I am in San Francisco Tues thru Sat. Anything cool to eat/drink near the Moscone convention center?
I always go to Yank Sing and Slanted Door. But I know there are lots of other great places nearby.
Update. Thanks for the suggestions. I love osteria del forno and Mr bing. I will try to grab a burrito and try amber.
Cat Lady
Can you bring my heart back? kthxbai.
djork
Do you have flowers in your hair?
PaulW
Been ten years since I visited. Best I know, you need to head down to the Wharf for all the good restaurants.
And look for Emperor Norton’s statue down near Pier 49, I forgot to go looking for it when last I visited…
Vince CA
Check out the 21st Amendment Brewery and Cafe at 563 2nd St. Best IPA ever. The menu is good too. I particularly like the angry pasta.
General Winfield Stuck
“If you’re going to San Francisco,
be sure to wear some flowers in your hair”.
Tom Hilton
Aaaauuuugggghhhhh! I was just posting elsewhere about how much I hate it when people call our fair city “San Fran”. Never, ever call it that while you’re here–you might get lynched.
Cat Lady
@Tom Hilton:
When I lived there, I was warned about saying Frisco. Also, too.
Aaron S. Veenstra
Last time I was in that area there was a culinary school cafe around Mission and 4th that was good for breakfast. Lots of interesting pastries, etc.
gbear
I am insanely jealous of you.
The Grand Panjandrum
I know this isn’t near the Moscone but if you get a chance you must eat at L’osteria Del Forno. The food is unbelievable and the ambience reminds me of many of the little restaurants I visited while in Rome. A must not miss if you have the time. It is always best to try a little earlier (before 6 pm) or you will have to stand in line. By SF standards it is very reasonably priced.
The Grand Panjandrum
Why is my #10 in moderation?
Vince CA
Also, you might not want to call it San Fran while you’re there. Or Frisco. Say “San Francisco” or “The City” or “SF”. I don’t believe it will get you lynched (not at the Moscone Center anyway) but you’ll show that you’re not from anywhere nearby, or worse, from Fresno.
Other than the bar I mentioned above, all the places I know in SF are in the Mission and the Castro. Are you sticking to SOMA or will you venture out a bit? Let us know! I know Mexican, Spanish, Salvadorian, and American breakfasts that will knock your socks off.
Backbencher
Foreign Cinema in the Mission District is a good place to go. You do need to make reservations. Brenda’s French Soul Food on Polk St. serves a great breakfast.
EnderWiggin
We had a quick breakfast before going to Alcatraz near the wharf at Hollywood Cafe and I am still trying to figure out how someone can make an egg and cheese sandwich taste that good.
I remember 10 years back that the wharf had really good clam chowder in a bread bowl. Last year it was bad; looks like it got to tourist quality to the point of being inedible. Somehow we convinced ourselves to go to Boudin, which looks so big and tourist I was sure we would not be happy, but we loved both the soup and the veggie sandwich we got.
We were disappointed by Seafood all the way between Monterey to Napa.
Warren Terra
I don’t know anything about location (except that it’s walkable from the Golden Gate Park), but the Burma Star was very good.
scott
Hmmm, try The Hole in The Wall Saloon at 1369 Folsom. Its. . . . a bit different but you might enjoy it.
http://www.holeinthewallsaloon.com/gallery.html
Margarita
It’s a trap!
Unabogie
Millenium vegan restaurant is a treat. Not sure where that is in relation to where you are.
Citizen_X
I, too, am insanely jealous.
BR
Get some awesome burritos in the Mission district at Taqueria Cancun (they have a few locations – look them up – but I think one is at 19th and Mission).
Funkhauser
Take a bus down Mission Street for taco places. Starts getting good around 14th.
mcd410x
this isn’t really downtown, but walk two blocks to the bart stop go to mission and 24th. el farolito, the best burrito you’ll have. my personal fave is the chorizo.
gbear
@Citizen_X:
And so is Robyn Hitchcock. Also, too. Best album ever.
BR
Oh, and be sure to get some super-fresh Anchor Steam beer on tap at pretty much any bar (but Bottom of the Hill is the best place to go to see some music and get some beer).
For a million beers check out Toronado in the Haight.
burnspbesq
I really like Trattoria Contadina on the corner of Mason and Union. Not exactly around the corner from the Moscone Center, but it’s on a cable car route so it’s fairly easy to get to.
Max
I too discourage you from saying San Fran or Frisco.
I call it “The City” which is a little odd, because I live in Oakland, which is a City too, but, SF works too.
Check out the Thirsty Bear. It’s on Howard, around a block from the Conv Center. Think beer brewing company with spanish tapas eats. Yummy.
http://www.thirstybear.com/
If the weather is nice, try Belden Place in the financial district. It’s very French Quarter like.
http://www.belden-place.com/
ETA – Stay away from the wharf. Unless you want Hooters or the Hard Rock Cafe.
namekarB
Lots of good eating in the City.
1) You are about an $8 cab fare away from “The Stinking Rose.” Their 40 garlic chicken was excellent when last I was there (2 years ago). Or save the cab fare and walk 20 minutes. Cross Market St and follow Kearney until you hit Columbus and you are almost there.
2) Soma’s at Fisherman’s Wharf is an excellent seafood restaurant if on the pricy side. Just hop down to market St and board the F Line antique street cars for a ride down Market and all the way around the Embarcadero. It’s about 2-3 blocks beyond the final stop.
nenabeans
Burma superstar, 4th & clement
Nopalito, Fell & Broderick
Yoshis, Fillmore and Geary sushi & Jazz
Delfina 18th & guererro
Upper Playground Fillmore and Haight great t-shirts
Citykid
If you want Vietnamese, go to Tu-Lan on 6th and market. It looks pretty dingy, but the food is awesome and very inexpensive. The imperial rolls are the best in the city. Bring cash, they don’t accept plastic.
Vince CA
I second Millennium Restaurant. 580 Geary Street. Best wine menu ever. Call now if you want a reservation. It’s a bit more of a walk from Moscone Center, but worth it, and you can walk around Union Square for some fun sight-seeing. There’s several pocket alleys of really good restaurants around Union square, but I don’t eat in that price range so I don’t know them very well.
Nevermoor
Depending on your budget:
Chaya is expensive but they have quite good fish and the best dessert in the area (chocolate croissant bread pudding)
Ozumo is also expensive, but great if you’re wanting Japanese.
For a lower-end sit down place Osha has a pretty strong thai menu.
The burrito suggestions covered above are strong inexpensive options.
And yes, you really should edit the post title
Vince CA
And if you’re interested in really interesting modern Italian, not too far from the stinking rose, on columbus, is L’Osteria Del Forno. It’s a small place (don’t try to go with a crowd, 4 is almost too many for them to handle), I believe it opens at 5pm for dinner, and there’s always a line. No reservations allowed. Whenever I think of the City, I think of this place. It’s our favorite date restaurant, it’s very romantic, the food and wine are always excellent, and if it’s on the menu, the butternut ravioli in sage butter sauce is to die for.
justcorbly
There was a Peet’s coffee on top of Moscone the last time I was in the place.
San Francisco is not that big, so don’t limit yourself to staying close to Moscone. The Wharf is worth a walkthrough to savor the tackiness, but it really is something most locals would like to disavow. Walk on through Fort Mason park and along the Marina and Crissy Field toward the Golden Gate. Ride a trolley along the Embarcadero. Traipse up and down the slopes of Russian Hill. Get lost in Chinatown. Meander around North Beach. Ride the Powell Street cable car to the bay. Go to the Ferry Building and eat (trust me). If you can get away during the day, take a ferry to Sausalito or Tiburon, go walkabout, grab dinner, and come back. And carry cash for cabs when your feet get cranky.
graz
As you have already got Vietnamese and Chinese covered with your favorites, here are some sure hits:
Specifically in your locale;
Salt House (American)
Zuppa (Italian)
Fringale (French)
‘Wichcraft (Soup/Sandos)
Lark Creek Steak (Steak… Duh!)
namekarB
@justcorbly:
Excellent suggestions. I would add taking the #32 Muni from Market out past UCSF and one block over to Golden Gate Park for a walk through the Botanical Gardens, The Japanese Tea Garden and visit Steinhart Aquarium and Museum.
Llellorin
How much are you looking at spending? Lulu is fabulous, but costs a pretty penny.
Go check out the art exhibition while you’re at the meeting–I’ve got a piece in it this year.
Moonbatting Average
John,
The Hotel Rex (http://jdvhotels27-px.trvlclick.com/), just off of Union Square, has a great little restaurant called Cafe Andre. I had an awesome osso buco there, and they have an great drink called The Saint, which is a gin & tonic with a shot of St. Germaine. Have fun, San Francisco is the best!
donovong
Dante’s Grotto, down the street from the wharf. Get the Dungeness Crab Cakes. Absolutely out of this world, especially when washed down with Anchor Steam.
Llelldorin
Oh–if you want to try an incredibly kitchy bar, the Tonga Room in the Fairmont hotel (950 Mason St) is worth checking out.
BART is also cheap and effective, and there’s some good eats around my old stomping grounds in Berkeley, too. That’s also not that big an area.
Michael D.
Queer!
Chat Noir
It’s been almost 15 years, but I had one of the most fabulous meals ever at the Fog City Diner. I, too, am envious of you. San Franciso is one of my favorite cities. The Golden Gate Bridge is simply spectacular.
gbear
@justcorbly:
Why bother with cabs? First thing I do when I arrive in SF is pick up a MUNI Passport.
With the passport I wasn’t dependent on friends who worked during the day, and I got anywhere I wanted to go pretty much whenever I wanted to be there. Once you have it, it’s basically a free ride to anywhere in the city. Cablecars included.
Even more jealous now. sigh.
==-+
Go to the Mission and get a Burrito.
Pancho VIlla on 16th between Valencia and Mission is good. You can take Bart to the 16th Street station (pick it up on Market St) or cab it. After Diner (or lunch) head up the hill past Valencia to the Monk’s kettle for a beer, they have an outstanding collection.
Memphis Minnie’s in the lower haight has some awesome BBQ. Great thing about the City, is it’s small enough that $10-15 will get you anywhere worth going in a cab.
Oh, and yes…it’s not Frisco, it’s not San Fran…it’s either San Francisco or The City. You will be boot stomped by a gang of hippies and queers if you use the previous phrases.
James K Polk, Esq.
Millennium 3rded.
I had the best sorbet I have ever had there (golden kiwi!).
It’s pretty much every vegetarian’s wet dream. I am carnivorous and I loved it.
In San Fransisco, Hippie punch you!
Wag
This summer I had the best Chinese meal I’ve ever had at the House of Nanking at 919 Kearny St on the edge of Chinatown. Excellent food fast. The place has a line outside if you get there too late, but worth the wait.
Wag
And I second the MUNI passport too
Kim
Doug:
Close to Moscone, and possibly the best cup of coffee you will ever have: http://bluebottlecoffee.net/
66 Mint street.
Tim in SF
I’ve been here ten years now. “Near” Moscone as in walking distance? There isn’t anything. You’re screwed. The only halfway decent food is to go up to San Francisco Shopping Center and then go down to the basement to the food court – Bristol Farms is yummy food by the pound but really expensive.
If you are willing to brave the muni (or a taxi), there are a lot of truly great options:
If you want good Mexican food — and by “good” I mean not only taste but where they don’t stuff rice into your burrito (fucking San Francisco, I swear this pisses me off – they even do it at every place in the Mission), there is this taco truck: http://tinyurl.com/ycg79wp which has the best carnitas tacos you will ever eat in your life. Ask for spicy, mild is boring. They even reviewed it on Check Please: http://tinyurl.com/8ugqpn
and here’s the yelp review: http://tinyurl.com/admzv4 My spouse and I go there once every two weeks.
One more recommendation – After you’re done at the convention one night, walk up to Market, go down stairs to muni and get on an N-OUTBOUND. Get off at the 9th and Irving stop and walk two blocks down Iriving to San Tung, which has the best chicken dish I’ve ever had like EVER. http://tinyurl.com/yzg7ru3 Closed Wednesday.
Further, I recommend you Yelp anything before you walk in the door.
Funkhauser
Why not ask a bunch of picky, snobby and grumpy San Franciscans what they think?
http://www.yelp.com/
Tim in SF
Oh, and people are right – “San Fran” and “Frisco” will earn you some scornful looks, but “SF” (ess eff) is fine. But everybody here says “the city” for some reason. Rolls off the tongue even.
Have fun!
Colette
Chez Papa, 5th and Mint (between Market and Mission). Very good French food, great wine list, pretty servers.
Blue Bottle Cafe, just across the way from Chez Papa, for the best coffee in SF and a pastry to go with it.
Le Charm, 5th south of Folsom (also French).
The bars at the Intercontinental Hotel, 5th and Howard. So cool you won’t even feel like a tourist.
Call us anything you want. Hipsters and bikers have reclaimed “Frisco,” and weirdly enough, local news anchors often say “San Fran,” but most people, most often, still say “The City.”
And I third (fourth?) everything justcorbly said.
Brett
Samovar is a really nice place for tea and snacks (try the jook) and a great place to sit outside. It’s inside Yerba Buena Gardens.
Around there I also like:
Cafe Mason, 320 Mason Street (between Elwood St & Ofarrell St) for relatively cheap but good food. My wife and I had our post-wedding lunch there with our wedding party of two old friends when we got married at City Hall.
Sanraku, 704 Sutter Street – there is another in the mall at the convention center but the one on Sutter is better, I think, although you need to climb the hill a bit. Great sake selection.
A little farther away, tucked into a side street northeast of Union Square is Cafe Claude, 7 Claude Lane (in the block formed by Sutter, Bush, Grant and Kearny. This is a place we always go to when we’re in town. The coq au vin is very good. Nice beet salad as well. Just very competent and comfortable. They have live music some nights as well.
If you’re really flush and have a lot of time in the evening you could try Fleur de Lys, which is also not very far away.
One of the things we like to do is to walk over to Zarzuela (2000 Hyde St) in Russian Hill. One of the two best tapas meals I’ve had in the states, for what it’s worth. Very friendly place in a neighborhood, with a basically local crowd.
Have fun. I’m jealous.
mbuchel
Since you’re a Slanted Door fan, they have another restaurant on Mission (near the Civic Center) called Heaven’s Dog. The food is good – not quite as good as at Slanted Door – but the bar is outstanding. Great drinks, excellent ingredients. Our favorite place for a drink in the city right now.
Chetan
Just around the block from Moscone is Umbria a wonderful italian restaurant (it is on the corner of 2nd and howard). Cha Am is a good Thai restuarant on Folsom st. between 2nd and 3rd. Stay away from the Wharf (meant for tourists). For good expensive (very even by SF standards) seafood there is Aqua (in the Financial district north of market street).
For good sophisticated Indian food Amber is a pretty good restaurant.
Colette
I’m always struck by how many SFers there are here. Any chance of a BJ get-together while you’re in town, or are you too busy and am I hopelessly uncool for suggesting it?
PTirebiter
Get over it.
Otis Redding left his home in Georgia and headed for the Frisco Bay, and even the late, great Herb Caen finally recanted the pretentiousness. Here’s Caen’s reply to your protest, “Balderdash… the toughest guys on the old SF waterfront, neither rubes nor tourists, called it Frisco, and no effete journalist would have tried to correct them.”
gbear
Unfortunately, when I hear the work ‘Frisco’, the thing that comes to mind is Hardee’s and their heart stopping, grease dripping, bazillion calorie tribute to the city. That plus a side of curly fries.
Tom Hilton
@PTirebiter: Umm….I wasn’t complaining about ‘Frisco’. I actually don’t mind Frisco, because it has history–people were calling it ‘Frisco’ in the 1840s. (My theory about Frisco is that it’s the more recent arrivals who mind it the most.)
But ‘San Fran’–that’s just so classless. It’s like what someone from LA would call the city.
jeff
Hi Doug,
To whit:
Bloodhound (bar)
Yes to Heaven’s Dog.
83 Proof is cool, but can get douchey.
Muni Passport is a good, and will help you get out of SOMA for some better eating and drinking. Like Little Star Pizza or Patxi’s.
Memphis Minnie is great, but don’t eat BBQ in SF. Eat Mexican food. Like <a href=”http://www.yelp.com/biz/puerto-alegre-san-francisco”Puerto Alegre or Can-Cun Taqueria (19th and Mission is hands-down the best location; I’ve heard the Market St. location is wretched, and I believe it).
Enjoy your time in our lovely town!
Tom Hilton
@namekarB: except the 32 line doesn’t appear to exist anymore, and when it did it didn’t go there. The N Judah will get you there (go down into the BART station, head for the Muni Metro platform), and the 5 (which also runs along Market) runs along the north side of the park–more or less equal walking distance either way. The DeYoung Museum is also in the area namekarB describes; it may or may not be worth the price of admission to you, but the observation tower is free, so definitely hit that.
@gbear: definitely. We kvetch about Muni, but it’s still one of the best metropolitan transportation systems around.
Zzyzx
I like to call it Frisco to annoy people who get offended over something that trivial.
DougL (frmrly: Conservatively Liberal)
@Vince CA:
My BIL (who lives there) calls it “Gay Bay”…lol
Tom Hilton
@Colette: that sounds like fun.
FYI, the BARBarians, a loose community of bloggers & readers, are getting together at Bloodhound Thursday evening (6-ish), if anyone is interested. Always open to new people.
JM
I enthusiastically third the recommendations for “Osteria Del Forno” on Columbus. I’ve been to Italy many times, and Del Forno is the only restaurant I’ve eaten at in the US that has authentic Italian (as apposed to Italian-American) food. Great atmosphere and service too.
Edo up in the Castro – a hole-in-the-wall with the best sushi in town, and cheap.
Tom Hilton
@Zzyzx: Frisco doesn’t bother me. Annoyance FAIL.
;-)
Comrade Scrutinizer
@arguingwithsignposts: They aren’t non-intersecting sets, you know.
Library Grape
anyone else happen to see that Sully appears to have untwisted his panties on the “Fire Napolitano! ! ! 11 ! !” question?
Dig it:
I wonder what new issue Sully is going to latch on to, and stick with, to prove he ain’t gonna be bullied by no one! No how! T-minus 5… 4… 3…. (tick tock)
Zzyzx
@Tom Hilton: Then you’re not one of my intended targets :)
PTirebiter
@Tom Hilton:
Sorry, I conflated your comment with a few below. I rarely hear references to “San Fran” so it was a poor assumption on my part. Back in the day, I used to take the Coast Starlight out of L. A. for long week-ends in your city. Terrific memories.
db
Best bar to meet old SF regulars: Mr. Bing’s in Chinatown.
Nellcote
It’s dungeness crab season. Be sure to get one fresh steamed with a loaf of sourdough. It’s quintisential old school SF. Also check out the Farmer’s Market at the Ferry Building.
Kim
Now that Mr Bing’s has been mentioned: if you want to get your serious alcoholic-bad-karaoke night on: Bow Bow Bar.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/bow-bow-cocktail-lounge-san-francisco#hrid:oebJUK3ypxjQC0v3z3Yp7w/src:search/query:bow%20bow%20bar
Dr. I. F. Stone
One of my favorites is the Jardiniere Restaurant on Grove Street, near the Civic Center and arts center; while it’s not in the Moscone Center, it’s not a bad walk from the Center to the restaurant. I always prefer seating on the second level by the cut-out looking down on the bar and ground level area. The place is usually ranked fairly high on the critics lists.
robin
We always make sure to go to Mo’s in North Beach (on Grant Ave) for an incredible burger and fries. They make incredible milkshakes as well.
OriGuy
Thirsty Bear on Howard isn’t bad, for tapas and beer. It’s not great, though.
I second the recommendation for Lulu, if the prices don’t faze you.
Probably not interested in the Gold Club across from Thirsty Bear. People go there for the scenery, not the food.
Brachiator
Do they still have Beach Blanket Babylon in San Francisco? — (not an eatery, but a weirdly fun musical revue)
TR
No idea the distance, but the best sushi I’ve ever had is in a place called Deep Sushi, near the Castro. Phenomenal.
Tom Hilton
@Nellcote: not a great crab season this year, but even a poor crab season is better than non-crab season. My favorite is the roast crab at La Vie, 21st & Geary. A little out of the way, but the 38 runs out there.
Edit: by the way, you can find all sorts of great transit info here.
Jason
Go get a burrito, man. Look at the suggestions above. You’re close to SF Brewing (straight up Kearny to Columbus) and Thirsty Bear. Go to House of Shields for a good enough time if it’s got people in it.
Nylund
If you can afford it, Lulu is pretty good.
But all tastes are subjective. If you don’t have the Yelp app on your phone, get it. Then just search “nearby” for whatever it is you’re craving at that moment. This is a great strategy for any city you visit, but since the locals invented Yelp, there are plenty of reviews to browse through.
Joshua Norton
Bring a jacket ’cause it’s ice cold freezing. Well, maybe not East Coast winter cold, but I went out on my deck and saw my breath this AM. Definitely not t-shirt weather.
Also, they’re still filming “Trauma” all over town so you may trip over camera crews and blocked off streets in you travels. They’re always in the way when I’m trying to navigate the Financial District to get to work. Seems like a major amount of inconvenience for such a mediocre show.
goblue72
As the quarter or more of San Franciscans who are of Cantonese extraction would say, “ai ya!” – (roughly, oy vay!)
Across the street from Moscone, is B Restaurant – good contemporary American restaurant/bar: http://www.bsanfrancisco.com/index.php
One block away is Ducca (Northern Italian): http://www.duccasf.com/
One block away at the St. Regis Hotel is AME (seasonal Californian meets Japanese): http://www.amerestaurant.com/
A few blocks away on Mission Street b/w 1st and 2d is Salt House (contemporary American seafood): http://www.salthousesf.com/flashsite/index.html
Joshua Norton
@Brachiator: Yes, BBB is still packing them in. Definitely a “must see”.
Mark
I too am surprised by the number of people here who live in the city. Even more surprising are the recommendations here, which don’t display any of the cynicism that San Franciscans are known for! Allow me to contribute some:
On Taquerias: Taqueria Cancun – mediocre food, including always soggy tortilla chips. Pancho Villa – I once saw a guy standing on the grill cleaning the fume hood; never been back. Far better to go to El Toro, owned by the same people, where everyone’s friendlier.
On cookie-cutter microbreweries: 21st Amendment and the Thirsty Bear are so clearly designed for out-of-towners and people who just moved here from Cleveland that you might as well go to TGIFriday’s at Fisherman’s Wharf. San Francisco is about uniqueness!
On similarly unoriginal tourist traps: Fog City Diner and the Stinking Rose might have been good picks in 1985, but they wouldn’t crack the top 1000 restaurants today. Belden Place is just as bad. No sale.
Suggestions I would agree with so far and others I would make:
– Memphis Minnie’s is, shockingly, the best bbq in San Francisco. Obviously, you should go to Oakland if you want the really good stuff, but the city can’t have everything. Also, a friend of mine who is a cook applied to work there, but they refused to hire him because he’s vegetarian. You may think that’s a good sign…Or you may want to stand up against such bigotry!
– Brett @ 48 gives you a great pick with Cafe Claude. It’s walking distance from Moscone, gives you everything that Belden has, plus the food is actually good!
– Lulu is indeed good; so is Nopa. Chez Papa is above-average. I wasn’t wowed by Delfina, but I know everyone else is – good luck getting a reservation less than six weeks in advance; you can stand outside waiting at 4:30 until they open if you want to eat at 5.
– Even though the food and/or beers are great, I wouldn’t send Doug over to Burma Superstar or the Monk’s Kettle because I really don’t think he should spend his entire time in San Francisco waiting in line for dinner. Also, with the Monk’s Kettle, I don’t think he should get dissed by a hipster waiter in order to spend $15 for a beer.
– Even though I like Toronado, shouldn’t we be showing Doug the best side of San Francisco? If you’ve spent any time at that bar, then you’ve surely seen an alcoholic either vomit on the floor or urinate on himself while standing at the bar.
– Keeping the budget reasonable and the location accessible by Muni, I think either Home or Chow (both at Church & Market) are good picks. If you happen to be a fan of 70s punk on the jukebox, you could hit the Lucky 13 next door for a drink after – large beer selection, never seen anyone vomit on the floor.
– Bi-Rite Creamery on 18th both serves great ice cream and helps you to understand San Francisco’s archetypal fads without having to go too deep into the Mission. Did you think sweater vests and 1986 fluorescent Raybans were out?
– If you want the best (and really only) slice of New York pizza San Francisco has to offer, you need to go to Arinell’s at 16th/Valencia. The most-loved pizza in San Francisco at this moment is Little Star, which features San Francisco-style deep dish pizza. I will admit to being a fan; expect lines there too.
– Breakfast/brunch places: Mission Beach Cafe has been a huge hit with anyone I’ve ever taken there. Just for You Cafe in the Dogpatch has awesome food, particularly beignets.
– The one place where I am willing to hold my nose and wade through tourists is to go to the Cheesecake Factory in Macy’s at Union Square. The food blows and it’s a total free-for-all, but you can sit outside and have a great view of union square from a vantage point that’s otherwise inaccessible.
Jeez, I could go on forever here. There are tons of awesome places to eat in the city. You could never eat anywhere twice and it wouldn’t affect you in the least.
Enjoy your trip, Doug. Just avoid the tourist traps!
Mark
TR @ 77: Deep Sushi (in the southern end of Noe Valley) closed six months ago.
goblue72
Got stuck in moderation-land, so I will try again:
Across the street from Moscone, is B Restaurant – good contemporary American restaurant/bar: http://www.bsanfrancisco.com/index.php
One block away is Ducca (Northern Italian): http://www.duccasf.com/
One block away at the St. Regis Hotel is AME (seasonal Californian meets Japanese): http://www.amerestaurant.com/
A few blocks away on Mission Street b/w 1st and 2d is Salt House (contemporary American seafood): http://www.salthousesf.com/flashsite/index.html
Lolis
You must go to Ali Baba’s Cave. They have two locations in the city and it is an amazing falafel place. Amazing. They put grilled eggplant and potatoes in your falafel along with all the amazing sauces. I get extra chili sauce. I miss that place.
I’d go to the one in the Mission District. But I’ve heard they have a location elsewhere.
martha
I would also vote for a trip down to the Ferry building (a couple of BART stops and get off at Embarcadero) and then wander around the place and look at all the little restaurants/diners/foodie places and follow your nose…you’ll find something great. But I think it’s more of a breakfast/lunch place. And great views too!
Second the Hotel Rex recommendation–that’s where we stay when we visit…I lived in north Oakland/worked in SF for many years, so we visit a lot.
El Cruzado
I’m partial to the King of Thai Noodle at 184 O’Farrell Street and make a point to go there at least once every year when I drop around for the Apple Fanboy Convention. There seems to be a whole bunch of ‘King of Thai Noodle’ restaurants around. I’m sure they also all claim to be the original one. No matter what, if you’re in a budget and have cash, that one’s a treat.
gbear
@Joshua Norton:
I am sobbing now.
Tim in SF
BTW, in the posts above, letters like “N” are light rail trains, numbers are busses.
You should check out the Academy of Science while you’re here. You can borrow my pass. I also have a pass to the De Young, you can borrow that too.
I would actually recommend Yank Sing to any white person who wanted a good dim sum experience but doesn’t want to accidentally order chicken feet. :-) So, if you like it, hit it again.
It’s a short walk up to the Union Square Macy’s, the top floor of which has a Cheesecake Factory. It’s super fun to go on a nice day and sit on the patio outside. But you’re mostly going for the view, not the food, which is pedestrian (good chicken salad sandwiches, though).
I second the Edo recommendation. It’s in the Castro which is fun and super easy to get to on Muni. I think the best sushi (quality vs price vs service) in the city is at Jimisan’s in inner sunset (right on the N line). Eternity roll. Sit at the bar. Tell Jimi or Todd you are a friend of Tim and Alex.
SarahLoving
The last time I was in SF I ate at The 5th Floor for the first time and it was great. And a lot more affordable than I expected, actually.
Don’t know if they still have their special on wine going, but they have a very extensive list, one of the best in the city I have heard.
The Fifth Floor is located in the Hotel Palomar, which is on 4th Street at Market.
Monkeyfister
Right across from the Chinatown gateway arch is a FANTASTIC Irish pub in an old bank. Excellent bar, and extraordinarily good food– not your typical bar food in the least. If you walk out of the alleyway entrance to the pub, and make a right, at the corner across the street next to the art school is a FANTASTIC Thai restaurant. Both places surpised me with how inexpensive they were. When I travel for conventions at Moscone, I stay in one of the two boutique hotels right there. These are my two favorite places to eat in the area.
–mf
simonee
Welcome to our hood. I highly recommend Kokkari for THE best Mediterranean food, ever. And Gaylord’s for Indian food.
goblue72
I left a comment for excellent dining options within a few blocks of Moscone that aren’t tourist traps but its stuck in moderation land.
Here’s some cool stuff to do near the Moscone:
Museum of the African Diaspora – a new museum with revolving exhibits about the cultural/social impact of the African diaspora (mainly the slave diaspora). 685 Mission Street (Mission and 3d)
Cartoon Art Museum – 655 Mission Street
The Jewish Museum – the museum is so-so, but the Daniel Liebskind designed building is awesome. 736 Mission Street
and of course, SF MoMA at 151 3d Street, b/w Mission and Howard Streets
Mark
Simonee @ 92 – How did I forget Kokkari? Totally recommended.
I got food poisoning at Ali Baba’s cave. Totally not recommended. San Francisco does not do cheap middle eastern very well.
goblue72
My food comment without the links (which may be causing it to hang in moderation):
Across the street from Moscone, is B Restaurant – good contemporary American restaurant/bar: 720 Howard Street
One block away is Ducca (Northern Italian): 50 3d Street
One block away at the St. Regis Hotel is AME (seasonal Californian meets Japanese): 689 Mission Street
A few blocks away on Mission Street b/w 1st and 2d is Salt House (contemporary American seafood): 545 Mission Street
The Grand Panjandrum
@gbear:
I’m just glad it’s a balmy 17F outside today. But it might get cold tonight.
James K Polk, Esq.
I forgot to mention Shalimar.
The Raven
Depends on how far you’re willing to travel. In general, do that by bus or subway–in the center of SF driving is more trouble than it’s worth. So. It’s hard to go wrong eating in SF. You can take a cable car (or a bus) up into Chinatown, or a bus into North Beach (Italian.) Fisherman’s Wharf has good places but is expensive and touristy.
Have a great meal!
Fred Fnord
If you don’t mind doing a bit of walking, here’s what I recommend:
In ‘South Park’ there is a restaurant called The Butler and the Chef. 155 S Park St, San Francisco, CA It’s open for breakfast/brunch and lunch. It serves the most amazing Croque Monsieur I’ve ever had, and gives you a lovely handmade truffle with your check. Other stuff is just as good. And not terribly expensive.
If you’re in the mood for Thai, my favorite is Banana House Thai, 321 Kearny Street, which is a shorter walk. Also quite inexpensive.
There is kind of a neat ‘farmer’s market’ (or at least a reasonable approximation) with lots of different kinds of food in the Metreon, which is on the same block as Moscone North. Just walk around the block, it’s not hard to spot. Open every day… I want to say 10 to 7 but it may be 10 to 6.
If you’re looking for more expensive stuff, you’ll have to ask someone else.
-fred
AnneS
Try Tommy’s Joint on Van Ness. Great sammiches and beer. The decor is pretty interesting, too.
The Raven
Immediate to Moscone, mainly there used to be lunch places, only my info is years out of date. Look around.
Joe in the Richmond
Listen to #83 Mark. So many other are leading you astray. If you can make it to the Ferry Building for lunch on Thursday, vendors are set up outside. Skip the Namu and Tacolicious and head for the 4505 Meats.
Want awesome Asian? Go here:
Ha Nam Ninh at 337 Jones- get the bún bò Huế for awesome vietnamese
Z&Y at 655 Jackson Street in Chinatown- only order from the Sichuan menu. The other stuff is typical tourist crap
Katana-Ya at 430 Geary St- A lot of city chefs go here to get Japanese ramen.
Shell
Don’t tell Bill O’Reilly
Fred Fnord
@ 94
There are plenty of places for good cheap-ish Middle Eastern food in SF, although I admit that they turn over with dismaying rapidity.
But my favorite isn’t so cheap. It’s on Van Ness at Sutter, and it’s called Alborz. And the rice with barberries in it is super-yummy, and so is their version of Fesinjoon (or however you spell that.) It’s not ridiculously expensive ($10-15 entrees), and we usually get two meals out of two entrees.
-fred
Joshua Norton
How to show you’re “with it” when vacationing in San Fran:
Wear a baby-blue polyester leisure suit with white patent leather shoes and a belt to match. (this look really pops if your waist is 42 or larger).
Stop people at random and ask “where do all them hippies live”?
When you’re informed that there haven’t’ been “hippies” in the Haight since 1966 scoff and say “OK, where’s all the queers, then”.
You’ll do just fine.
Fred Fnord
@100
Tommy’s Joynt! Home of the famous Hot Corned Beef Cocktails!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/49502995517@N01/134695896
gnomedad
@Tom Hilton:
Hmm, another WP typographic quirk.
I loved walking on the GG bridge; just feeling it work.
kay
@Library Grape:
We should be glad Andrew Sullivan doesn’t have any actual power. He regrets these draconian orders he issues with some regularity.
Her head would be off, Andrew, for days now. Fat lot of good your regret would do then, huh? Jeez. You would think someone who bills himself as a conservative would stop rushing the accused to the executioner.
trollhattan
Whatever else, join the throngs and see King Tut at the DeYoung. I very much doubt many of these pieces will leave Egypt again.
Too also, the “Frisco” thing would only possibly offend a transplant (80% of the SF population on a given day) trying desperately to fit in, so don’t give it a second thought. Even Herb Caen who popularized “Don’t call it Frisco” came full circle with a column titled something like “Go ahead and call it Frisco.”
I’m with Yogi, “Nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded” on SF, but if you’re there anyway there’s a ton to do and it’s a relatively tiny city that you can get from edge to edge quickly. You can also hit the East Bay via BART. And the weather ain’t too crappy right now.
Have fun!
Tom Hilton
@Joshua Norton: or else dress for warm weather, and buy matching Fisherman’s Wharf sweatshirts. I see that a lot, so it must be hip.
TR
@Mark:
Really? I wasn’t likely to get there again, but that still makes me sad.
Fred Fnord
@49
Wow. Talk about your picky eaters.
Anyway, definitely DON’T go to Bristol Farms. It’s rabidly anti-union and they treat their workers like shit. They get picketed regularly.
-fred
Fred Fnord
@49
Wow. Talk about your picky eaters.
Anyway, definitely DON’T go to Bristol Farms. It’s rabidly anti-union and they treat their workers like shit. They get picketed regularly.
-fred
AnneS
@Fred Fnord:
:) Love that place
S V
Yank Sing is actually pretty mediocre when it comes to dim sum. The best place in the bay area for dim sum is Koi Palace in Daly City.
AnneS
@Fred Fnord:
We ate at Alborz during a visit this past September and had a great meal.
ABS
Thirsty Bear MicroBrewery on 661 Howard St between 3rd & Hawthorne St – literally half a block away from the Convention Center
Mike P
Leave the area around there. Go to Beretta in the Mission for pizza and cocktails. If you want a (very) lively bar scene and some upscale pub grub, go to Tipsy Pig. There’s good places on Mint Plaza, not to far from Moscone Center; Blue Bottle Coffee, Chez Papa Resto.
If you want drinks after events at Moscone, check out Heavens Dog (good cocktails, too). Go further down toward the Embarcadero in SoMa and hit up Gallery Lounge or District for wine.
As always, if you’re a foodie, go to the Ferry Plaza at some point. Boulette’s Larder FTW.
LM
It’s tough right around Moscone, but if you end up near the Civic Center at some point, walk up a short distance up Hayes to the Hayes Street Grill, 320 Hayes Street. If you find yourself on Market farther up (e.g. if you’re going to the Castro), try Zuni at 1658 Market St. If you’re in the Financial District, and you’re in the mood for something very Sam Spade, try Tadich Grill, 240 California St. These are all SF legends, you can’t go wrong at any of them.
bulletsweetp
Everyone else has lots of great info which is too long to read through. Following instructions for proximity my very highest recommendation is….
Salt House – Mission St between 2nd and 1st. Go at precisely 1:45pm, 15 minutes before kitchen closes for a full menu AND a decent seat at the bar.
This place has one of the two bestest burgers in the city. The other is Chez Maman on Potrero Hill.
Nate
@PaulW: Please do not “head to the Wharf”. It’s so depressing, even the fucking seals left.
There’s not *much* in the way of food, but there is a great, if not a bit overpriced, burger place just down the street. Custom Burger Lounge.
There’s plenty of stuff on market as well. La Boulange is always easy and dependable. Chinatown isn’t too far away either.
No need to “head to the wharf”. None at all.
Monkeyfister
Looking at the Google Map, The Irish Bank AND Bankok Best Thai are both on Bush Street, Between Grant and Kearney. Akiko’s is right there, too.
Right there at Kearney and Bush are a host of really good, inexpensive places to eat– from Asian to Cuban to Mexican.
–mf
Joshua Norton
It might be fun to ride the vintage trolley down Market St. from Castro to the wharf, but that’s about the only reason for going there.
ExSanFranciscan
Interestingly, my friends who are native San Franciscans (born there and live there today) all use “San Fran” though they do vehemently reject “Frisco”. I wonder if the hatred of “San Fran” is limited to the population that moved to SF from somewhere else. It’s an interesting sociolinguistic question.
gbear
@Tom Hilton:
Um…haha. I’ve got two Golden Gate Bridge t-shirts (which I love) but at least I didn’t start wearing them until I got back to MN.
handy
This. It’s a bitch to find a place to park and there’s nothing remotely interesting about the place in way of dining. You’re better off just walking a few blocks to Market and finding something along there.
mcc
Oh geez you’re gonna be like right by where I work.
Good food places in walking distance of Moscone:
– Specialtys (sandwiches) – This is an SF sandwich chain, there’s I think one by fulsom and 2nd and another by new montgomery. I recommend the hot alby
– Soup Freaks (soup/sandwiches) – This is by mission and 2nd.
– Mehfil – This is at mission and 2nd so right by Moscone, it is excellent Indian food, the menu changes every day, and they do a cheap cash-only take-out lunch box thing during the lunch hour (you have to make sure to ask for the naan bread with it).
Chuck
Lots of people are going to recommend the Stinking Rose in North Beach. Frankly it’s a kitschy tourist trap, and the garlic overwhelms, well, everything. Panta Rei is like a block away and much much better food. The papardelle and duck with pink sauce is the best goddam thing I’ve eaten in years.
And for gods sake, stay away from Fisherman’s Wharf.
For an interesting and usually decadant experience, try Supper Club (it’s the same as the place from Amsterdam if you’ve heard of them). But it’s more the place to bring a date, not a bunch of buddies. It’s also damn expensive.
Cat Lady
OT, but let’s play a game. Imagine Hillary Clinton as President, and this story breaks.
Right wing freak out x a bazillion + media panty sniffers led by Sally Quinn = the nightmare of all nightmares imagined during the primaries.
PUMAs can bite me.
Bubblegum Tate
Well, if you want the most talked-about culinary experience in the Bay, hop on BART, come to my neighborhood in Oakland, and get a fried chicken sandwich from Bakesale Betty’s. But that’s a bit out of your way.
I don’t think anybody has mentioned Cha Cha Cha’s yet, but for tapas, it’s tough to beat. I always bring visitors there, and every time they come back to town, they ask to go there again.
I’m also a big fan of Suppenkuche in Hayes Valley–quality German food (the pork chop there is fantastic) if you’re not afraid of the communal-style seating.
asiangrrlMN
Cole, I will just ditto going to the Mission District and visiting the taquerias. They are the best. And, forget Fisherman’s Wharf. Overpriced and overhyped. A kinda fun bar is Tosca’s on Columbus. A total dive but also fun bar is the 500 Club in…think it’s the Mission as well.
@The Grand Panjandrum: I’m guessing Am b i en in am bie nce.
@Bubblegum Tate: Ooooh, Cha Cha Cha is a good one.
Bubblegum Tate
@mcc:
I get lunch here probably two out of five days of the work week. Love it.
handy
@Cat Lady:
Judging from their inability to grasp electoral strategy during the primaries, I doubt the PUMAs would see a problem here.
Chuck
Mehfil is great. Where I work we alternately call it “curry in a hurry” or “the Curry Nazi”. Cash only for the lunch line, they do take plastic for sit-down. If you do the sit-down, the tikka adraki chicken is incredible.
Incidentally it’s at 2nd and Folsom, not Mission.
mcc
Also if you are willing to take BART I highly recommend “Frjtz” to anyone with San Francisco access. It’s over in the mission district.
It is a gourmet french fries restaurant.
Imagine that description being reified in the best way possible.
They also have amazing dinner crepes.
I think it’s supposed to be Belgian or something.
Monkeyfister
In the future, staying at either the Hotel Des Arts http://www.bookability.net/b2/hoteltop.php?month=1&day=15&year=2010&nightstay=01&pcod=&siteid=557&hnum=745
Or Hotel Triton http://www.hoteltriton.com/
Will save you a PILE of lodging money, and put you in easy walk of Moscone, and all of the rest of San Francisco. I had a hard time finding a hotel that met Gov Per Diem maximum. These two are super cheap for location and overall value. Quietest rooms, and great services. Leonardo DiCaprio and Woody Harrelson are partners in Hotel Triton. One could support worse people, for sure! I like both hotels equally.
–mf
asiangrrlMN
And, I am back in the States, bitchez. It’s about ten degrees in MN, and I drove home with the windows open last night. LOVE IT! I got a full day of NFL-watchin’ ahead of me. Game on.
jeffreyw
@asiangrrlMN: Hey grrl! Jack sez hi!
justme
If you like tequila, Tres Agaves down by the ballpark makes some of the best margaritas on the planet. The food ain’t bad either, but it’s the booze that’s the reason to go. I prefer their progenitor, Tommy’s, out in the Avenues, but it’s well out of your way. 24th and Geary. Worth a trip if you have the time, but there’s not much else out there.
I’ll second a few things,
Memphis Minnie’s really is very good. Wednesday is pastrami day. Katz’ it ain’t, but I take what I can get.
There is all sorts of yummyness at the Ferry Building. Definitely a lunch thing, though.
El Farolito is my favorite burrito. Screw the chorizo. Go for the carnitas or the al pastor. Castillito at Church and Market runs second place.
Crab season is a beautiful thing.
Little Star is exceptional. This from a New York pizza snob that never really took to deep dish. Their deep dish is amazing. Their thin crust, meh, but the deep dish, mmmmggghhhmmmghhhhhhllllllllll. It’s still not really pizza to me on some level, but whatever it is, it’s great.
I piss and moan about MUNI, but the truth is, we do actually have an extensive and useful mass transit system here, which is more than you can say about most American cities.
Etc. Etc. Etc.
Enjoy your stay in our lovely town.
Yes, I’m bemoaning the cold here too. Brrr. It’s below 50 degrees out there right now. Wahhh.
Tom Hilton
@Bubblegum Tate:
Tangential story from 20-odd years ago…some co-workers and I were talking about restaurants, and one of them said “hey, there’s a new topless bar in the Haight that’s supposed to be great.” Much confusion on my part (especially since the guy who was so enthusiastic about it was gay), until we established that he hadn’t actually said “topless”.
Some years later I was looking for a restaurant in the Yellow pages, and the ad for Sol y Luna (a tapas place, now gone) caught my eye: it was described as, yes, a “topless bar” (imagine the disappointed customers). The lesson: never, ever phone in your ad.
AhabTRuler
@Bubblegum Tate: Cha!?
Brick Oven Bill
Chandler is really selling you guys out. He got a book deal. In this manner, he may be more dangerous than Glenn Beck.
.
Things White People Like Number Ninety One; San Francisco
The City of San Francisco has a very multicultural population that ranges from white to gay to Asian. Within white culture this known as “ideal diversity” for its provision of exotic restaurants while simultaneously preserving property values. The presence of gays and Asians is imperative as it two provides two of the key resources most necessary for white success and happiness.
However, it is important to be aware of the fact that regions outside of San Francisco feature many people who are not white, gay or Asian. They are greatly appreciated during the census, but white people are generally very happy that they stay in places like Oakland and Richmond. This enables white people to feel good about living near people of diverse backgrounds without having to directly deal with troublesome issues like income gaps or schooling.
Max
@Mark: I agree on Kokkari. Their app plate sample and a bottle of wine is a meal in itself.
Their sister restaurant in Palo Alto is also good.
Jon
Taylor’s Automatic Refresher, in the Ferry building, makes a burger that will make you weep. The original is in the Napa Valley area on rt 29, so maybe this is Taylor’s Semi-automatic Refresher?
(I’ll show myself out…)
Also, when God is in San Francisco (more often than you think), He drinks at Bourbon and Branch, a straight-up speakeasy that will, for $11 a drink, change your world. (They also engineer non-alcoholic drinks for teetotalers that are breathtaking in their flavor and complexity and will shame the “virgin strawberry daquiri” crowd.)
Ireland’s 32, in the Richmond, is absolutely the friendliest hardcore-IRA bar you will ever back into. I’ve had rounds bought there for me because some bloke at the bar didn’t want to be the only one seen trying pomegranate tequila.
And close to Moscone, there’s the Chieftain, on the far side of that big parking deck on 5th – perfect place for a couple of Guinness between Apple product announcements. ;]
patrick
There is a Chevys Fresh Mex near Moscone, I believe.
Avoid it.
Take BART to The Mission.
Cody_K
Les Joulin’s (walking distance from Moscone)
jazzbistrosf.com
Occasional Reader
My $0.02:
Try the Chile Verde burrito at Papalote’s, 24th and Mission. It’s worth the trip.
Get a flight of wines at the Hidden Vine, on Cosmo Place (near the corner of Post & Taylor) It’s a great, tucked away wine bar on Nob Hill, just up from the Moscone Center.
Have dinner at La Ciccia – a Sardinian restaurant in Noe Valley (30th and Church) with an excellent local vibe. Again, worth the trip.
Joshua Norton
Yes, but get off at 24th, not 16th. No matter what they do to try and clean up16th and Mission it retains that “Mad Max”/gang banger/urine soaked/inner-city grit.
tavella
For places that are close to the Moscone, Amber India has some excellent food, and I think they do a buffet at lunch, for a quick meal with variety.
If you have a little more time and want a cab ride, I’m very fond of Dosa on Fillmore.
Turgidson
@Bubblegum Tate:
Second the Suppenkuche recommendation. It’s German food, cooked with far more care than you’d probably find in Germany itself. And they have an impressive array of European beers. Only downside is it’s not a fun place to eat alone – sort of like a beer hall, there are a bunch of communal tables and benches. Oh, and if you don’t show up early, you’re bound to have to wait no less than 30-45 min.
you’re already familiar with Yank Sing – it’s among my favorite dim sum places.
Ike’s Place at 16th and Sanchez is a good sandwich place for lunch. But expect a wait.
Truly Mediterranean at 16th and Valencia has my favorite falafels and shawarmas in the city. Right nearby is Pancho Villa Taqueria. Since I’ve never seen anyone standing on the grills there, I still enjoy it.
If you don’t mind traveling a bit, right next door to San Tung (mentioned above) in the Inner Sunset on Irving between 11th and 12th, is Yummy Yummy – really good Vietnamese restaurant that does everything well – from cheap, delicious bowls of pho to many of the upscale things you’d find at Slanted Door – at very good prices. You’d have to take the N-Judah for 20-30 minutes from Moscone.
Tadich is good and definitely has some character, and right next door is a newer Italian/French place called Perbacco, which I really enjoyed.
Since it’s crab season, two places you could go for a roasted garlic crab are Thanh Long, which is almost all the way at the end of the line on the N-Judah, a few blocks from the Pacific Ocean, or Crustacean at California and Polk. They’re run by the same people.
For that matter, if you’re free for lunch and like fresh shellfish, go to Swan Oyster Depot, also on Polk near California. Really good oysters, clams, crab cocktails – and it’s run by a bunch of loudmouth brothers and cousins who give each other shit the whole time, especially when they’re not totally busy. Sometimes when there’s a line out the door, they’ll serve you an Anchor steam while you wait.
Turgidson
@mcc:
Ever since the frjtz on Hayes closed and moved to a new location next door, I’ve boycotted the place. The old Hayes location was this charming space that had the nicest outdoor patio where you could eat your fries with several dipping sauces and sip your Leffe in comfort with a little bit of sun and breeze (when there’s sun here, which can be seldom). The new location is this sterile gray shitpile with no outdoor patio. And I’m not thrilled with the Mission location either. Boourns.
Ivan
Lots of good suggestions already. Just to add a few:
– Take a cab ride up Potrero Hill to Anchor Steam Brewery and taste Anchor and Liberty ale fresh from tap.
– There’s been a revival in well-made cocktail places, so don’t miss them: Bourbon & Branch, already mentioned is excellent. Also worth a visit: La Mar for Pisco Sour (and ceviche and views), Cantina, Beretta. The cocktails are only competent on the roof at Medjool, but if the weather cooperates, it’s glorious at dusk, and the food is decent.
– What they said about Tres Agaves and Tommy’s except that the former’s quality is gone a fair bit downhill now that the latter’s owner pulled out of the partnership.
– +1 on Brenda’s Soul Food, but it’s breakfast/lunch only.
– If you venture to the Mission, beyond wha’ts been said: Limón Rotisserie has great inexpensive Peruvian, Ti Couz for excellent Breton (buckwheat) crepes, and pastries/sandwiches at Tartine, the best French bakery this side of the puddle
– Hit the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning, and chow on Hayes St Grill’s excellent crab cakes or oyster po’ boys. Then graze around the stalls, and stop by Blue Bottle for sit-up-straight-pay-attention coffee.
– What Mark said about Memphis Minnie’s and Arinell’s.
Have a great time in our fair city. If you have time, I’d suggest a tweetup.
Turgidson
I’ll add to the Blue Bottle consensus too. It’s stronger than jet fuel but still somehow very delicious coffee. Definitely worth sampling while you’re here.
asiangrrlMN
@jeffreyw: Hi back at Jack! He’s such a sweetie. And, I’m ready to be jealous for some food pr0n again!
ruemara
Yan’s Kitchen in downtown area. Total dive but some of the best damn Chinese food in all of SF. It looks like shabby hell but they are some serious cooks. Every person I’ve brung there has given me the hairy eyeball of doubt because of it’s dive aura and then thanked me profusely for the amazing cuisine.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/yans-kitchen-san-francisco
I moved up north and I still make a point to visit when I hop down for a con or something.
and avoid the wharf, it’s boring.
mcd410x
@kay: I love that Sullivan’s comparison to the panty bomber is … THE FALKLANDS GETTING INVADED.
Perhaps, those two aren’t quite on the same scale.
asiangrrlMN
@Library Grape: Oh, good lord. Seriously. I’m rolling my eyes here, they are threatening to fall right out of my head.
@kay: No kidding. And he’s acting exactly like an American conservative in demanding that an action, any action be taken, regardless of effectiveness.
@mcd410x: Really? He made that comparison? I am so glad I only read ‘shorter Sully’ here at BJ and not the actual source himself.
Thoughtcrime
Some consider the R & G Lounge (at 631 Kearny Street) the best Chinese food in the city: http://www.yelp.com/biz/r-and-g-lounge-san-francisco
Good time to try their Salt and Pepper Crab.
Rathskeller
I’m late on this post, so there’s too much to agree or disagree with.
Some highlights:
* Since you like Slanted Door, consider Tu Lan on 6th. Zero ambiance (really), but it’s damned tasty.
* You know about Slanted Door, but it’s unclear if you ate there before it was moved to the Embarcadero. If not, take the F car on Market to Embarcardo and enjoy the foodie delights.
* Basil Thai is excellent Thai food, http://www.basilthai.com
* Cha Am Thai is nearest the convention center. It’s ok.
* Thirsty Bear and 21st Amendments are not tourist traps. Tapas at Thirsty Bear can be excellent. But you’re really there for the beer at both places.
Some lowlights:
* Jesus, don’t go to Fisherman’s Wharf.
* Don’t go to Stinking Rose.
* Lulu’s can be a mixed story. It can be good, but it’s expensive either way. It is very close to your convention, however.
Enjoy the mild weather! We love it here.
OriGuy
@Tom Hilton: Same thing happened to me. I was making plans to meet a female friend for dinner at Sol y Luna, and I told her it was a tapas place. In my case, she had good reason to think I said “topless”. Brief awkwardness ensued.
Mike P
@Joshua Norton: Actually the only In-N-Out in the city is at the wharf, so if you’ve never had it, that’s a reason to go. Gary Danko and Ana Mandara are there, too; the former being on the best restaurants in the city.
Joshua Norton
This was the one place Julia Child always went to when she was in town.
Turgidson
I wouldn’t call 21st Amendment a tourist trap so much, but it is kind of a douchebag trap. South Beach and the area around SBC park (or whatever its name is these days), where 21st amendment is, is being developed using what appears to be the “Marina model” – in other words, it’s attracting pompous yuppies in finance and other corporate jobs. Makes sense, since it’s so close to the financial district, but still annoying.
Anyway, that’s a tangent. The beers at 21st amendment are very good in my opinion, though you’re paying about $1.50 more than the norm for each pint. The food is above average for a gastropub too, though also overpriced. I know it sounds like the worst thing ever, but if they have their watermelon wheat beer on tap, give it a try. Surprisingly good.
Mike P
Couple of other suggestions:
Nopa
Nopalito
Paxti’s Pizza (in Hayes Valley…order it to go and take it across the street to have excellent beers and shoot some stick at Place Pigalle)
Zarzuela (tapas in Russian Hill; finish off the meal by walking across to Swensen’s for some of the best ice cream in the city)
Town Hall (a long time favorite)
1300 on Fillmore (Soul food, done effin right)
Dosa (in the Mission or Fillmore) -upscale Indian
Limon (killer Peruivan in the Mission)
La Taqueria (the freaking jam if you like Mexican…also,the bbq chicken burrito at La Cumbre is all kinds of win)
Monk’s Kettle (craft brews and good eats)
Bob In Pacifica
There’s a hole-in-the-wall Hawaiian bbq not too far, I want to say it’s on 8th or 9th St between Market and Mission, where you can load up on carbs. It’s cheap, tastes good, and if you’re surfing in the chilly Pacific you can load up on calories. But probably not what you’re looking for. Pictures of minor celebs who ate there are on the wall.
Someone suggested El Farolito for Mexican food, and I think it’s the same place we used to go to at lunch when I was working for my union south of Market. Very good.
If you don’t have it back home, try to find a Vietnamese sandwich shop. The SF Chronic had a review of one downtown recently. Myself, I have a favorite place out in the Sunset, between 22nd and 23rd Avenues. A little out of the way for you.
Since I’ve lived down the coast here in Pacifica I can’t say that I’ve got a handle on restaurant recommendations downtown. But good luck and enjoy.
+++
As far as what to call San Francisco, if you say “The City” then you’ll be fine. As in, “Whenever I get out here to the City…” You show proper respect, as if this is the only real city. Locals will embrace you.
dt
@BR:
If you go to Toronado, try Rosamund’s Sausage Grill next door. Amazing.
Bob In Pacifica
La Taqueria used to have calendars that have the names of the saints on every day. We just got into the new year so there may be a few of them around if they still hand them out.
asiangrrlMN
@Bob In Pacifica: As someone who lived in the East Bay, I will confess that I called San Francisco the West Bay from time to time just because it irked me that SFers said they were from ‘the City’ as if it were the only one that mattered.
NFL Playoff Open Thread, pleeeeeez? kthxbai.
dt
Henry’s Hunan has a location near the Moscone. World’s best Chinese food (tied with Yank Sing, but that’s dim sum only).
Earl Hathaway
Doug —
First of all, Thirsty Bear — and it’s right underneath my employer — is pretty meh. The food is good, but nothing you can’t find elsewhere, and it’s both pretty generic and expensive. The only thing worth trying is the vanilla beer, which is decent.
Recommendations for stuff close to where you’ll be:
1 – Little Skillet. Better known as chicken and waffles, this place sells soul food. The chicken and waffles is good, but the real gems are their bbq pulled pork po’boy or, even better, their breakfast po’boy. And their pepper and brown sugar biscuit.
gmap
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=little+skillet+sf&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=32.885543,59.941406&ie=UTF8&hq=little+skillet&hnear=San+Francisco,+CA&ll=37.781061,-122.39542&spn=0.015162,0.029268&z=15
2 – right next door to little skillet is a place to buy blue bottle coffee. Ask for their $2 drip coffee and you’ll have some of the best coffee on the W coast.
Eat #1 and #2 sitting on the loading dock across the alley. Also, if you time it correctly, one of the cooler experiences in SF is the roaming food carts. They only advertise on twitter where they’ll be, but they occasionally come to the alley across from Little Skillet. There are 10-20 different carts that each sell a single food, from pizza to a Portuguese flan (amazing), etc. The only place to really figure out where they’ll be is there twitter feeds. Also, this is a *very* sf experience. Email me if you want more details.
For great beer near Moscone, you have to try 21st amendment. They brew all their own beers and they’re about a 10 minute walk from where you’ll be. The food is good, not great, burgers etc, though they recently redid their menu and I’m not as sure about the new food. However, their beers are all either very good or excellent.
Moscone to 21A
Also, if you want a good burrito near where you’ll be all day without having to go to mission, you can’t beat Tropisueno. Their burritos are *excellent*, if a little large.
Moscone to Tropisueno
Finally, if you are in the mood to try *very* good food, for seafood you want to go to Scomas and for french you want to go to L’aradoise.
Scomas
L’aradoise
Also, I work literally across the street from Moscone. Let me know if you’d like to meet for lunch. Also, uh, it’s San Francisco. Despite the fact that we nominally are in CA, bring a coat.
Cheers,
Earl
Thoughtcrime
@dt:
Henry’s Hunan is at 110 Natoma, just a few blocks from Moscone. Henry’s Shredded Pork is a favorite. Used to have lunch there quite often when I worked in the area.
keestadoll
I was amazed to almost get to the end of all the recommendations before I saw two people recommend Tu Lan’s. Hands down the most awesome Vietnamese. It’s on 6th just a 1/4 block south of Market. Get THE IMPERIAL ROLLS
JG
Downtown, I’d recommend B Bar in Yerba Buena Gardens – it’s upon top of the waterfall, quite lovely. You can just step over to SF MoMa or the Jewish Museum from there also.
Sentinel – amazing muffins and pretty damn great sandwiches, it’s a good weekday stop. On New Montgomery between Market & Mission, it’s in an old cigar store and is basically a counter and 2 doors. Many call the guy who runs it the sandwich nazi, but it’s worth the trip. He’s also the chef at Canteen, a fabulous spot in Union Square area. They have a great breakfast/brunch. It’s a good spot for a solo dinner at the counter as well – and they only way to get a seat without a reservation. They have 2 seatings a night, so look ’em up.
Flour & Water in the Mission is damn good italian food. They open at 5:30, so show up about 5:20 or so or wait until about 7:30. Small, high quality, only wine and no cocktails.
For lots of other good food, venture over to Oakland – Sidebar on Grand Ave. by Lake Merritt, the cocktails will change your life; Bakesale Betty’s for chicken sandwiches; Fenton’s for ice cream; and for a blow-out fancy meal try Commis, the first Oakland restaurant to ever get a Michelin star.
Enjoy the Bay Area! It’s a fun place. I’ll avoid giving a list of don’ts, I think others have covered them well ;)
dt
@Thoughtcrime:
My personal favorites are Diana’s meat pie and Marty’s Special. But it’s all good.
jeffreyw
@asiangrrlMN: I may do beef n broccoli stir fry tonight. Crab rangoon, spring rolls. Mebbe.
Vince CA
@DougL:
I here the “Gay Area” a lot, but it refers to the whole of the Bay Area. I only use it as a joke when I tell relatives from the rural midwest where I live.
Who ever said Monk’s Kettle is spot on (I think I’m thirding or fourthing it now).
As for Paxti’s, I guess it’s good, but it’s a clone of the far superior Zachary’s Pizza, which in located in Berkeley and Oakland (and San Ramone I think now) so I guess that’s out for Doug.
For some extra-curricular fun, I recommend taking the BART to downtown Berkeley and going to Jupiter’s pub and enjoying a cold one (or two) in the trumpetvine court. That in my opinion is the most perfect place on Earth. Once buzzed, walk the UC Berkeley campus. The buildings will not disappoint and Sproul Plaza amuses everyone who isn’t a Cal student.
Vince CA
And DougJ thank you for this thread! I’m a Bay Area native and I’m learning about so many awesome places right here in my backyard.
asiangrrlMN
@jeffreyw: You must. And you must take pics. I have spoken, and let my will be done.
@Yutsano: Paw of doom! You know me too well, hon.
Yutsano
@asiangrrlMN: This means here had better be open football thread plz else heads will roll. Wifey is not afraid of using the power of Tunch.
General Winfield Stuck
My only trip to San Francisco was back in the eighties on a bidness trip. Was there for about 3 days and stayed at a Holiday Inn in or near the Mission District. Had a cast on my leg, so couldn’t get around as much as I wanted, but it was a head trip for a Hillbilly from east KY. Just loved the wacky street people.
Only problem was they had experienced a series of tremors for a few days, and everyone was jumpy. The office building I was working at was an upper level floor, and the people I was working with were nervous wrecks, hands shook, and eyes wide and darting and looked like on the edge of full panic.
JenJen
Football thread please! My heart is pounding out of my chest watching this game.
Yutsano
@General Winfield Stuck: I went to SFO when I was a kid. (Tip: you REALLY wanna annoy folks there? Use the airport code. Sets them off like no other.) I remember playing around the Wharf but not much else. My only other experience was driving through on my way south in a van full of college kids needing gas desperately and not finding a single 24 hour gas station.
ruemara
I nearly forgot-Dim Sum! Hit the transbay bus O and head over to Alameda. East Ocean Chinese restaurant. Damn fine Dim Sum. The fried calamari in spicy salt is divine, the shrimp sui mai even more so. The salted quail is amazing. A friend took me to a premium restaurant in SF that was the “best dim sum in the city”. I took her here. I won. Don’t be afraid to cross a bridge, it’s worth the trip. You can tell by the line of chinese families that wait up to 40 mins during the weekend to get a seat for dim sum brunch.
Stop here at Ratto’s for the best damn deli in Oakland and some tasty imported charcuterie, and chocolate.
General Winfield Stuck
@JenJen:
They”re all out jet setting around the country. I will use my non existent powers to make this an open thread, but will deny any culpability.
asiangrrlMN
@JenJen: Gah. How can you watch?
@General Winfield Stuck: I was thinking the same thing. I can’t believe Cole didn’t leave one of us the keys to the house.
Midnight Marauder
@JenJen:
THANK YOU!
+3
Yutsano
@JenJen: Heh. You made me look. The game just got started, I thought maybe I was missing something exciting or close.
asiangrrlMN
@Midnight Marauder: Hey! Thank me, too. I have pleaded on two threads for an open football thread. Harumph. I don’t think anyone is listening to us.
Midnight Marauder
@asiangrrlMN:
THANK YOU! ALSO! AS WELL!
Corner Stone
@asiangrrlMN:
Listen, DougJ goes to a lot of trouble to keep his false personas straight. The least you could do is address the right one when he posts.
I mean, we all know they are the same, but he goes to such trouble we might as well go along.
Corner Stone
@Midnight Marauder: Foosball bitchez!
Eljai
As a bay area resident, after reading all the comments here I realize I need to get out more. But I do like the gyros at Golden Cookies on Kearny. They have cookies too. Also, I think we have enough people to start a Balloon-Juice San Francisco chapter.
John Cole
@Corner Stone: I am not DougJ nor vice versa.
licensed to kill time
I lived in Golden Gate Park for a week in the 60’s, sleeping in the bushes and ‘liberating’ food from nearby grocery stores. Picked up a nasty case of poison oak from using leaves for…well, you get the picture.
I don’t recommend this to anyone.
asiangrrlMN
@Corner Stone: Yeah, I just assumed it was Cole writing this because of the last thread. My bad, DougJ.
@John Cole: But one of you is Tim F., amirite?
Tim in SF
@Ivan: Brenda’s Soul Food, but it’s breakfast/lunch only.
How could I have forgotten Brenda’s, I don’t know. GO THERE before you start your day at the Moscone. It’s not too far a walk. Get the benyas (however you spell it). Deep fried dough with meat and cheese / cheese and fruit / chocolate inside. Phenomenally good.
wlrube
Seconded (thirded? fourthed?) El Farolito, on Mission just north of the 24th street BART station. Fucking amazing burritos. Also, definitely spend some time wandering around Golden Gate Park going to the museums and the botanical gardens and stuff, that’s one of those things tourists do that locals also love. As someone born and raised in SF, I’ve never been to Coit Tower in my life and I think the last time I went to the end of Fisherman’s Wharf or rode a cable car was on field trips in elementary school. The hot fudge sundaes at Ghirardelli Square are good, but all the shops there are overpriced tourist fodder.
namekarB
@Tom Hilton:
My faulty memory. It has been about 5 years since I commuted through the City (Sacramento to Burlingame – worthy of a post in itself). The 32 was the Wharf to CalTrain bus via Embarcadero prior to the F Line Muni extension. Once you said N Judah, it all came back to me.
Seanly
Go with a group of people to an Ethopian restaurant. There used to be 2 good ones in San Fran. Get the family platter – lots of dishes on injera bread. No utensils. Get some mead to go with it. Yum yum yum.
The Main Gauche of Mild Reason
@Earl Hathaway:
Is there more info on these twitter feeds? I’ve lived here for a few years in SoMA and never heard about it.
Bubblegum Tate
@Earl Hathaway:
Yes. My friend is the owner/chef there, and he absolutely deserves your business. If he’s offering the special of grits topped with pulled pork and cheddar cheese, order it without a second thought.
Nellcote
@wlrube:
That’s too bad, the bay views are spectacular. And you really need to see the WPA era murals inside the tower.
Library Grape
@asiangrrlMN: yep. that was his comparison. sheesh. :)
DougJ
Any chance of a BJ get-together while you’re in town, or are you too busy and am I hopelessly uncool for suggesting it?
That sounds cool. Maybe Bourbon and Branch on Thursday night?
DougJ
@Earl
Thanks!
DougJ
For some extra-curricular fun, I recommend taking the BART to downtown Berkeley and going to Jupiter’s pub and enjoying a cold one (or two) in the trumpetvine court. That in my opinion is the most perfect place on Earth. Once buzzed, walk the UC Berkeley campus. The buildings will not disappoint and Sproul Plaza amuses everyone who isn’t a Cal student.
One of my old stand-bys from grad school! Love the place.
Mark
Bourbon & Branch would be a bad choice. You essentially reserve a table for 60 minutes, and you can only stay if they’re not busy (or decide you’re dropping enough coin on drinks.)
Btw, this is an awesome thread. So many good suggestions, even if you’ll never get San Franciscans to agree on anything! (Except that Fisherman’s Wharf sucks…)
sean
Henry’s Hunan is very close to Mascone ands the best Chinese in SF
Here is the Menu, take my advice and order the #1
http://greasepig.com/henrys/
I used to have it at least 1-2 a week but have since moved to SoCal to be closer to Tbogg
sean
oop’s, I meant Moscone
goblue72
For Bourbon and Branch, you don’t necessarily need a table. For those without a reservation/membership, there’s a standing room library downstairs. Just tell the hostess the codeword “books” when you get there.
Also, there is Rickhouse – a bar opened last year by the Bourbon and Branch crowd that has a cocktail and spirits menu that I swear is 40 pages long. Their scotch menu alone take up 5 pages. They even serve punches in glass punchbowls to small groups. It can get a bit crowded though as its near the Fin District and fills up quickly with the after-work douche crowd.
The “it” bar of the moment amongst the cocktail scene is Smuggler’s Cove – its a high-end temple to rum and tiki in Hayes Valley in the former Jade Club space. They kept the waterfall. Martin Cate of Forbidden Island opened it about a month ago. They even feature their own house rum, that I think is made by St. George Spirits over in Alameda.
Hob
I’m saving a copy of this thread. I’ve gotten lazy & clearly have missed some yums.
And if y’all are getting together at all, I hope to be there. I’m gonna be unhelpful though & just wait for others to make a plan because I’m no good at plans.
coffeegirl
Take BART to Berkeley (to the Shattuck station I believe) and go to Cha Am. It’s the best Thai food you will eat anywhere in the US and prices are nearly the same as they were when I was in college in the early 80’s–time warp.
Cha Am
DougJ
Also, there is Rickhouse – a bar opened last year by the Bourbon and Branch crowd that has a cocktail and spirits menu that I swear is 40 pages long. Their scotch menu alone take up 5 pages. They even serve punches in glass punchbowls to small groups. It can get a bit crowded though as its near the Fin District and fills up quickly with the after-work douche crowd.
Does it quiet down by later (8 or 9) the way some of those kinds of places do? If so, it might be perfect.
Amanda in the South Bay
In my experience, plenty of people in the peninsula/south bay who are natives or lived here a long time refer to SF as The City. They sure aren’t referring to Redwood City…
As for delicious eats (if a bit touristy) why not get a penis cookie in the Castro at Hot Cookie?
Hob
fills up quickly with the after-work douche crowd
I just don’t understand these people. If I were going to apply a douche after work, a cocktail bar just wouldn’t seem like a good venue.
==-+
Most places, in my experience, do a happy hour, which ends around 6 or 7, then don’t start hopping again until around 10pm. Although I usually (but not always) frequent dives mostly, not places with drink menus.
If you want quiet, the 500 club as mentioned up thread, opens at 6am.
Mike P
@goblue72: Rickhouse is so full of win. If you like whiskey, then you have to go. It’s not a “If I have time, I’ll check it out” kind of deal; it’s mandatory.
glasgowtremontaine
@Michael D.:
I was gonna say: Mathematician!
(Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Since the missus is both, & hence I am v. grateful for this thread. Cheers!)
S.Bones
Cafe Macaroni, just down the street from City Lights Bookstore.
It’s only a mile away – worth the walk.
S.Bones
Cafe Macaroni, just down the street from City Lights Bookstore on Columbus.
It’s only a mile away – worth the walk.
KDP
Canton Restaurant for Dim Sum – Corner of Hawthorne and Folsom (1 block east of 3rd). 1 block from Moscone
Big green stucco building. Ask for XO Noodles ( they are a special request item.) Otherwise, pick and choose from the carts they’ll wheel around. it is all great.
Tim in SF
Cocktails:
On Market, a short walk up the hill from the Van Ness Muni is The Orbit Room, which has the best cocktails in the city. They use only fresh fruit for their mixes and they squeeze it right there into the shaker. The lines for drinks can be up to fifteen minutes, though, even on an off night.
Martuni’s is a block closer. It has a fantastic drink menu, but they tend to be so big and so strong two will knock me on my ass. It’s a piano bar and very dark.. so, actually, maybe not so great if you want to meet BJ readers and have serious discussion. But if you’re wrecked after a day at Moscone and don’t want people to see the bags under your eyes, this place might be just the thing.
There’s Harry Denton’s Starlight Room on the top floor of the Sir Frances Drake hotel. It draws a middle-aged crowd rather than the douchy SoMa 30-something set or the coked-out Marina frat boy ass holes you’ll find in North Beach. It has the BEST VIEWS OF THE CITY of any bar, though it can be loud, which I don’t like anymore.
If you want conversation in an interesting, comfortable setting with a manageable audio level, and if you are willing to brave the waters of the Castro, there’s Twin Peaks Tavern. The crowd is decidedly mature (it’s nickname is The Glass Coffin), gay and very polite. :-)
Bill D.
@48: Take the N-Judah to 9th and Irving as suggested, but instead go north on 9th just part of a block to Ebisu. Best sushi and sashimi you will ever have. Take as many people along as possible so you can sample as many dishes as possible instead of loading up on just a few, but be prepared for a big hit to your wallet. Reservations recommended.
Goblue72
Doug update: not sure which Amber you plan to hit. If it’s the bar in Castro/Upper Market area, it closed recently.
The Orbit Room down Market a few blocks from there is good bar alternative with tasty original cocktails. There’s also pisco lounge on Market near there too.
Brett
Wow, what a great list of suggestions. Makes me look forward to my next trip.
@Max: We were disappointed by Kokkari. Did we just order wrong? I remember the grilled brussel sprouts but not much else.
Colette
@DougJ:
That sounds nice – I miss my bar-hanging days (having a 6-year-old has seriously cramped our style). I don’t have any strong feelings about the venue; dives or fancy-schmancy joints are all good with me, since I’ve now reached the age where I can just look smugly amused at it all. Along with @Hob:, I’ll hang out and wait for the groupthink (or DougJ) to decide.
MikeLA
When I lived in SF I really liked Walzwerk (on VanNess between 14th and 15th). Its an East-German restaurant with all sorts of GDR memorabilia, the food is great.
Ivan
For my money, Rickhouse is a pale shadow of Bourbon & Branch. It gets so crowded that the bartenders don’t really have the time to get the cocktails quite right (e.g. in Manhattans they routinely skip the orange peel around the rim, and at B&B they not only never forget it but they flame it too), and it’s not like B&B is slow and quiet.
Independently of a get-together, if you’re looking for a Whiskey bar, I’d hit Nihon at 14th and Folsom. The Japanese food is just okay (competent but overpriced for what it is), but the Whiskey selection is second to none.
And for Scotch lovers, this is what awaits at B&B:
http://blog.bourbonandbranch.com/2009/06/the_laphroaig_project_1.html
MobiusKlein
@coffeegirl: Damn, I went to Cha Am 10^10 times in the 90s. but from SF, there are a ton of Thai places to go anyway, some pretty good.
For places near Moscone, I’ll ditto the Henry’s Hunan,
Or for good Pakistani food, there is always Shalimar. But that’s a good mile from Moscone, nearing the tenderloin. (ie where the crack users hang out.)
Bill D.
Oops- no reservations at Ebisu. Be prepared to wait.
Don’t forget Pizza Orgasmica. I’ve only been to the original one on Clement St., but there now is another one at Two Embarcadero Center, near the Ferry Building. Lots of off-
beat combos, and at least at the Clement Street location, a quirky and unusual decor.
goblue72
@Ivan: That’s a shame – it had such promise. I’ve only been to Rickhouse once and that was within the first week of opening. It was crowded, but not impossibly so. Even managed to convince the bartender to serve me a “flight” of scotches. Sounds like the FiDi crowd has completely overwhelmed the place.
Personally, I’m anxious to see if Martin Cate’s new joint (Smuggler’s Cove) holds up to the buzz.
mcddjj
@Jason: Unfortunately SF Brewing is closed now.
michael
Get thee to Ozumo (sushi) down by on Steuart. So fresh you’ll swear it swam to your plate. Can be a scene, but if Slanted Door is in your repertoire, then it’s hardly an issue.
mcddjj
+1 Little Skillet makes this Southern boy homesick. Pretty decent Red Velvet cupcakes and with Cento next door you can get the best drip coffee I’ve ever had in my life.
+1 Tu Lan best Imperial Rolls but the neighborhood sucks. There is an outpost of Taqueria Cancun around the corner but definitely get it to go.
+1 Ebisu, San Tung and other Inner Sunset restaurants. It’s my neighborhood and I love it. Easy commute on the N and very close to GG Park. I’d also recommend Park Chow if you’ve got a group and can’t decide on what to eat. The Botanical Gardens are free and the DeYoung,, Academy of Sciences and Japanese Tea Garden are close by along with the Conservatory of Flowers.
+1 Henry’s Hunan if you like spicy this is the place to go. Love that Diana’s Meat Pie. It’s not traditional but damn it’s good.
+1 Specialty’s my first job in SF and they still bake everything fresh that day. Good for a quick sandwich and treats. Highly recommend the Oatmeal Wheatgerm Chocolate Chip cookie. Yummy and keeps you regular!
+1 Mehfil Indian never been there for lunch but the dinners are quite good.
My wife is 5th generation SFer and most of her family says Frisco. San Fran just never sounded right.
Oh and if 21st Amendment has some Watermelon Wheat Beer I’d give it a try . I love it and I am not a beer drinker.
Danceswithwords
If you want a nice meal within 4 or 5 blocks of Moscone, I recommend Fringale–incredible Basque food at reasonable (for SF) prices.
If you want a good Italian meal, I third/forth/fifth the recommendation for L’Osteria del Forno. And anti-recommend most of the other restaurants in North Beach, including the Stinking Rose, which are overpriced and mediocre to bad.
If you want good California-Mexican food, El Faralito and Taqueria El Cancun in the Mission both have great burritos.
If you want an adventure on BART, go to Delfina, also mentioned above. You’ll probably need to make reservations, but they have wonderful Italian/California food at reasonable prices. And right up the block is the Bi-Rite ice creamery; another block will take you to Dolores Park, and if you climb the sidewalks to the southwest corner on a clear night, you can see the entire downtown spread out before you like diamonds.
If you want Indian food, India Clay Oven in the lower Haight is practically right across Market St. and in (long) walking distance.
D. Aristophanes
El Castillito at 2092 Mission Street (at 16th) for the best pastor burrito in teh city. But seriously, only get the pastor.
Tomasso’s on Kearny, get the calzone (No. 13, I think). Check out Enrico’s, Specs and Vesuvio for drinks nearby. There’s also all the bars up Grant street. (all this is walking distance from Moscone)
King of Thai noodle house – do the one on Clement at 6th ave not Clement at 4th ave.
DougJ
How about Harry Denton’s Thursday night, then? I’ll post something more about this later.
seaan
When at a convention in SF, I have two considerations: near by food for lunch and interesting food for dinner. For fine food nearby Moscone, my favorite is Lulu’s. Hennry’s Hunan is not exceptional, but has decent food and prices.
As far as fine food , my most memorable (and extremely pricey) meal was at Michael Mina’s in the lobby of the Westin St. Francis. Highly recommended but easy to blow a c-note or two per person.
lojasmo
http://www.nilusdesigns.com/destijl/destijl/dindex.html
Great breakfast dive by the wharf (Pier 38 maybe?)
Also, insanely jealous.
Zak44
Thirsty Bear brewpub
Comrade Sock Puppet of the Great Satan
Suriya Thai, on Howard between 11th and 12th, is great:
http://sanfrancisco.citysearch.com/profile/603094992/san_francisco_ca/suriya_thai_restaurant.html
Also, there are a lot of good value sushi places. I mostly know neighbourhood ones, but if you can get to Mission or Bernal Heights try Blowfish Sushi (for the hipsters), Toyko A-Go-Go or Moki Sushi on Cortland.
Thirsty Bear is OK nearby, but echo the recommendation for Lulu’s.
Better beer selection is at the Monk’s Kettle on 16th and Valencia. Also near there is Ti Couz, an inexpensive Breton restaurant. Go to 24th and Bryant in the mission (about 6 blocks from the 24th St. BART station) is Roosevelt Tamale Parlour, which is about the best Mexican restaurant, IMHO, in the Mission.
On Russian Hill is Zarzuela, which is a kick-ass Spanish restaurant.
Comrade Sock Puppet of the Great Satan
Never been there, but I’ve heard Asia SF restaurant/lounge is worth a trip, because of its tranny waitresses.
For Indian food, try Dosa on Valencia for South Indian food, or Pakwan for North Indian/Pakistani food (and seriously rude service).
I’ll also echo the Walzwerk recommendation above for East German food & 70s nostalgia.
Ivan
@goblue72 yeah, I agree it had so much promise. I was disappointed as well. OTOH, if you like well-made cocktails we’re not exactly hurting for choices in the city.
IMO Harry Denton should be fine on a Thursday night, just make sure it’s not DRESSCODE night or it’ll be packed silly and full of thumping techno.
It’s also not very far from Cantina if you’d rather try that:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cantina-san-francisco