When it comes to San Francisco eateries, the city’s roster of fine dining restaurants and bargain bites is unmatched. But sometimes heading over to our beloved institutions can feel apocalyptic, at least according to the Los Angeles Times.
On Friday, Los Angeles Times restaurant critic Bill Addison released his guide to San Francisco and highlighted a selection of popular eateries that included Four Kings, Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement and Noodle in a Haystack, among others. Prior to his August visit, Addison said, he hadn’t “spent real time” in SF since before 2020 and was eager to check it out amid the ongoing “doom-loop” narrative. He didn’t expect the trip would feel so “jarring.”
Addison wrote, “At the end of August, I walked Market Street one evening from the Ferry Building to the Castro and the thoroughfare was empty. Eerily, apocalyptically empty.”
The review comes in light of several high-profile closures in downtown San Francisco within the last year. In May 2023, Nordstrom Rack and Nordstrom announced plans to shutter both SoMa storefronts in the next few months, citing dwindling foot traffic.
In June, Westfield San Francisco Centre announced it was parting ways with San Francisco too. Earlier this year, Macy’s announced it was closing 150 stores nationwide, and confirmed that could include its department store in Union Square.