Burger Wars - Joe's 24th St. Cafe - 3853 24th St. at Vicksburg, SFCA

  Joe's is another one of those neighborhood places that's been around forever and a day, and I hope it keeps on keepin' on. Now that Hopwell's and Herb's are gone, we're left with trendy Toast as the only other breakfast option; OK, maybe we can include Savor.
   I was a little late for breakfast so I decided to forge ahead in the Burger Wars search for excellence. Pictured is your standard Cheeseburger (10) with a side of Onion Rings (1). All this burger lacked was some pickles. Good charbroiled flavor, cooked medium rare with jack cheese on a slightly crispy bun. probably a third lb. patty. I know I've violated my abstention from battered rings again, but I will say these were pretty good, the batter being thin and very crispy and not too oily.
   I wouldn't make this a destination burger, but if you're in the 'hood go for it. If you're looking for something else, Joe's menu covers breakfast, lunch and dinner and most reviews I saw had only good things to say.
   The burger gets a 4 out of 5 on the Food-O-Meter

The Front Porch - 65A 29th St., between Mission & San Jose, SFCA

   A few months back, I won the First Annual Front Porch Chili Cook-Off. I'll admit there were only four entrants, and the other three were employees of the restaurant! Anyhoo, they gave me a gift certificate for $25 and I felt it was time to cash in the other day. Now, you may have read my two other reviews of The Front Porch in which I extolled the virtues of their ham steaks and fried chicken. This last visit followed closely on the heels of our visit to Daddy O's, where we enjoyed some very nice shrimp and grits and fried okra. Well, I decided to do a little comparison dining. Here you see the Fried Okra (6), cooked whole instead of sliced and nicely presented. Lots of good crunch here and little grease. I think I like the ranch dressing at Daddy O's a little better, though.
   And then there's the Shrimp and Grits (14.5) which I have to say was a bit of a disappointment. Not a lot of grits and five shrimp, sitting in an odd flavored soup that tasted faintly of sherry or something. There was cheese but not much, and some kind of mushroom cut in strips that added little to the flavor. I liked the poached egg on top and that was about it.
   They have acquired a liquor license and you now have a limited selection of the hard stuff if you need a bracer with your brunch.
   I still like this place a great deal and encourage you to give it a whirl. Be forewarned, it's small and it gets busy, especially at Saturday and Sunday brunch.

Kennedy's Irish Pub & Indian Curry House - 1040 Columbus Ave at Chestnut, SFCA

   Another coupon burning a hole in my pocket, and I had to fly solo on this one. I was curious to see what had become of one of my long ago haunts, the Refectory Steakhouse. Back in the 70's I lived about a block away on Jones St. across from the Art Institute and spent many an afternoon sitting at the bar, playing pinochle for money with Mike the bartender and a couple of other regulars, and occasionally I would enjoy one of their great steaks.
   Well, the interior hasn't changed much except for the addition of a couple of pool tables. Somehow between the Refectory and the current occupant, they lost their liquor license. They're strictly wine and beer

and they have a very nice collection of draft and bottled beers.
   At the top, Bhindi Masala (10.95), a mild curry of okra and other vegetables. I like my okra to have a little firmness to it if it not in a gumbo, and this seemed overcooked and mushy. The overall flavor was good but the consistency threw me off.
   Lamb Vindaloo (11.95) has always been a favorite. I asked for a bit of heat in this and I wasn't disappointed. It wasn't as hot as the same dish served at Zante's Pizza & Indian Food out on Mission St., but that's okay because the average person can't handle it that hot. This curry had a wonderful blend of spices that you expect in a vindaloo, and good balance between meat and potato.
  To see the full menu, go to:www.kennedyscurry.com

Cat Head's BBQ - 1665 Folsom near 12th St., SFCA

    Our newest kid on the BBQ block is located in the old Big Nate's BBQ. At the top is the Coca-Cola Smoked Brisket Combo (12). The meat is marinated in the Coke, which helps to tenderize it, and then smoked. They're using primarily cherry wood, which doesn't leave a very heavy smoke flavor in the meat. The meat itself was tender without being mushy, with some bits of 'brownies' on the edges. You have a choice of a sweet ketchup-based sauce and a Carolina-style mustard sauce, neither of which is overly tasty. There is also a small bottle of habanero sauce that can be used to inject some life into the former two. The beans were flavorful and cooked slightly al dente. The slaw is pretty average.
   The St. Louis Rib Combo (14) features falling-off-the-bone meat that also lacks any distinctive smoky flavor. I asked if there was any rub because I couldn't detect any on the meat's surface. I was given a taste of the house rub which seemed to be primarily chile powder, salt and garlic.
   I can't say I'm knocked out by this place, but I'm willing to go back to try the pulled pork on a sando and some habanero slaw or pimento mac 'n' cheese.

Daddy O's - 294 9th St. at Folsom, SFCA

   Everybody's jumping on the Southern/BBQ bandwagon and here's just one of them. Johnny Davis assured me it was good and basically I agree. Joining us was Dion, part owner of Bender's along with Mr. D. Starting off, a plate of Fried Okra (6) served with ranch dressing. I'm a sucker for this and while I prefer cornmeal, this was just as good and plenty for three people.
   Dion was in breakfast mode and ordered the Country Breakfast (6.99) with bacon and grits. I don't think I've ever seen just two strips of bacon, unless it's a special with two sausage patties as well. Apparently it was sufficient for him. The down part was large glass of Fresh Orange Juice (3.75) that wasn't that fresh.
    To get my cornmeal fix I ordered the Fried Catfish (12.95) with collards and candied yams and a jalapeno cornbread muffin. Outstanding is all I can say - thin fillets cooked to a nice crispness, not oily, with a decent tartar sauce. The collards had a touch of bitterness but the yams were great, with just enough sweetness and cinnamon. The yams are just one of numerous sides to choose from.
   Johnny is hooked on the Shrimp And Grits (14.95) and though he vowed to get something different this time his resolve failed at the last moment and I can't say that I blame him. Good cheesy grits and a nice quantity of shrimp with a little spinach - what more could you ask for?
   Well maybe a piece of  Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie (5.25) with whipped cream, heated up to boot. Perfect ending to a soulful meal.
    4 on the Meter (out of 5). Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The Potsticker - 150 Waverly Pl., between Clay, Washington, Grant and Stockton, SFCA

    This was my sixth or seventh visit to this resto, and it's helping me put it in my Top Ten Chinese Restaurants. Not every dish has been spectacular, but on this venture we all agreed that everything was spot on. I was accompanied by Ms. Kimberly and The Two Brians, as they will be known. Unbeknown to me, The Two Brians have been here a few times already, so they were prepared to try some new dishes. Ms K. has a thing for the string beans, so they were a must.

   At the top we have the Beef in Hot and Numbing Spicy Pot (18.95). I think the price is a bit steep, but the dish itself is great. It has pieces of lotus root, mushrooms, corn on the cob and a rash of red chiles and Sichuan peppercorns. It will definitely awaken you.
   Next up, the Fish Fillet of Sole with Crispy Garlic Flavor (12.95). I could have used even more garlic, but this was also a wonderful dish. The fish wasn't limp and soggy nor oily, and even though it's undoubtedly frozen, the flavor was good. Also, a generous portion in my book. I'd rank this right up there with the seaweed battered fish at Bund Shanghai.
   And here's those aforementioned Dry Sauteed String Beans (7.95). We always ask for extra garlic in these just because we like garlic, but you could have them as is and still be satisfied. Always fresh and cooked perfectly, leaving a good crunch against your teeth.
   And lastly, the Chicken with Explosive Chile Pepper (10.95). Here they serve it on a much smaller plate than Z&Y and most of the peppers are on the bottom. The chicken has a fabulous rub on it, and I honestly think the serving portion was bigger than Z&Y's. I didn't have a single chunk that was dry and overcooked. Everybody was knocked out by this one, and rightfully so. If you only come to this resto once, this is a must-have dish.
   I like the fact that they are now serving a number of dishes on these straw baskets. It's not only aesthetically pleasing but also allows any excess oil to drain onto the plate beneath. Also, it's hard to see, but the beef pot is resting on a small gas hotplate, keeping it nice and warm.
   If you like it hot, give The Potsticker a try. BTW, the Chinese name for the resto is I Ping, which doesn't mean 'potsticker'. A rare 5 on the Meter (out of 5).

Shabu Pub - 3809 Geary Blvd. at 2nd Ave., SFCA

   Shabu Pub occupies the site of Rohan, a Korean style shoju bar that replaced my all-time favorite Chinese restaurant in SF, Happy Family. It's now almost semi-tiki and serves shabu-shabu, the traditional Japanese hot pot, along with sushi on the dinner menu. I had a coupon for $20 and I hadn't had this dish in probably 35 years, back when I lived near the Japan Center.
   At the top you see your pot with a broth of your choice - I chose the spicy miso - your spoons, some peanut dip and light soy sauce. The server gets the broth going and then brings your choice of meats and/or vegetables and rice. I selected the Regular Seafood (12.99) which includes shrimp, scallops and mussels. You also get a bowl of vegetables, fish cakes, rice noodles and vermicelli. I neglected to take a shot of the bowl before dumping it in the pot, but you can see what I'm talking about in the third pic. The server brought the seafood first, all of it right from the freezer, but it cooked up quickly and I removed all of it back onto the plate so it wouldn't overcook. I then helped myself to a little of the vegetables and broth, a mussel or a shrimp, a little more from the pot and so on. Oh, and a nice glass of Shrimp Tempura (6.99) - I just needed something fried.
   They have an all-you-can-eat for $28, and you get a scoop of ice cream with your meal. Fresh oysters are $.99, which were unfortunately not available if you use a coupon, which doesn't make much since to me.
   The sushi looks interesting and I'm going to wait on giving this place a rating until after I try it. Check 'em out at:www.shabupub.com