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Pink Zebra SF
We walked through the Mission District looking for Pink Zebra and couldn’t find it.
“It’s supposed to be right here,” I said to Kim, pointing to a Chinese restaurant.
We checked online to see if they closed. Nope. We called their phone number but got a message saying they’d get back to us within two days. What the what?!
“I guess I messed up. Let’s give up and go to that comic shop across the street.”
“Let’s just go inside the Chinese place and ask,” Kim said.
As soon as we walked in, the Greeter recognized confusion on our faces.
“Pink Zebra?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“Right this way.”
Turns out Pink Zebra is a pop-up restaurant within this very take-out looking Chinese place (Tao Yin). Had I done even a smidgen of research, I would have known this. I should have my Foodie license revoked.
My girl and I are always down for a culinary adventure (she more than me, let’s be honest) and this place was off to a good start. We chose the regular menu, but you can also sit at the sushi bar and order the Omakase – which I hear is several hours of special sushi off the dome of Chef Jesse Koide (previously of Mission Chinese).
We started with the Hurricane Popcorn & Pig Ears because how could you not? Buttered popcorn, crispy pig ears, a little lime and a sprinkle of powdered furikake. They should replace all the popcorn in every movie theater with this stuff. Fuck you, vegans.*
Next up, the less adventurous, but no less delicious, Menchi Katsu. Nicely fried sliced pork with gruyere, thin and crispy Brussels sprouts, some pickled ginger, a citrus braised endive, and smoked tonkatsu sauce. These are expertly conceived and executed flavors – a far cry from your typical Katsu. The pickled ginger really gave that dish a bright and sweet counterpoint.
If tongue is on the menu, my girl is gonna order it – and here it comes; the most tonguey looking tongue I ever put in my mouth. Well, kinda. A decidedly anatomical yet Tender Beef Tongue served with pear and fennel mostarda, pickled chili with capers, herb salsa, and the most adorable little carrot slivers you ever did see. Probably the ballsiest thing on the menu, next to the spice-rubbed chicken hearts with pickled pineapple. My mom would never eat at this place.
The Crostone may look like a train wreck in a snowstorm but it’s packed with surprises and special guests. Underneath some cheesy goodness lies bitter greens, a happily poached jidori egg, Benton’s bacon, sage brown butter, 20 year balsamico, and some outrageous grilled Tartine bread. It was like working your way through a complex novel where bacon saves the day (again).
This menu is full of the kind of playful yet masterful plates foodies dream about. We don’t just want to eat, we want to have fun, we want to make discoveries, maybe even learn a thing or two. And, of course, take a picture of our meal we can share with friends back home who ultimately hate us for it.
* The writer has the utmost respect for vegans but just likes easy punchlines.
Almost every year for the past 6 years and on the same day, I’ve posted the same pic of me in the hospital during my temporary and untimely demise in 2015. A few weeks after I was back to “normal”, I asked Eric “Why’d you take the pics?” And he said, “I knew you would want to write about it if you lived.” Eric was right. Eric was often right and Eric always had my best interest at heart. I am going to miss my friend.
You ever meet someone and become friends immediately?! Well this was not the case with Eric. Before he was my manager at Morgan Stanley, I would often see this 6’4″, giant white guy walk up to the only black woman at work, say something then walk away without any hint of human emotion. Naturally I thought he was a jerk until I asked her “Yo, is that dude bothering you?” She laughed and proceeded to tell me he was a great person, which I ultimately got to experience first hand. Little did I know this Italian from Staten Island was more Brooklyn than most Brooklynites.
Eric was not with the shits!! If there were ever someone who lived their life in direct, honest and no uncertain terms, that would be Eric. He would ask me questions at work like “Why are the other consultants making more money than you?” I knew the answer to that question and so did he. Eric then proceeded to increase my salary by 15K. After arguing with all our managers that “You need to hire Alfred!”, they eventually did 1 year prior to the 2015 incident. In the hospital, one of my friends asked me, “What if you didn’t have health insurance when this happened?” I would be in debt for the rest of my life is the obvious answer. I still am in debt for the rest of my life but at least, it is to those who made sure I had a more enjoyable life and for that, I will gladly repay.
My mom loved to tell me the story of how she met Eric. After they told her I was going to be in the ICU for some time, she told the doctor “Well I’m not going anywhere.” She then hears a voice from that back of the room that says “Well I’m not going anywhere either!” That was Eric and in true form, he was at that hospital every single day until I was discharged.
Eric passed away in December 2021 of stage 4 cancer. After feeling faint on his way to my bbq, he went to get checked out and was diagnosed. During the past 5 years, Eric lost his mom, twin brother and dad. I can’t even begin to imagine what that must have felt like but I’m glad that pain he was feeling is no more.
From being my manager to my business partner, writer, book editor, artistic director, and most importantly, my friend, I am going to miss you MC Krispy E a.k.a “Enrique Pollazo!” And although you told me Enrique means Henry in Spanish and not Eric, it was too late!
Sidebar. The day I was discharged, while everyone was deciding what was best for me, no one had remembered that I would need clothes in order to leave the hospital. Eric shows up (unasked) with all the clothes I had on the day I coded, laundered and ready to go. I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve friends like this but i need to keep doing it! Sidebar complete.
Rest in Peace Eric. “Be Good.”
I had the distinct pleasure of participating in a panel discussion on writing your first book, presented by the Harlem chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. Alongside Jim St. Germain, Author – A Stone of Hope: A Memoir and Dr. Keneshia Nicole Grant, Author – The Great Migration and the Democratic Party: Black Voters and the Realignment of American Politics in the 20th Century. We opined on pain points, benefits and strategies regarding our inaugural voyages into authorship. Feel free to watch for your self and I hope this provides some insight to all those looking to make the same voyage. Enjoy!
