36400 Wed May 18 03:47:21 -0700 2005 8 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 167860 A group of us are coming down to San Francisco from Vancouver, BC in a few weeks. We are celebrating a 40th b-day and are looking for your dining suggestions..The b-day boy works in the restaurant industry, so ambience and service (in addition to great food & wine of course) are very important. We haven't been to SF in about 10 years. We are staying in Union Square. What would all you SF foodies suggest as must dine at restaurants while we are there (4 days). Don't mind spending money for a great dining experience, but would also be interested in local favourites that won't break the bank!! Also, any suggestions for drinks (lounges, martini bars, etc.) would also be much appreciated. Thanks in advance for your tips. Cheers... Parm from Vancouver Wed May 18 03:47:21 -0700 2005 0 Parm 1 167872 BIX! Wed May 18 11:43:47 -0700 2005 167860 0 niccole 1 167937 Check out the "a boston chowhound" post above. Good restaurant suggestions there. Wed May 18 16:44:05 -0700 2005 167860 0 Andy 1 167969 For high-end seafood, Farallon (450 Post St., between Powell and Mason). Unique atmosphere, very creative seafood. A bit pricey ($30-35 per entree). For lunch and good value seafood, Swan Oyster Depot. Nothing fancy, just a lunch counter at a seafood shop, but good, fresh, local seafood treated respectfully. The Ferry Building on a Saturday morning. Great (if yuppie-ish) Farmer's Market with lots of samples of local fruit and produce, then lunch at Hog Island Oyster Bar, or the clam chowder place or Mijita for Mexican fast food (like in Mexico, NOT Taco Bell!) or Taylor's Refresher for sandwiches and burgers. (Go early enough to the market, and you may see our local celebrity chefs, as well as a who's-who of visiting foodies.) Also, the local chefs frequently hang out at Globe restaurant after service. Wed May 18 18:56:17 -0700 2005 167860 0 S Waldron 1 168012 Ah, Vancouver. My wife and I were there for five days in '03 ... terrific town with terrific food! As to SF, my top notch choice if you're spending money and don't want to wait a month (!!!) or something for a reservation would be La Folie on Polk St. (lafolie.com). Fabulous food and service with a bit of a family feel even in a "fancy" restaurant. The chef and sommelier are brothers from Lyon and the chef's wife runs the front of the house. For Italian, maybe Incanto on Church St. (incanto.biz) in SF. Or, if you're into homemade pasta and salumi and you don't mind a trip to Oakland, then try Paul Bertolli's Oliveto (oliveto.com). It's often critized for being pretty spare, but the flavors are there in a big way. As far as Bay Area institutions, Alice Waters's Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Judy Rodgers's Zuni Cafe on Market in SF, and Tadich Grill on California St. in SF are some of the usual suspects ... for good reason. Let us know what you think of SF. Wed May 18 21:48:51 -0700 2005 167860 0 OSM 1 168022 For bar views, the jukebox Marriot, Carnelian Room, Fairmont, St. Francis. Or you can just pretend you are visiting someone at the Mandarin Oriental and head straight to the elevators. In North Beach, Savoy Tivoli, Vesuvio's, Spec's. For velvet couches, Tiffany lamps and ferns, Royal Oak at Polk and Vallejo. For outdoor patios, The Endup at 6th and Harrison, Eagle Tavern at 12th [gay leather, but the bartender was so sweet to me; drew me a map to find my towed car], El Rio at Mission and Cesar Chavez. For yuppiness, Beach Chalet off the Great Highway, anywhere on Union or Chestnut west of Franklin. Wed May 18 22:51:29 -0700 2005 167860 0 semmel 2 168041 The Endup has an outdoor patio? You know, I lived in the area for over a decade, probably passed it daily and never went. It always looked scary to me. What is it like? Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0143034413/chowhoundcom/103-0343168-7067866 Image: http://www.chowhound.com/chowbooks/sf.jpg Thu May 19 00:55:50 -0700 2005 168022 0 Krys 3 168043 Re the Endup: a great outdoor patio, as well as a couple of different rooms, one with a fireplace. friendly staff. too much dang raggae though. I'm sorry raggae is too laidback for me; I'm an 80s rocker. Lol let's see if this flies. The deadheads totally amuse me. Even when the Austin band Brave Combo is doing a polka number at Great American Music Hall, they are still doing the same dang "ethereal" dance they do. And of course one stopped in first at Edinburgh Castle for a brew. Thu May 19 01:39:05 -0700 2005 168041 0 semmel 3 168065 The EndUp has a large outdoor garden/patio. It is not meant for afternoon lounging with a cocktail, but for fresh-air relief from late, late, late night techno-music dancing inside (at least on weekends). At least it used to be (I haven't been in years). Thu May 19 12:01:41 -0700 2005 168041 0 Frosty Melon