461129 Thu Nov 15 23:21:34 -0800 2007 17 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 3129995 Hey 'hounds! Decided at the last minute to head to San Francisco for Thanksgiving/our anniversary this year. Where should we eat? Not looking for turkey dinner, just regular meals. We live in Austin, so while nothing is out of the question, we probably won't be interested in Mexican or barbecue. We are just out of college so we don't have a lot of money - we can probably afford one or two moderately priced proper dinners, but are mostly looking for cheap but delicious food. We are not interested in places that have great views but blah food. We're staying near Union Square. Will be in town for three days. We love all kinds of Asian. Are there affordable dim sum/brunches? What's good in Chinatown? Anywhere romantic but not lame? Anywhere to eat near Union Square that's not (too) touristy(!)? Help please! Thu Nov 15 23:21:34 -0800 2007 143352 Caforbes 1 3130002 Dim sum is the very definition of affordable (unless you go to Yank Sing) and it's always served at brunch/lunch time. You'll find of discussions of dim sum options, but I'd say Gold Mountain in Chinatown is a failsafe option in terms of location, decent food, and giving you the full dim sum experience, rolling carts and all. Thu Nov 15 23:36:58 -0800 2007 3129995 131118 Xiao Yang 1 3130015 This thread could be helpful - just started today as well. http://www.chowhound.com/topics/460912 Thu Nov 15 23:49:39 -0800 2007 3129995 21930 Dave MP 1 3130265 I live in the Marina which is basically comprised of grad-students with trust funds and 22-35 year old professionals, so you might enjoy walking around the neighborhood. Anyway, I basically live off a Thai restaurant called Benjarong where 90% of the main courses are $11 or less. It recently changed owners and got even better. So, I would reccomend that. Also, even though you are coming from Austin, try a SF burrito,. My favorite are from Papalote -- incredibly inauthentic. More authentic are Tacqueria Cancun and La Tacqueria. I find the Tacqueria Cancun on Market at 6th to be a bit sketchy, though. Market between 6th and 8th is a rough part of town. Fri Nov 16 05:48:19 -0800 2007 3129995 50041 whiner 2 3132279 "My favorite are from Papalote -- incredibly inauthentic. More authentic are Tacqueria Cancun and La Tacqueria." I am curious as how you go about categorizing the authenticity of something that is as inauthentic (relative to Mexican cuisine) by nature as a Mission style burrito? Fri Nov 16 14:55:35 -0800 2007 3130265 42572 Eat_Nopal 3 3133416 Perhaps he meant authentic in the sense that Tacqueria Cancun and La Tacqueria have authentic Mission-style burritos.....(in other words, it is its own cuisine, at least to me). That said, I wouldn't bother with it, especially not coming from Austin, since the best food at those places aren't the burritos, they are the tacos, and based on larochelle's post sounds like Austin would have that covered (it has been over ten years since my last visit to Austin. Sounds like it is time to rectify that). Sat Nov 17 06:38:09 -0800 2007 3132279 10158 susancinsf 4 3133444 Well, what I meant was that at least what La Tacqueria and Tacqueria Cancun serve are identifiable as burritos in the traditional Tex/Cal/SouthWest-Mexican sense. Whereas Papalote is substantially farther removed from authenticity than even that. As I said, I've never had a burrito in Austin, so maybe this wasn't such a good idea. But, for SF natives, I can tell you most of us find the big local burritos for $6 to be one of the better meal values going. Sat Nov 17 06:56:52 -0800 2007 3133416 50041 whiner 4 3133478 La Tacqueria does not serve Mission-style burritos. It's moot, because the OP has already demurred at having Mexican food here. Not addressed to you Susan, but it's one of my pet peeves that responders often do not read the posts they are responding too carefully enough, or do not respect the expressed parameters. Sat Nov 17 07:17:47 -0800 2007 3133416 131118 Xiao Yang 5 3134048 As I think both El Nopal and I were trying to say in different ways, a Mission style burrito is NOT Mexican food...and since whiner did address the parameters, I thought his post was just fine. Besides, Lots of other people besides folks from Austin will read this thread looking for cheap eats, and whiner does make a good point that a lot of folks love the Mission burritos in that category. Personally I have not had a burrito at La Tacqueria, so can't speak to the style there. for that matter, as I've often said, I am NOT a Mission-style burrito fan. But some folks do think it is in fact somewhat unique to SF (which is why it has 'Mission' in the name, of course.) Sat Nov 17 11:46:56 -0800 2007 3133478 10158 susancinsf 6 3134120 La Tacqueria does not put rice in their burritos. The Mission syle burrito relies on a generous dollop (OK, s shovel-ful) of rice to increase their girth (and yours). I would argue that a Mission burrito IS Mexican food, just in an eccentric package. Sat Nov 17 12:35:25 -0800 2007 3134048 131118 Xiao Yang 2 3132484 No. I have to disagree. I would not recommend that someone coming from a place that has awesome Tex-Mex and Mexican food waste a meal on any Mexican food here in SF. Okay, maybe I'd suggest they stop in some tacqueria and watch a few being made for laughs but Mission burritos are highly overrated. I do not know one person among my Texas Ex-pat friends that genuinely like them. I'm from Austin when I first moved here and had my first Mission burrito I thought it was a disgusting mess. I did eventually made my peace with them as acceptable drunk food. But next week while caforbes is here in SF, hopefully eating the best of what we have to offer, I will be in Austin, eating Tex-Mex and Mexican food breakfast, lunch and dinner (except for the actual T-day meal with 45 of my closest relatives). Fri Nov 16 16:02:16 -0800 2007 3130265 10252 larochelle 3 3132551 Actually I might steer them to one of the Yucatecan places... I can vouch for El Rey Pakal in San Rafael... that isn't something you would easily find in Austin (plus its not like Austin is any mecca for Mex-Mexican cuisine anyway). Fri Nov 16 16:30:38 -0800 2007 3132484 42572 Eat_Nopal 4 3132659 I know of at least three places with Yucatecan dishes in Austin and I'm only there one week a year. When was the last time you were in Austin? It has almost 50 Interior Mexican restaurants (places with regional specialites - admittedly of varying quality and menu percentage) and over 200 Tex-Mex restaurants. They have one of the most acclaimed Interior Mexican restaurants in the U.S. and they've had it since 1975! Diana Kennedy "said years later that we were the first restaurant she knew of in the whole country that was attempting to do the real food of Mexico." http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A84574 Just looking at my food notes from last year's visit has made my mouth water -I'm going to spend the next few days pouring over my choices for the all important First Meal Off The Plane. Apparently, the El Meson folks opened a Yucatecan fonda that's supposed to be killer -- maybe we'll go straight there although an old standard will probably win out. And my recommendation to caforbes for First Meal Off The Plane is...Hong Kong Flower Lounge! Awesome dim sum - if you want to keep the tab low, do a few rounds of steamed items and pay attention to how many of the pricey specialities you order. Although my favorite dirt cheap dim sum is Dol Ho in Chinatown. Fri Nov 16 17:14:30 -0800 2007 3132551 10252 larochelle 1 3131618 Thanks guys! So what do you think for an anniversary dinner? Something we in Austin would consider expensive may be considered moderately priced for you guys. So - a moderately priced but still "special" place. Not special in a cheesy way! To be more specific, the average price of an entree should be around $20. Fri Nov 16 12:05:06 -0800 2007 3129995 143352 Caforbes 2 3131688 A couple of places that might fit the bill are Fringale and Chapeau! although the tables are a little close together at Chapeau! for a really intimate occasion. Fri Nov 16 12:22:09 -0800 2007 3131618 10159 Ruth Lafler 3 3133238 I agree with both of those suggestions 100%. I would also add Aziza to the list. Sat Nov 17 00:51:25 -0800 2007 3131688 50041 whiner 2 3134077 I love Aziza. It's out in the Richmond district but the 38 Geary wll take you straight there. In case Moroccan doesn't suit, I really like Incanto also http://www.incanto.biz/sample_menu.html Sat Nov 17 12:05:33 -0800 2007 3131618 10924 Trevallon 3 3134681 Clementine on Clement street near Arguello is also a nice option. Very charming and romantic. Sat Nov 17 16:57:22 -0800 2007 3134077 55677 sfoperalover