Straits Café - SOMA

That's right, we eat at a mall, a kick-ass mall here in San Francisco that is. We've spoken about the Lark Creek Steakhouse in the mall, freakin' awesome cow. Hey, one of the best movies ever made had a buncha kids that worked at the mall: Fast Times at Ridgemont High. It's that magical place where Stacey Hamilton and Mark Ratner "fell in love" before the sl*t got knocked up by that slime Damone. I digress. Ya momma's alright, ya daddy's alright, they just seem a little bit weird...surrender. Ok, I'll stop.

Now it's time to tell all you VdVers about Lark Creek's neighbor Strait's Café. This place is rockin', even before we found out that our friend Lawrence usta work there a long time ago. Apparently it doubles as a "club" in the evening with a live DJ but seriously we'll go as far as to DRINK & EAT at the mall, (as long as it's not in the food court) but we certainly ain't "hangin'" at the mall at night. That's for the ole' bridge and tunnelers. What, It's true.

The question is: Would I go there if I wasn't going to the mall? The answer is: Probably not, but it's a DAMN good place to break up the shoppin' day. Takes the sting outta spending large ya know?

Apparently it's a chain, 5 spots, mostly in the Bay Area but one in the ATL. (Gotta love the ATL btw, at the airport the bartender asked us if we wanted our wine in to-go cups to take on the plane. Wow.)  Great small plates at this happenin' spot. The chicken wings are a bit weird though. You know when they take the chicken off the bone, mash it up and put it back on cuz they think you think it's cool? Well it's not. Creeps me out actually. The rest of the bar menu rocks. Go there, knock back a few, nosh and get yer shop on!

Straits Cafe
Westfield - San Francisco Center
845 Market St. $th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94103
415-668-1783
Valet Parking available on Mission St. Side