Fins on the Hoof's Fried Oyster Sandwich

The Bay Area is home of many food trucks, the very best of which are part of an association called Off TheGrid.  Local events will often be hosted by Off The Grid, which means that patrons will have a host of gourmet delectables from which to choose.  Fins on theHoof essentially brings the ocean to the barnyard.  They combine seafood with land-food, and one item that really makes a winning combination is the fried oyster and bacon sandwich.  You may have never dreamed it would be possible to combine these two foods, but at Fins on the Hoof, this is allowed and encouraged.  This deeply indulgent sandwich combines two disparate yet destined to be united foodstuffs—bacon and oysters—on a soft roll with a garlic aioli spread.  Make sure you have plenty of room in your tum-tum, because this decadent sandwich could put you over the edge.

Lucca Ravioli Company's Deli Sandwich

The Lucca Ravioli Company, located in San Francisco’s Mission district, is a destination for fresh pasta, salty cured meats, and other gourmet import items.  However, a little known fact is that they actually make sandwiches.  The shop is not a typical sandwich shop—they don’t have any lettuce, tomato, onion, or other fixings to put on the sandwiches (though they do have packaged condiments, which the consumer can add to the sandwich after it is made).  What they lack in sandwich accoutrements, they make up for in their selection of meats and cheeses.  The deli case is lined with dozens of salamis, prosciuttos, and various cheeses.  Almost nothing is pre-sliced, which means that every sandwich is getting the freshest cuts of meat.  For around $5, they will construct a sandwich piled high with the meats and cheeses of your choice.  Their spicy soppressata and smoked mozzarrella are highlights.  If you like a sandwich that you have to negotiate with, try a Lucca Ravioli Company sandwich.

Bakesale Betty's Fried Chicken Sandwich

If you want to try one of the most delicious fried chicken sandwiches you’ve ever had, you need to make haste to Bakesale Betty in Oakland’s Temescal neighborhood.  Oh, and make sure you have plenty of time, because you WILL have to wait in line.  Open for only a few hours a day a few days per week, Bakesale Betty essentially only has two items for sale: the fried chicken sandwich, and chocolate chip cookies.  They take an all natural chicken breast, breaded and fried, served with spicy coleslaw on a soft roll.  Once you have gotten your sandwich, you can enjoy it seated at one of their several unconventional ironing-board tables.  That is, if you can find a seat.  Bakesale Betty is a neighborhood favorite as well as a destination eatery, so be prepared to deal with a throng of vigorous, hungry patrons.

Nopalito's Torta De Chilorio

Nopalito is a very special restaurant located in San Francisco’s burgeoning Divisadero/Panhandle district.  A spinoff from sister restaurant Nopa, Nopalito specializes in fresh, California-cuisine inspired traditional Mexican food.  The sandwich offered is a traditional torta.  Served on a fresh, soft roll, they pile on shredded pork, jack cheese, refried beans, avocado, and cabbage salad, all served up with freshly fried, house-made potato chips that almost melt in your mouth.  Some may argue that any torta that costs almost $10 is not a real torta, like the ones they serve from food trucks in The Mission.  But Nopalito’s torta is superior, due to its high quality ingredients and careful construction.  A plus about Nopalito is that it serves continuously throughout the day, meaning that it does not close down between lunch and dinner, as some restaurants do.  If you show up around 3 o’clock, you should be able to sit right down without waiting.

Straw's The Ringmaster

Straw is a carnival themed restaurant in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley district.  It has a colorful menu of delectable dishes that take inspiration from the kind of food you would find at a county fair.  One item on the menu that likely rattles the typical, healthy San Francisco diner is The Ringmaster.  The Ringmaster is a sizeable beef burger, served with all the fixings—this in nothing to bat an eye at.  What makes The Ringmaster such a standout item is that the burger is not served on a typical hamburger bun, but rather is sandwiched between TWO GLAZED DONUTS.  That’s right.  It’s not one donut cut in half, it’s literally one donut on the bottom of the burger, and one on the top.  The burger can also be upgraded to include cheese and bacon.  However, the burger does not come with a free ride in an ambulance, for it is surely to give even the healthiest diner an immediate heart attack.