Semi-fancy, fun restaurants? Mission, Noe Valley, Hayes Valley, Bernal...

I'm a recent transplant to SF, and have so far discovered Firefly in Noe Valley and also Blue Plate in the Outer Mission. Can anyone suggest any other restaurants along these same lines-- semi-fancy but not uptight, delicous food, good atmosphere, etc. ?

Thanks!

Often overlooked is Universal Cafe (on 19th between Bryant and Florida). I think they have a great menu.

Link: http://www.universalcafe.net/universa...

[chaddict]

Universal Cafe rocks!!! Great brunch as well. Menu changes daily.

I am guessing some of these may have been listed already, but above all, welcome! Delfina's is amazing. The spaghetti redefines the dish in my opinion and the panna cotta is something I dream about. The rice pudding and the chocolate cake have also gotten rave reviews from other people we have dined with. If they have it, the stinging nettle soup is delicious.

Dosa in the Mission is fabulous as well as Limon and Maverics and all will fit your semi-fancy requirement.

Good luck and happy eating!

Range, Fresca, Delfina and Zuni all fit the bill.

I second the suggestion to check out Lotus Garden next to Blue Plate. Also in your 'hood is Yo's Sushi Club, which is a great local inexpensive sushi bar, but it's definitely not semi-fancy.

There's also Ti Couz on 16th near Valencia which specializes in crepes. Not semi-fancy either, but fun, inexpensive and really good.

Also, I forgot to say that you should check out CAV wine bar next door to Zuni. Good food and nice wine selection.

Tangerine over at 16th and Sanchez. It's really in the Castro area, but not too far from Noe Valley or Mission either.

whoosh, there are a ton in the Mission:
Last Supper Club, Range, Limon, Foriegn Cinema, Delfina, Luna Park, Bruno's, Walzwerk, Chez Spencer, Andalu, and the list goes on....

Noe Valley:
Le Zinc, Incanto, La Ciccia (and a new one is opening i saw last night : Bistro 1689 or something like that)

How far out in Outer Mission are you?
There is also Chenery Park in Glen Park (but i think they have kind of slid down hill, but they still do some things good.)

I can't vouch for more than 1/2 these resturants, but they are all worth a try for you to ferret out your favorites...welcome to the neighborhood.

thanks for all of the good recommendations. I'm out near 30th on Mission, and have discovered some good local bites, including GFC, El Zocalo for pupusas, Spicy Bite, and Wild Side West (for an afternoon beer in the garden).

has anyone tried Pomelo near the j-church?

we are neighbors, and yes, I've tried Pomelo, once, can't say I'm a fan. Just mediocre, strange service, and there is soooo much else that is more compelling in the neighborhood!

For pupusas, try also going a bit further south on Mission to about College Hill, and try La Santaneca. Better than El Zocalo, IMO...

In the other direction, next door to Blue Plate, Lotus Garden is a must try for Vietnamese: probably my favorite inexpensive dinner in the neighborhood.

For restaurants that fit the same vibe as Firefly and Blue Plate, I second the Range recommendation. The food at Range is definitely better than at Firefly (though perhaps a bit pricier) and probably better than Blue Plate, and it has the advantage of a full bar.

Chenery Park can be fun if you sit at the bar (great folks there, very friendly vibe) and stick to southern-influenced foods and meats. Try tri-tip or the gumbo, and bread pudding for dessert.

[bong]

"In the other direction, next door to Blue Plate, Lotus Garden is a must try for Vietnamese: probably my favorite inexpensive dinner in the neighborhood."

I had a couple of meals at Lotus Garden, but didnt quite like it... What dishes do you recommend here?

[susancinsf]

The crepe, the crab in season, the soups anytime, the raw beef salad....a search will turn up lots of other postings as well..

Walzerk is good but I wouldn't call it semi-fancy. More like thrift-store funky.

Hayes Valley: Zoya at 465 Grove St...small and cozy, good food — for the "fun" factor, you're on your own...

for fun, Bambuddha Lounge at 601 Eddy Street.

Link: http://www.zoyasf.com/

Fresca on 24th is fun, energetic, busy bar, and not super expensive.

You might like Range, Bar Tartine, Delfina, Absinthe, Zuni. This city is thick with restaurants that fit that description.

I would definately check out Range if you want good food and great cocktails.