37964 Tue Jul 19 09:43:07 -0700 2005 11 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 177689 Hello, I will be visiting SF for the first time in about a month. Can anyone recommend some fun, medium to upscale restaurants? thx Tue Jul 19 09:43:07 -0700 2005 0 John 1 177692 Not sure what your definition of fun is... but if you are looking for restaurants that a lot of buzz and good food then I would recommend Betelnut on Union Street (not Union Square) which serves Pan-Asian cuisine. (Has a good bar as well and is frequented by late 20's and 30 somethings.) Another place, though I haven't been in years, is Cha Cha Cha on Haight which serves tapas. Tue Jul 19 10:01:27 -0700 2005 177689 0 ChristineV 2 177702 Why not give Asia SF a try? J Tue Jul 19 10:36:11 -0700 2005 177692 0 J T 3 177722 i second asia sf. definetely "only in san francisco" with tasty food, great drinks, and great entertainment. where else can you enjoy a good meal and see talented drag queens and transexuals performing great dance numbers while lip syncing to fun songs? my friend had her 28th birthday there; we all had a great time. they were also great about providing some vegetarian options on the set menu. this is a very fun place for the special occasion-type, once-in-a-while visit. the club downstairs, however, is a total waste of time. enjoy your visit! Tue Jul 19 12:08:32 -0700 2005 177702 0 artemis 1 177701 Cortez on Geary is fun. Lots of small plates, good decor, good service. Tue Jul 19 10:33:26 -0700 2005 177689 0 Monty 1 177723 I would recommend Zuni, Delfina or Aziza for fun and fanstastic food...but those aren't "fun" for everyone... Tue Jul 19 12:11:33 -0700 2005 177689 0 bandit 2 177729 I'd definately agree with Aziza. Also Cha Cha Cha mentioned earlier. J Tue Jul 19 12:24:18 -0700 2005 177723 0 J T 3 177732 Just remembered. Aziza has better food, but Pasha's (sp?) is more interactive with it's entertainment. Everybody get up and dance! J Tue Jul 19 12:27:39 -0700 2005 177729 0 J T 1 177752 i will third both asia sf and cha cha cha. i would also reccommend: *bix- i always feel like im stepping in the 1920's when i come here. http://www.bixrestaurant.com *foreign cinema- dinner and a movie. http://www.foreigncinema.com *bissap baobab- senaglese cuisine. very LOUD atmosphere, but very fun. KILLER drinks that you can buy by the pitcher (19.00 a pitcher, i think) that are made with ingredients such as hyacinth and ginger. highly reccommended as a "fun" restaurant. also a bar next door that spins music. http://www.bissapbaobab.com/ *the indian icecream place in the mission, on valencia. yummy flavours like saffron pistola, rose petal, green tea and marsala. also the indian "milkshake" type thing made with rice noodles *pearl's- enjoy live jazz while you eat. http://www.jazzatpearls.com/jazz/index.html *frisson- very pink. http://www.frissonsf.com/ Link: http://www.asiasf.com/ Tue Jul 19 13:19:29 -0700 2005 177689 0 violet 2 177764 Bombay Ice Cream, the indian ice cream place with saffron ice creams... Tue Jul 19 13:49:36 -0700 2005 177752 0 bandit 1 177812 Aziza, yes! But I'm gonna be the dissenting vote for both asia sf and cha cha cha. asia sf is a tourist-trap with over-priced and mediocre-to-average food. Every now and then we take international business partners there and even though its on the company dime, it still annoys me. Its reminds me of Finocios (sp?), the place you take your aunt visiting from Duluth to shock and say "you're in SF now" (or other gawker-types) but not some place you would go for a real, good food or a real, good drag show. If you want an authentic scene have dinner someplace nearby, then go to Trannyshack. Cha cha cha is just old, tired and living on its reputation, their food hasn't been genuinely good for years. But some people swear by their sangria (the over-consumption of which is what I think makes them believe the food is good). Tue Jul 19 16:14:33 -0700 2005 177689 0 Pssst 1 177817 I also recommend Aziza. It's not as visually entertaining as some of the other places mentioned but the food is much, much better, and the fantastic bar will make any evening fun. Ask yourself: do you want to go to a mediocre restaurant and watch a show while eating or do you want to have a great meal? If you do want to see a show, SF has some great performing arts groups you could catch after dinner. For a more in depth review, I linked a report on Aziza below. www.aziza-sf.com Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/37196#172800 Tue Jul 19 16:44:22 -0700 2005 177689 0 Morton the Mousse