San Francisco Fillmore District
The Fillmore neighborhood of San Francisco is not an "official" neighborhood, but the term is used by many locals, including myself, to describe the area where they live. Fillmore Street stretches from the Marina Green at the tip of the peninsula to Duboce Street just above Market. However, most people use the term the Fillmore to refer to the area along Fillmore between Jackson Street in Pacific Heights and Golden Gate in the Western Addition. The Fillmore encompasses both one of the most affluent neighborhoods in San Francisco as well as one of the least affluent. I have been a resident of the Fillmore since moving to San Francisco and I love the neighborhood. I live towards the lower end of Fillmore, but enjoy being a short walk away from some really great neighborhood shops and restaurants.
Shopping and Restaurants
If you begin at Jackson and Fillmore and walk down hill, you will notice that chic boutiques and day spas gradually give way to Check Cashing stores and fast food establishments. It is precisely this diversity that I love about the Fillmore. Along your walk, you pass by several notable restaurants and cafes. The first is the Jackson Fillmore (2506 Fillmore Street at, you guessed it, Jackson) a quaint Italian restaurant that features moderately priced Italian food. For a party of two, I recommend a spot at the counter where you can chat with the bar tender over a glass of Chianti and a bowl of risotto. A couple of blocks down the street is Leticia's (2301 Fillmore Street at Clay). This Mexican restaurant was originally a gay bar known as Alta Vista. The food is typical Cal-Mex and the Margarita's are good, but don't expect great service.
A few blocks down the street, is the Elite Cafe (2049 Fillmore Street), which features private dining booths, New Orleans style dishes and is purported to be one of Robin Williams' favorite restaurants. You can also stop for a tasty Argentinean style gelato at Tango Gelato (2015 Fillmore Street). Tango Gelato is one of neighborhood hang outs that I visit most frequently. I love their gelato. My favorite flavors are Chocolate Chip and Coconut Chocolate Chip, but I always try a new flavor whenever I go in. You can enjoy your gelato at a one of the small outdoor tables or on one of the benches built into the front windows. What a really great treat.
Across the street on the same block is the Grove (2016 Fillmore Street). The Grove is a casual cafe and dining spot featuring simple breakfasts, sandwiches, salads, soups and hot dishes. This trendy cafe attracts a vibrant crowd and is always busy.
For square pizzas stop by the unusually painted Pizza Inferno (1800 Fillmore Street). This pizza place has been serving great pizzas since 1994. Favorites include the Number 11 (Roma tomato slices, walnuts, basil and feta) and the Thai Chicken with peanut sauce.
One of my favorite San Francisco restaurants is Chez Nous (1911 Fillmore Street at Bush). Chez Nous features small tapas-like plates with a French Mediterranean flavor. The menu changes seasonally, but my favorite dishes include the Tortilla Espanola, the baked chevre and the pork chops with lavendar salt. For desert, try the unusual, but delicious Greek yogurt topped with pistachios, dried cherries and honey. Make sure you go with a friend or two, so you can share plates and try a variety of fabulous flavors. Because of the often long waits for a table, Chez Nous has recently started accepting reservations and if you can plan in advance, you should definitely make one. Chez Nous is a real treat and we go there whenever we've got something great to celebrate.
Fillmore Music and Jazz
On Fillmore Street, you'll also find three great and historic music venues. Johnny Lee Hooker's Boom Boom Room (1601 Fillmore at Geary) is a self-described Juke Joint where you can hear live music nightly, including Blues, Boogie, Soul, Groove and Funk. Across Geary on is the historically famous the Fillmore Auditorium, which opened as a dance hall in 1912. In the 1960s, music promoter Bill Graham began booking performers for the venue. The careers of Jefferson Airplane, the Warlocks (later the Grateful Dead), Santana and countless others were launched from the Fillmore stage.
The Fillmore still pulls in big name performers as well little known bands representing the best in popular music today. About midway down the block and across the street from the Fillmore Auditorium is Rasselas Jazz Club and Ethiopian Restaurant (at 1534 Fillmore Street) featuring live Jazz and yep, Ethiopian cuisine. Rasselas recently moved from its previous location on Divisadero. The move was part of the revitalization of the Fillmore, which had a thriving Jazz scene in the 1950s. The Fillmore has been designated as the "Historic Jazz District" and construction is about to start on a new Jazz Center in an empty lot on the corner of Fillmore and Ellis. I used to live across the street from Rasselas and could enjoy the fine Jazz music by opening my window on a weekend evening.
James Jones People's Temple
Another item that may be of interest to some is the former location of the James Jones People's Temple. The post office at 1859 Geary Street is constructed in the space that used to be occupied by the People's Temple in the early 1970s. James Jones was the controversial preacher and city politician who convinced his followers to move to Guyana and eventually to commit suicide in November 1978.
