San Francisco Blog

M. Ladd

Bourdain (left), buddy Oscar Villalon, and a crew member outside That's It.

That's It Market (2699 Mission at 23rd St.) seemed to be the one spot in the San Francisco episode of No Reservations unknown to most local foodies. Until now, that is. Since the episode aired on Monday, more folks are making their way to That's It's than ever before. In a phone call with SFoodie today, That's It confirmed that torta-maker Alicia has begun serving food two hours earlier than usual -- she fired up her griddle at noon today instead of 2 p.m. At about 7:30 last night, nine customers were reportedly ordering the same torta Cubana that Anthony Bourdain scarfed in the show, roughly four more diners than seats. But how in the hell did Bourdain find his way to this obscure corner of the Mission in the first place?

We admit it -- this blogger is the one who suggested That's It to the No Reservations host. Yes, there are many other torta places in the Mission with great eats. So why That's It? Well, the food is good (both the tortas/quesadillas/tacos and Middle Eastern fare), it's open late, and you can get booze. We met with Tony's location scout, Rich, at That's It over a Cubana just days before the shoot in March. He dared us to eat the whole thing. We weren't up to the challenge.

Eater SF, Chowhound, and other sites (as well as countless tweets) have tagged That's It a surprise location for the show -- some commenters are even calling the Cubana "gross." While it is huge, we remain committed fans; and yes, if you're drunk, it'll sop things up real quick-like.

This blogger wrote about That's It's megasandwich on the Jalapeño Girl blog in 2006: "Turns out the torta cubana is at least two meals in one -- a huge monster, weighed down with a delicious mix of: pickled jalapeno, grilled onion, tomato, avocado slices, lettuce, two fried eggs, bacon, mayo, queso, sliced ham & chicken, Mexican chorizo, shredded chicken and pork, refried beans, and cubed ham." We have to say, even in the face of all the post-broadcast criticism: It's still a freakin' tasty monster. More pics after the jump.

M. Ladd

Not exactly a foodie destination.

M. Ladd

The kitchen setup doesn't favor getting slammed.

M. Ladd

Villalon, Bourdain, and the crew: On the verge of immortality.

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