The Challenge: Big Eat 2013

San Francisco foodies got a critical email blast at the end of January. The next round of 7x7's 100 Things to Eat in SF Before You Die is out.

They blew it wide open this year, with 80 new entries. I'm simultaneously annoyed to have lost all of that progress from last year, but delighted to have so many delicious new things to try!

In 2012 I clocked out at 38 out of 100. Pretty good, but I was really hoping to hit the halfway point. Highlights include:

 

Cellophane Noodles with Crab at The Slanted Door. Indelibly slender noodles dressed in something tangy with a tantalizing hit of sesame. Shreds of Dungeness crab throughout. Exquisite. Extraordinary.

Custard French Toast at Nopa. A thick slab of coarse bread soaked in rich egg custard and seared until caramelized at the edges. Fabulous fresh cocktails. Well worth the wait.

Hamburger at 4505 Meats. A 7-dollar burger from a farmers' market stand. It tastes even better if you eat it in the sunshine outside the Ferry Building, while giving sea gulls dirty looks.

 

Clam Chowder at Anchor Oyster Bar. I really need to step up my game with the oysters in town--I still haven't made it to Swan Oyster Depot or Hog Island, which is disgraceful. But Stevie and I love this neighborhood joint in the Castro. The waiter who has served us a couple of times at the bar is so nice. This one time, the kitchen was running behind, and he kept plastering us with free oysters and chowder while we waited. Like, that nice.

Time to get serious.