34667 Sun Feb 27 17:17:45 -0800 2005 69 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 157014 First of all, reading this board have saved us from some potentially terrible choices. Thanks to all for your quality input. We are a family of 6, kids are 14, 13, 7 and 18 months. We all enjoy trying new things, kids are fine with shark, calamari, rattlesnake, alligator, artichokes, all shellfish, spicy, curry, etc. We visit SFO each years and have enjoyed Slanted Door, Gary Danko, Sodini's, Viva Pizza, Gordo's, Pergamino's and The Stinking Rose. We are somewhat adventuresome, but I do not think we are ready for Fois Gras and sweetbreads. We are arriving in March 2005 for two weeks and have put together the following list. Chowhounds, please tell us where we've done well and where we need to do something else. In no particular order: Buca Giovanni R & G Lounge Home Plate Gourmet Carousel Universal Cafe Caffe Macaroni Luna Park Pergamino's Chef Jia's Little City Antipasta - I think this might be CLOSED Bay Watch Need something in Haight-Ashbury for lunch Park Chow Slanted Door Beach Chalet Matterhorn Considering Jai Yun also - reviews are across the board Thanks in advance for all of the suggestions! We will begin making reservations in the next few days. Native SF in Midwest Sun Feb 27 17:17:45 -0800 2005 0 Native SF in Midwest 1 157015 lunch in the upper haight: pork store cafe is good. I'd go up to cole valley, which is walking distance. Better choices up there (zazie and others). Also walking distance is the inner sunset (park chow is on your list, but bunch of lunch places for the ucsf students, to many to list, naan'n'curry or marnee thai for instance). Sun Feb 27 17:25:02 -0800 2005 157014 0 cedichou 2 157155 Thanks for the Haight district recommendation as so far, I this is the only we've seen. If I've got to spend most of the day pushing a stroller and following my wife and teenage daughters while they buy other people's old clothes, I at least want to have a decent meal midday. Native SF Mon Feb 28 20:21:53 -0800 2005 157015 0 Native SF in Midwest 3 157172 The reason you've only had one reply is that most of the restaurants in the Upper Haight are merely average and most are not good. If I had to stay on Haight St, I'd go to King of Thai, Citrus Club or maybe Magnolia Pub. I think that the Pork Store is terrible - its poorly done greasy diner food (and I like diners), although a foodie friend who I respect says that they have an awesome cheesesteak on the lunch menu. When I'm up there, I make the effort to head over to the Cole/Carl area where the restaurants are much better - there's a French bakery (Boulangie de Cole) with good pastries, sandwiches & soups; Bambino's (Italian) that has nice thin crust pizza and other goodies; or the pub on the corner of Cole/Carl (Kezar?) which has good American/Pub food and very nice staff. Mon Feb 28 21:27:34 -0800 2005 157155 0 Pssst 4 157212 Magnolia Pub's very family-friendly. Plus has some great beer for the grownups. Tue Mar 01 11:35:05 -0800 2005 157172 0 Robert Lauriston 1 157016 Little City closed a long time ago. I've never heard of Pergamino or Bay Watch. What's their claim to fame? Sun Feb 27 17:35:10 -0800 2005 157014 0 Robert Lauriston 2 157025 They are both breakfast places. We really enjoyed Pergamino's, across from the Holiday Inn at Fisherman's Wharf on Columbus. One neat thing is they have a large set of one-of-a-kind coffee cups and mugs to choose from for your hot beverage. The kids loved picking them out for the family. Split any order as the portions are huge. Sun Feb 27 18:34:25 -0800 2005 157016 0 SF Native in Midwest 3 157028 If you are in that area, have you tried Eagle Cafe for breakfast. Someone didn't share my opinion of the corned beef in another post. I hope you will report back on what you tried. Mama's in Washington Square has a great breakfast. You can go next door afterward and get some foccacia from Linguiria bakery. You can watch the older Chinese people do their exerises in the park on the morning. Then you can walk down the block for a great box of XOX truffles (get the caramel). Will have to check out Pergamino's. Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/23449#89146 Sun Feb 27 19:20:04 -0800 2005 157025 0 Krys 4 157154 I think we ate at Eagle's Nest many years ago with a friend who had moved out to the Bay Area (wow! that was 4 kids and 40 lbs. ago). I remember it was good and a great view. That might just need to get squeezed in the plans. By far the worst meal in SFO and anywhere I've ever had was at Aliotto's in the wharf. The service was completely inattentive, food was terrible and price was 2x higher than any place else. I would imagine no real chowhound has ever gone there, but in case a visitor was considering it, avoid at all costs. Unless of course you like eating off of dirty dishes, water glasses with crud floating in it... I admit I wondered if the restaurant was not a front for some other operation and we stunned them by showing up. Native SF Mon Feb 28 20:11:43 -0800 2005 157028 0 Native SF in Midwest 4 159364 My wife and kids went to Eagle Cafe and enjoyed it. Not bad considering it is in the most touristy part of SFO and I am sure rent is high. The view was nice. However, I would say that the only reason to go there was if you were already in the area and needed to go to the best place near pier 39. Our whole family really dislikes Pier 39, I think because it feels as though Disney bought the area, tore everything down and rebuilt it to be "authentic"... Fri Apr 01 11:10:15 -0800 2005 157028 0 Native SF in Midwest 3 159363 We went back to Pergamino's and it disappointed me somewhat. It is still a good place, but the portions are now smaller and thus we couldn't share so the value went down. If you are looking for a decent breakfast in walking distance of the wharf area, it is a good match. It is acroos from the Holiday Inn at Columbus and Bay. Fri Apr 01 11:07:18 -0800 2005 157025 0 Native SF in Midwest 1 157018 The Matterhorn is on Van Ness, near Lombard and in the general fisherman's wharf / Marina Area and not the Haight. The only Slanted Door location that I currently know of is at the Ferry Building and the quality has slid since the move. Beach Chalet is not in the Haight either, but at the end of Golden Gate Park near windmills with a view of the Pacific. That makes it sound attractive ... no, no, no .... horrible food and it's really a beer joint ... not a good beer joint, but a beer joint. Park Chow is great. I would really go with that over the Naan and Curry choice which has a number of locations in the city. I'm not a fan of Indian food and while Naan and Curry makes a wonderful naan, it would not top my list of places to eat in the city if I was here on a visit. Caffe Macaroni is past it's prime, IMO. Have you folks had dim sum yet? I would recommend Yank Sing in the Rincon building in the vicinity of the Ferry Building. Have you been to the new Ferry Building during the Saturday morning market. Highly recoomended and an orgy of the top food in the city (at the outside market. Be careful in the building itself). If Chowhound hints kept you from suffering through a mediocre, overpriced meal, consider the link below. Link: http://chowhound.safeshopper.com/21/cat21.htm?251 Sun Feb 27 17:46:08 -0800 2005 157014 0 Krys 2 157020 I agree, the food at Beach Chalet's pretty grim. OK place to drink a beer and watch the sunset. Sun Feb 27 17:49:53 -0800 2005 157018 0 Robert Lauriston 3 157152 Hmmm.... Sorry to hear that Beach Chalet is a bust. We will be spending the day in GG Park before heading to Alcatraz night tour and wanted a big lunch in the park area. Thanks for saving us on this.... Mon Feb 28 20:04:13 -0800 2005 157020 0 Native SF in Midwest 2 157053 krys would you please elaborate on your comment regarding the ferry building..."be careful in the building." I would like some input as to what you are cautioning eaters about. Mon Feb 28 01:34:42 -0800 2005 157018 0 llr 3 157056 Ferry Plaza Hits and misses I personally wouldn’t spend money on any of the three big restaurants in the Ferry Building – Market Bar, Taylor’s Refresher or Slanted Door. There is better, cheaper in the area. Most of the little food vendors are good, some aren’t exactly the best SF has to offer and might be a bit pricy. Many of these are take out food or food shops. Miette – just say no. Acme Bread Company – always great Boulette's Larder – I love their beignets. Good food, but maybe not what would be of interest to children Ciao Bella Gelato – I like them. They are a nationwide chain Cowgirl Creamery’s Artisan Cheese Shop – always great DELICA - don’t know. Looks good, but don’t remember Chowhound posts Ferry Plaza Seafood –haven’t tried – don’t remember Chowhound posts Frog Hollow Farm – I like it. A little pricy for what you get. Gets some mediocre comments. Hog Island Oyster Company – everyone likes it. I’m not an oyster person Imperial Tea Court – haven’t tried the food. I like the tea experience. LuLu Petite – I personally don’t like them. Friends of mine don’t like it. MarketBar – mediocre reports on the board Mastrelli’s Delicatessen – Haven’t tried it. Seems the opinion on the board is that it isn’t as good as Molinari’s. Miette – NO, NO, NO. Pretty cakes … pretty tasteless … pretty overpriced Mijita – Haven’t tried. Looks good though. Don’t remember posts Mistral Rotisserie Provencale – I hate their dry over priced chicken.. Some agree. Some don’t Peet’s Coffee & Tea – good local coffee chain Recchiuti Confections – you love or hate these pricy chocolates San Francisco Fish Company – haven’t tried it Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker – Most people like them. I’m not a fan Slanted Door – downhill since move to Ferry building Taylor’s Refresher – reports of over priced food. Not as good as original location Tsar Nicoulai Caviar – I like it, but it depends on whether your children would be interested in caviar samplers. Probably the best thing to do would be to search down the board for some of the names on the list. I’m finding anything posted in the last month or two is easier to find by just scrolling down the board. Anything after that, you can search on the name. The link below is a list of Ferry Plaza Vendors with info about each. Many have web sites. Link: http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/index.html Mon Feb 28 02:39:33 -0800 2005 157053 0 Krys 4 157067 At the Saturday market, eat outside. Mijita's got the best value for money in the building. Try the sopa de albondigas (meatball soup) or carnitas (braised pork shoulder) taco. Good place to take kids. The food at Taylor's Refresher is fine, prices are just very high for a burger joint. You could walk into the Financial District and find similar food for less (except maybe on the weekend, since the neighborhood's deserted and most places are closed), but you won't get that sunny patio seating or view. Mon Feb 28 10:57:02 -0800 2005 157056 0 Robert Lauriston 5 157151 We will have to try the carnitas as they are a favorite dish of mine. Thanks! Mon Feb 28 20:01:49 -0800 2005 157067 0 Native SF in Midwest 6 157156 If you like your carnitas chewy or crispy, Mijita's may disappoint. It's a great braised pork shoulder, but not like any carnitas I've had in a restaurant. I have made similar carnitas at home from a Diana Kennedy recipe. Mon Feb 28 20:25:36 -0800 2005 157151 0 Robert Lauriston 4 157072 I'll fill in a couple of the holes from Krys' post. DELICA--interesting albeit pricey bento and other Japnese snack-type items. I have it for lunch occasionally. Good salads too. Mastrelli's Deli--not as good as Molinari's nor Lucca Ravioli. The guys who work here are very nice but not knowledgeable about Italian cuisine, therefore, if you are buying ingredients for your meal or discussing cooking tips, this isn't the place. Great place for sandwiches though, so a good lunch stop if you are at the Ferry Building. Mijita--my personal opinion is that the food is fine but the service leaves much to be desired and it runs inefficiently (one long line, one register, inattentive service). However, for a visitor who isn't making it out to the Mission for a burrito or taco fix, I think Mijita is a good place to go. Mon Feb 28 11:12:03 -0800 2005 157056 0 farmersdaughter 4 157079 Just to add another opinion: Acme Bread Company – excellent. Boulette's Larder – I have never found anything here that I particularly love, but it may be up your alley. The BF had a great breakfast of oatmeal there a couple months ago. Only go if you are there during the week - nice and mellow. Ciao Bella Gelato – Great. Cowgirl Creamery’s Artisan Cheese Shop – Great. DELICA - I have a love/hate relationship with this place. It's good if you get a snack (ie., the shrimp croquettes - avoid the yucky crab with mayo ones), and I like their lamb curry. Cheap and good. (Note, cheap here is relative to the Ferry Building). If you are eating a full meal here, it can get too pricey to be worth it. Hog Island Oyster Company – One of the gems of our city. Really excellent. Monday and Thursday night happy hours with $1 oysters - a bargain. Mastrelli’s Delicatessen – Fine for grabbing a sandwich. Mijita – I would say avoid. There is widely debated opinion about this place. If you are interested in a recent thread, see below. Peet’s Coffee & Tea – Good, but if you are really into coffee, try the Blue Bottle Coffee at Frog Hollow instead. Recchiuti Confections – Love em, but they're pricey. Taylor’s Refresher – Every once in a while I run in for a cherry coke, but that's about it. The other things I didn't list are because I haven't tried them or don't have much of an opinion about them. Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/33857#151886 Mon Feb 28 11:59:31 -0800 2005 157056 0 jen maiser 5 157150 Thanks for the time you invested to provide your thoughts on the Ferry Building vendors. Apart from the cheese shop, I didn't look too deeply on earlier visits as it seemed too touristy and overpriced. You've given me some things to think about. Native SF Mon Feb 28 20:00:02 -0800 2005 157079 0 Native SF in Midwest 6 157157 Cowgirl's expensive, but you won't find many of the cheeses they stock much cheaper anywhere else. Mon Feb 28 20:26:35 -0800 2005 157150 0 Robert Lauriston 4 157149 Wow! Thanks for the complete review of these. I am pleased to hear that Boulette's Larder is in the area. We love Cafe du Monde in New Orleans (we usually end up at Morning Call though) because of the beignets. I never can make them at home as good as they are there. I look forward to trying the Larder version. I LOVE the cheese shop. Amazing how the employees are more like consultants... Ciao Bella Gelato, a must based on the comments I've seen. Thanks again for the details. Native SF Mon Feb 28 19:57:44 -0800 2005 157056 0 Native SF in Midwest 2 157063 I've seen several posts lately about how The Slanted Door has gone downhill since moving to the Ferry Building. I ate at Slanted Door when it was in South Beach, and if anything, it is better in the Ferry Building. When they first opened, they had some pretty serious service issues, but these seem to have been fixed over the last year. Few people ever reported problems with the food. I have taken out of town visitors to the new Slanted Door and they have raved about the food and the winelist every time. If you can get a reservation (the hard part), I say GO FOR IT. Mon Feb 28 09:31:46 -0800 2005 157018 0 Paul H 3 157068 I thought the food was as good as ever at Slanted Door and the wine list was better. I just hate the ugly, noisy room. Mon Feb 28 10:59:18 -0800 2005 157063 0 Robert Lauriston 3 159362 We visited the Slanted Door in their new location and they did a fine job. The new view is nice, but there was something that felt slightly more sterile than the old location. Perhaps the larger single room with higher ceiling is the culprit. The food was good as always, and the service was very attentive. The Shaking Beef was a favorite and we really enojoyed the papaya and grapefruit salads. Their spring rolls we gone so fast we ordered more. We also enjoyed the five spice chicken. We ordered dessert for the first time and were very pleased. Although their interpretation of a beignet is unlike any I've ever seen. Fri Apr 01 11:02:48 -0800 2005 157063 0 Native SF in Midwest 2 157145 We love the Ferry Building Farmer's market, but we only left ourselves a short time to browse. More is being allowed this time, plus we will be visiting the one at the Cannery on Wednesday. We may try to get to the big one near 101 and 280??? Thanks for the confirmation of Park Chow, we are very excited for that one. We will give Slanted a chance at its new location. We loved it in previous visits and owe it to ourselves to go. We made reservations months ago. We may scratch Macaroni based on your comments. Any substitution recommendations? Thanks for the details, your post is very helpful! Native SF Mon Feb 28 19:44:59 -0800 2005 157018 0 Native SF in Midwest 3 157158 I don't think the Cannery farmers market is anything to go out of your way for. Instead of Macaroni, maybe Da Flora or Ristorante Ideale? Mon Feb 28 20:30:20 -0800 2005 157145 0 Robert Lauriston 3 157182 As Robert says, the farmers market in the cannery is nothing special. The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market on Saturday, is not a farmer's market. It is an event. If a visitor could do only one thing in San Francisco, it should be the Saturday morning market. The Alemany Farmer's market is nice. I would recommend it after spending the morning in Ferry Plaza, but it is more of a market that is for locals. If you are visiting, I would think that it only would merrit a quick walk through. It is my second favorite market, but only in terms of value, not entertainment and sheer wonderfulness. At Alemany the food is limited to a few hot dog stands and bakery types items. Here's a link from a recent visit February 12, 2005 Alemany Farmer's Market - Havana pork & sweet limes http://www.chowhound.com/california/boards/sanfrancisco/messages/117334.html I have nothing but good things to say about Keezar restaurant on Cole (recommended by another poster) if you are in the Haight Ashbury district. If you are looking for a place to unwind after a tough shopping trip, this isthe place. Here is a post I did on Keezar. November 09, 2002 Kindness at Keezar on Cole http://www.chowhound.com/california/boards/sanfrancisco9/messages/40282.html If you MUST eat some place on the Pacific side of San Francisco with a view, other than the Beach Chalet, consider the Cliff House ... and I can't believe I'm recommending it. It just reopened recently after a remodel. It has a much better view the Beach Chalet which is across the street from the ocean and much better food ... and you don't have to smell stale beer. Here's a link to a review in the SF Chronicle which doesn't have nice things to say about Beach Chalet. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/09/13/DD50984.DTL&type=food I have eaten at all the restuarants at the cliff house since it reopened and Sutro which is the cafe is the best bet. They have lunch too and the view is specatacular. All breakfasts come with a basket of hot popovers.The popovers are the best thing about the Cliff House. They have a crispy exterior and and a light eggy interior. WHen slathered with butter and jam, it is a little bit of heaven. I had the Eggs San Francisco: Two poached Eggs, Dungeness Crab Meat, toasted Sourdough Bread. It is the first time I ever had hard boiled poached eggs. I cut it open and it was completely cooked inside. This actually would have been a very good dish if the eggs had been cooked correctly. I’m not a fan of either Dungeness or eggs benedict type dishes, but this was a great combination of flavors. The crab was super fresh and lightly dressed with a brandy cream sauce. It came with four halves off baby Yukon gold potatoes which were nicely spiced and a bowl of out of season melon, grapes and strawberries. Great coffee. Very hot and with character. My friend liked the Johnson Omelet which had a generous crab/avocado filling nnd was topped with sour cream. Glancing at another table, the French toast looked uninspiring, but we didn’t try it to be fair. In my opinion, this is the best looking room in the Cliff House. They successfully imitated the look of an old time San Francisco restaurant. Pictures of old movie stars line the walls. Beautiful lamps with seagulls etched in glass hang from the ceiling. There are a few booths but the best seats are the tables near the window where you can gaze at the sea. When we went, it was sunny; the surf was crashing on the rocks below the restaurant. Seagulls rode the breeze and a few surfers were riding the waves. Not the best breakfast in San Francisco. I probably prefer Louis halfway up the hill, but I haven't been there in years. Here's a link to the Cliff House Menu. BTW .. worst brunch in SF, perhaps the world. Stick to the regular bistro menu at the cliff house and avoid everything else. Link: http://www.cliffhouse.com/upstairs/upstairs.htm Mon Feb 28 23:44:34 -0800 2005 157145 0 Krys 3 157183 As Robert says, the farmers market in the cannery is nothing special. The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market on Saturday, is not a farmer's market. It is an event. If a visitor could do only one thing in San Francisco, it should be the Saturday morning market. The Alemany Farmer's market is nice. I would recommend it after spending the morning in Ferry Plaza, but it is more of a market that is for locals. If you are visiting, I would think that it only would merrit a quick walk through. It is my second favorite market, but only in terms of value, not entertainment and sheer wonderfulness. At Alemany the food is limited to a few hot dog stands and bakery types items. Here's a link from a recent visit February 12, 2005 Alemany Farmer's Market - Havana pork & sweet limes http://www.chowhound.com/california/boards/sanfrancisco/messages/117334.html I have nothing but good things to say about Keezar restaurant on Cole (recommended by another poster) if you are in the Haight Ashbury district. If you are looking for a place to unwind after a tough shopping trip, this isthe place. Here is a post I did on Keezar. November 09, 2002 Kindness at Keezar on Cole http://www.chowhound.com/california/boards/sanfrancisco9/messages/40282.html If you MUST eat some place on the Pacific side of San Francisco with a view, other than the Beach Chalet, consider the Cliff House ... and I can't believe I'm recommending it. It just reopened recently after a remodel. It has a much better view the Beach Chalet which is across the street from the ocean and much better food ... and you don't have to smell stale beer. Here's a link to a review in the SF Chronicle which doesn't have nice things to say about Beach Chalet. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/09/13/DD50984.DTL&type=food I have eaten at all the restuarants at the cliff house since it reopened and Sutro which is the cafe is the best bet. They have lunch too and the view is specatacular. All breakfasts come with a basket of hot popovers.The popovers are the best thing about the Cliff House. They have a crispy exterior and and a light eggy interior. WHen slathered with butter and jam, it is a little bit of heaven. I had the Eggs San Francisco: Two poached Eggs, Dungeness Crab Meat, toasted Sourdough Bread. It is the first time I ever had hard boiled poached eggs. I cut it open and it was completely cooked inside. This actually would have been a very good dish if the eggs had been cooked correctly. I’m not a fan of either Dungeness or eggs benedict type dishes, but this was a great combination of flavors. The crab was super fresh and lightly dressed with a brandy cream sauce. It came with four halves off baby Yukon gold potatoes which were nicely spiced and a bowl of out of season melon, grapes and strawberries. Great coffee. Very hot and with character. My friend liked the Johnson Omelet which had a generous crab/avocado filling nnd was topped with sour cream. Glancing at another table, the French toast looked uninspiring, but we didn’t try it to be fair. In my opinion, this is the best looking room in the Cliff House. They successfully imitated the look of an old time San Francisco restaurant. Pictures of old movie stars line the walls. Beautiful lamps with seagulls etched in glass hang from the ceiling. There are a few booths but the best seats are the tables near the window where you can gaze at the sea. When we went, it was sunny; the surf was crashing on the rocks below the restaurant. Seagulls rode the breeze and a few surfers were riding the waves. Not the best breakfast in San Francisco. I probably prefer Louis halfway up the hill, but I haven't been there in years. Here's a link to the Cliff House Menu. BTW .. worst brunch in SF, perhaps the world. Stick to the regular bistro menu at the cliff house and avoid everything else. Link: http://www.cliffhouse.com/upstairs/upstairs.htm Mon Feb 28 23:44:34 -0800 2005 157145 0 Krys 1 157021 One thing I think you should have while you are here is Peruvian. There are at least three excellent Peruvian restaurants in SF: Limon (in the Mission), Mochica (in SoMa) and Fresca (two locations, closest to downtown is on Fillmore, with a third location set to open in Noe Valley). You should be able to find recent info on each of these by searching this board. Also, I didn't see a pizza place on your list. There are so many good places in the city to get pizza and I'm sure your kids would love it as much as the adults--maybe Tomasso's in North Beach, or there's A16 and Pizzetta 211, or Zachary's just a short BART ride away in the East Bay. Sun Feb 27 17:51:02 -0800 2005 157014 0 farmersdaughter 2 157022 If you get to Chicago on occasion, skip Zachary's. Sun Feb 27 18:16:20 -0800 2005 157021 0 Robert Lauriston 3 157055 So true... skip zachs in oakland/ berk, i still don't get why some folks love the east bay joint. i've been to Chicago too often to endorse that place, not like there are lots of other good deep dish pies here. Anyway, Pizza is very good at Cheese Board in Berk, pizzetta 211 in the avenues, Small shed flatbreads in mill valley, I also kind of like Pauline's in the mission. I personally don't care for pizza at A16, although the restaurant is great in every other way. on chinese i also would hit henry hunan downtown, 3 locations, the one on Sac is cool, upstairs used to be someones office, they didn't do much to change it, the one South of Market is cleaner, bigger. Henry is a Playboy, his three children run the places. THey have the best Kung Pao and Chow Mein( i can not spell )Can not eat at House of Nan king anymore, too much food stored on the ground, how about bettlenut on union st. for a good pacific asian thing? or le colonial or elizas. How about sushi at Sushi groove on russian hill or sushi ran in Sausalito?? whoever suggest tadich is good. lunch is a better experienc than dinner. Mon Feb 28 02:10:31 -0800 2005 157022 0 caio hounds 4 157078 Totally agree. There are many things I miss about bay area food, but the pizza isn't one of them. I will say, though, that Zachary's thin crust is actually pretty decent. I noticed, incidentally, that you have home plate on your list. Love that place, esp. the potato pancakes. If you're staying in the marina, another brunch suggestion is Greens. It's vegetarian, but very tasty, and the view is remarkable. Plus, you can walk it off with a short walk to either the golden gate bridge or fisherman's warf afterwards. Mon Feb 28 11:58:21 -0800 2005 157055 0 a&w 5 157087 Darn, Home Plate ... I missed that one ... I was thinking the other restaurant with Plate in the name in the mission. Sorry to disagree, but NO, NO, NO. Better restaurants for breakfast a few steps away and if you want a superior example of the same food as Home Plate, go to Townsend on the Embarcadero near the Ball Park. I think at one time Home Plate was good, but now ... not so good. Here's a link about other breakfast spots in that area including my impression on Home Plate. Trying to find this link on the web there was also another downhill alert about Home Plate (as far back as 2000). Marinette mentioned in the link is no more. Emporio Rulli is new in that area since the post and has some great Italian breakfast pastries. Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/21001#74374 Mon Feb 28 12:48:55 -0800 2005 157078 0 Krys 6 157095 Bechell's is OK, but, unlike you, I'm not such a fan of the style of home fries they serve. Plus, breakfast food tends to come out watery there (maybe b/c of the fresh veggies?). I was always thoroughly underwhelmed by Judy's, though I haven't been recently, so they may have rebounded as you say. Mon Feb 28 13:05:36 -0800 2005 157087 0 a&w 6 157147 Another "Plate" place under consideration is "Blue Plate", is that what you thinking of? Thanks for the great link for breakfast places, I've bookmarked it. And thanks for the donation link, certainly worthwhile. Native SF Mon Feb 28 19:48:37 -0800 2005 157087 0 Native SF in Midwest 6 159361 Home Plate was okay. They have a lot of tables crammed in there and they were obviously overworked. The eggs were overcooked and the coffee was horrible. I can see how in their early days, they were likely very good, but I do not see us returning as it was rather pricey and I can do far better myself in making a good breakfast. Fri Apr 01 10:04:19 -0800 2005 157087 0 Native SF in Midwest 5 157144 I've read good things outside of Chowhounds about Home Plate so I appreciate an "expert's" opinion on the place. Green's seems to come up alot here and we may just have to give that a try. We keep passing on it as we are not vegetarians by any stretch, but it would be another new experience for us. We have Beach Chalet on our list due to its view, perhaps we should swap that out for Green's. Thanks! Mon Feb 28 19:35:10 -0800 2005 157078 0 Native SF in Midwest 5 159360 We enjoyed Greens very much. We walked from the Exploratorium, about 1.5 miles and arrived for a late lunch. The staff was very attentive and made good recommendations. We are not vegetarians, but could tell this was the best you could get. The salads we chose were the best ever. Each entree was good, but none stood out. The view was nice and the location in Fort Mason was interesting. Thanks for the great recommendation. Fri Apr 01 09:17:27 -0800 2005 157078 0 Native SF in Midwest 4 157143 Not really wild about going to Easy Bay for pizza, and yes, Chicago is a place I get to occasionally (Gino's East, thank you... but thats for another message board). I like everything on the A16 menu, but will keep in mind the comment on the pizza. Never heard of Henry Hunan, sounds worth a consideration. We are not much into Cantonese, so the Kung Bao comment is appealing as we prefer Hunan/Szechuan. My wife loves General Tso's here in the Midwest, but we realize that that is an Americanized food. Nothing like that in China Town. We have never found a good Chinese place that we like, but King Tin was passable. Likely an issue of our palate and not the quaility of the food. I'll look into Bettlenut, le Colonial and Elizas. I also am considering a French bistro option, perhaps Le Charm? We've tried sushi and apart from the novelty of it, we really are neutral on it. Thanks for commenting on it, perhaps someone reading this in the future will go there on your recommendation. Tadich for lunch sounds like a lock. Thanks for underscoring that one. Native SF Mon Feb 28 19:30:46 -0800 2005 157055 0 Native SF in Midwest 5 157171 Below is the link to the website of a guy that photographed and ate everything on the menu at Henry's, a considerable task. My husband loves Henry's and many of our ex-SF friends love going back there when they come back to visit. One friend who lives in a small town outside of Boston found Henry's out-of-print cookbook and is diligently mastering all his favorie dishes. Another buys jars of Henry's spicy sauce whenever he's in town. Link: http://greasepig.com/henrys/menu_1.html Mon Feb 28 21:14:05 -0800 2005 157143 0 Pssst 2 157041 limon has two locations two now, the new AND the old one (renamed limon a la brasa, which does a simpler more limited menu) Sun Feb 27 22:02:42 -0800 2005 157021 0 cedichou 2 157092 A16 for sure. Try their Meatballs on a Monday. I made them last week and they were to die for. Mon Feb 28 12:59:24 -0800 2005 157021 0 roxie 3 157141 A16's menu looks good too and near where we are staying. Excellent choice looking at their menu. My middle daughter LOVES meatballs, so I am sure this will prove to be a memorabe visit. The chowhounds are getting me worried that two weeks might not be long enough. (Now where was the discount coupon from Jenny Craig....) Mon Feb 28 19:19:48 -0800 2005 157092 0 Native SF in Midwest 4 157160 A16's meatballs are only on Monday. When the place is as jammed as if it were Friday or Saturday. Don't miss the pizza or housemade cold cuts. Mon Feb 28 20:32:38 -0800 2005 157141 0 Robert Lauriston 2 157135 Peruvian! Never considered it. Sounds like a good adventure for all of us. Kids would love to add another cuisine to their cuilinary passport. All sound promising, likely Fresca or Limon, just to accessibility via MUNI from where we are. Thanks! Mon Feb 28 19:12:51 -0800 2005 157021 0 Native SF in Midwest 2 159359 The notion of Peruvian was the most foreign to us but we went to Limon and were blown away. All 6 of us (baby too), agreed it was our favorite place in SFO, even surpassing Slanted Door. The array of sauces and spices were amazing and the service was great. We always go with the recommendations of the waiter and share multiple appetizers and entrees and we loved them all. The only drawback was the distance from our hotel in the wharf area. We would have gone another one or two times if it had been closer. This is now a fixture on our dining plans when we return. Of note, we first visited a wonderful store called Dandelion in the area and recommend visting it. It is a samller store but they fit in so much. It is like a combination of a Pier One Imports and a Barnes and Noble. I do not see how anyone could go in and not find something they want to buy themselves. Thanks for the recommendation, it was a home run. Fri Apr 01 09:13:29 -0800 2005 157021 0 Native SF in Midwest 1 157038 Consider a unique-to-SF fish restaurant--either Sam's Grill (374 Bush--my favorite), or Tadich Grill (240 California--also great, but with more tourists (Sam's clientele is almost all locals). Sam's is closed Sat & Sun, Tadich is closed Sunday. Best to stick with the grilled fish at both places. Sun Feb 27 21:16:00 -0800 2005 157014 0 Steve Green 2 157133 Tadich sounds good. My wife doesn't like fish, but she is jetting down to LA one day to see some friends, so ths might be a good fish day. Thanks for the suggestion. Mon Feb 28 19:08:57 -0800 2005 157038 0 SF Native in Midwest 2 159358 We almost went to Tadich, but they do not accept reservations and our time was tight that day. I expect we will go on a future visit. Fri Apr 01 09:05:38 -0800 2005 157038 0 Native SF in Midwest 1 157073 You can't take kids to Buca Giovanni. It's a small, romantic, table-for-two type place. That rather than the food is its attraction. The place that's most often recommended in North Beach, L'Osteria Del Forno, is also too small for your group. I don't know where in North Beach might be more suitable. Mon Feb 28 11:15:38 -0800 2005 157014 0 Carl 2 157085 I really think they'd like Tomasso's, and it would be fine for a large group and/or a family. Mon Feb 28 12:40:47 -0800 2005 157073 0 farmersdaughter 3 157131 I think Tomasso's sounds like a good match for us. Thanks! Mon Feb 28 19:06:11 -0800 2005 157085 0 SF Native in Midwest 4 157146 if you're going to go to a16, i'd suggest getting the pizza at a16 and skipping tomasso's also, i wouldn't want to take my kids to tommasso's given that its right in the middle of the red-light district and next door to adult bookstores and the like Mon Feb 28 19:47:17 -0800 2005 157131 0 Josh 5 157162 The pizzas at Tomasso's and A16 are so different--and the restaurants are so different in so many other ways--that I wouldn't consider it an either-or choice. They're both on my SF top 10 list. There are a handful strip clubs and porn stores around Tomasso's, but it's not a red-light district! Mon Feb 28 20:37:27 -0800 2005 157146 0 Robert Lauriston 6 157167 they are a different style of pizza sure, but if i had to choose one, i'd pick a16's pizza, not only that, a16 has other good items besides just pizza and at tommasss, only the pizza is worth ordering and there's 2 strip clubs right across the street, adult book stores right next to it, that sounds like red-light in my book, and i wouldn't want my young teenage daughters around there Mon Feb 28 20:53:36 -0800 2005 157162 0 Josh 7 157179 I think Tomasso's is a great pick for a family...regardless of the neighborhood. I've been dining there since before I was born (while my parents were in gradual school in the 1960s), and I've been bringing my son there since he was a baby. Yes, it is surrounded by strip clubs and an "adult theatre," but that's never been a problem for us. My now ten-year-old son is good for a wry observation or two, but that's about it. One might, however, want to be prepared to give an explanation re: window displays filled w/ sex toys. Seriously, depending on where you are lucky enough to find parking, no visit to any restaurant in North Beach will be entirely free surprises. I would, however, warn families planning dinner at Tomasso's to dine EARLY. The wait for tables can be long, and there's not much space for the young ones (or the tired old ones) to sit during this time. As to what to order, beyond the pizza, we're fans of the marinated vegies (esp. the green beans and the zucchini). And even those w/ an aversion to eating green things seem to enjoy sopping up the remaining garlicky oil and vinegar with the sourdough bread. Mon Feb 28 23:05:13 -0800 2005 157167 0 Lexy 8 157211 Second on the marinated veggies at Tomasso's. Great for atmosphere and decor, too. It's the oldest pizzeria on the West Coast, and looks it. Tue Mar 01 11:27:29 -0800 2005 157179 0 Robert Lauriston 7 159357 We enjoyed A16 enough to visit a second time with my father. My wife really enjoyed the pizza, but I thought the crust was rather soggy. I really enjoyed their pasta choices, however, during the 2nd visit at lunch, they only offered pizza. One incredible surpise was their Burrata, incredibly fresh Mozarella and the cabbage and ceci zuppa. Highly recommended. Fri Apr 01 09:04:36 -0800 2005 157167 0 Native SF in Midwest 5 157239 Taking children to Tommasso's is absurd for the reason indicated. You should really go to Caffe Sport on Green Street. It's in the wholesome and scenic section of North Beach, near the park and cafes. I won't claim that it is great cuisine, but it's an entertaining family-style place, which makes sense given that you're a family, with lots of good Italian food. Note that parking is impossible throughout North Beach. Tue Mar 01 13:55:47 -0800 2005 157146 0 Carl 6 157248 I see families with kids at Tomasso's every time I eat there. As for Caffe Sport, anyone who won't let their kids walk past a strip club or porn shop shouldn't take them into a restaurant whose sign features the motto, "fatevi i cazzi vostri." Tue Mar 01 14:55:45 -0800 2005 157239 0 Robert Lauriston 7 157253 i've only seen kids there once in awhile, but regardless, its the seediest area of north beach and the pizza isn't all that Tue Mar 01 15:08:53 -0800 2005 157248 0 Josh 2 157130 Thanks for the input re: Buca. We did very well at Sodini's on Green Street with all of the kids, but since we were planning for Buca on the first night after a plane ride, we will likely go elsewhere. I know Viva Pizza accomodated us well last time. Mon Feb 28 19:03:34 -0800 2005 157073 0 Native SF in Midwest 2 159356 We decided to stay with our old standby Sodini's and were pleased as always. L'Osteria Del Forno was very busy. We will go there next year. Fri Apr 01 08:59:12 -0800 2005 157073 0 Native SF in Midwest 1 157129 A few have inquired where we are staying. We will be near the Cannery and the Hyde street cable car turn around. However, we are very comfortable using MUNI to its fullest and when it comes to strong recommendations from the "Hounds", the adage "have stomach, will travel" applies. We will also be spending a day in San Carlos also. SF Native Mon Feb 28 19:00:08 -0800 2005 157014 0 SF Native in Midwest 2 157336 There is a nice French restaurant in downtown San Carlos called Laurel Street Cafe. Great food and good prices. Have fun! Tue Mar 01 22:23:43 -0800 2005 157129 0 Jennifer Stimson 2 157512 You'll want to buy Muni weekly passes, which are $12, though I imagine they may go up with the impending fare increase. Unfortunately, there's a $1 surcharge on the cable car, even with a pass. You probably know that you'd be better situated to use transit down by Union Square. There's certainly plenty of transit that comes up into that area, but you'll have to transfer to get to some areas, especially the Haight and the west side of the city. It sounds like a great and tasty trip. Thu Mar 03 00:26:30 -0800 2005 157129 0 Nathan Landau 3 157867 Since we will be there two weeks, the adults are getting 2 CityPasses each and the kids are getting monthly passes ($10 each). Both avoid the $1 surcharge for cable cars, unlike the weekly passes. Sat Mar 05 09:08:59 -0800 2005 157512 0 Native SF in Midwest