Sunday, February 22, 2009

DA BEEF: it's what's for dinner


After having disappointing and flavorless meat at Phat Philly, my friend suggested this tiny Chicago-style hot dog stand for its Italian Beef sandwiches. Topped with giardiniera and gravy which they like to call "da jus," this messy wet sandwich is satisfying and surprisingly not too coma-inducing.

What's really great about this place is the fact that it's not really a "place." It's just a tiny cart on the corner of 7th and Folsom, perfect for all the nearby construction workers and auto-shop hands around. I mean, we could see the blood and meat liquid (wouldn't call it juice) at the bottom of the ziploc bags they were kept in. No worries, we don't discriminate against vendors. If anything, what SF majorly lacks is the presence of non-taco food trucks... but let's not get into that. The woman running it is so sweet - a Chicago native who came to SF and just fell in love with this city. If I worked closer to that corner (it was less than a 10 minute bus ride, but still), I wouldn't eat there every day, but I might stop by and say hi -- that's how nice she is!

As far as authenticity goes, I wouldn't know, but the friend who suggested it said it's pretty comparable. The meat wasn't the best, but it's really the peppers and "da jus" that give the sandwich a lot of flavor. According to the 6 yelp reviews it has (that's it?), the hot dogs are true to their city with the bright green relish and everything. Maybe next time.

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