386919 Sat Mar 31 11:02:56 -0700 2007 14 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 2438451 My sister's flight into SFO tonight is already estimated an hour late and will therefore possibly be later. That means I'll need to cancel our reservation at Zuni and go somewhere closer to SFO (we'll now have less than three hours, maybe onely two hours, to do the whole thing and get back to SFO). What are places near SFO with good lively atmosphere and good food and are conducive to conversation, and are open during the 9-11pm time we'll be there? Sat Mar 31 11:02:56 -0700 2007 10724 Mick Ruthven 1 2438509 Rats, the best laid plans...I've not been there, but I've seen this Kuleto's right near the airport. I don't know the area well, so can't really offer much except to say if I were in your shoes, I'd keep this in mind...Hope you enjoy your visit with your sister. http://www.kuletostrattoria.com/ Sat Mar 31 11:30:03 -0700 2007 2438451 44765 dinnerout 2 2438529 Oops, I didn't look at the times before I sent this message - looks like they close at 9 pm so this option won't work in any event. I haven't been to the Straits in Burlingame, only the one in Palo Alto so I can't shed any light on this location. Good luck! Sat Mar 31 11:41:57 -0700 2007 2438509 44765 dinnerout 1 2438522 Straits in Burlingame serves until 11pm on Saturdays and the bar is open later. I haven't tried this location yet, but it is allegedly the best off the bunch. Maybe someone else can comment on the food and atmosphere here. http://straitsrestaurants.com/ Sat Mar 31 11:37:00 -0700 2007 2438451 10039 Melanie Wong 2 2438543 When I worked in Burlingame I heard less-than-positive things about Straits. Maybe it's improved, but given these parameters I'd suggest Steelhead Brewery in Burlingame; it's conducive to conversation (at least at lunch), a nice space and the food is decent. I'd give a good 15-20 minutes each way from SFO. Sat Mar 31 11:52:38 -0700 2007 2438522 10125 Frosty Melon 1 2438673 Second on Steelhead, though it might be pretty bustling on a Saturday night. Here's a topic from two weeks ago asking pretty much the same question. http://www.chowhound.com/topics/382948 Sat Mar 31 12:57:46 -0700 2007 2438451 11369 Robert Lauriston 2 2438738 Thanks for all the replies and for that recent thread that I didn't turn up in a search. It looks like Steelhead or Il Fornaio. I'll mention Straits to my sister (I liked the one in SF) but she's had 2 1/2 weeks of Asian food and might be ready for something else. Time to make some phone calls. Sat Mar 31 13:33:39 -0700 2007 2438673 10724 Mick Ruthven 1 2438757 How about some of the pre-security places at the airport? http://www.flysfo.com/guide_nonflash/index.html Sat Mar 31 13:44:58 -0700 2007 2438451 15835 Husky 2 2438797 If her flight is late enough, then that's an option we may need. But I'd rather go to a non-airport place if possible. Any suggestions for an on-SFO pre-security place if we need one (preferably in the International terminal or the next adjoining one). Sat Mar 31 13:59:32 -0700 2007 2438757 10724 Mick Ruthven 3 2439033 all of these are pre-security and in the international terminal: + andale + firewood grill + osho + ebisu + harbor village + fung lum all are off-shoots of san francisco/bay area restaurants. i've eaten at andale, ebisu and fung lum -- all pretty good (at least as good as what you'd find in the surrounding towns). Sat Mar 31 16:00:07 -0700 2007 2438797 15835 Husky 4 2439272 Harbor Village is an offshoot of a lamentedly closed restaurant. Is the food anything like the original's? Sat Mar 31 18:11:59 -0700 2007 2439033 11369 Robert Lauriston 5 2439709 You order at the counter from a stripped down menu of mostly noodle-y items and some dim sum samplers. I've posted about it a couple times, as have others. The roast duck noodles were certainly as good as the original the last time I tried it, which was after the restaurant in Embarcadero closed. http://www.chowhound.com/topics/41402#199705 Sun Apr 01 00:33:17 -0700 2007 2439272 10039 Melanie Wong 1 2438819 I think Il Fornaio might be a good choice if you originally considered Zuni. It's a nice room and the food is pretty good. Sat Mar 31 14:08:51 -0700 2007 2438451 74192 chuckl 1 2438821 Thanks again to eveyone. It turns out that Steelhead, Il Fornaio, and Straits are within the proverbial stone's throw of each other, so I'm going to go without reservations (Steelhead doesn't take them and says it should be getting less crowded by 9pm) and choose one of them at the time. Unless someone thinks that's a bad (dangerous) idea. Sat Mar 31 14:09:56 -0700 2007 2438451 10724 Mick Ruthven 2 2439718 Wow! Hope it worked out. Sun Apr 01 00:44:59 -0700 2007 2438821 11737 NoeMan