SF for one day in September

[KVF]

Hi all, will be in SF for a Thursday night dinner and Friday breakfast and lunch at the end of September. We live in NYC so don't want to go to any place with a NYC outpost. We would love Californian, Italian, Chinese/Asian for dinner and/or anything really great/not to miss that we should try. Would love a great comfort food type breakfast and lunch. Any ideas would be very much appreciated as there is alot to choose from and we are not familair with the city. Thanks in advance!

[grayelf]

To get the ball rolling, my picks for your categories as a frequent visitor from Vancouver:

Californian = Canteen, cocktails and Cal-Moroccan food at Aziza

Italian = Cotogna (this is a good Cal-Italian bet for lunch), La Ciccia

Shanghainese = Shanghai House (preorder the salt and pepper pork knuckle)

Thai = Lers Ros on Larkin, go hard on the appetizers

Burmese = Mandalay, stick to the true Burmese dishes

stupidly good burger = Mission Bowling Club

[KVF]

Thanks so much!

[KVF]

Ok, we have narrowed it down to Perbacco, Cotogna, SPQR or Flour and Water for our one dinner in SF. We are looking for great Italian with a nice atmosphere. Any thoughts?

[goldangl95]

Cotogna would be my pick IF you can get a reservation the ambiance is a little less chaotic than Flour + Water. Call and see. If not, then Flour + Water or SPQR.

My reasoning being that Perbacco is the type of restaurant you can find in New York in terms of neighborhood and atmosphere.

You may also want to try Locanda.

[Robert Lauriston]

Pernacco's a bit more elegant and cushy, Cotogna's lovely but more casual. Flour + Water has great food but to me it feels more like a bar.

[KVF]

Thanks so much for your thoughts, going to try and make a res at Perbacco and Cotogna and decide closer to the day. I appreciate all the help!

[CarrieWas218]

I love SPQR but I believe they have gotten away from their Italian roots. In the beginning it was VERY Roman-influenced but that was four or five chefs ago (Nate Appleman was their first chef). Still very interesting, but not Italian much any more.

[Robert Lauriston]

SPQR has had only two chefs. The current guy has Frenchy tendencies.

[CarrieWas218]

A16 chef Christophe Hille started it and is still listed on their website. Nate Appleman started shortly after with Daniel Holzman (a great chef who went off to Chow before opening his own New York restaurant, The Meatball shop). There was also chef de cuisine Chris Behr who was running it for a while.

Matthew Accarrino has been there the longest and has changed the menu the most...