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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