Mission Bowling Club | San Francisco

The bowling alleys of our youth did not serve blackened salmon or buttermilk panna cotta.

But Mission Bowling Club is the bowling club of the future.

M.B.C. lured chef Anthony Myint, who struck gold with Mission Chinese Food, to run the kitchen. He's brought back the legendary Mission Burger ($15; $10 during happy hour) that was briefly served at the counter of Duc Loi Supermarket, the patties made using a technique adapted from London chef Heston Blumenthal. It's a righteous, juicy burger, almost too rich, generously anointed with caper aioli and Monterey Jack.

Fried chicken ($7) and a sausage corn dog ($7)–the former served with ranch dressing, the latter with habanero crema–both come on sticks, curiously suspended over the plate. Crunchy potato home fries ($5) are served, Spanish-style, with aioli and romesco.

The seven-bean salad ($9) provides relief from richness, and is nothing like the church-basement version. Instead, it contains fresh haricots verts, black-eyed peas, fried chickpeas, lentils, sprouted mung beans and corona beans–bean number seven is in the swoop of edamame purée on the plate.

But before you go thinking that Mission Bowling Club is too fancy or too pretentious, consider this: We noticed the bartenders serving quite a few of The Dude's favorite, the White Russian.

Mission Bowling Club, 3176 17th St. (at South Van Ness); 415-863-2695 or missionbowlingclub.com