Help, need straightforward special-occasion dining for this Friday! Meat for him, seafood for me

[newhart06]

Hi Chowhounders, I need your help!

Celebrating our anniversary on Friday and I need to find a new place to dine. I had made reservations at La Folie, but they kindly emailed me their autumn menu and I know my husband is not going to be happy there.

He's not into foie gras or truffles or things like that. He's more of a steak and potatoes guy. I, however, love seafood and risotto and such (I don't need foie or truffles, but I don't want just a typical steak for myself). The singular beef option at La Folie is a trio that includes a Burger Rossini (which usually has both foie and truffles!) and is a $15 supplement on a menu where he's not going to be excited anyway.

Last year we celebrated at Restaurant Gary Danko, and it was a disappointment - they completely overcooked my husband's filet and shockingly the service was nonexistent. The cheese cart was great, but everything else was lacking - I had really been looking forward to this place and was really let down.

Any suggestions for where we can enjoy a special meal this Friday night? We're coming up to SF from the south bay, so I definitely need a place that accepts reservations.

Thank you!

[emshern]

you could also try town hall or salt house (same owners) not super fancy, but delish food and i also love eating at the bar. ditto to the poster who said don't take no from opentable - it's always worth a call.

[nicedragonboy]

How about Bobo's in SF? Meat & Seafood...

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Bobo's
1450 Lombard St., San Francisco, CA 94123

[newhart06]

These suggestions are fantastic - thank you so much! At this late time, most of them are booked up, but I am definitely keeping this list handy.

Right now I'm leaning towards Fifth Floor (their steak seems created for my husband), but haven't been able to find much in the way of current reviews since the chef change (bumped a thread up but no response yesterday).

Thank you all so much!

[ceekskat]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/642215

edit: oops, I didn't notice it was this one...sorry.

[Robert Lauriston]

Don't take no openings on opentable.com as proof that someplace is booked up, it's always worth calling.

[kmah]

Okay, so I've never been, but perhaps Delfina? I've heard wonderful things, and often when I check their online menu I see a steak on the menu- tonight they have a tagliata with butter beans, rucola, and balsamico. And of course they have all kinds of risotto and other things for you.

Also recently went to Foreign Cinema- most of the food was very very good, some just ok. Beautiful surroundings, though. Couldn't hear the movie but I'd say it's lovely for a special occasion and is sure to have both red meat and fish on the menu.

[tvham]

How about Frascati?

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Frascati Restaurant
1901 Hyde Street, San Francisco, CA 94109

[axejazz]

Frascati would be perfect. Romantic, intimate; the menu would fit your tastes. Acquerello is also a great special-occasion spot. Best meal I've had in some time.

[Robert Lauriston]

I don't think Acquerello's menu is a very good fit for a steak-and-potatoes guy:

http://www.acquerello.com/menus/dinne...

[JasmineG]

Delfina is a good idea, they change their menu online every day, and there usually is a steak http://www.delfinasf.com/menu.html They may be already booked for Friday by now, though, but you could check.

[Robert Lauriston]

Maybe Hayes Street Grill or Absinthe?

http://www.hayesstreetgrill.com/hsg-menudinner.html
http://www.absinthe.com/pdf/menu/dinner.pdf

Some other non-steakhouses with reportedly good steak:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/559665

[Cathy N]

South Park Cafe, the final suggestion on the Chow list posted above by Robert Lauriston, is a quiet and intimate restaurant with great French food: vegetarian, fish, and steak. My husband is a meat and potato's guy too and their steak more than satisfied him, as well as my more adventurous tastes. Highly recommend it and both times we've eaten there, we got reservations for that same day. Also not nearly as pricey as some of the other recommendations.

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South Park Cafe
108 South Park, San Francisco, CA 94107

[Robert Lauriston]

It's at the far end of the French restaurant spectrum from La Folie, but I find South Park Cafe romantic in a low-key way. Nice lighting, very French.

[wolfe]

A current thread may hold the answer, thanks to Mick Ruthven although it's not in San Francisco it sounds like fun.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6590...

[newhart06]

Thank you for the suggestion of Pampas, but an all-you-can-eat meat-fest isn't really what I had in mind to celebrate our anniversary. ;)

Thanks though! :)

[wolfe]

They do have steaks on the entree menu without the AYCE meat option and MR fhought their fish was excellent. The gaucho floor show must be fun to watch although I may be prejudiced as a long time fan of the Highlander.
"Just when you've started an anecdote with the person next to you, two sharp pokers and sharp implements are thrust in between and the moment is lost."