Music and food pair together much like wine and food; the perfect pairing can bring your meal to new heights, completely reshaping how you interpret the dish and the environment you find yourself in. The wrong pairing, however, can make the meal feel dull or ruin the experience altogether. Providing the perfect soundtrack to a meal is an art. Fortunately, San Francisco is home to some great artists. Below are the San Francisco restaurants which curate music that will enhance your meal, leaving you with a full stomach and a song stuck in your head.
Delarosa (2175 Chestnut St)
Delarosa is a Marina staple. The restaurant is known for its gourmet pizzas (try the margherita with burrata) and pastas. Located in the center of Chestnut street, the restaurant is open until midnight on weekdays and 1 am on weekends. All of these factors mean it can get rowdy. Fortunately, the noise of Marina locals and crowded dining room is complimented by some of the best top 40 hip-hop records of today and yesterday. On any given night the Delarosa speakers pump out hits from Outkast, Snoop Dogg, Luniz, or T-Pain. Pizza is great on its own, but pizza accompanied by the smooth crooning’s of Warren G’s “Regulate” is even better.
Located just blocks from Hayes Street, City Hall, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, and the SF Symphony, Little Gem plays host to a variety of customers day in an day out. Not even two years old, the fast-paced and fast-casual restaurant serves gluten, dairy, and refined-sugar free meals to widespread satisfaction. Little Gem pulls from a wide array of genres and artists to create a setting and a mood that can appeal to everyone. While the daytime is more relaxed and ambient, at night Little Gem will spin artists such as Bobby Womack, Toro y Moi, Kaytranada, Kehlani and many more throughout their dining room. Expect to hear the best of current pop music, old school funk, folktronica, and maybe even discover a new song or two!
Since opening in 2013, State Bird Provisions has assumed its place as one of the hottest restaurants in San Francisco and has been the recipient of many national awards and accolades. Many praises have been sung about both the food and the concept. What reviewers have failed to mention however, is that it is also probably the only Michelin Star restaurant in the world that plays Rae Sremmurd. In addition to the hip-hop duo, State Bird cycles through R&B artists both old school (Nu Shooz) and contemporary (Francis And The Lights). The food may be hot, but the tracks are hotter.
Saint Frank Coffee is a relatively new coffee shop located on the quieter side of Polk St. Like many other SF coffee shops, it serves great coffee and delicious pastries to an army of customers glued to their laptops. Saint Frank sets itself apart from these other coffee shops however by its phenomenal music selection. Much like the decor, the tunes coming through the speakers are sleek and modern. Chance The Rapper’s Coloring Book, Frank Ocean’s Blonde, and Flume’s Skin can all be heard in the cafe’s rotation. Even the throwbacks that are played (Elevators by Outkast) still feel as new today as they did 10 years ago.
With one location on Lombard and the other in North Beach, Chubby Noodle combines an upscale aesthetic with innovative street food dishes. The restaurant serves a collection of small asian-fusion plates such as Kung Pao Wings, Korean Pork Tacos, Tuna Poke and also hosts an extensive sake collection. The music selection focuses on all the best things about the 2000s and perfectly fits with the urban-but-refined vibe the restaurant strives for. 2000s icons such as Akon, Missy Elliot, Nelly and even occasionally Mac Dre can all be heard in the crowded and vivacious restaurant. “What better way to eat noodles than with R. Kelly singing in the background?” asks the Chubby Noodle website. It’s a combination that shouldn’t go together, but definitely does.
Written by Chris Begler
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