Barbecue @ Soluna

This is the half of my lunch that I couldn't finish.

Because I had been having a busy week and the idea of even a two-block hike to one of my favorite less expensive hangouts seemed too long, I allowed myself to be seduced from my rule of $5 lunches into the relative luxury of Soluna.

One of the nicer restaurants in the Tenderloin/Civic Center area of San Francisco is Soluna on McAllister Street. The cushy bench seat was the first comfort, the attentive server was the second, and the warm pork barbecue sandwich restored my faith in humankind.

It was mellow and rich but with a following kick of heat that left my lips tingling for an hour afterwards. Topped with melted sharp cheddar cheese and served on a homemade bun, it was a meal for two. The fries were good, too, crisp and garlicky, and the little green salad was a sop to my conscience.

'Way too much to eat, sadly, so I had to leave half of it there but I left the stress of the busy week there, too, so it was worth tripling my $5 lunch rule.