Best (Cheap) Places to Eat in Union Square

For those of us who live in San Francisco, finding the really good places to eat on a budget in Union Square can be a serious challenge. There are a lot of chains and a lot of expensive options, and many of them are geared towards tourists’ tastes, so a lot of the options aren’t that interesting. When I moved my studio space to Market Street last year, I accepted the challenge and set out to find places to find a decent lunch for under $10.

Bio 

75 O'Farrell St, San Francisco, CA 94108

The low-down - Tiny, not many places to sit, but so close to Union Square that you can make a picnic out of it. They have a $9 lunch deal for under with half sandwich/half salad or small soup. And you can add coffee to this deal for an extra $1. They have, without a doubt, the most interesting mix of meat/vegetarian/gluten/gluten-free options. It is the kind of cafe that you can bring almost anyone to regardless of their dietary restrictions. They have daily quiches without the crust (great for anyone with a gluten allergy). And vegan concoctions too! Bonus - the food is delicious and I am especially partial to their case full of chocolate covered things - chocolate covered candied grapefruit peel being my chief weakness, followed by their homemade chocolate peanut butter cups.

Freshroll -

157 4th St, San Francisco, CA 94109

What to get - Um, the Freshrolls. Or the rice/noodle bowls, or the sandwiches.  Really, everything is good. It’s like the Vietnamese answer to Chipotle - everything is prepared to order right in front of you. My favorite thing to order is their bowl, and you can get it with half rice and half salad as the base. The lunch lines get long after 12:30 (especially if there is an event at Moscone) so I use the Order Ahead app to jump the line.

Westfield Mall Food Court -

865 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94103

Food Court?!? Food Court. If you grew up in any kind of suburb, “food court” probably makes you think of major chains and limited, greasy options - i.e. bland and unhealthy. Fortunately for us, the Westfield Mall bucks this trend by offering more local chains and higher quality restaurants for their food court. I love Andalé for their Tacos Dorados, tostada salad and aguas frescas. Caffe Central has the best lunch deal downtown. They have mini sandwiches for under $6, and you can add a side salad for $3. Their beet salad and kale salad are particular favorites of mine. I also love Loving Hut for their vegetarian (and vegan!) take on Vietnamese food.

Also enjoyed by me - Bristol Farms salad bar, Tu Lan - famously cheap Vietnamese food, Punjab and Little Dehli for awesome Indian/Pakistani food.

Bay Area Life: Check out The Bayview

The Bayview is not a frequently visited neighborhood by those who don't live and or work there. I've had a bit of time to explore now that the Etta + Billie studio is located in the neighborhood. Here are a few of my top picks if you find yourself in the Bayview or decide to make a full day of exploring some of its hidden gems.

South End of Bayview

Trouble Coffee - 1730 Yosemite Avenue
THE go to coffee spot. The barristas are incredibly nice (they take the time to learn your name), make killer coffee and have some delightful toast (and fresh coconuts). Grab a coffee and chill in the parklet outside.

CDXX - 5800 3rd Street
Cronut - I've never had the "real" cronut but the CDXX version is DELIGHTFUL. It's fried croissant like dough covered in cinnamon sugar and a drizzle of carmel. YUM. This spot also has good lunch options, really fresh salads and tasty burgers. Worth a visit.

El Primo Taco Truck Bayview San Francisco

Chorizo and Lengua Tacos from El Primo Taco Truck

El Primo Taco Truck - Yosemite Avenue & Jennings Street
This place has some of the BEST tacos in San Francisco. Seroiusly, I've tried a lot of tacos. Really fresh, fast and cheap. My favorites are the lengua (cow tongue), al pastor (bbq pork) and the chorizo. I shockingly haven't tried anything else yet but I'm sure it's delicious.

North End of Bayview

Flora Grubb Gardens - 1634 Jerrold Avenue
Gorgeous nursery/garden with incredibly helpful staff and a Ritual Coffee stand on site. Worth a trip to grab coffee, meander the garden and chill for a while.

Building REsources - 701 Amador Street
Inspiring place to walk around and check out the recycled building and landscaping supplies. There are old tiles, windows, toilets, cabinets, almost anything that can be salvaged from a building project. It's an upcyclers paradise. It's also cool to check out the funky planters, fountains and ponds the staff have built out of old materials.

Speakeasy Ales & Lagers - 1195 Evans Street
Way out on Evans, in a building straight out of 1975 is one of my favorite breweries (not a surprise that I've turned some of their beers into soaps). They have a tap room that is open Tuesday - Sunday from 1-10pm, food and music on certain Fridays, and daily brewery tours at 3:30 pm. Definitely check out some of the special limited edition beers on tap.

Retailer Feature : Collector Gallery

On the bustling College Avenue in Berkeley sits Collector Gallery. The shop's walls are lined with original artwork from local talent, and the shop is packed full of jewelry, art prints, ceramics, home goods, and every gift imaginable, mostly from local makers. It is one of the premier galleries and handmade shops in the Bay Area, and many members of the CBL are fortunate enough to have their products carried there. Skye and Christina are two of the most hardworking and sweetest shop owners around, so we are thrilled they could take a moment to answer some of our questions during this busy holiday season!

Why did you decide to open Collector Gallery?

We were both at turning points in our careers and wanted to make a change. We had an opportunity to try something new and we didn’t want to miss the chance! The idea for Collector evolved out of multiple dinner conversations. We had been going to Open Studio events for years, and we felt there was a missing niche waiting for a storefront selling affordable, original art. We wanted to create a carefully curated selection that focused on local artists, but also on independent makers from around the country. We wanted to be able to connect with the community both in supporting local artists and also providing an alternative shopping experience for our customers.

What were you doing before opening Collector?

Skye had been working for several years at an emergency veterinary technician. Although she cared deeply for the animals she saw every day, the trauma of emergency care was taking a toll. Christina worked for 15 years in nonprofit management and executive coaching. After having her son, she decided not to return to the 8-5 BART-to-the-city lifestyle. 

This year, Collector opened a sweet little storefront in San Francisco International Airport. Tell us a little more about how you got that great opportunity, and any challenges with being in such a different environment from your original storefront in Berkeley.

The airport put out a request for proposals in July 2013. Someone dropped a flyer off at our Berkeley store and encouraged us to submit! We crafted a proposal and were selected to be one of the first in the airport’s 5-year pop-up retail program. After we close in March 2015, another small local business will take over the storefront.

It’s a challenge to do business at the airport. There are many hurdles – from having every piece of inventory wheeled through security to mandated 16-hour days. Staff has to be badged by TSA, at $300 per person. And no one wants to work at the airport! Staffing has been a major challenge. Being there, we’ve realized why you see so many large corporations in airport spaces – they have the money and resources to more easily overcome the hurdles.

Despite these obstacles, it’s been a tremendous learning experience for us. We’ve been able to grow and take more risks. Operating in two locations has also forced us to streamline and improve our internal policies and procedures.

What are your favorite places to eat, drink, and shop around the Berkeley location?

We frequent Summer Kitchen for lunch, just a couple of doors down from us. They exemplify organic farm-to-table food with a friendly take-out sensibility. Right next door is Ici, one of the best ice cream shops in the Bay Area and totally worth a trip. When we tell people where we are located, we tend to just say “next door to Ici.” We love Vintage Berkeley, the locally-owned wine shop across the street. We buy our office products from Elmwood Stationers, and find that almost everything we need can be found within two blocks of our shop! We both have sons that love to find new books at Mrs. Dalloway’s, and the best latte in the neighborhood can be found at Elmwood Café.

What has been the most rewarding part of running your own business?

We are really different people and get different rewards the process. Christina loves problem-solving and multi-tasking, and thrives on getting to be HR, IT, operations, etc. depending on the day. Skye tends to connect strongly with the customers and really treasures helping someone find the right item to purchase. We both love getting to tell artists about sales!

How do you find new artists to feature in your shop and gallery shows?

Most new artists come to us by way of referrals from existing/previous artists. Many artists rotate through over the course of a couple of months, and they all have their own networks. For example, after our monthly artist receptions we typically receive a flurry of submissions from artist’s friends who came out to see the show. We also try to attend Renegade and other events that showcase artists and makers. Our model isn’t the right fit for everyone, so we try to be transparent and provide as much information as possible at the outset. We put our submission guidelines on our website and hand out informational flyers to everyone who inquires. 

Do you have any special events this holiday season?

Our neighborhood does “Third Thursday” events, so we always have something planned for those days, in addition to our monthly artist receptions (always on the second Friday). On October 16 we celebrated our three-year anniversary in Berkeley with a trunk show and artist talk, and that event inspired us to try more talks and demonstrations. We’re hosting East Bay printmaker Rich Fowler of Boarding All Rows on December 18- he’ll be bringing a small press for customers to pull their own small print with a holiday theme.

Thanks so much for sharing with us, Skye and Christina!

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Collector Gallery - Berkeley shop:

Monday-Thursday • 10 a.m to 7 p.m.

Friday-Saturday • 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Sunday • 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

2950 College Avenue • Berkeley, CA 94705 • 510-647-9355

Collector Gallery - SFO shop:

Every day • 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Terminal 3, Boarding Area E.