SFO newbie seeking chowder and coffee
Hi to all the hounds here....
Joining husband for his biz trip to SFO and will be staying in Westin St. Francis this April 2nd week. I've read some of the blogs and SFO boards re: chowders and coffee but they simply made me more curious which one is the best. A lot of conflicting reports were mentioned so I guess it's a matter of taste. Let me tell you a bit about me so you'll know where I am coming from.
Been to California many times but most often in the Southern cities so this is my first time to stay in SFO. Have tried a lot of authentic cuisine from mother countries (meaning I ate in local restos) like Thailand, US (Chicago, New York, CA), Kuala Lumpur, Vietnam, Singapore, India, China (Shanghai and Suzhou) and of course my own city, Manila. I can say that after staying and dining in 5star hotels in these places sometimes the best food can be had in little holes in the walls. So, am not really after 5star locations but rather 5star quality of food whether served on a gold lined platter or a banana leaf.
I'd like the locals' input on what is good near my hotel since I only have three whole days to explore the spot. An outstanding coffee shop is a must so please recommend your best. I've heard nice things about Blue Bottle and Pacific Bay but not sure if there's any near my location. I'd like to feel like a tourist and see what the Wharf has to offer. Being a chocoholic I will surely try Ghirardelli's ice cream since I've been baking using their choco chips.
A nice date place wih my hubby where we can stroll safely afterwards would be fun. Again, good food is primary consideration not necessarily priced off the roof. Quaint but delicious spots are welcome. Prefer Chinese, Italian, Vietnamese if possible.
Waiting for your input....Thanks in advance :)
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iclee
Apr 24, 2008 09:59 PM
Hounds... heads up.....
Am back from my San Francisco bay area and Silicon Valley trip. Let me share with you what I've experienced. Again, you've seen my profile and the following blog is my own op.
Boudin bakery in Wharf area: tried the chowder in sourdough. Very touristy indeed but not necessarily bad tasting. Maybe if they put more chowder then I would have enjoyed it more. Hubby took Peet's double shot Americano (that's what he said he ordered) inside Boudin's. Rating: Good.
Chocolate factory: Ordered the Dark Choco in sweet waffle cone. Shucks! I should have ordered 2 scoops. Yummy for $4. Another note to self: Next time, buy the shirt that said...."Willing to sell Husband for Chocolate"
1550 Hyde: Hubby and I took the cable car to this small but worth the trip resto. Ordered grilled capay asparagus/ spanish chorizo/ almonds/ manchego/ arbequiña olive oil (picture attached), berkshire pork loin chop milanese swiss chard/ lemon, grilled niman ranch flank steak balsamic/ herbed frites/ ancho cress/ green garlic aioli and for dessert, the scharffen berger bittersweet chocolate pot de crème with straus whipped cream and shortbread cookies. Bill amounted to close to $100 with the recom glass of red wine and a half pint of Tummer beer (not sure about spelling of this one).
Lori's Diner: Look cleaner than Pinecrest diner. And good enough for the grab, chug and go type of day. Had the SF Best Corned Beef Hash......not the best IMHO. Though servings are huge.
Recchiuti at Ferry building: Best choco "bits" (they are soooo small) I've tasted. Ordered the burnt caramel, cinnamon, Venezuela, coffee, etc in a tiny brown pouch and paid about $12.
Ciao Bella Gelato at FB: Glad I only ordered 1 scoop of the Strawberry Ricotta. Not impressed with the overly sweet and not to creamy scoop.
Blue bottle at FB: I tried 2x to get in line but it's just too long a wait.
Sundance Steakhouse at Palo Alto: very good aged steak. Generous servings although my local friend said Sundance seem not to be consistent with quality. My husband had the standard cut prime Angus steak while I ate the Wild Northern Salmon. Pricey but worth it.
Los Gatos Bar and Grill at Los Gatos: Ate crab cakes and the pumpkin soup with my standard apple juice.
Nordstrom Cafe at Palo Alto: I liked the Chicken BBQ pizza coupled with the Goat Cheese Salad. Sweet and light meal while shopping in Nordstrom.
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I may be repetitive, but Blue Bottle can be had at Mission Beach Cafe, at 14th and Guerrero, along with delicious pastries. Take Bart to 16th and walk over and up, or take Bart to 24th and walk down two blocks to Ritual (whether under or over roasted), it is so delicicious it is like drinking a fine wine. Who cares if it is cafe laptop?! I'll go to Peet's if it is close and I can't go to the above mentioned. Phil'z, in the Mission, a fun walk from 24th St. Bart to Folsom and 24th, is a trip, and their coffee is amazing. Have fun.
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Morton the Mousse
Mar 13, 2008 10:42 AM
Bar Crudo's seafood chowder is unbelievably delicious. Great place to try local oysters as well. Here's an excerpt from my post:
"The highlight of the meal came near the end, with two orders of the incredible seafood chowder. Clams, mussels, cod and squid, each perfectly cooked, are topped with a delicious, creamy broth. Rich, satisfying, and ethereal, it is elegant comfort food at its best. Priced at $13, it's the most substantial dish on the menu, and the best bang for the buck. The chowder was paired with Duchesse de Bourgogne, a Flemish Sour. Flemish Sour, for the unfamiliar, is a beer that is very much like a wine, very acidic, with mild fruity flavors. This was, without question, the best pairing of beer and food I have ever experienced. It's a rare restaurant that not only carries Duchesse, but knows when to serve it. Recommended with unrelenting enthusiasm."
Full report:
›2 Replies-
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re: iclee
opinionatedchef
Mar 14, 2008 11:20 AM
iclee, some more suggestions. as a boston resident who 12 yrs ago starting coming to sf for annual march vaca:
I really think a must for you is the sf bus tour that goes from union square. it gives you a great 2?hour tour around all the different neighborhoods so you know where to return and experience more of.- on this or future trips.
i have to tell you- I LOVE the ferry Bldg. Sat. may be the best day for crowds and the farmers market, but i like it because all the vendors have tastes of things for everyone. given that, weekdays are much more normal/quiet/enjoyable for being able to see all the shops/displays. there are many excellent food vendors and restaurants.For really unusual(i've not found anything like it - in sf or elsewhere), i love gawking/learning from the Far West Funghi people. We always buy their truffle mustard and their dried candy cap mushrooms. We also always buy some of LuLu's amazing fresh herbed potato chips.and for awhile rechiutti(sp.) chocolates were my favs.And we'll be back for that chowder next week when we have a 3 day pitstop in sf. The view from the ferry bldg is of big big sky and sea, and lots of benches to eat and gaze.
oh, yank sing. they have one dish there that, for us, is worth the price of the plane ticket from boston- and you will NOT find it elsewhere. it is a marinated finger of chilean sea bass roasted in a paper thin wrapper of sweet potato and served with tonkatsu sauce. When i get to my 'prisoner's last meal' request, it will be a tough call between the yank sing sea bass dish and foie gras and beluga.hmmmmm.
I think they may only serve itr on wkends..... btw, they have an excellent website w/photos and descriptions. yank sing's dimsum will likely be the most exp$ dimsum that you have in the u.s. but man is it memorable.
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JasmineG
Mar 12, 2008 02:35 PM
I agree on the recommendations for both Hog Island and Bar Crudo for their chowder, both are excellent.
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re: JasmineG
Blue Bottle (along with Ritual) has the best coffee.
Agree on Hog Island. Great chowder, freshest oysters, and it's in the Ferry Bldg which you should by all means check out. Very good grilled cheese sandwich also. It is all a bit pricey, but you'll get what you pay for.
Tadich is great in a very old-school way and Perbacco (next door) is a good new Italian option.
Rubicon has been around a while but I like it for it's good food and great wine service.
The Warf is VERY touristy but as long as you know that going in it can be fun. Try to go to Alcataz if you have time.
You might consider Yank Sing (I prefer the Rincon Center location) for Dim Sum one day. Once again not cheap but good.
Have an enjoyable trip!
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Perbacco
230 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111Tadich Grill
240 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111Yank Sing Banquet & Catering
101 Spear St, San Francisco, CA 94105Hog Island Oyster Bar
Ferry Building,, San Francisco, CA 94111Rubicon Restaurant
558 Sacramento St, San Francisco, CA-
re: Calvinist
Robert Lauriston
Mar 12, 2008 05:06 PM
Perbacco's in my SF Italian top 10 but but I'd send a visitor to Incanto, La Ciccia, SPQR, A16, and Pesce first.
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re: Xiao Yang
Xiao--
I'm coming to this discussion a bit late, but I have to take issue with your assertion that Ritual and Blue Bottle's coffees are "under-done" or "under-roasted."
Like you, I, in fact, tend to prefer darker roasts, but a lot of the most sophisticated coffee people in the country--starting with George Howell of Acton, Mass.-based Terroir Coffee, who is pushing our assumptions about coffee from several directions--much prefer the wider palate of flavors and higher acidity of light roast coffees.
You and I may both prefer darker roasts, but that doesn't mean light roasts should be flatly dismissed as "under-roasted."
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re: TopoTail
Xiao Yang
Mar 15, 2008 07:59 PM
I don't see it as a dismissal, but a qualifier. George Howell, James Freeman et al are promoting a new style of roasting which, by comparison with established styles, can factually be described as deliberately under-roasting the coffee to achieve effects they want to toy with, and more power to them.
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re: Windy
Xiao Yang
Mar 13, 2008 09:28 AM
Of course It's not shared by people who like it that way. They would call coffee from Graffeo, Caffe Trieste, Illy, Peet's, etc. "over-roasted". All things are relative. The $20,000 Rube Goldberg machine they use can't compensate for the basic roast. I'd rather go to the Musee Mechanique, I think.
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re: Windy
rworange
Mar 13, 2008 09:50 AM
Blue Bottle is a little light for my tastes, but if you love coffee you do yourself a disservice not to try it, especially at that new cafe.James Freeman, the owner, is one serious coffee dude and what he does is craft not just roasting beans. He's bordering the eccentric in that when you buy a pound of beans, he refuses to grind them. It is actually worth the price of beans to ask him to grind them. You get this big lecture about why that will ruin them.
He won't sell his beans to restaurants or shops unless they promise to brew them to his specifications, one cup at a time ... and even those shops refuse to grind the beans for fear of Freeman (I tried working all the angles)
I'm not a fan of the coffee because Freeman doesn't make them as hot as I like coffee because he doesn't want to ruin the flavors. Haven't tried his new $20,000 coffee gizmo yet.
Even though I don't like the temperature, Freeman can coax incredible layers of flavor and nuance out of a bean. I like the African coffee the best.
Also, the cappucino is out and out greatness ... as is the New Orleans iced coffee... I like chicory.
Another eccentric coffee place is Philz coffee on 24th. He has other locations, but the funky 24th location is worth it because it usually has Phil. He makes this great coffee with fresh mint leaves and is always playing with different roasts. I had my time when I was into Philz but some of the brews are a little acidic so I've just settled on the mint coffee when I'm in that area. That street has a lot of interesting Latino businesses. It is also near Mission Pie which has some of the best in the city.
My favorite coffee is Graffeo dark roast. You mention strolling around neighborhoods and surprisingly, after dark, SF isn't all that strollable. However, the one exception to that near you is North Beach with lots of old-time coffee shops.
Graffeo is there. They don't serve coffee, but is worth the price just to walk in and smell the beans. They only do three roasts... light, dark and water-processed decaff.
Across the street is XOX chocolates which makes the best truffles in the city ... get the caramel. They sell Graffeo by the cup (only light roast though) and give a free truffle with it. The owner is there usually up to his elbows in chocolate.
Around the corner is Mama's an excellent breakfast spot that has a line and is one of those rare places that appeals to locals as well as tourists. Across the street from Mama's is LInguria bakery which makes foccacia and only foccacia since it opened early in the 1900's. Little has changed decor-wise.
Another favorite coffee roaster in North Beach is Cafe Roma. Cafe Trieste is great just for the kitsch-factor ... and the espresso is not bad. When papa and his group put on music programs, it is fun in a corny way.
SF is a small city so I wouldn't limit exploration to the immediate Union Square area. Lots of places are easily walkable, accessed by public transportation.
One of my favorite restaurants is 1550 Hyde. Outstanding California cuisine (if they have the rabbit it is wonderful). The wne list is well-thought out. It is right on a cable car line and you can get dropped right in front.
As far as Fisherman's wharf, Scoma's is the best I've tried to date. They have a really nice lunch special that lasts till 3:30 that is 3 courses for about $21. They have their own fishing fleet so the fish is incredibly fresh (do make sure to ask what is fresh). They have my second favorite cioppino in SF. However, like most of the dinner dishes it is pricy and way too big for one person to finish.
There is some good stuff at the Wharf. The maritime museum is fun. The sea lions on Pier 39 are worth checking out (do NOT eat on pier 39 though ... it is a tourist trap).
If you feel compelled to take a ferry ride, don't take the red and gold fleet tourist special with tunes like "San Francisco open your golden gates blasting" Take a ride on one of the ferries to sausalito or Tiboron. You get to cruise the bay without the carny atomosphere.
I think Tadich's is worth a stop. I like their cioppino the best in the city. You could then walk down the waterfront and stroll along the water to the ballpark.
Will you be here on a Saturday? If that is the case the morning Ferry Plaza market is a must see.
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re: rworange
Xiao Yang
Mar 13, 2008 10:25 AM
"He won't sell his beans to restaurants or shops unless they promise to brew them to his specifications, one cup at a time ... and even those shops refuse to grind the beans for fear of Freeman (I tried working all the angles)"
How do they make a cup of coffee without grinding the beans?
I haven't tired the coffee from Blue Bottle's gizmo, but I've had coffee made by a $12,000 Clover (at Cafe Grumpy in NY, but Ritual has one here in SF) and it didn't taste any different from a good ol' North Beach cuppa (I don't think the LITE roast has caught on in New York because they have the awful habit of putting milk and sugar in their coffee to temper the roast).
I think it's a disservice to say SF is "not strollable." Sure, there are a few daunting grades, but I've managed to cover 5-7 miles per day on Shank's mare since retiring just out of restlessness (I don't even think of it as "exercise"). The climate and social environment are great for walking, and there are usually plenty of things to ogle along the way.
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re: Xiao Yang
Robert Lauriston
Mar 13, 2008 10:45 AM
San Francisco is one of the most walkable cities in the world. I think any habitual walker would agree.
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re: Xiao Yang
rworange
Mar 13, 2008 11:13 AM
I mean to say that if you go somewhere like Bittersweet that sell both by the cup and by the bag, if you order a pound of beans to take home, bittersweet won't grind them for you either ... though it comes without the amusing drama of asking them to grind it at Blue Bottle. They just say no.
They were asking for strollable after dinner which is different than strollable during the day ... especially the area around Union Square.
The nearby financial district closes down. While SOMA does have a few pockets, it is not that attractive to walk around. Even the Ferry Building for the most part closes down after the day workers go home. The Embarcadero center is out and out spooky after dark ... just too few people. In that case you are sending people out to places like the Polk Corridor, Fillmore or Chestnut/Union street to stroll. Even Hayes Valley ain't all that strollable after hours.
North Beach just seemed the most nearby strollable area that would be lively after dinner.
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re: rworange
Robert Lauriston
Mar 13, 2008 11:29 AM
North Beach is probably the nicest neighborhood to stroll around after dinner, but, speaking from extensive experience, Valencia, inner Clement, upper Market / Castro, and the restaurant-dense portions of Noriega, Geary, Taraval, Balboa, Polk, Hayes, Irving, and Juday, among others, are also good. On the weekends when the bar-hoppers are out in force, even the Tenderloin and SOMA are good.
People who don't walk a few miles every day may have a different perspective.
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re: rworange
Xiao Yang
Mar 13, 2008 11:52 AM
When you are talking about Union Square Area not being walkable in the evenings, you are using a realtor's description of "Union Square Area". Close to the Square proper, and as long as you don't go too far west and southwest of Powell, it's perfectly fine. (But do you suppose the Hilton advises their guests not to go out in the evenings on foot?) Dont forget the theater district, etc. Event a stroll westward on Geary to play "guess the sex of the street chickens" can be amusing and non-threatening, and Edinburgh Castle is not a bad destination for a nightcap.
I'd add Chinatown to North Beach.Even though the Stockton Street markets close down around six, there are plenty of restaurants and shops on Grant Avenue and the side street (especially Washington and Jackson Streets) that are open until nine or 10..
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re: Xiao Yang
rworange
Mar 13, 2008 12:14 PM
Charming strollable and strollable are two different things. It is just that certain areas are dead after dark and the OP seems to want to stick near Union Square. I'm not into tourist-oriented art galleries, so that kind of rules out the theatre district. There's not really enough caffes and coffee shops to make it worth-while. Since many of the stores around Union Square close fairly early it is fine if you want to window shop. Despite making over the park on the parking garage ... well, after dark it is still an area that is less than savory unless it is Christmas time.
There is Beldon Alley which lots of people like. It's not my thing. It always smells of stale alchohol and it never looked all that attractive to me and the restaurants are fine but never blew me away.
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re: rworange
Robert Lauriston
Mar 13, 2008 12:35 PM
Speaking from multiple recent experiences, the theater district / Tenderloin from Geary north is hopping with restaurant patrons and barhoppers on weekends, sometimes even on weeknights. I think the character of the neighborhood has been changed dramatically by the Academy of Art taking over so many of the hotels and apartment buildings for student housing.
Belden's not a place for a stroll, it's only a block long and since the street is full of tables there's just a narrow sidewalk.
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re: Xiao Yang
ChowFun_derek
Mar 14, 2008 11:16 AM
I would head over to Yerba Buena Gardens near Union Sq. very safe..privately guarded... you can walk behind the MLK memorial waterfall,,,climb to the top fountain level and have a pleasant view of the skyline...usually people are around from the Metreon, or perhaps a convention... museums in the area..may be open in the evening...so other possibilities...
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re: rworange
iclee
Mar 14, 2008 05:19 AM
Wow! Again, amazing detail. Yes, I will be there Saturday so I might check Ferry Plaza if the programme permits.
You've shattered my idea for the SF stroll so will change that to after brunch stroll. Will probably hop on cable car to reach 1550 Hyde as you suggested. Scoma's will top my list for Wharf adventures.
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re: iclee
Robert Lauriston
Mar 14, 2008 08:55 AM
It's a shame to let people who drive everywhere talk you out of enjoying San Francisco on foot.
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re: Robert Lauriston
Carrie 218
Mar 14, 2008 09:07 AM
I agree with Robert completely! Technically, San Francisco is only six miles from end to end and it is a really great walking city, despite the many hills.
On gorgeous days, I'll start in Japantown and within an hour or two, end up in North Beach and along the way, discover all sorts of new neighborhoods, restaurants, shops, and whatnot. Bring great shoes and open the possibilities of what you can discover by walking our great city!
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re: Carrie 218
rworange
Mar 14, 2008 09:32 AM
Once again ... it was originally an AFTER DINNER stroll. The OP has just switched it to after brunch stroll. If you have places in addition to North Beach or along the Embarcardero that are nearish Union Square with something interesting and not threatening at night, please add them.
I've never found Japantown particularily interesting however a walk up some sections of filmore at night would make a nice walk as would, Union or Chestnut street or along the waterfront in the marina. They just aren't near Union Square which was the original request.
San Francisco is not particularily a lively city in the evening. Most restaurants close up by 10 pm. Yes there are pockets here and there like the club scene in Soma or the Mission or Haight.
There are lots of interesting little neighborhoods, but they either require a cab or public transportation to get to without footing it through some boring or iffy nabes.
I have no clue why hills keep getting mentioned. That was never a disqualifying feature. I there are only a few nabs that challenging hills would be a consideration and they are mainly residential.
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re: rworange
Robert Lauriston
Mar 14, 2008 09:54 AM
I regularly take long walks across the city, such as FiDi to Noe Valley, Land's End to the Marina, Ferry Plaza to the ballpark to eastern SOMA. There's too much architectural, demographic, and topographic variety for me to get bored, and there's always a great wine bar or restaurant at the end of the walk.
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re: iclee
Robert Lauriston
Mar 13, 2008 09:26 AM
Perbacco's great and I'm not sure I've had better braised meat anywhere, but they don't make the best pasta the city has to offer. If you do go there, try to avoid peak hours. The place is huge and from reports here may be less consistent when full.
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re: iclee
Xiao Yang
Mar 14, 2008 08:12 AM
If you are talking about the Shanghai-Suzhou area, Yank Sing will definitely have better Cantonese-style dim sum than you were able to find there. If you are talking about Hong Kong or Guangzhou, it's another matter. The same could also be said of the better Chinatown dim sum venues.
If you are a dim sum fan, it'd say it's a must, as dim sum is one of San Francisco's strengths. I personally would recommend going to a Chinatown dim sum restaurant like Gold Mountain for the fuller, HK-like dim sum experience, with the lively chatter from multi-generational Cantonese-Chinese families for the most part; sitting in Yank Sing would be more like sitting in one of your Five Star Hotel restaurants again, especially on weekdays when the clientele is mostly a sedate, primarily Caucasian, business crowd. In Chinatown you also will be paying half of what you would pay at YS.
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opinionatedchef
Mar 12, 2008 01:37 PM
i am from boston, land of chowdah. given that, the best chowder i have had is at the hog island fish restaurant in the ferry bldg. They make it to order and it is amazing. expensive and amazing. small clams, thin broth full of multiple layers and depths of flavor.
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re: opinionatedchef
ccbweb
Mar 12, 2008 02:39 PM
They make it to order? Wow, I had no idea. Does anyone know if they do this from scratch (ie, my wife doesn't eat pork, can they make it sans bacon or salt pork or any other such ingredient?). I've eaten it and loved it but didn't realize it was made to order.
Thanks!
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re: ccbweb
rworange
Mar 12, 2008 05:45 PM
The 'chowder' at Hog Island is really steamed clams. It is a big pile of in-shell clams with some broth. I had it long ago and at that time there was litterally one small piece of potato and two carrots. Of course it is made to order ... they are just steaming clams.
I think it is a fine plate of steamed clams but I was outraged at the time by the surprise of having to de-shell the clams in my soup. Pretty pricy too.
For the purposes of this post, sure ... it is a SF take on chowder.
As others have said, the thing to order in SF is cioppino and Tadich's makes a nice one with a very nice Old San Francisco atmosphere. Seriously the clam chowder at Boudin is way over-priced and too gloppy and whoever thought of the gimmacky thing of putting chowder in a sourdough bowl should be drowned. I think it was someone who had no respect for tourists.
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re: rworange
Xiao Yang
Mar 12, 2008 10:21 PM
What's with the pricing at the Bread Museum site? Chowder in a bowl is only $5.79, not overpriced, IMHO, at the off-site Boudin Bakery Cafes, which is about in line with what they used to charge at Wharf location, pre-museum. I for one liked eating the chowder-infused fresh sourdough bread from the shell.
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re: rworange
susancinsf
Mar 13, 2008 10:18 AM
I think that is an overly simplistic description, unless it has changed. rw, perhaps you should try it again. The last time I had the chowder at Hog Island (perhaps two months ago) it was rich, had a delicious broth that was creamy without being heavy, had bacon it it..I don't remember how much there was in the way of potatoes carrots, that is true, but IMO not just steamed clams...although it certainly doesn't bother me to have to deshell clams in my soup...
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re: rworange
opinionatedchef
Mar 13, 2008 11:57 AM
ooh rw, jump back; i finally disagree with you on something!! (not that I wanted to; I'm just surprised.) When i praised that chowder, i was not praising a pile of steamed clams.
i was praising complex, multifaceted flavors. maybe one of us had an aberration. i hope it was YOU because i'm going to order it next week when we get up to SF!!.
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You may want to look at Bar Crudo for chowder - I have not been myself but have heard great things. If you are at the Wharf at lunchtime, the chowder in bread bowl at Boudin's is fine, but I definitely wouldn't make a special trip for that. I'm not much of a cioppino fan, but have heard great things about Tadich Grill for that. The sourdough they serve there is great! Can't help you with coffee - I am a French Roast Peet's girl. As far as Ghirardelli - as Robert pointed out, it is 99.9% tourists. Most of the building is being converted into a hotel/condo type deal and many of the storefronts are empty. There is a Kara's Cupcakes there. The ice cream place is pretty much mediocre ice cream smothered in sauces and toppings. The line is always huge. If you are interested in trying good ice cream, this is not the place you want to go! Hope you enjoy SF!
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Windy
Mar 12, 2008 10:03 AM
San Francisco is a small town, and the first thing to do is get away from Union Square, which is disproportionately mediocre, overpriced food. Get a MUNI pass and take the bus or cable car or BART.
San Francisco is not known for chowder, or for the most part, clams. There's lots of good seafood, not all of it local. I'd recommend a visit to Hog Island Oyster Bar in the Ferry Building.
A few places you might enjoy, based on your comments:
Bodega Bistro (Vietnamese on Larkin in the Tenderloin).
Sultan (Indian food, near the Westin)
Tajine (Moroccan on Polk near Bush)I agree with the Blue Bottle recommendation. You might also stop at Peet's, a well-respected local chain.
For Italian, do a search of this board. The city has a lot of good regional Italian restaurants. Most will not be in North Beach or Union Square.
And a minor note that SFO is the airport code, not shorthand for the city--if you ask a local for SFO dining recommendations, you're going to hear about Chinese restaurants in Millbrae or airport concessions.
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re: Windy
Carrie 218
Mar 12, 2008 10:12 AM
I have to second Windy on the chowder thing. I'm a chowder fan but that really is an East Coast thing that we bastardized by putting into scooped-out boules of our famous sourdough bread. I think you'd be a lot happier with Cioppino, a tomato-based seafood stew which IS known for having come from San Francisco's Italian progenitors. If the weather is nice, the walk to Tadich from Union Square would be perfect; about eight blocks or so and you would get both a quintessential old-world San Francisco scene in a classic restaurant AND a great meal with their cioppino and sourdough bread.
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re: iclee
Robert Lauriston
Mar 13, 2008 09:23 AM
I believe they use local clams when they're available, but the supply is quite limited.
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Robert Lauriston
Mar 12, 2008 08:49 AM
Here are some topics on where to find the best cioppino:
Ghirardelli isn't a place locals go for ice cream (or for that matter chocolate). Long discussion of where to find the best ice cream:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/30280
Chocolate topics:
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Xiao Yang
Mar 12, 2008 08:25 AM
You've asked a lot of questions, as you seem to have a palate for a broad palette of foods, as it were, and you might want to be more specific about Chinese, Vietnamese and Italian, as we have a wide range of good options in those categories.
To answer your title posts, the Blue Bottle one is the easiest as you will be a short walk from Blue Bottle's own cafe at 66 Mint Street. Boxed Food Company (a Yuppie sandwich place), on Kearny and Sutter also serves BB Coffee in the mornings, if you happed to be headed in that direction. I won't guarantee you will like Blue Bottle, as it's what I consider a "new style" of coffee, seriously under-roasted to my tastes (which runs to heavier French and Italian roasts) but very trendy these days.
You weren't specific about what kind of chowder you were lookng for, but I'll assume that it was clam or some form of seafood chowder rather than corn chowder, for instance. As you've seen, opinions on clam chowder are all over the map and you'll have to read between the lines and make your choice. Since you are doing the Fisherman's Wharf thing (and I'd be the last to fault you for that) I'll point out that its signature dish, cioppino, is sort of the ulimate seafood chowder, so you might review the discussions of cioppino. Be advised, though, that the traditional preparation has unshelled shellfish in a tomatoey broth so it can be very messy, so they usually provide bibs. Bring your camera! Another (clam) chowder option at FishWharf would be to try the chowder in a hollowed out sourdough loaf at Boudin's Bread Museum and Cafe, as they invented the gimmick.
Enjoy SF.
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Blue Bottle Cafe
66 Mint St, San Francisco, CA 94103Boxed Foods Co
245 Kearny St, San Francisco, CA 94108›1 Reply
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re: Xiao Yang
iclee
Mar 12, 2008 09:42 PM
Yes, thanks. I am adventurous when it comes to food. I failed to mention I also like Japanese food eg. Uni sushi. I was a bit dissapointed when I learned BB means underroasted since my hubby prefers fullbodied and dark roasts like French and Italian so maybe if you know any shops serving such near my hotel then I'd happy to try it out.
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