At one end of the block, scores of hipsters chat in a loosely aligned queue outside Tartine Bakery.
At the other end, a shorter line (in both length and the height of patrons) smack their lips outside the Bi-Rite Creamery.
In between, people of all ages bask at sun-splashed tables and gulp down insanely fresh salads and deftly charred pies at Delfina Pizzeria, while foodies pour into the treasure-filled Bi-Rite Grocery.
San Francisco is packed with not only a gazillion great food purveyors but also countless compact areas (North Beach, South of Market) with plentiful stops for the gastronome. But this single block of 18th Street, running between Guerrero and Dolores streets (and leading to the splendiferous Dolores Park), takes the quality cake in one of the world's foremost food cities.
Few would argue that the city has a better bakery than Tartine; Bi-Rite's shelves are laden with most everything a serious cook would want or need (along with a truly stellar wine selection), and at night the "regular" Delfina serves up some of the finest Italian food anywhere.
Sorry, Nicollet, but it's hard to call anything but this "Eat Street."
