some kind of a food guide.

this may prove helpful to some -- here are a couple places that i've been giving my business... this list is potrero/soma-centric because that is where i spend almost all of my time in the city.

where to buy:

olivier's butchery - best meat in town! you know it's for real when more of the items are listed in french than english. the butcher, olivier cordier has it all, and it is GOOD. his shop is in dogpatch on 3rd and illinois, and reason number 8798 why i love my neighborhood. we get grass-fed beef and lamb from here, and pastured pork. he is so enthusiastic about his meat, and you can ask all kinds of questions about it. they know what they are doing. love this place.

my purchase today: this much meat cost about $55, and will be good for many meals!

farm fresh to you - we get a regular box every two weeks! i love the stuff we get from here, and it changes with each box. i like to be challenged to cook with the stuff we get (this week we have bok choy and persimmons, whaaaa?), but the best part is you can tell them what things NOT to send you, and how often you want your delivery. and you can look on the website to check what is coming in your next delivery beforehand.

gluten-free reviewer grocery: also on illinois, a few blocks down from olivier's at mariposa, has some really cool things they carry in their shop - like assorted seaweed snacks and kale chips. there is some area of crossover with paleo eating and gluten-free diets, so a person may find a couple handy things in this shop. but be careful not to get things made with rice or corn!

whole foods - everyone knows "whole paycheck". we get mostly everything else here...eggs, butter, oils, miscellaneous fruits and veggies, etc.

trader joe's - i really heart TJs, but you gotta check the labels on the things you buy here. it's less bad than a lot of other things you could eat, but they do sell a lot of tempting processed foods. try to avoid them. one thing i buy from here a lot is their seaweed snacks. they look like this.

things i've had eating out:

south park cafe in soma - i've been there a couple times. this is one of my top choices for lunch. their "pig salad" is delish, and they have a duck leg confit thats also really good (just don't eat the potatoes!).

chez maman in potrero hill - delish burgers. just get it without the bun and salad instead of fries.

pera in potrero hill - i'm a fan of the sultan's delight -- tender lamb pieces on top of eggplant puree. it's really good.

21st amendment in soma - they have a good burger and i'm also a fan of the half a jerk chicken. so good.

seoul patch in potrero hill - polotek and i LOVE this pop-up korean-inspired lunch place housed in rocketfish. their menu isn't exactly paleo, and it changes every month, but the chef eric is really awesome and will tweak his dishes to accommodate. for example i had his torta koreana this week, but he made it into a salad for me (sans bread). i've been going here every week for the last couple months and i haven't tired of it one bit!

axis cafe in soma - been there for brunch. their braised pork dish is tasty (ordered without beans and tortilla).

pastured eggs and bacon from olivier's

ozone thai in soma - i frequent their $6 take-out lunch, usually whatever curry chicken they have that day and spicy string beans (no rice).

easy breakfasts: 

crabby eggs - i usually get a container of (real) crab meat from whole foods, and toss it in a little dijon mustard. then i lightly scramble some eggs and cook it all up in a nonstick pan. i use some emeril's essence seasoning to punch it up. it's awesome.

eggs and sausage or bacon - pretty straightforward. i usually cook the eggs in butter and bake the bacon in the oven so i can save the fat for something else...like making kale chips!

kale chips fresh out of the oven

quick snacks:

kale chips - easy to make, fun to eat! there's a recipe that's paleo friendly and easy to follow here.

raw almonds - i try to always keep some in my bag. it's an easy snack if you are on the go and hungry. and you don't have to eat many to take the edge off.

in case of (sweet-tooth) emergency:

have a piece of fruit. low sugar fruits like berries are best, but it won't be the end of the world if you have an apple or a pear.

and dark chocolate. the darker the better. i try to keep this to a real minimum....maybe having one little square every couple days. a  new favorite is vosges dark chocolate bacon bar. oh dear god, it's so good. just one square at a time, though. 

you really can't give into the temptations overall. make sure that you are having something sweet because you choose to, not because you can't help yourself!

feel free to send me your thoughts on other sf goodies and places!