Eating candy and chocolate releases endorphins and endorphins make you HAPPY! At least that’s what the stuff at The Candy Store does for me! Located off of Polk Street in the Russian Hill area, this cute little haven of sugar is easy to miss if you’re walking by. Granted, it’s small, but the selection of goodies is anything but.

This place is definitely what I imagine heaven to be like if such a place does exist: there are glass jars full of candy of all shapes and colors lining the wall, rainbow-swirled lollipops, and plates displaying pieces of colorful gummies. Whether you’re a chocolate fiend or a fan of licorice, you’re bound to find something here to tickle your taste buds. The #1 reason I love The Candy Store though is the fact that they carry a variety of foreign candies and chocolates! Green tea Kit Kat from Japan. Bounty and Aero bars from Britain. Kinder chocolates from Germany.  If you’re having a hard time deciding on what to get, sampling is available for the stuff in the glass jars, which is always a plus.

The workers are all really nice and, if I may say so, sweet. Everyone I’ve encountered here are warm and welcoming, but I also have a theory it’s because they get to eat everything in The Candy Store! Great for a mid-afternoon sugar rush or a pre-dinner snack! |The Candy Store|

Peanut butter & jelly. Turkey & cranberry sauce. These things just make sense together. I  would like to propose a new addition though: red velvet cake batter and fried chicken! Trust me on this, it’s much better than it sounds. At American Cupcake, there are a bevy of delicious goodies to choose from, but their specialty RVFC (Red Velvet Fried Chicken) dishes are definitely worth trying.

Located on Union Street, this place offers two menus: a sweet menu and a savory menu. The sweet menu includes whoopee pies, cotton candy, and of course, cupcakes; while the savory menu offers comfort food such as mac’n’cheese and tomato soup. If you’re of age, there’s even a menu that suggests pairings of wine and sweets to enjoy. I would suggest buying the mini cupcakes because then you can try more flavors! The ambiance of American Cupcake is very futuristic: the inside looks like something straight out of a sci-fi movie and the overhead lights are constantly changing color, so don’t be surprised if your food takes on a red, wait, green…no, blue tinge! American Cupcake is open late except on Sundays, so if you’re in the neighborhood and need to satisfy your sweet tooth, definitely seek it out! |American Cupcake|

Hours of Operation:
Tues & Wed: 11am – 10pm
Thurs, Fri & Sat: 11am – 12am
Sun: 12pm – 7pm
Mon: Closed

Unlike other Indian restaurants in the city that exude a more ethnic ambiance, I was a bit surprised to find a modern space with industrial design elements. I love the |Emeco 111| chairs. Needless to say the interior is miles away from what one may have grown accustomed to when dining Indian.

Specializing in home-style Indian food, the menu is split between Kati rolls (similar to a taco) and Thali, which features multiple menu items served on a traditional metal platter. Both choices include their handmade roti, which is similar to a buttery tortilla. Dishes include Chicken Tikka, Chicken Tikka Marsala, Lamb Curry, Kebabs, and various vegetarian options. In addition to these menu options, the Thali platter is served with chutney, raita (yogurt), a veggie salad, and daal (lentils). Just be wary of the green pickled pepper relish for it packs a punch. Best of all, Kasa is open until 10pm, offering a healthier and more tasty option for late-night food. Delivery is available after 6pm every night. |Kasa Indian Eatery|

Hours of Operation:
Open Everyday: 11am – 10pm
Delivery after 6pm

In this day and age, it’s rare to find a decent meal for less than ten dollars. Enter Saigon Sandwich. This little gem of a shop serves up banh mi, the popular Vietnamese sandwich that combines a toasty French baguette with a long list of ingredients like roasted chicken, pork or even meatballs. The place is tiny (there are literally only three chairs set up at a small counter) so it gets cramped as people rush here during the lunch hours. Luckily, the women working behind the counter are always friendly and they manage to get the orders out quickly and efficiently.

So what is the best part about this place? The price and the quantity. The most expensive sandwich is the special combo, which costs around four dollars, and it’s STUFFED with ingredients. Upon unwrapping, the shredded and lightly pickled carrots and daikon, jalapeno peppers, and cilantro peek out from the top of the sandwich. And that heavenly first bite? From the flakey crust of the bread, to the rich pate and spicy jalapenos, the various flavors all work in perfect harmony. The shop closes kinda early, so if you can’t make it for lunch, try to get there in time to grab a sandwich or two for dinner. Cash only.

Hours of Operation:
Mon-Sun: 7am – 5pm

106 South B Street
San Mateo, CA 94401
(650) 548-1085

At first glance, it is difficult to be certain what exactly you are getting into at Tpumps.  There are mailboxes that line the left side of the wall; on the right side, a couple of chairs with a table.  There is just enough room in Tpumps for a line to form and for a few others to wait for their drinks off to the side.  The store is not only very small, but it is also doubles as a shipping center.  Although, there are at least two other places in Downtown San Mateo where one can get bubble tea, there are a few things about Tpumps that make it better than their competitors.

For instance, there are many options on the menu – you can get milk tea with green or black tea and you can add flavors such as passion fruit, almond, and chocolate.  The chocolate milk tea with black tea tastes just like chocolate milk; it’s a great option if you are not a huge fan of bubble tea!  The almond milk tea has a strong almond taste and is very sweet – great for almond fans!  My personal favorite is the Black Milk Tea with extra pearls.  If you like boba pearls, I would definitely recommend paying the extra $0.25 for extra; otherwise, the drinks are so big that you might be left wanting a little more pearls when you are finished.  You can also get traditional hot tea, which is also very good and is offered in a variety of flavors (the chocolate one is especially good).  The quality of all the drinks is excellent, so it’s hard not to find something for everyone.

What is unique about Tpumps is that they really allow you to customize your drink.  For example, you can ask for your milk tea to be “less sweet,” “regular sweet,” or “more sweet.”  Their customer service is really superb; the staff often asks you to try it to make sure it tastes good and are always open to your specifications.  They also offer rewards cards – after ten points you get a free drink (one point for each drink you buy) and you can save up your points and redeem them for other prizes.  One thing to be prepared for is the lines.  There is often a wait depending on the time of day; I’ve waited for as long as thirty minutes.  Fortunately, they have some magazines to keep you busy while you wait.  But I would suggest avoiding rush hour and getting a delicious drink without the wait. |Tpumps|

Hours of Operation:
Mon-Thurs: 9am – 10pm
Fri: 9am – 11pm
Sat: 11am – 11pm
Sun: 11am – 10pm

Located in the hip Marina neighborhood, Nectar Wine Lounge is a great venue for dates or for simply relaxing with friends while sampling a nice glass of wine. The lounge atmosphere here, which seems more ubiquitous in say New York or Europe than in SF, still offers an ambiance that’s conducive for great conversations over drinks. Patrons can either sit at the bar or in comfortable seats around the lounge. The hexagonal boxes (laden with wine displays) and the large windows overlooking Steiner Street, all add to the lounge’s ambiance. With a rotating wine list, you always have the opportunity to try new wines. With a nice eclectic mix of different varietals of whites, reds, rosés, desserts and bubbly, there is always a wine available for those with discriminating tastes and those that will only drink certain wines in certain seasons. With over 40 pages of wines available solely available by the bottle, their extensive international wine selection allowed me to try my first non-sweet Hungarian Tokaji wine (of which I promptly bought 5 bottles!). For those that aren’t into wine, they stock a few sodas and European beers, available by the bottle. Wines are available by the sip, glass or bottle – and are also sold by the bottle as retail. They also serve small plates, including some delicious flat-bread and cheese plates. |Nectar|

Hours of Operation:
Mon-Wed: 5pm – 10:30pm
Thurs-Sat: 5pm – 12am
Sun: 5pm – 10pm

Cheap sushi in the city is a dime a dozen. The sushi challenge in San Francisco is finding an inexpensive sushi restaurant that actually serves high quality sushi. Good and cheap sushi places come along only once or twice a neighborhood, but if you ever find yourself in the Outer Richmond, do not hesitate to stop by Kitaro to pick up a few awesome rolls.

Kitaro is a perfect place to grab a bite with a couple of good friends, or even a table for one. They have an extensive menu that caters to everyone’s taste, which is why sushi lover’s travel from all over the city to get their hands on the unique and amazing rolls here. Their Godzilla Roll is perhaps the most popular with its mix of spicy tuna tempura and their special house wasabi sauce, it quickly becomes any foodie’s first choice. If you’re looking for something that will wake you up with a bit of a kick, then try the Dynamite Roll. It’s a tuna roll that is lightly battered with Sriracha chili sauce drizzled across the top, yum yum. The combination of flavors gives any mouth a great experience.

Though its location on Geary and 22^nd does seem like a bit of a hassle just to get some sushi; it is hands down worth the ride on the 38 Muni line. Plus, next time you pick up something from Safeway, flip over your receipt, and you just might have a coupon for the restaurant. High quality and a great value, it doesn’t get much better than Kitaro. |Kitaro|

Hours of Operation:
Mon-Sun: 11:30 am – 10 pm

If you are going to splurge and have ice cream, you might as well have real ice cream. The great thing about Smitten Ice Cream is that it is made with fresh ingredients, all locally sourced. Smitten also strives to make their ice cream with as few ingredients as possible. So you’re not only supporting local businesses, but you’re getting ice cream made with high quality and seasonal ingredients! Smitten’s ice cream is different from other ice creams because it is made right in front of you with an ice cream machine they’ve patented called the Kelvinator, which uses liquid nitrogen to rapidly freeze the ingredients.

The shop is a former freight container that houses the machines and little else. For those enjoying their customized dessert immediately, there’s bench seating that offers an unobstructed view of the ice cream making process. Smitten offers a few ice cream flavors, including weekly and seasonal specials, such as Salted Caramel and Sticky Toffee Pudding. Additionally, they have classics like TCHO dark chocolate and vanilla, which are always available.  The menu even lists the ingredients used to make each flavor, so you know exactly what you’re eating! I tried both the chocolate and vanilla. They made both right in front of me, only taking about a minute each!  Both were very rich and creamy, which meant I didn’t need a lot – the smaller portions they offer were perfect!  They were also very smooth and cold; there is nothing lost making the ice cream as it is ordered.  The chocolate was very chocolate-y and you could tell it was made with quality chocolate. I’m looking forward to going back and trying more flavors! |Smitten Ice Cream|

Hours of Operation:
Sun – Thurs: 12pm -9pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 10pm

375 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 252-0800

Hours of Operation:
Mon-Sat: 7am – 8pm
Sun: 8am – 8pm