660952 Tue Oct 20 10:35:39 -0700 2009 27 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 5117377 Hello Everyone, My wife and I will be in SF end of October/Early Nov for 2 nights from Boston. We will be staying at the Hilton in Union Square-Nob Hill, looking for the following: - Arriving late on Halloween night, any late night recommendation near our hotel? Late as in after 11pm. - Best place for Sunday Brunch, a place that focuses on local ingredients would be preferable. Moderately priced as well. - Sunday night we would like something a little more romantic, but not too expensive (Up to $100pp incl a bottle of wine) Possibly a nice prix fixe menu would be good. - Monday we would like to try some cheap eats in Chinatown or a Burrito since that is a local staple from what we can see. For Dinner Monday night what is the best Filipino restaurant in town. - One last thing, what are some great cocktail bars that take cocktail craft very seriously? Keep in mind that we will not have a car, so taxi, foot and Public Transit will be our mode of transportation. We are very flexible as far as type of food is concerned and have no major dietary restrictions. Thanks! Tue Oct 20 10:35:39 -0700 2009 126590 Matt H 1 5117425 Definitely go to Gitane upon arriving. Zuni for Sunday brunch. Cocktail bars: Alembic, Nopa (although the food at both is also stellar) Tue Oct 20 10:47:48 -0700 2009 5117377 292347 vulber 2 5119068 Gitane is a good one. Nopa is such a long way from Union Square especially with so many better options nearer the hotel which Pei metions. Canteen is more brunchy than Zuni and much closer to that hotel. There is no good Filipino restaurant in San Francisco. Pick something else. These are your choices in SF and either they are fast food chains a mom and pop that closes earlier than dinner or outright D-I-V-E-S. And even those aren't open for dinner. http://search.chow.com/search?query=&location=San+Francisco%2C+CA&type=Restaurant&board_ids=&advanced=1&sort_mode=best_match&cuisine=Filipino The restaurants in South SF are quite a transportation nightmare for anyone without a car and not familiar with the area. If you really need Filipino maybe switch Filipino to lunch and Chinese to dinner. Kusina Ni Tess is near the Hilton, but closes early and is inexpensive food with standard Tenderloin decor ... that is .. none. Order from overhead sign. There was a good report a while back on Irma's but that is in one of the less desirable parts of the Mission. However you could combine burrito hunting with this. Wed Oct 21 00:06:23 -0700 2009 5117425 10264 rworange 3 5119108 I forgot about Carmen's near the ballpark. I read that they changed management in the last two months and the Filipino food is better. Anyone tried it? http://www.chow.com/restaurants/646563/carmens-restaurant The hours on the restaurant record say it is open until 9pm, but I'd call to confirm. I think they are only open late if a ballgame is on. Don't know how accurate the menu is given the change. Wed Oct 21 02:17:38 -0700 2009 5119068 10264 rworange 4 5119430 Interesting I tried this place about a year ago and it was dreadful. Especially the adobo burger. Have to go back to Carmen's to see if it has improved. Wed Oct 21 07:14:24 -0700 2009 5119108 47412 myst 1 5117539 Globe is open until 1 a.m. Not sure of the best Filipino place in SF proper, but there's a few places in cities just south of SF that get good reviews, like Tribu Grill. Tue Oct 20 11:25:02 -0700 2009 5117377 27275 ML8000 2 5117724 And globe is quite good. It's a quiet, small room, relaxing, slightly romantic, rides a nice edge between fancy and casual. You can show up there in jeans or a suit and experience the same warm welcome (at least, I have). They're off the tourist beat. Great, underrated cocktails - they don't do a lot of specials, but instead are very good at classics. Good wine list. The whole place is kind of low-key awesome. Past 1am you're probably best off on light room service. Especially on halloween. San francisco takes halloween very seriously. Tue Oct 20 12:20:15 -0700 2009 5117539 54804 bbulkow 1 5117707 Cocktail bars closer to your hotel: Rye--easy to get into, very reasonably priced ($10 and under), chatty bartenders who know their stuff. Bourbon and Branch--reservations required, can get pricey ($12-20 pretty standard for a drink), amazing cocktails as well as bourbon flights Cantina--always packed, lively, mostly tequila and fresh citrus concoctions Rickenhouse--a newly opened bar by the owners of Bourbon and Branch, no reservations required, they serve some of the same drinks, the place looks lively and packed most nights though I have not been. Tue Oct 20 12:15:05 -0700 2009 5117377 11577 Pei 1 5118346 Maybe Oola for late night. OSHA is good but only Union St location open to Midnight (taxi required). OSHA on Geary can be pretty grubby, not nice like the others. Zuni has awesome margaritas and other cocktail spots have been covered. Fresca on Fillmore is nice for Peruvian food Really cheap chinese: http://www.yelp.com/biz/new-woey-loy-goey-restaurant-san-francisco-2#hrid:YijFTcXmuET4ukF_i_dNtg/src:search/query:New%20Woey%20Loey%20Goey%20Restaurant Or Louie's for Dim Sum (on Washington)/Chung King on Jackson. Filipino is really hit or miss. I would head to the South Bay for Filipino. Patio Filipino on El Camino also has pleasant atmosphere. Kuya's is more of a diner style, but the food is good (San Bruno). But you would probably have to BART and taxi to get to these places..... Poleng Lounge is in SF and is Filipino Fusion (Indonesian). The chef is Filipino. Tue Oct 20 16:18:17 -0700 2009 5117377 47412 myst 1 5119246 Late on arrival night: Scala's. Otherwise, hop a cab and go to NOPA -- open until 1am. Sunday night you mght try Aziza (modern Moroccan) for more romantic, Perbacco (N. Italian) for my favorite food/wine in that price rage. Favorite Mission-style burritos are at Tacqueria Cancun. Also love La Tacqueria. Wed Oct 21 05:40:40 -0700 2009 5117377 50041 whiner 1 5119326 Great information, the weekend is starting to develop food wise. Keep the rec's coming, but thaks for everything so far. Wed Oct 21 06:22:09 -0700 2009 5117377 126590 Matt H 2 5119687 The 31st is Halloween AND a Saturday night so getting a cab will be almost impossible. Are you at the Hilton on O'Farrell?That's near Union Square, not Nob Hill. If so, it's an easy walk to Scala on Powell. (Many places in SF close at 10 pm.) I do not like Globe and it's not walking distance. People love Dottie's for brunch, always a line, walking distance for you. Jones/O'Farrell. Wed Oct 21 08:53:32 -0700 2009 5119326 12520 walker 3 5119911 So this is how the weekend is looking so far: Saturday Late Night: Gitante Sunday Brunch: Canteen Sunday Lunch: La Taqueria Sunday Dinner: Garry Danko Monday Breakfast: Dottie's Monday Lunch: Kusina Ni Tess Monday Dinner: Want to do something in Chinatown, preferably Szechuan since that is lacking here in Boston (Mostly Cantonese and Taiwanese here) After a search: Z&Y Restaurant. Any thoughts? Wed Oct 21 10:05:45 -0700 2009 5119687 126590 Matt H 4 5120194 If you are into Filipino and maybe want to snack on some baked goods on the flight home, Red Ribbon Bakery is near Union Square on Fourth St near the Metreon. They are next door to the Jollibee chain. Here''s a lists of the usual Chinatown mentions http://www.chow.com/lists/edit/1072 For more burrito ideas http://www.chow.com/lists/edit/151 Check this link tommorrow. http://search.chow.com/search?query=&location=San+Francisco&type=Restaurant&board_ids=1&advanced=1&sort_mode=best_match&feature=LATE_NIGHT&neighborhood=Tenderloin&neighborhood=Union+Square There were some database changes recently. The database has almost 200 restaurants marked as late night. However, I'm making changes from the old search to the new search and it takes a while for the updates to take. If your flight is really, really late, there are a few 24 hour joints in Union Square and the Tenderloin nearby. None are amazing, but if you need a bite, they are there. Currently Lori's are the only places showing up ... and it should be avoided ... souless, chain diner food. Tommorow should show the rest of the places. Wed Oct 21 11:22:31 -0700 2009 5119911 10264 rworange 5 5120327 Thanks, good information. I really do want to sample something Filipino because we have only one half decent Filipino restaurant here in Boston and only have a chance to try it out when I am in NYC and Toronto. I assumed that the SF with the large Filipino population it has, would have some good options. Wed Oct 21 12:05:31 -0700 2009 5120194 126590 Matt H 6 5120353 I think that the majority of Filipino restaurants in SF are outside of the downtown area. If you want to explore and are willing to take the 14 Mission bus from downtown to the Excelsior District of SF, where many Filipinos live, then you can visit Kadok's on Mission and Onondaga. The bus ride will be about 20-30 minutes. My Filipino brother-in-law and father-in-law went there and thought it was quite good. Here are the Yelp reviews: http://www.yelp.com/biz/kadoks-of-san-francisco-san-francisco Wed Oct 21 12:13:08 -0700 2009 5120327 14374 Mari 7 5120576 BART to Balboa Park might be more comfortable and at some times of day faster. Wed Oct 21 13:23:34 -0700 2009 5120353 11369 Robert Lauriston 8 5120859 Yes, but it would be about a mile walk or a wait for the 29 Sunset from BART. Wed Oct 21 15:09:47 -0700 2009 5120576 14374 Mari 9 5120988 It's a 15-minute walk at most. Waiting for the 29 as likely as not would take longer than walking. Wed Oct 21 16:04:53 -0700 2009 5120859 11369 Robert Lauriston 7 5120589 As Mari said, Excelsior has a higher concentration of places but they are still the low-rent, dive type of joints. North of SF, Hercules and Vallejo have lots of Filipino restaurants and stores. However, I think the best options are in South San Francisco and Daly City. If you do walk over to Red Ribbon, you might walk through t Metreon and see if their 'farmers market' has any Filipino food. http://www.islandearthfarmersmarket.org/vendors.html I don't see any in the list right now, but it seems vendors drift in and out often, so it wouldn't hurt to check. Wed Oct 21 13:29:12 -0700 2009 5120353 10264 rworange 4 5120507 Make sure Dottie's is open on Monday. Website says Tuesday but that may or may not have changed. Anyone? Wed Oct 21 13:02:47 -0700 2009 5119911 11577 Pei 5 5161649 We were there on a Monday a few weeks ago (Oct. 5) Fri Nov 06 12:45:37 -0800 2009 5120507 218487 noradeirdre 1 5120277 Globe's my favorite for late night. There's also Lers Ros, open till 1:30am. Best place after that is Yuet Lee. Open till 3am. Halloween night could be a zoo though, there's an informal tradition of people congregating in North Beach. But there's also a heavy police presence. Wed Oct 21 11:50:54 -0700 2009 5117377 11369 Robert Lauriston 1 5120560 Poleng Lounge might be good for Filipino. Easy to get to by bus. Some good reports here. Wed Oct 21 13:19:29 -0700 2009 5117377 11369 Robert Lauriston 1 5156114 Thank you again for all the recommendations, San Francisco is an absolutely breathtaking city and we enjoyed our time there. Here is a recap of the food: Naan and Curry: We arrived a bit later than expected so we were searching for convenience once we checked it. We noticed a Naan and Curry across the street. I had the Prawn Masala and my wife the Chicken Tikka Masala. The dishes were tasty, but a bit too salty, the Garlic Naan was really good though. Overall pretty decent, we could have done alot worse late at night. Foreign Cinema: First of all great space, we ate outside and the dining area is relaxing and inviting. We both started off with a recession proof cocktail (which is vodka based with Sweet Tea and Soda) very good cocktail. I ordered the Frittata with Scallops and my wife the Baguette French Toast, we also had a side of the maple and brown sugar bacon to share as well. Everything was absolutely delicious! My scallops were perfectly cooked and so good they were almost creamy. My wife enjoyed her French toast as well, it was noticeably not overpoweringly sweet and was balanced. The bacon was great as well, I swear I could have eaten another plate if I could have fit it. Roast Pork in Chinatown: During our stroll through Chinatown we spotted some nice looking Pigs and Ducks in the window, so we stopped in for some BBQ Pork. I forget the name of the establishment but it may have been some of the best BBQ Pork I have ever had, and I grew up in Toronto and ate Chinese in Markham all the time. La Taquiera: First of all the Mission is a really interesting neighborhood, had a great time walking around and taking in all the sites, arts, crafts and music. The food matched the vibe as well. We ordered the Carnitas and Cabeza Burrito's and Taco's. Delicious fresh Tortilla, perfect balance of fillings and meat, very good hot sauce, needless to say we loved it. Lers Ros: After a long day walking up and down the city we decided to order in dinner before going out that night. Good, cheap Thai food. I ordered the Som Tom Koong Yang (Green Papaya Salad with Prawns) and my wife the Kuay Tiew Tom Yum Moo (Pork and Rice Noodles) The Papaya Salad was very good and the Prawns as usual tasty. When they say Spicy though they mean it, which I like! Gary Danko: For our one "splurge" type meal, we went to Gary Danko. Appetizer: Savory Tart of Butternut Squash, Cipollini Onions, Gruyère and Goat Cheese Mousse & Seared Sonoma Foie Gras with Caramelized Red Onions and Apples. The Tart was delicious and the Foie Gras decadent, one of the best Foie Gras dishes I have tasted in a long time. Main: Roasted Pork Belly and Loin with Corn, Peppers and Tamarind Glaze & Seared Sea Scallops with Butternut Squash Purée, Roasted Apples, Shallots and Red Pepper. The Pork belly had the perfect texture, Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. The Sea Scallops were once again stellar as well (Does anyone do a bad scallop dish in SF?) The butternut squash puree was delicious as well and a perfect compliment to the scallops. Dessert: Baked Chocolate Soufflé with Two Sauces & Warm Louisiana Butter Cake with Caramelized Apples, Huckleberry Compote and Vanilla Ice Cream. The Soufflé was chocolaty, but not too overpowering and moist, we could have used a little more of the sauce, but that is a very minor complaint. Now the Butter Tart......WOW is all I can say. So delicious, perfectly baked, balanced sweetness, actually just perfect everything. Cheese Plate: Very Nice Cheese plate selection (I have the names written down and will add later) Our server chose for us after asking a couple questions about our preferences and steered us in the right direction. In addition service was attentive but not overwhelming, you can tell the staff is trained extremely well. The wine list was also impressive, my wife had a wonderfully light prosecco to begin. My Old Fashioned from the Bar was also well crafted. We were able to stay within our $100pp price tag as well. Overall great weekend and food, cant wait to get back out West. Wed Nov 04 13:56:43 -0800 2009 5117377 126590 Matt H 2 5156131 Matt, thanks much for reporting back. We're heading out to SF this weekend for a long weekend of our own and I keep going back and forth over our food choices. We were thinking of scrapping Gary Danko (as we ate there on our last trip to SF this summer), but your post reminded me of why I loved it so. I think we're going to keep our reservation after all :) Wed Nov 04 14:03:35 -0800 2009 5156114 1118090 umwife11 3 5159864 Glad my post nudged you towards hopefully another memorable meal, enjoy your trip, Im sure you will. Ruth, it was for the Day of the Dead, good call. But even on Monday evening the neighborhood was definitely lively in a good way. Thu Nov 05 19:29:46 -0800 2009 5156131 126590 Matt H 2 5156458 Thanks for reporting back. I'm guessing some of the stuff you saw in the Mission was special for Day of the Dead (which was Sunday). Wed Nov 04 15:43:35 -0800 2009 5156114 10159 Ruth Lafler