43245 Wed Feb 01 13:16:28 -0800 2006 11 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 211146 Will be visiting for a few days in February and staying on Union Square -- any places I should avoid at all costs? And any decent breakfast places near the Chancellor Hotel? Thanks so much. Wed Feb 01 13:16:28 -0800 2006 0 Roberta 1 211149 the cheesecake factory. With all the wonderful restaurants in the city, i'm staggered by the amount of people who will turn down meals at scalas, or even cheap authentic thai food, for a turn to wait an hour for a table so they can have a chinese chicken salad or badly made pizza on top of macys. DONT GO -- where is the chancellor hotel located? Scalas is great - next to saks on powell @ post Sears fine food is famous for their silver dollar pancakes - across the street from scalas i would always go to Cafe Mason, on Mason and Geary - doesn't look like much, but they always delivered good breakfast food w. great service. Wed Feb 01 13:30:51 -0800 2006 211146 0 Bea 2 211154 Thanks so much -- hotel is on Powell st somewhere; Sadly I know all about the Cheesecake factory -- and I wonder the same thing about tourists here in dc! Wed Feb 01 13:49:59 -0800 2006 211149 0 roberta 3 211375 I second Canteen and would stay away from Sears and Lori's....... also for breakfast you should try Cafe Andree in the Hotel Rex - their breakfast are scrumptious - sutter between powell and mason! bon appetit! Thu Feb 02 14:07:35 -0800 2006 211154 0 Alison 3 211410 Hotel Chancellor is located at 433 Powell St. We're staying there too, in March, so I'm glad to see all the tips for Union Square :-) Sandy Thu Feb 02 16:34:07 -0800 2006 211154 0 Sandy 4 211430 Keep watching the board -- because of the high concentration of hotels in the area, people ask for (and receive) recs around Union Square several times a week. Thu Feb 02 17:39:12 -0800 2006 211410 0 Ruth Lafler 3 211421 Hotel Chancellor is located at 433 Powell St. We're staying there too, in March, so I'm glad to see all the tips for Union Square :-) Sandy Thu Feb 02 17:00:26 -0800 2006 211154 0 Sandy 1 211188 I think Canteen is one of the best breakfasts in the Union Square area and may be the best in the city. In a city full of breakfast places with 45+ minute waits for a table (Ella's? - please, its not worth paying for much less waiting for), Canteen is the only place I'm willing to stand around for. Other breakfast places in the Union Square area are: Dottie's True Blue - basic "diner food with a twist" formula. Usually has a long line. Food is decent to good. Has a lot of fans on this board. Lori's Diner - greasy diner. Yuck. Sears Fine Food - This place is proof that people are sheep. Years ago, when I worked across the street, there were consistenly lines down the block. So I went for breakfast and was shocked to discover the signature dish was barely edible cold silver-dollar pancakes! Now its owned by the Lori's Diner gang - they've expanded hours and the menu but there is still nothing at all interesting about it. Wed Feb 01 16:12:23 -0800 2006 211146 0 Pssst 2 211318 Dottie's actually has really wonderful breakfasts - very hearty egg dishes. Thu Feb 02 10:24:27 -0800 2006 211188 0 Nutmeg 2 211320 I really appreciate all these suggestions -- and am glad to know that the hotel's breakfast is reasonable too -- usually I steer clear of hotels since the offerings are unreasonably expensive. I look forward to good eating in SF Thu Feb 02 10:42:33 -0800 2006 211188 0 Roberta 1 211207 I'm also a tourist who often stays at the Chancellor, which I'm sure you will enjoy (nice people). Their dining room has a surprisingly good breakfast. It's simple, regular food but fairly priced and pretty tasty. Actually, I prefer it to Sears Fine Food next door by a mile. They have decent drinks at their little cocktail lounge too. My favorite breakfast is the buffet atop at the Marine's Memorial Hotel up Sutter a couple of blocks. Wed Feb 01 17:26:36 -0800 2006 211146 0 BN 1 211319 I know you didn't ask where TO go but I can't help myself... Medicine - on Sutter a couple blocks off of Union Square. (Japanese Shojin) Be sure to get the medicine roll & maitake mushroom tempura (out of this world) BluePoint on Claude Alley (back door in the Alley, Front Door on Kearny) be sure to get the mussels with red thai curry sauce (comes with bowl of frites!) Delish. Thu Feb 02 10:30:10 -0800 2006 211146 0 Nutmeg