Where to eat in San Francisco?

laurie_m · Joined: 03 Sep 2005 Posts: 24

We will be visiting Memorial Day weekend, we like casual, continental type food, not too expensive. Any ideas? We love seafood. We're staying in the Union Square area. Thanks!

Barbara · Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2006 11:20 pm Post subject:

Check out Becks and Posh blog for restaurant reviews. Also Chez Pim. They are both based in San Francisco.
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Barbara

tara · Joined: 10 Feb 2006 Posts: 6

Ah, San Francisco...I live here and there is SO MUCH GREAT FOOD. Where to start? These are my favorites:

Delfina (18th & Guerro in the mission)
Canteen (Sutter and Jones)
Cafe at Chez Panisse (in Berkeley but well worth the trek)
Slanted Door (in the Ferry Building - Vietnamese - amazing)
Gary Danko (spendy but incredible)
Tartine (amazing pastries, breads, coffee, etc..)
Chez Spencer

for mexican -
La Taqueria (the best carnitas tacos)
Taqueria Cancun (carne asada burritos)
Papalote (everything is great, espec. the chicken burritos but the above 2 are my favorites)

There are so many more...but that should get you started...

laurie_m · Joined: 03 Sep 2005 Posts: 24

Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!! Now I only hope there is not an earthquake! Ever!

happenstance · Joined: 30 Sep 2005 Posts: 32 Location: Oakland, CA

We who live here are always hoping that the next big one will wait a LONG time.

But, in waiting for that next big one we sure do love to eat.

All the suggestions that Tara said are great. I am going to add a few of my own faves:

Saturday at the Ferry Building. Enjoy the Farmer's Market and eat at any of the establishments in and around the building. They are all good.

Absinthe in Hayes Valley (on Hayes). Amazing drinks and delicious bistro cusine.

Greens (Fort Mason). Delicious 4 star veggie cuisine with an outstanding view of the Golden Gate Bridge. You will not miss the meat.

If you do head over to Berkeley or Oakand, Cafe at Chez Panisse is a must. But there are also some other wonderful places in the East Bay.

A Coté on College Ave in Oakalnd has delicious small plates, perfect pommes frites and a wonderful ambiance.

Trattoria La Sciliana on College also (but in Berkeley). This is the best Italian food I have had oustide of Italy.

Cafe Cacao at the Scharfenberger chocolate factory in Berekely. Sign up for the tour of how they make chocolate and then have lunch or dinner after. I love their chocolate fetuccini.

That's just the tip of the iceberg. You can do nothing but eat here if that is what you want to do.

Have fun!
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Maureen in Oakland

Sharing her home with Rimsky the cat, Cody the partner, and 9 happy hens.

:>

robinorig · Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 7:14 am Post subject:

If you get to the Marina district (Chestnut & Steiner) there are quite a few cute restaurants over there. The best are Isa Restaurant (the chef, Luke Sung, got nominated for a James Beard rising chef award twice in the last few years).
http://www.isarestaurant.com

Also, Three Seasons is wonderful... I love the Sea Bass, it's perfumy and wonderful, as is everything else including the desserts!
it's described as "contemporary Vietnamese" On Steiner street
http://www.threeseasonsrestaurant.com

Across the street is Bistro Aix, a lovely neighborhood bistro with outdoor garden/patio seating in back with heat lamps when the weather is nice
http://www.bistroaix.com/

Don't forget about chinatown (there's also an Oakland Chinatown that is smaller but fun as well). There's also a Japantown that is fun to wander around!

At the Marina, is Greens which is still a good and interesting restaurant, even without Deborah Madison (the chef is Annie Somerville... she has her own cookbooks out, too)
http://www.greensrestaurant.com

This is a real eating city so there is good food everywhere!
So, enjoy!
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"Imagination is more important than knowledge.
Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."
- Albert Einstein
http://www.robinoriginals.com/eats.html

srk · Joined: 09 Apr 2005 Posts: 85 Location: Berkeley, CA

I absolutely agree with happenstance about the Ferry Building, especially on Saturdays (big farmer's market outside), but I was underwhelmed by the Slanted Door. Though I loved the caramelized chicken claypot, everything else we ate was just standard Vietnamese, well made but not at all exceptional.

If you like seafood, try Limon in the Mission - it's South American (Peruvian? I forget), with great seafood, and they specialize in ceviche. You'll need reservations on weekends. There are also several good tapas places nearby.

Enjoy!

goldie · Joined: 12 Apr 2006 Posts: 5 Location: michigan

Try Panta Rei for italian. Even though its right in the heart of North Beach (therefore lots of tourists around) its got fantastic food, esp the seafood. Like real italian food - light and lots of veggies and very fresh. Not at all expensive. You can walk there from the Union Square area, right through Chinatown, its a fun walk.

creampuff · Joined: 10 Mar 2005 Posts: 104 Location: Oakland, CA

Laurie,
Hope you check back here one more time.
SF Weekly just published a list of their best in SF for 2006 including an extensive list of food and drink establishments. Many of these are ethnic or quirky and not on the guide book's radar.

Here's the link to those listings:

http://www.sfweekly.com/bestof/section.php?section=oid:24956&year=2006

But you might check out the site for other off the beaten path things to do, see or buy in the city by the bay.

I hope to post some commentary on my blog about some of the listings, but haven't gotten to it yet, maybe tonight.

Have a great trip

Update 5/24 - Here's the link to my write up about the Best of SF 2006 Food and Drink by Sf Weekly -- http://clickblogappetit.blogspot.com/2006/05/little-about-lot-lot-about-not-much.html

sweetbabyjames · Joined: 05 May 2006 Posts: 357

The breakfast experience at Mama's on Washington Square will *make* your San Francisco trip. Go early for a good spot in line. Go extra early and join in Tai Chi across the street (or at least take a few good cultural SF pics).

Here's a review:

http://sanfrancisco.citysearch.com/profile/917544#editorialreview

laurie_m · Joined: 03 Sep 2005 Posts: 24

Fantastic! Thanks everybody, we have enough choices for weeks worth of trips! Decisions, decisions. Everything sounds great. Will let you know what we went with when we are back.