
515 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 882-4388

Based on a MenuPages blog tip (talking about one of my blog tips), I decided to check out Tea Garden during my weekday break from the cubicle farm.

Tea Garden is a hole-in-the-wall Chinese food and boba tea house, across from the almighty JP Morgan offices on Mission. (Yelp reviews have identified this place as Taiwanese. The 3 employees there all spoke Mandarin, so I’m not sure what that really means.) They’ve got noodle dishes, which I had to check out, given MenuPages’ tip. Prices were pretty good, too, in the $5-6 range. Add-ons include tea- or soy sauce-soaked hard boiled eggs, and some other condiments.

Ming’s Coffee Shop
54 2nd St
(between Jessie St & Stevenson St)
(415) 989-8544

A narrow hole in the wall that you could easily miss if you weren’t paying attention. Even with their signboard outside, the entry is really non-descript. I’ve gone here a few times on the advice of my co-workers and the first experience was great, the next few were hit or miss.

What Ming’s is great for:

Primo Patio Cafe
214 Townsend St
(at Colin P Kelly Jr St)
(415) 957-1129
Closed Sundays

If you’ve got a hankering for a combination savory ‘n sweet brunch, Caribbean food will hit the spot. Humbly situated next to the “Marina in South Beach” wine bar known as District, Primo Patio serves its food on a covered back patio with decorated walls that are supposed to make you think you’re in Jamaica somewhere, as opposed to some urban jungle in San Francisco. We were the first ones there Saturday morning and the heat lamps were still firing up, but by noon, the place was packed. Luckily I had my puffy vest or I would’ve had to swap seats with Stein-er.

Henry’s Cafeteria
92 2nd Street
(between Jessie St & Mission St)
(415) 495-5112

It’s been a while since I’ve posted any truly grub findings. Why not? Sure, I’ve been a little busy, but really…they’re hard to find! (And even harder when some friends who claim to be grubgals and grubboys get the heebie jeebies when my eyes light up about true grub finds.) Well, this one is a hidden gem. And you have to love grub cooking to appreciate it.