Some quick, capsule reviews/updates on places on or just off of Brannan Street near my loft, more or less geographically ordered with 7th Street at the top and 3rd Street at the bottom.

Mars Bar. Good place to drink. Great patio. Not impressed with food. Free Wi-Fi available intermittently in front room. No security code or TOS screen. Have not been able to access Wi-Fi in back room or on patio.

Susie’s Café. Cheap eats all-star. OK iced team. See previous review for more information. One pleasant development while I was in Florida at the beginning of the year is that Susie has returned to the stove after a car crash last year left her out of commission for too long a time. Wi-Fi? Are you freakin' kidding me???

Bechelli's Flower Market Café. An underrated favorite. Good iced tea. See Ten Most Underrated Restaurants, item #4 for mini-review. Note that, due to the economy, dinner service is now limited to Friday and Saturday nights. At dinner, have the lamb or linguine with clams. Free Wi-Fi. No security code or TOS screen.

COCO500. Personal favorite despite being annoyed with their recent burger price increase. Good iced tea. Feel that kitchen has slipped a tad since exit of former Top Chef contestant Jen Biesty (Scala's) and Justin Simoneaux (Moss Room). Don’t let that deter you. Just means that they’ve gone from being consistently spectacular to merely consistently exceptional and occasionally spectacular.

Fringale. Another personal favorite. Good iced tea. Unfortunately, the revolving chef door since Thierry Clement (L'ardoise) left spun one too many times. Some dishes such as charcuterie, steak frites, rack of lamb and gâteau Basque remain excellent. Other former stalwarts such as calamari and frisée salad were lacking the last time I tried them. Order accordingly. Still a good value versus most other French restaurants of similar quality in the City.
 
Bacar. Never been. Tried twice, closed for private parties both times. Menu and prices generally don’t appeal to me. Mention only because it would be conspicuous in its absence if I didn’t explain.

Brickhouse Café. Wish I’d figured out this place much earlier. Serves breakfast and lunch as walk up to counter to order. Dinner is full-blown sit down. Good though fruity iced tea. Consistently good though not spectacular food. Soups are usually winners. Burgers good. Order Smaller Ass – you don’t need the 10 oz. of beef in the Big Ass Burger unless you’re sharing. Remember, I’m a glutton and I’m telling you to cut back! For dinner, I recommend that peach-sauced pork. Used to be a chop but I think they just changed to loin. Friendly, personable staff. Free Wi-Fi. Must ask for security code. They request that you not use Wi-Fi during their lunch rush, from noon to 2:00 P.M.

Koh Samui and the Monkey. So-so. Unless you’re on foot and dying for Thai, skip it. If mobile, Grand Pu Bah, Basil Canteen and Manora's are all within a few minutes drive and much better.

Zeke's Sports Bar. Good for one and only one thing – watching sports while quaffing adult beverages.  A ton (their web site claims 20 — I haven't counted but it felt like even MORE to me) of great HDTVs, individually tunable to your favorite game. My favorite viewing spot during the Penguins' recent run to the Stanley Cup. I’m just guessing but they have maybe one TV for every two or three patrons at the bar and one for every three to five peeps in the back. Gets crowded before and after Giants home games. Do not, I repeat, do not eat the food unless your taste buds have been surgically removed.

A note about parking: Not good in the 'hood. Street parking is free near 7th, turns to meters as you move toward 3rd. Meters expensive, bring lots of quarters. Closer to 3rd, parking is very tough when the Giants are at home. If you know me and you're really stuck, call me on my cell and I'll tell you about a few locations that peeps from outside the neighborhood usually miss.

If you're around and want to grab a drink, tweet me on @grumpyglutton!