Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco · restaurant
A bright, no-frills Vietnamese counter-service spot near the park entrance that invests everything in the food and nothing in the room — which turns out to be the right trade. The grilled pork bánh mì comes jumbo and two-handed, built around house pâté, egg butter, and lemongrass pork on a baguette that holds together properly; popular items sell out by mid-afternoon. Get here early, add the shatteringly crisp egg rolls, and end with an egg cream coffee in the Hà Nội style.