Falafel and Fries

On one of the most miserable stretches of Grove Street in Civic Center...



...across from the Main Branch of the San Francisco Public Library...



...and just up the block from the vile Burger King on 8th and Market...



...there is a Middle Eastern restaurant called Gyro King that is a wonder.



It's not only inexpensive and crowded with happy diners all day...



...but it has a burrito-sized falafel that is one of my favorites in all of San Francisco.



Plus, there's a big photo of The Homeland on the wall, in this case Turkey...



...and the patriarch of the joint looks a bit like Akim Tamiroff in "Topkapki."



There are even the occasional celebrity diners such as District 6 Supervisor Chris Daly along with his son and his political staff.



If you cross Civic Center Plaza, passing the World Can't Wait people in front of City Hall, who are having another big rally on October 5th (click here)...



...there's another charming cheap eatery on Hayes Street called Frjtz.



It's a young hipster joint specializing in crepes, salads...



...and their specialty...



...big servings of "Belgian fries."



For years, the place was called Mad Magda's Tea Room, complete with tarot readings by Real Gypsies.



The best part of the joint is still the beautiful little garden in the back...



...surrounded by faded Victorians.



Beautiful young people hang out here...



...whiling away the hours...



...and talking with friends.



There's even the odd celebrity spotting here, too, such as Eve Batey from SFist, above, who is one of the serious Queens of the Blogosphere in San Francisco.