good spots in san fran? (non-cycling)

[Dr. Doofus]

the mrs doc and he and i are going to SF for a couple of days at the end of this month -- any bay area serottans out there who could recommend some teacher-salary friendly hangouts and hole-in-the wall type eateries in the union square/chinatown/moma area?

[BigMac]

Wish I could help but dining on teacher salary in SF is well...unfortunately not possible. There is obviously some great dining to be had but expect $30/person as a bare minimum, sans wine. Union Square has some of the best dining but also some of the priciest. Chinatown is probably the best value but we almost never go there. When my office was in SF I did often frequent a Chinese restaraunt for lunch on California St, 1 block up from my office so it should be the 600 block of California St, its on the north side of street but I do not recall the name. The seating is minimal at best, but it was clean (a rarity among chinatown dining), food was very good and at $20/person, it was affordable. Up on Columbus there are a few good establishments with reasonable by SF standards pricing, among our favorites is Rosa Pistola. Its a bit noisy and the menu is a bit short but the food is quite good, wine list extensive and you can probably enjoy a dinner for 2 for $100-125.

Honestly, when you visit a city as beautiful, fun and as much to offer as SF, its best to scrap the budget. Just enjoy yourselves and worry about the chunk you took from kids college fund when you return...at least then you will have had a good time rather than being frustrated by SF prices.

Ride on! :banana: :banana: :banana:

[Ozz]

Union Square, for breakfast....

[AHava]

If you like the carnivorous side of Indian/Pak cuisine, try a little joint in the Tenderloin called Shalimar. It's one of the best North American examples of a "dhaba", loosely translated in the hindustani as truck stop dining, that I've had the pleasure of visiting.

Get the saag gosht (spinach lamb - may also be called palaak lamb or saag meat), daal makhni (black lentils, makhni means butter), chicken korma, and a couple of naan (flatbread).

Prices are very low. But be warned - Jim Crow lives here! Palefaces eat second.

Hail a cabbie with a turban to take you there. "Sat Sri Akal Ji. Le jao, Shalimar Restaurant".

Alex

[rwl]

Sear's, alas, is no more, I believe. It was to close its doors about 6 months ago, and I assumed it did.

for Chinese, a bit out of Chinatown, but the best, nonetheless, is Henry's Hunan, 110 Natoma St.

for a moderate french/california/not-quite-fusion, Le Charm, 315 5th street, a nice prix fix place, small.

For italian, Rose Pistola IS hard to beat.

For an out of control dinner, try the Slanted Door - Viet/Fr, recent James Beard winner....

If there's any ethnicity you're looking for, someone can probably steer you that way...

.. Rick

[rwl]

aHava, great suggestion for Shalimar. When I had my company on Harrison, we brought in dinner from there at least once a week. Sort of a tough neighborhood, though.... Best indian food in SF, I think.

Good Dr Doofus,

I forgot to mention the classics.... Sam's and Tadich's. As old world an unchanging as San Franscisco might ever muster.

Fringale, in the SOMA area, is also really outstanding, and not so awfully expensive.

For a hang-out kind of place, not a hole in the wall by any means, Thirsty Bear, is a good stop for tapas and brew.

Rick

[BumbleBeeDave]

I can't tell you much about eateries, since I haven't lived out that way for 13 years, but if you are looking for a nice afternoon walk with some great views, there are a few places easily accessible from downtown . . .

• Obviously, the tour of Alcatraz. Never went on it myself, but I believe you get the boat there from Fisherman's Wharf.

• Angel Island . . . The big island out in the middle of the bay. It was the Ellis Island of the west coast. Boat there also goes from Fisherman's wharf. There is a nice road around the whole island, a five mile walk around, with wonderful views in every direction. Really nice . . .

• Redwood preserve in Marin just over the Golden Gate. I'm betting there's a city bus that goes over there.

• And perhaps the least known, possibly closest, and neatest . . . Kirby Cove, over the Golden Gate, to the left (seaward) side and down a rather obscure dirt road from the Marin Headlands Road. A secluded beach close to the city with huge trees and the remains of many coastal gun emplacements that were built there to house guns to defend the Golden Gate harbor entrance during WW1 and WW2. All the times we went down there, the road above would be full of sightseers, but there was NOONE down at the beach and grove. I seem to recall there was also a city or sightseeing bus that went to the Headlands from downtown.

Enjoy!

BBDave

[Tony Edwards]

I lived in San Francisco for about 4 1/2 years and was desperately poor (I was in grad school). There are tons of great, cheap eateries there. A few picks:

- House of Nanking is a brilliant hole-in-the-wall Chinese place just outside Chinatown. The food is stellar. It's usually a good idea to just tell Nan (the owner) whether you want chicken or beef or whatever, and let her pick a dish for you based on the freshness of the surrounding ingredients.

- Tu Lan is a KILLER greasy-spoon Vietnamese restaurant off Market at 9th, just on the fringe of the Tenderloin.

- Plouf is a wonderful, reasonably-priced French/seafood place (they specialize in mussels) that is right downtown.

- Specialty's Bakery & Cafe is one of my favorite downtown lunch spots. They have a take-out location in the Montgomery BART station. Killer sandwiches and homemade cookies.

- Taqueria Can-Cun, at 19th and Mission, was where I ate at least 4 times a week the entire time I lived in SF. There is a bit of variability in their quality, but when they are at their best, they make the best burritos on the planet.

- Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store and Cafe in North Beach is a fun, inexpensive hangout with tasty food.

Anyway, have fun in SF!

Tony

[ericmurphy]

Not everyone in San Francisco is rich! I'm not rich, and I live here. In fact, I live about two blocks from Union Square, two blocks from Chinatown, two blocks from the financial district, two blocks from the top of Nob Hill, and maybe five blocks from the theater district. So let's see, what good cheap food do I know...

There's a pretty decent Mexican place on Powell between Sutter and Bush (right around the corner from the Crowne Plaza called Sotano Grill. Nothing spectacular, but they have great roasted salsa, and the food is pretty decent. Nice decor, too, for a Mexican place.

A couple of good Thai restaurants. Banana House is on Kearny between Bush and Pine (a few blocks from Union Square). I don't think they're open for dinner, but they do a great lunch business. For dinner Thai, you might want to try what the locals call "Tiny BKK (Bankok)", on Bush Street between Taylor and Jones. They have seating for about fifteen people, but the food is definitely pretty yummy.

There's a great Sushi place about a block and a half from my apartment. I forget the name of it, but it's on Bush Street between Grant Ave. and Kearny. It has windows with tons of little panes, like an old Irish pub or something, but it's got great Sushi.

Murphy's pub (no relation) is a little loud with the after-work crowd, but they have great food and bar-snacks. They're on Kearny between Sutter and Bush.

For lunch, there's a great place on Maiden Lane, across Stockton Street from Union Square. It's called Mocha, and their sandwiches are ungodly. Not cheap, but two can get out of there for a really nice lunch for about 20 bucks.

How do you feel about Indian food? There are two great places I know of in the vicinity of Chinatown. One is Tandoori Mahal, that for a place with white table cloths is totally reasonable. You can get out of there for less than 50 bucks for two. They're on Kearny Street between Jackson and Pacific. Right around the corner is another of my favorites, Naan and Curry, which technically is Pakistani, but it seems like the same food to me (maybe because I'm an American?). Anyway, Naan and Curry is on Jackson Street between Kearny and Columbus.

Pizza anyone? My favorite in the Area is probably Viva, on the corner of Columbus and Grant in North Beach. Try their quattro fromaggio, which for some reason actually has six cheeses! If you like cheese, that's definitely the way to go.

Most of the places I've mentioned can get you pretty filled up for less than $30 for two people. If you can handle something a bit more pricy, but still fairly reasonable, try John's Grill at the foot of Ellis Street. Supposedly it was Dashiel Hammet's favorite restaurant.

And you feel the need to imbibe a little San Francisco with a little spirits, try the Gold Dust Saloon, on Powell St. between Geary and O'Farrell, half a block from Union Square. It's kind of hokey and cheesy, but one of the few touristy spots that the locals actually frequent.

If you'd like to eat out one of the nights you're here in a high-end restaurant, you've got Masa's Kuleto's Campton Place, Cafe de la Presse, Rue le Pic, Cafe Mozart, or Postrio. They'll all set you back $150 or so, but if you can afford it, you'll definitely enjoy it. Otherwise, the cheap eats places I mentioned are all pretty yummy too.

Have fun while you're out here!

[eddief]

Not easy to find, but a neat French-inspired spot in a distinctive location. Moderate prices, neat atmosphere, good food on my two visits. They have Tanqueray 10 gin to make the best martinis. Some people are quite fond of the Zuni Cafe.

[Spinner]

little joe's, 523 broadway (on the edge of north beach)

molinari deli, columbus & green (i think), great place for carryout to nearby parks

the stinking rose, 325 columbus, if you love garlic, this is the place

calzonne's, 430 columbus, great people watching and excellent pasta (shrimp, swiss chard and linguine when available is the best ever), try the garlic bread

cafe roma, 526 columbus, great for breakfast or after dinner coffee

the buena vista cafe, 2765 hyde, great place for irish coffee and rubbing elbows with locals

maxfield's bar at the palace hotel, order a drink and enjoy a maxfield parrish mural, the pied piper, great for people watching too!

acquerello, 1722 sacramento, dinner for 2 limited drinks for $100, maybe one of the best dining experiences in town (as an aside, 13 years ago on my first visit, i forgot my wallet and one of the owners (giancarlo) told me to send him a check).

enjoy! :beer:

[Ozz]

Sear's, alas, is no more, I believe. It was to close its doors about 6 months ago, and I assumed it did.
:(

How sad...it's been about 3 years since I was last in S.F.

My impression was that it is one of the best (if not the best) foodie town in the country! If you can't find a place to eat, your just not looking!!

A trip over to Sausalito for breakfast on the waterfront is fun. There are a couple cafe's with outdoor seating to choose from. There was a nice little bike shop over there also...forget the name, lots of mountain bikes, but enough roadie stuff to keep me interested.

[MadRocketSci]

If you have a car, then there are plenty of places you can check out for better food and lower prices than financial/touristy districts that are union square, chinatown and north beach. I'm sure the places that everyone has recommended are good; i've heard great things about the indian place in the tenderloin, but the real chinatown is in the Richmond District, though my favorite chinese restaurant is at 11th and Irving in the Inner Sunset. Check out San Tung for the best homemade dumplings in the city..near USF, prices very reasonable. Great Thai food at 26th and Geary (or is California?), place called Khan Toke. Berkeley, just across the bridge, is home to lots of great restaurants (Breads of India is great for Indian novices) that serve primarily locals and students.

check out http://sanfrancisco.citysearch.com for more ideas...

[bcm119]

For an outstanding hole-in-the-wall experience, try the Ethiopian restaurant called Massawa, on Haight street. Its at 1538 Haight, a block west of Haight/Ashbury. You can share a platter of outstandingly fresh and flavorful african food for about $10, and you can eat it with your fingers. If you like beer, Magnolia brewpub is 2 blocks east at Haight and Masonic- it probably has some of the best english ales in the country, very similar to McNeill's in Vermont. If you are wondering, people over the age of 25 _are_ allowed in this area, and they save alot of money!

[sfscott]

Try rnm, in the lower Haight at Haight and Steiner.

New American classics and comfort food. Some really fancy, some just stylish.

They do small plates and larger plates. Things are easily shared, and the place is very cool.

Try the rnm "White Castle" burger. Ground sirloin, fresh sonoma cheese, onions on grilled focaccia with the best fries this side of Paris.

Pizzas are excellent, and there are many changing menu items. :beer:

[Elefantino]

If you want funky and cheap, try Tommy's Joynt at the corner of Geary and Van Ness. It's a hof brau type place that is the quintissential San Francisco schlock. Has great, world famous buffalo stew. It's wonderful. There is a sign behind the bar — which serves more beers from around the world than any place I knkkow — that reads: "IITYWYBAD" ... ask about it.

If you want classy and awesome, Asia de Cuba at the Clift Hotel. Order the Caesar. There is none better anywhere.

And for libation, I echo the Buena Vista ... an SF native, it's where I spent my 21st birthday. Don't ask. I don't remember.

Finally, don't forget to try a Boudin's soup bowl! :banana:

Mike