Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Fantômas, Tomahawk, John Zorn’s Moonchild, Peeping Tom, solo albums, film scores, a million guest appearances — vocalist and composer Mike Patton’s credits are a mile long, and all extremely different from one another. His tastes in food, culture, and obscure hangouts are just as diverse.
In addition to my favorite hotspots in San Francisco listed below, I’m frothing with anticipation for a new place in Oakland that one of my favorite chefs is opening, called Duende (468 19th St. in Oakland). Going to be one of the best!
Food
Tekka Japanese Restaurant (Inner Richmond)
Of any place I’ve been outside of Japan, this reminds me the most about being there. It only seats about seven or eight people, tops. It’s like someone’s living room. There’s no sign — just a little window.
I used to go right when it opened because it’s really hard to get into, and I remember once knocking on the door and seeing the guy sleeping on the floor. So he wakes up and turns the lights on, and we went in. I’m actually conflicted about telling people about this place.
La Ciccia (Noe Valley)
The name means a lot of things; it’s slang for meat and fat. This is a Sardinian spot, totally family owned, where the husband cooks and the wife is the hostess.
What I would get there is this thing called bottarga — dried fish eggs that they grate like Parmesan cheese over pasta. Also, their wine list is incredible. For the size and cost, it’s top shelf. It warrants five stars.
La Taqueria (Mission District)
It’s the first place I go when I get back from a tour and the last place I go before I leave.
Drinks
Tonga Room (Nob Hill)
This is the first place I bring people that are visiting. It doesn’t have anything to do with San Francisco, but we don’t have Disneyland here, and this reminds me of the Tiki Room.
I can’t believe it’s still open. It’s like an oasis. I’ve always wanted to play a concert there.
Stuff
Paxton Gate (Mission District)
I’ve bought a few crazy things in there; the last thing was some animal parts. I love the way Paxton Gate is dressed up as a natural history depot. It’s the most elegant place you can buy stuff like that.
Honorable Mentions
Philz Coffee (Mission District)
I’m glad they’ve franchised out a little bit. If you’re an addict like me, you’ve got to trust your pusher.
Fields Book Store (Nob Hill)
This specialized bookstore has been there 20, maybe 30 years. They pretty much only deal with occult stuff.
It borders on the hippie thing, which is a total bummer, but it’s balanced enough that you can find cool stuff. It has the biggest Crowley section I’ve seen. They’ve got some really great special editions.
Robotspeak (Lower Haight)
If you’re a musician that’s into any type of computer gadgetry, this is the place to go. They were one of the first retailers to carry this instrument I just got called the Tenori-on. It looks like a cross between an Etch-A-Sketch and Battleship, and it makes music.