Elf seeks final say on SF itinerary: will it be magical?

[grayelf]

Dear SF Bay Area Hounds:

As promised (threatened?) here is what I've come up with after poring over old posts, reviews, comments and all of your great recommendations in the past and here http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/595819

As always, I wish we had more time so I could include everyone's great suggestions as well as visit all our past faves, but here it is for your consideration and input -- I plan to make reservations for all the dinners but not lunches.

Thursday dinner: Canteen if they ever call me back (boo!) or A La Turca or Zitouna
Friday late breakfast: Mint Plaza Blue Bottle or Cento (has anyone had their savoury polenta?
)diversions from food in SOMA: Society of California Pioneers, California Historical Society
Friday lunch: Sentinel followed by grazing at various places including but not limited to Basil Canteen, Da Beef, Yank Sing, Liguria, XOX, Cavalli, Sotto Mare
diversions from food: Wells Fargo History Museum,William Stout Architectural Book Store, Schein and Schein
Friday dinner: Bund Shanghai or Pagolac for bo 7 mon
Saturday breakfast: Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market (mmm, porchetta sarnie for breakfast!)
diversions from food: stroll around Mission -- yah, like there’s no food there ;-).
Saturday lunch: just a couple of spots in the Mission (La Torta Gorda and La Cachinilla have caught my eye – maybe the latter’ll have ojo that day!) cuz we’ll still be full from Roli Roti, then Dynamo/Four Barrel and/or Humphrey Slocombe’s for ice cream
Alternatively we may hit the Alemany Farmers Market to check out a different kind of FM and try the fare from El Huarache Loco but I need to figure out if schlepping out there and back will allow us to return to town in time for SF Maritime National Park for tour of Balclutha etc in the afternoon
Saturday dinner: Aziza
Sunday breakfast: Canteen or Nob Hill Grille for corned beef hash or Maverick with BIL in the Mission
diversions from food: City Guides walking tour of downtown architecture or tour of City Hall
Sunday lunch: Tu Kim for banh mi and banh cahn if it’s available on Sunday
Johnny Foley’s for a late afternoon pint of Guinness or Magnolia pub for onions and root beer or Alembic for a cocktail if it’s open
diversions from food: maybe a wander through the Haight or Hayes Valley or up Fillmore, depending where we want to end up for our afternoon beverage
Sunday dinner: Pagan for Burmese
Monday breakfast: Dottie’s True Blue (praying for short lineup)
diversions from food: Cityguides Chinatown tour at 10 am if we’re done at Dottie’s in time
Monday lunch: Sutter Café for tamales if open on Mon (take out only)
diversions from food: Cityguides Chinatown tour at 1:30 pm if we missed the morning one
Monday dinner: Lers Ros for some out-of-the-ordinary Thai (that trout dish is haunting me)
Tuesday breakfast: our traditional Café de la presse eggs
diversions from food: Sanctuaire (okay, still food but not eating it), stroll around Union Square, check out Fiona's Sweetshoppe, Alessi, Sur la table, Kar'ikter
Tuesday lunch: Utopia for Salted fish and pork hash rice clay pot, salt and pepper squid
Tuesday dinner: SFO (eek!): where should we eat our last meal? We thought about taking something with us but we’re BARTing out and it’s a bit awkward juggling food and suitcases…we had a very decent burger at Anchor Steam last time – is there anywhere else Hounds could suggest in the domestic terminal at the airport?

[sfbing]

Tu Kim is pretty erratic. Once I went in and they insisted they weren't serving food although you could smell toasting bread. A second time, although someone was eating noodles, they said those weren't available but I did manage to get a sandwich.

Call Canteen again right before they open for dinner. She's usually pretty good about getting back to people but she gets a lot of calls and it sounds like she lost your message.

Wouldn't it be more efficient to grab your Chinatown lunch on Monday instead of Tuesday? Also for an interesting Chinatown tour done by local kids, check out
http://www.chinatownalleywaytours.org/

This is going to sound crazy, but Gialina is only two blocks away from the Glen Park Station on your way to the airport. Just saying.

[grayelf]

I got that impression from Melanie Wong's writeup on Tu Kim but there are a lot of other options nearby I think if worst comes to worst!

I had the C'town lunch on Monday but remembered that Utopia isn't open that day, hence the switch.

Gialina looks good but our problem is timing. Our flight leaves at 8 pm, and since we're supposed to be there 2 hours early (we're Canadian, we follow the rules) that puts us at a funny time to eat outside SFO. Hence my plea for airport suggestions

I just remembered that someone pointed me to the airport website for a list of restos there and I'm adding it, narrowed down to places I might actually consider going (no fast food or national chains, natch). If anyone has any thoughts, they'd be welcome.

Anchor Brewing Company: we liked this well enough last time to return if nothing else better...

Andalé Mexican Restaurant: I don't think we found this one for looking last time...

Boudin’s Bakery and Café: fear of Fisherman's Wharf experience...

Emporio Rulli Gran Caffe: maybe for pastries/coffee but dinner??

Jalapeno Grill: IIRC this place looked cheesy when we walked by...

Mission Bar and Grill: website writeup sounds like Anchor Steam menu...

San Francisco Soup Company: maybe just a bowl of soup for sustenance instead of risking sullying our great dining experiences??

Yankee Pier: this sounds okay and I think got a decent mention in an older thread...

International terminal (pre-security only as we won't have the proper ticketing to go thru)

Burger Joint: I've wanted to try one of the outposts in town, but is it worth schlepping to the other terminal ie. better than Anchor Steam which also offers Niman Ranch burgs?

[yimster]

You are right Utopia is closed on Mondays. Also how about Salted Fish and Chicken Fried Rice and doing my current favorite Clay Pot, Roast Duck and Taro Root in a creamy sauce. No rice just Duck and Taro Root. The Taro Root is dreamy.

[susancinsf]

I doubt if Emorio Rulli serves anything appropriate for dinner, and anyway, I am not a fan of the airport location. The only Andale I know of is in the international terminal, beyond security, is there another? It is fine, good tortilla soup IIRC.

I think Yankee Pier is ok, good for airport food, certainly nothing outstanding; but haven't tried Anchor Brewing to compare. I think the chowder is decent if you just want soup. OTOH, A beer and a burger may be as good as you can hope for at SFO.

[Ruth Lafler]

There's an Andale in the United Terminal (terminal 3) -- I just noticed it this morning. It's with a bunch of other restaurants down by the 76-90 gates.

[bbulkow]

I'm a fan of the international terminal food.

If you're flying out of South Terminal, the walk to Burger Joint is pretty quick (South food court). The BJ style had a *lot* of grill char with good everything else. My girlfriend hates burgerjoint because she hates the bitter of grill char; I love it. I don't know anything about Anchor Steam's burgers - I doubt they're as distinctive as burger joint, as few burgers are.

I'm 95% sure burger joint serves Anchor Steam beer on tap, as well.

If you're flying out of the north terminal (aka "United terminal", although American flys out of there too), my favorite from international north court would be the noodles from Ebisu. The ruben at Dottie's isn't bad, the dim sum selection isn't bad for an airport but *hellishly* expensive for mediocre quality and likely insulting to a vancouverite.

The Andale in Palo Alto closed, perhaps it simply migrated north?

[mariacarmen]

I just had a very nice sushi lunch at Ebisu at SFO. very reasonable, very fresh. only disappointments were no uni and no ankimo.

[grayelf]

I'm thinking a trip to the International Terminal for Burger Joint is in order but will keep Ebisu in mind. Japanese tends to be our default airport food if it is available on the theory that even if it's lame it's better for us than other stuff that might also be lame :-).

BTW I wouldn't call the Anchor Steam burger distinctive (eg char-wise there was none that I recall) but it is a solid to above average choice I'd say.

[Robert Lauriston]

Don't miss Humphrey Slocombe.

Alemany FM is quite a schlep without a car and there's really nothing else around there.

[grayelf]

Copy that on the ice cream -- can't wait to try since it is getting such universal raves.

I'm torn about Alemany as it does sound like something I would enjoy but I have to factor in the SO's tolerance level as well as the time it would take to get there and back. Huarache Loco sounds great, and Maria who I spoke to this morning was very helpful.

[wolfe]

is there anywhere else Hounds could suggest in the domestic terminal at the airport?

Flights to Vancouver leave from the domestic terminal? 54-40 or fight.

[Sarah]

I saw a Perry's but forget which terminal (flight to HI) since I was drugged to the gills for the flight...

[grayelf]

Sarah, there is a Perry's but it is in terminal one post-security so no go for us.

[grayelf]

"Flights to Vancouver leave from the domestic terminal?"
Yea, they do, I guess I'll take that as a compliment ;-).

[sfbing]

What station are you BARTing from? I just saw someone with a suitcase at Out the Door.

Me, I would probably be at Boudin's because growing up I ate a version of the Italian classic like everyday for lunch. Their turkey, havarti, and avocado on croissant is ok if you're a sourdough hater. Definitely better than my experience at Yankee Pier, but it was 6am and they were weirdly dysfunctional due to the early hour. ("Go sit down! We'll take your order at the table!" Except they didn't.)

[wolfe]

Sounds like an Edsel Ford Fong wannabe.
Thank you for the correction Yimster. After all my posts on Edsel and Sam Woh/Wo.
I am chagrined.

[yimster]

Edsel Ford Fong wannabe that is.

[grayelf]

We'll be coming from Powell Street Station.

[mariacarmen]

and JetBlue is in the international terminal! i know, because that's what i flew when i had our delicious sushi, but unfortunately, Ebisu is in international terminal . . . but at least you're already at the airport!

[larochelle]

When we travel, we usually put together a picnic which we eat either in one of the terminal bars (makes that 2 hours go faster) or the plane (longer flight). Frequently, we start with a "main course" of banh mi from Saigon Sandwiches or a burrito from the Mission and sometimes add additional snacks of fruit, meat, cheese, bread, prepared salads, etc.

But I have a dedicated insulated food backpack that I use so I don't have those juggling problems. Once its empty, it folds up and goes in my suitcase or my purse goes in it so I keep down the number of items I'm carrying.

The problem I find with dining someplace nice just before a flight is that I have a hard time enjoying it because I keep looking at my watch wondering how long it will take to get to the airport & through to the gate.

And the best place that isn't a problem - Hong Kong Flower Lounge is only 5 minutes away & service is super accomodating because so many people go there for their "last meal" - is not really one that someone from Vancouver would find particularly interesting.

If you get off at the Millbrae BART stop, other than Hong Kong Flower Lounge, there's L&L Hawaiian BBQ, Thai Stick & Zen Sushi. Since all of them are pretty good, I'd probably lean towards L&L 'cause its the quirkiest and the shortest walk.

And my husband is a fan of Peter's Cafe, a diner that's also right there but we've only been there for breakfast, I have no idea what its like for dinner.