sf
I am rather fond of "dives" and used to seek them out, got some of the best food at them. Back when i actually lived in the city i would go to the 'tenderloin' area of SF just for the small hole in the wall, inexpensive places, had my first taste of scallops there, mostly Asian at the time but there was a very good all you could eat 'smorgasbord' not far from the tenderloin. The Mark Twain hotel used to make an absolutely fabulous bacon cheese burger, and a little faux half timbered hut just off market near o'farrel that was a kind of German sausage place, also very good.
I don't get out a lot any more. But had a bongo burger in Berkeley today.
Jack La Strange's in Berkeley used to be an amazing place, its a parking lot now though. There was a time when it looked ominous from the outside, dangerous, in a bad, rough, neighborhood but the name always seemed silly for a real dive, when i finally got forced to go into the place it was amazing, least of all for the really decent food often served free there. ---- JL
