I eat dumplings like they’re going out of style, so it takes a really stupendous specimen to make me swoon. While I was visiting my family in the greater Bay Area over President’s Day weekend, Aunt Thao, Uncle Brian, and Cousins Megan and Madison introduced me to their favorite soup dumpling purveyor: Shanghai Dumpling Shop in Millbrae. And my lord, I swooned!
The Astronomer and I road tripped to the city by the bay this past President’s Day weekend. While the bulk of our days were filled with catching up with friends and family, we were able to sneak in one food-centric outing: Wise Sons Jewish Delicatessen. I love Jewish delis, both old school and new, so I was excited to taste this latest San Francisco treat.
Evan Bloom and Leo Beckerman, the two guys behind the operation, met in 2003 while studying at UC Berkeley. According to 7x7SF, the two threw a weekly 250-person barbecue for Hillel House, the Jewish student center, which led to a pop-up that eventually graduated into a stand at the Tuesday Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. In February of last year, they opened Wise Sons Jewish Delicatessen on 24th Street in the Mission.
The deli is run in fast-casual fashion, with a line snaking out the door most of the time. Since it was our first visit to Wise Sons, we took advantage of the extra few minutes to digest the menu and to make some tough decisions.
If I plan it just right, I can walk from my office to Sushi Kimagure, indulge in a swoon-worthy chirashi, catch up with a girlfriend, and walk back to work in just about an hour. It’s not something I can swing every week, but believe me, I would if I could.
While the brisk walk and good conversation offer an unbeatable break from the grind, it’s Sushi Kimagure’s fresh-like-you-wouldn’t-believe chirashi that keeps me coming back for more.