Deep-mustard and aquamarine tiles line the walls, bordering burgundy bookcases adorned with Mexican folk art and objects: a well-worn metate, a nativity scene, dancing skeleton figurines. Thick handmade corn tortillas arrive piping-hot in floral-patterned napkins in a straw basket, and fragrant black beans simmer tableside in terra-cotta pots. Each tortilla, with its rough-hewn edges and grooves, is perfect for sopping up my preferred guisado, mole verde de puerco: tender braised pork in a rich and earthy pumpkin-seed mole.
El Buen Comer’s hearty, affordable portions make it ideal for groups and families. Though I generally stay on-menu, you do have the option of letting Isabel feed you her way, with a chef’s tasting priced at $40. I like to visit with my friends who have children, and see their little ones savor a key part of every San Franciscan’s diet: fresh, soulful Mexican food. The Ferry Building Farmers Market is the best-known market of the bunch, serving as the living blueprint for the Bay Area’s love of all things organic, local, and seasonal.
