For those of you who avoid the mediocre food and touristy crowds of North Beach, Helmand might be reason enough to give the neighborhood another shot. Not particularly noticeable among the ubiquitous Garlic! Garlic! Garlic! restaurants and neon-signed sex shops, Helmand offers well-executed Afghan food perfect for a special night out or just a casual post-work meal.

Helmand's dining room is large but cozy, with dark heavy furniture and chairs that look lifted from an old-fashioned hotel lobby. White tablecloths and lantern candles break up the space and give each table an intimate feel. The comfortable but slightly formal effect is marred only by the tacky National Geographic posters depicting Afghan life that line the walls.

- Excerpt from Helmand, A Taste of Afghanistan in Little Italy by Anya Hoffman