​The quesadilla has become a staple of late night drunken consumption. Frat boys the nation over have staved off the gnarliest of hangovers with hunks of cheese, possibly smothered in Sriracha, sandwiched between two crisply grilled circles of tortilla.

It's a simple, filling staple of Tex-Mex cuisine, one you might have gotten used to ignoring on menus with a more dynamic set of dishes. Papito's, the Mexican little brother of the Chez Papa/Chez Maman family, has married the classic finesse present in so many of their traditionally French-tinged dishes to this lowest common denominator of chow. The result is rather special.

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Jonathan Kauffman

Seoul Patch's Korean fried chicken sando.

​Four months after its debut, Seoul Patch, a lunchtime popup operating out of Rocketfish in Potrero Hill, continues to evolve. Chef Eric Ehler's been spinning out his original ideas -- all Korean-American culinary juxtapositions -- into new forms, bulking out the menu with new dishes (brussels sprout chips, ramyeon) and cooking more elaborately in his nighttime activities as co-chef of Reform Club's Sunday dinners at Specchio.

And then there's a dish that started out on Seoul Patch's inaugural menu and just keeps improving: the KFC (Korean fried chicken) sando. Right now, he's stuffing as many chunks of craggy, crunchy fried chicken thighs onto a French roll as he can fit, nestling them into a mayonnaise-rich slaw and brushing a sweet-spicy red sauce onto the bread.

Actually, SFoodie wanted more of that sauce, gochujang (fermented chile paste) spiked with caramelized garlic and ginger, not incendiary so much as savory. Ehler says he's about to tweak the sandwich again, taking the sauce closer to Chinese sweet-and-sour, but until he does, ask him to double the sauce on your sandwich. Nah, triple it. Just as good: the earthy sesame-oil dressing on the salad greens served alongside, which Ehler thickens with ground, toasted sesame seeds.

Bunrab

Just another reason to go to Plow.

​​Maxine Siu and Joel Bleskacek's Plow is deservedly considered one of the best breakfast/brunch spots in the city. Immaculately conceived and executed home fries, lemon-ricotta pancakes worth scuffling over, and dish after dish of homey American breakfast standards fine-tuned to a delectable degree put Plow in the must-eats category in terms of morning meals. More >>

Farley's Coffee

There are big changes afoot at consummate old-school coffee shop Farley's. Long considered the Bay Area example of a coffee shop dedicated to community and the creating of an open, active space for cafe-goers to meet and hang out, Farley's is introducing a few modern ticks to its 30-year-old model.

The first of is a switch from veteran Sunrise Roasters to the quickly growing De La Paz Coffee, a decision in the works for over a year. Chris Hillyard, current co-owner of Farley's, said about the switch, "Farley's is about being a part of the community, providing a space for people to come together and be in relationships, show interesting art, support nonprofits and host events. Now, we want to be successful because of who we are AND provide great coffee."

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Almost delicate

Gaby y Liz: Corner of Mariposa and Carolina
Customers at this chill taco truck range from Potrero-ites in sleek eyewear to working guys in uncool ball caps, but the vibe skews more homie than hipster. Credit the fusty, roasted-barley smell wafting from nearby Anchor brewery, a ghost of SF's blue-collar past. The food is just as burly, even though some taco fillings are tasty enough to seem almost elegant. Take lengua, which delivers soft, gray hunks of tongue doused in mashy tomatillo salsa. Tinga - chicken stewed with onion and chipotle-spiked red sauce - gets a lift from feathery bits of cilantro. All delicacy ends at the Torta Cubana, a mayo-gilded sammy weighed down with three meats: seared ham, shingle-like slices of roast pork, and a pair of split, blistered hot dogs. It'd fuel the most punishing workday -- assuming you survive.

(S.F. sushi spots create specialties far more regionalized than just the California Roll; image via Flavor J)

It's not that the California Roll isn't appreciated, but it sure is fun to see sushi joints naming their maki after the neighborhoods where they operate. Here are 10 that stand out:

1. Potrero Veggie Roll (asparagus, scallions, tofu, carrots, avocado, inari) at Blowfish Sushi (2170 Bryant)

2. Marina Roll (shrimp and avocado) at Enoshima (2280 Chestnut)

3. Castro Rainbow Maki (Crab, avocado, tuna, sake, albacore, ebi and halibut) at Crazy Sushi (3232 16th St.)

4. North Beach Roll (baked sushi with tiger shrimp, avocado, imitation crab, cucumber inside, wrapped with smoked salmon and topped with aioli sauce) at Sushi on North Beach - Katsu (745 Columbus)

5. Divisaderoll (choice of tuna or amberjack, avocado, masago) at Tataki Sushi and Sake Bar (2815 California)

6. Sunset (ikura and quail egg wrapped with salmon) at Jimisan Sushi Bistro (1380 9th Ave.)

7. The Fillmore (saba, shiromaguro tartare, gobo) at Yoshi's (1330 Fillmore)

8. Fort Point (grilled asparagus and avocado topped with seared Kobe beef, fried shallots, garlic ponzu) at Tokyo Go Go (3174 16th St.)

9. Barracuda on Market (rice paper wrapped, dried pineapple, red tuna, salmon, kaiware, avocado, wasabi, tobiko, blueberry and mango sauce) at Barracuda Sushi (2251 Market)

10. S.F. Wave Tsunami (cooked red tuna chopped with ginger and green onion wrapped in egg and served with Kabuto seaweed gravy sauce) at Kabuto (5121 Geary)

Notes by Tamara Palmer, Photos by Tim Pratt

Radio Africa & Kitchen is a self-proclaimed "nomadic restaurant" from Chef Eskender Aseged hosted by Coffee Bar in Potrero Hill on Thursday and Friday nights. Aseged is self-taught and credits a combination of growing up in Ethiopia, traveling extensively through Africa and Europe (particularly countries along the Mediterranean and Red Sea) and observing the chefs while working as a waiter at San Francisco institutions such as Campton Place and Boulevard as key inspirations for his eclectic, world-wise style. He offers a different menu each week as a DJ spins grooves from the continent. A recent visit there found flavorful and colorful plates, unfussy dishes that made a strong impression.

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