The Grill That Made My BBQ-Obsessed Uncle Shut Up for Once in His Life
My uncle Rick has been to every BBQ competition in Texas, owns four different smokers, and won’t stop talking about brisket bark and smoke rings and wood types until everyone at family dinners wants to scream. Last Thanksgiving he visited San Francisco and I dragged him to Presidio Kebab because I was tired of hearing…
Read MoreThe Dish That Made Me Pour Butter on Everything
My friend Kevin is lactose intolerant and avoids butter like it’s poison, which made it hilarious when he accidentally ordered İskender kebab at Presidio Kebab without reading the full description. When it arrived – this beautiful layered creation with döner meat over bread, topped with tomato sauce and what looked like an alarming amount of…
Read MoreThe Skewer That Made Me Understand Why People Get Obsessed With Food Texture
My friend Amanda is one of those people who says she “doesn’t care about food texture” and thinks people who do are pretentious. Then she ordered the lamb shish kebab at Presidio Kebab and halfway through eating she stopped, looked at her skewer, and said “okay I need to reconsider my entire position on texture…
Read MoreThe Smoke Smell That Made Me Follow My Nose Like a Cartoon Character
My friend Jason was walking down the street in Pacific Heights trying to find parking when he smelled something that stopped him mid-step – this incredible smoky charcoal aroma mixed with grilling meat and spices that made his stomach immediately growl despite just eating lunch an hour ago. He literally followed the smell like a…
Read MoreThe Meal That Made Me Realize Middle Eastern Food Isn’t All the Same
My friend Nicole thought Middle Eastern food was just Middle Eastern food – hummus, falafel, kebabs, all basically interchangeable. Then she went to Presidio Kebab with her Lebanese friend Rami who started pointing out the differences between Lebanese tabbouleh and Turkish kisir, Greek tzatziki and Turkish cacik, Lebanese fattoush and Turkish shepherd salad. Rami was…
Read MoreThe Kebab That Made Me Realize Everything I’d Eaten Before Was Basically Glorified Meat Sticks
My friend Ben thought he knew kebabs – he’d been to every food truck and Mediterranean restaurant in the Bay Area eating what they called kebabs. Then he went to Presidio Kebab and ordered the Adana kebab because the server recommended it. When it arrived, still sizzling from the charcoal grill with perfect char marks…
Read MoreThe Platter That Ended My Friend Group’s “What Should We Order” Fights Forever
My friend group has eight people with eight different opinions and every restaurant visit turns into a twenty-minute negotiation about what to order. Should we share? Should we get individual dishes? Who’s vegetarian this week? Who’s doing keto? Last month someone suggested the mixed grill platter at Presidio Kebab and it solved everything – one…
Read MoreThe Regional Dish That Made Me Realize Turkish Food Isn’t Just Kebabs
My friend Lauren thought she knew Turkish food – döner, kebabs, baklava, the usual stuff tourists eat. Then she went to Presidio Kebab with her Turkish coworker who ordered İskender kebab, mantı, karnıyarık, and pide from different regions of Anatolia, explaining how each dish represents specific areas and traditions. Lauren realized Turkish cuisine is actually…
Read MoreThe Rice That Made Me Realize I’ve Been Eating Bland Garbage My Whole Life
My friend Chris is a rice guy – grew up eating rice at every meal, has strong opinions about jasmine versus basmati, judges restaurants by their rice quality. He’d been complaining that San Francisco restaurants treat rice as an afterthought – dry, bland, just white stuff to fill space on the plate. Then he tried…
Read MoreThe Day My Nephew Ate Vegetables Without Being Threatened (I Have Witnesses)
My sister’s seven-year-old son Ethan survives on chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, and sheer stubbornness. Taking him to restaurants is a nightmare – he complains about everything, refuses to eat, makes scenes, and my sister ends up stressed and embarrassed. Last month she was desperate and tried Presidio Kebab because someone told her they’re good…
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