Red's Java House in San Francisco

Iconic, stalwart, classic. quintessential, legacy, institution, famous, historic —all variations of adjectives describing restaurants in SF that reached semi cult status with both locals and tourists and become must eats for pretty much everyone. We all know what they are as “must try” lists are rife with spots around town offering up a variety of international flavors representative of the myriad of food and cultures that abound around town. From Mexican to Italian to Chinese to bakeries to steakhouses to seafood and so on, there is a long time stalwart serving it up for the masses and locals where ninety percent-ish can agree—”yeah, you gotta try ‘em.”

But if you were leaving San Francisco, which one would you make sure to try one last time? An interesting question with a vast variety of answers I’m sure. Sometimes it isn’t so much about which one you try to get to as it is which one you just happened to stumble into by circumstance or happenstance and suddenly it becomes where you went on your way out. And as I’ve been alluding to the past few months, this now becomes the end for me in SF.

Anyone who has been reading my posts knows the last few years have been…..challenging….and eventually things just aren’t working out and changes need to be made, not necessarily by choice. That is pretty much what it came to and it wasn’t all pandemic related, which was only a small portion of it. SF is an expensive city, there is no argument about it. With two people it is manageable, with one, it is a drain. At a certain point in ones life, you start to feel you are too old to have two or more roommates, yet it suddenly becomes your only option and you begin to wonder, how long can I continue to struggle to make it work.

After the SO passed, this became my dilemma as I was forced out of our home and into my pre-couple years of making a go on my own and discovering that no place in this town will rent to you unless you are making two to three times the rent per month, even if you have a job. Thus driving you to the roommate route where you still find it will take a minimum of two to get a decent place in a reasonable neighborhood. And while I eventually (9 months pre-pandemic!) did find something. Yet a job at a company making a pivot and finding myself on the outs and a landlord who doesn’t care about the pandemic and is cashing in their banked rent increases (yes a thing in SF) and a master tenant who signed off on it and suddenly my mindset with it as I came up on a year at the end of the lease was, “ugh, I just can’t do this shit anymore at this point in my life.”

This, kids, is where hard life decisions need to made. Options need to be explored. And pros and cons lists need to be made. All things I did which ultimately drove me to make the choice to leave SF after 22 years and change to try and reset my life and figure out what my next chapter is going to be. These things are not easy to do when you sit down and reflect about all the plans you had with your SO. But life laughs at your plans and suddenly everything you’ve had comes crashing down. One’s worst nightmare coming true and a therapists dream. That is a lot of baggage to unpack.

I tried the whole find another place to live thing and yes, rents did come down but seriously, the difference between 2000 a month for a studio and 1850 and randomly negligible particularly when the income requirements are still in place and I just can’t do anymore roomies. Not to mention trying to find a new job when everything is shut down. In the end I might have been able to stick it out a bit longer and acquiesced to a tiny room and more housemates, but I felt exhausted and just wasn’t up for the challenge. Oddly enough, moving during a pandemic turned out to be the easiest thing I did. Renting a tiny U-Haul and driving across country to familiar parts turned out to be the least of my challenges.

Suffice to say, I’m now ensconced in a new environment where I can live alone mostly affordably and see whether this new situation works or if it is just a pit stop on a continuing journey. Only time will tell, but I am at least giving it time and effort to see what happens. What that means for this food blog, I’m still figuring out. Once I get a feel for the area and vibe, I will see what culinary direction it takes and go from there. Which means a bit of a break from posting to work it out. Which is another way of saying, timeframe unknown. I have some ideas ruminating in my ever swirling brain and will see where they take me.

Till then, my final journey of not reviews continues on its last stop which weirdly brought me to Red’s Java House. Before leaving SF I tried to meet up with friends for one last get together as much as possible considering most things were shut down. A couple of different sets of them figured a good spot to convene would be Red’s which seemed like the perfect ending to what for the most part, had been a perfect life in SF.

Red’s is all the things I mentioned at the start of all my droning. It also has the added factor of being right on the waterfront with stunning bay and bridge views and just a super short walk from where I spent over a decade co-habitating with the SO in what turned out to be the last real home I had. It has maintained its iconic status by offering up tasty diner food in a convenient setting with prices that won’t break the wallet. Being on the waterfront just a stones throw from Oracle Park also helps along with an outdoor seating area convenient in lock down times when those with outdoor seating could still serve it up with masks and social distancing. This last part is how I ended up here twice in the last month of my time in SF which in the end, seem all too fitting to go out on the affordable eats I feel I’ve championed in my nearly ten years writing this blog. Herewith then is my last not review of Red’s as the sun has finally set on my tenure in San Francisco.

What better way to while away the time and gossip with friends than munching on some crispy fish and chips. Eating fish while sitting next to San Francisco Bay watching the boats sail past and the gentle roll of the waves. It just seems to be the thing to do. Sure, it is a bunch a unhealthy deep fried goodness but who cares! The sun is out (table umbrellas are in play for me of course), it isn’t too hot or cold or windy or crowded. It is like your own hidden gem in SF—that you share with everyone else, in town and out. Again, who cares! We are outside for one brief shining moment for a pandemic and enjoying the small things we’ve had to give, do without, discard, put aside, etc. I do so love me some fried fish with a hearty side of tangy tartar sauce. The setting, the food, the water, the company, it all just seems to work in that moment. Alas it is fleeting, but I did enjoy the fish, the fries, the friends.

Who doesn’t love a burger? Yes, it really is more of a rhetorical question because if you don’t, then get out. Red’s does their a different SF way with two patties, cheese, pickles, onions, mayo and mustard on—what else—classic San Francisco sourdough. What’s not to like about that? Another rhetorical. Meaty, bready, cheesy, yummy. And yes they have an array of brews to match it with from Bud to trendy local micros. Just one of several reasons this spot has become so quintessential in town. They offer up the basic goods people want with a little twist without losing focus on just being tasty and affordable by SF terms. Just a few of the many reasons Red’s is always on must visit lists for locals and tourists.

And there it is, my last review, not review, whatever of Places I’ve Eaten in San Francisco. Is this the end? Not really rhetorical, and to be honest, I haven’t got a clue. I could find my way back to SF somehow, though considering my current situation, I’m not sure of the how. SF is one of those places where once you find your way in, you kind of learn how to manage it all and stay there as best you can. Once you leave though, it can difficult reestablishing a foothold. As for now, I’m just going to see where this current stint takes me. I’ve decided to give it a reasonable amount of time and have promised myself to make an effort to get out there and not just eat myself into oblivion while streaming and surfing. Well, maybe a little of that.

I’ll be taking a bit of a break from blogging and will eventually post about where and what I’m eating. Fortunately, I’ve had my shots but still not fully into eating indoors yet so it has been a lot of interesting (not really) take out and alfresco noshing with mask still at hand. I’ll decide later if any of it is worth sharing. Till then, continue to eat what thrills you, what looks good, what interests you and most importantly—what tastes good. It has been a good nearly ten year ride in SF, let’s see what the next phase of my life has in store. I’m pretty sure I’ve got more in me to follow the food so stay tuned, cause I still gotta eat, no matter where I am.