viet on Da TL

Repeatedly described in most tourist guides as "the worst neighborhood in San Francisco," the Tenderloin thrives despite its bad rap. Sure, there are loads of drug dealers, addicts, prostitutes and mentally unstable street people, but if you can get past that, you'll find it is also one of the city's most exciting and diverse locales.

JPennant: loha, dahta
mars: oh! i was trying to hard to figure out what you meant by that
mars: haha
mars: most people never shorten aloha
JPennant: :-)
JPennant: how ya doin hon
mars: okay
mars: you?
JPennant: copacetic, pretty much :-)
JPennant: gonna go to the big bad tenderloin and get me some vietnamese
mars: where is that?
JPennant: Heh, I like the SF natives way of calling it.. The TL
JPennant: The Tenderloin. Its like the 'bad' area of downtown
mars: ah
JPennant: le me see
JPennant: http://www.sfgate.com/traveler/guide/sf/neighborhoods/tenderloin.shtml
mars: oh ok

JPennant: So, I was sweeping along Ellis Street in the Tenderloin yesterday
JPennant: and I kept seeing a buncha vietnamese restaurants
JPennant: and you know how I love good hole in the walls
mars: mmmmmmm
JPennant: Yup
JPennant: Im always suspicious of clean, white tablecloths :-)
JPennant: plus, I want a good rush of garlic to clear out my system :-)
mars: hahaha suspicious?
mars: wow, you're making me hungry now
JPennant: heheh
JPennant: yeah, I like good an cheap
JPennant: emphasis on 'good'
mars: =)
JPennant: I stay away from places and areas that have too many hip haoles
mars: LOL
JPennant: I stopped by the Mission District yesterday for something good and mexican
JPennant: had Allambre
JPennant: I think thats how you say
JPennant: which was seared steak and bacon and rice and beans and cheese ;-)
JPennant: not a haole in sight ;-)
mars: so lucky that you're in a city with so much variety in such a small amount of space
JPennant: the bus pass helps :-)
JPennant: cuz, as you know - I hate walking
JPennant: but its the only way to find stuff
mars: yup!
mars: ok jp...sorry to cut this short. I have to run around town for errands
mars: fun
JPennant: ohkay m'dear :-)
JPennant: be good, enjoy yer day :-)
mars: take care. eat some good food for me =)
mars: byebye
JPennant: :-)
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JPennant: Im in the mood for a little Pho
JPennant: my first time
yamB: rilly
JPennant: yup
yamB: get the No. 1
JPennant: I was wandering the tenderloin yesterday
yamB: every Pho place has the same No. 1
JPennant: k
yamB: well, that is is you can take tripe and tendons
yamB: but the tripe is sliced super thin
JPennant: not a tripe man
JPennant: childhood aversion
yamB: not me either, but it's so thin , it tastes different
JPennant: like saffron, I leave it alone just on principle
JPennant: but I walked by the back kitchen of one yesterday, and the stench of garlic *wooshed* out
JPennant: and I thought, THATS what I need.
yamB: garlic and cilantro and thai basil
JPennant: hm?
yamB: the usual scents from a vietnamese restaurant
JPennant: oh cool