Dosa had just opened a second restaurant on Fillmore Street (at Post) in Pacific Heights. The original Dosa is on Valencia Street in the Mission and it has become one of my favorite restaurants in SF. Dosa serves south Indian cuisine, which is very different from nearly all of the Indian food you find in San Francisco. The specialty of Dosa is dosas: thin crispy crepes with a variety of fillings such as lentils and mung beans, and side dishes of coconut and tomato chutneys. Dosa also serves soups, salads, main dishes and desserts. My favorites: mung bean salad, crab vedas, paper dosa, lamb curry and the Bollywood Hills cocktail made with saffron vodka.

• Vibe: Bollywood chic, mix of Pacific Heights families and singles, lively bar scene
• Pros: serves South Indian food (which is difficult to find in SF), the specialty - dosas - are very delicious; spicy unusual salads, savoury chutneys, unusual cocktails, excellent service
• Cons: can be very loud at times; street parking is difficult (the usual problem in Pacific Heights)

DOSA on Fillmore
1700 Fillmore Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
Cross Street: Post Street
+1 415 441 3672

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One of Mapplr’s readers alerted me to what many consider to be the best place for hummus in Tel Aviv — a restaurant called Abu Hassan, located in Jaffa. The first Abu Hassan opened in Jaffa on 1 Dolphin Street, but there are two other locations on Shivtai Israel Street. Abu Hassan is also known for very good masabacha and foul.

Abu Hassan
1 Dolphin Street
Jaffa, Israel
+972 03 682 0387
Sun-Fri 7:45-14:45 (or until the hummus is finished)

To find other good restaurants in Tel Aviv, go to:
http://www.mapplr.com/tag/tel-aviv/

After posting my review of Old Jerusalem (a Middle Eastern restaurant in the Mission that serves the best hummus in the city), I decided to post one of Good Frikin Chicken, a restaurant close to Old Jerusalem, that serves, in my opinion, the best kenafeh in San Francisco. Kenafeh is a Middle Eastern dessert that is made out of goat cheese, topped with honey.

They also have excellent falafel, hummus, dolmas, baba ghannoush, and as their name says, very good chicken dishes such as mosakhan (chunks of grilled chicken smothered in onions, olive oil, summak and pine nuts) and chicken shwarma. Although the name of the restaurant makes it seem like a chicken fast food joint, it’s not that at all. Definitely worth a visit.

• Vibe: ethnic dive in the Mission
• Pros: best kenafeh (Middle Eastern dessert) in SF, very good falafel; good alternative to Old Jerusalem; they cater for large parties so if you need lots of hummus, baba ghannous and Middle Eastern dishes, this is a good place to get them
• Cons: street parking not easy

Good Frikin Chicken
10 29th St
San Francisco, CA 94110
+1 415 970 2428
http://www.gfcsf.com/

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If you are looking for the best hummus, musabacha (hummus with chick peas, cilantro-parsley-olive oil sauce, paprika) and baba ghannoush in San Francisco, stop by Old Jerusalem in the Mission. I’ve been to Old Jerusalem many times and it is always very good: the falafel is delicious (not greasy at all) and the shish kabob is excellent. Best of all, they serve you side dishes of olives, pickled turnips, Turkish salad (onions in a cumin-tomato sauce that is very spicy), and bakdounsia dip (creamy tahini-cilantro sauce) that goes well with falafel. Prices are very reasonable: a large plate of hummus for $6.50, shish kebab with rice ($11.95). Old Jerusalem is the perfect place to order large quantities of hummus, baba ghannoush and knafeh (a dessert made out of goat cheese, topped with honey) if you are having a party.

• Vibe: ethnic dive in the Mission, hole in the wall restaurant with simple decor
• Pros: best hummus and baba ghannoush in the city, inexpensive, good service, very good Turkish coffee
• Cons: street parking, dark interiors, uninspiring decor

Old Jerusalem
2976 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
+1 415 642 5958
www.oldjerusalemsf.com

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Open Table Stimulus plan

$35 dinners, $24 lunches between November 17-21, 2008 plus 200 OpenTable Dining Rewards Points at participating restaurants in San Francisco.

All You can Eat Pizza at Local for $12.95

One of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco, Local Kitchen and Wine Merchant, on 1st Street between Folsom and Harrison, has an all you can eat pizza extravaganza for $12.95 every Sunday night. My favorite pizza is the vegetarian, which has huge chunks of artichokes. The pizzas are thin-crust and crispy, the wine selection is excellent. Read my review of Local.