Not only is Aesop Rock a dope emcee, he knows what’s up when it comes to sniffing out a great taqueria or a late-night snack in San Francisco. The NY-to-SF transplant shares some of his favorite things about the city.

Favorite SF neighborhood outside of the one you live in now:

Hm. I kind of like the Dogpatch neighborhood because it’s just kind of weird, and desired, and warehouse-y. It feels kind of like a west coat Gotham.

Best show you’ve attended in the Bay Area:

That’s hard. Sharon Jones at The Warfield was awesome.

Most Memorable local gig:

I’ve had fun at a lot of SF venues, now that I think about it. Our last show at Great American sticks out just because we had a crazy stage set (Check out the pics from that show). Playing The Fillmore feels awesome because it’s The Fillmore. The Independent is great — really, there are a bunch of fun venues there.

Best meal for $10 or less:

Any taqueria can hook you up for under $10, but then you get into the argument of which is best.

I probably hit Cancun the most. Lately, I’ve been going to El Metate. And the Chairman Bao bun truck is really fucking good and under $10.  Grubstake, late night, and the crepe truck across from Slim’s.

Favorite SF dive:

I don’t drink, so I don’t know bars too well. I guess Zeitgeist is decent for a non-drinker because of the patio. I don’t know If that’s really a “dive” or not. I’m bad at bar terminology.

Three things that make it hard to leave the city:

1) Laid back vibe.

2) I love driving in SF.

3) Weather is unbeatable.

Three things that make it hard to come back:

It’s not hard to come back. I guess the large number of homeless and addicts on the street is depressing, but sadly enough, you kinda get used to it.

For a good time, call:

Bob’s Donuts at around 1am and see what’s hot.

Aesop Rock performs with Kimya Dawson at The Independent on June 14th. Tickets are $20 and the show starts at 8pm.

• Tag: Aesop Rock, Guide to San Francisco, Interviews