THE BEST DISHES EATER SF EDITORS ATE THIS WEEK: APRIL 22

There’s certainly no shortage of excellent food to be found in San Francisco and the Bay Area — but there’s plenty worth skipping, too. Luckily for you, Eater editors dine out several times a week (or more) and we’re happy to share the standout dishes we encounter as we go.

Here’s the best of everything the Eater SF team has eaten recently. Check back weekly for more don’t-miss dishes.

Mofongo at Casa Borinqueña

Fried and smashed banana, formed into a cupcake-like shell, stuffed with Impossible chicken and a tangy chimichurri sauce is, unbeknownst to some, a dynamic, filling, and downright dank dish. Casa Borinqueña, one of five local vendors at the new Saluhall on Market Street, sells these bad boys for $13, almost criminal for the amount of gluten-free food one gets per order. Two mofongo cups arrive on the plate, hardy in crispy texture and packed with vegan meat. There’s a one-tone, sumptuousness to this mofongo that will satisfy fans of the Puerto Rican appetizer, cleverly riffed on by chef Lourdes “Lulu” Marquez-Nau. Nabbing orders of the bori yuca fries, similarly dressed in non-meat meat and mojo-style onions, plus a few pinchos, or skewers dunked in barbecue sauce that chew like plant-based chicken hearts, is well worth the over-eating. This family business, of the same network that includes popular burger spot Malibu’s, never fails to provide punchy and nostalgic dishes, rich and deep notes, and accessible price points for those looking to skip the animal meat. These mofongo cups are just another cousin in that branching family tree. Casa Borinqueña at Saluhall, 945 Market Street, San Francisco

— Paolo Bicchieri, Eater SF reporter

Huitlacoche tetela at Lucho Martinez at Snail Bar

I haven’t yet made it down to the culinary wonderland that is Mexico City, but this past Sunday saw famed Mexico City-based chef Lucho Martinez of Ultramarinos Demar and World’s 50 Best-rated Em cooking at Oakland’s own Snail Bar. The six-course menu was a real stunner, bursting with delicate but unmistakable flavors of spring: fig leaf custard glistened under a bushel of raw sugar snap peas gilded with tiny edible flowers, while single CD-sized tostada arrived with a layer of creamy scallop, Brokaw avocado, and a perfect quenelle of caviar. Best of all was the tetela, a triangle of masa filled with earthy huitlacoche and Oaxaca cheese. A pool of sesame buerre blanc begged to be sopped up and enjoyed to the last drop and was perfectly counterbalanced by a dusting of Tajin hazelnut crumble on top. I’d normally hate to wax poetic about a dish diners can’t go seek out on their own, but if nothing else, let this be your sign to head over the next time Snail Bar hosts one of its regular “Homie Nights.” Lucho Martinez at Snail Bar, 4935 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland

— Lauren Saria, Eater SF editor

Chicken tikka-ish pizza at Square Pie Guys

I’ve held onto this Best Dish for a couple of weeks, as I’ve been waiting for the moment when Square Pie Guys releases its limited run of Indian pizzas, and now’s finally the time: the chicken tikka-ish pizza is out this Thursday, and to be quite honest, I’m probably going to order another one for a dinner soon. As part of my interview with SPG’s Priya Kane and cookbook author Hetal Vasavada, I was able to sample the pizza ahead of time, and I have to say I’m a fan. The charred bits of tandoori chicken play well with the tikka-like sauce, all sitting comfortably on Detroit-style pizza dough. The cilantro-mint chutney, green onions, and pickled red onions lend a kick against those richer flavors of chicken and sauce, giving the pizza another dimension of taste. It’s another way to experience the Indian American dish and, as Kane and Vasavada mention, it’s a gateway into the locally beloved and invented Indian pizza. Hopefully, a slice of this pie will encourage people to explore further with visits to Zante’s and Mr. Singh’s. Square Pie Guys, with locations in San Francisco and Oakland, launches its Indian pizzas on Thursday, April 25 through the end of July.

— Dianne de Guzman, Eater SF deputy editor

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