San Francisco Restaurants

Flew there in 2000 for the Stanford game and stayed at the
Weston St Francis with the flying Longhorn group. Ate at
Fleur de Lys, 777 Sutter Street, a block or two off Union Square, and enjoyed classic french cuisine.

If you can get reservations, Gary Danko on North Beach was also really fantastic. We did the five course tasting menu with a wine pairing for each course and it made for an all time fine dining experience. The only problem is that you have to make reservations 3 months in advance. But it was worth it.

Both restaurants have web sites:
The Link The Link
 
Some of these are not in North Beach, but a quick cab ride away. My only request, do not come out here and eat at Bob’s unless you want merciless mocking on the board.

Places we currently recommend:

Michael Mina
Washed in swirls of beige and celadon, this sophisticated restaurant in the St. Francis Hotel was designed by Barbara Barry; she's created one of the most stunning but quietly elegant rooms in the city to showcase Michael Mina's vision. The celebrity chef has concocted a complicated but whimsical menu where one ingredient becomes the muse for up to six different preparations, all displayed on the same plate.
335 Powell St. (at the Westin St. Francis)
San Francisco
Tel. (415) 397-9222

Myth
It's been open more than a year, but Myth remains one of the hottest tickets in town. Chef Sean O'Brien, who worked for many years at Gary Danko, creates a stylish menu that's not only a good value, but plays into the small-plates trend. While the menu is traditional, many main courses are available in smaller portions. The restaurant is both romantic and dramatic.
470 Pacific Ave. (near Montgomery)
San Francisco
Tel. (415) 677-8986

El Raigon
This Argentine steakhouse serves the best beef in the city, cut from a grass-fed Piedmontese breed grown in Montana or Uruguay. All steaks are grilled "estancia style'' over charcoal and almond wood by chef Eric Hollis. The remarkable flavors are enhanced with a drizzle of chimichurri sauce, made with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and herbs. The sauce is a fixture on the handsome wood tables made from Napa Valley wine barrels.
510 Union Str. (near Grant Street)
San Francisco
Tel. (415) 291-0927

Kokkari Estiatorio
The goatskin shades scattered around the front dining room at Kokkari emit a romantic glow, supplemented by the enormous fireplace and an open-beamed ceiling. A more casual mood is set in the other dining room, which feels like a taverna, thanks to the long communal table, an open kitchen and a huge urn filled with hot sand to make Greek coffee.
200 Jackson St. (at Front)
San Francisco
Tel. (415) 981-0983

And of course Delfina.

Delfina
When people ask about great Italian food, Delfina is the first place that comes to mind. Craig and Anne Stoll have created a warm, cozy restaurant in the Mission that has become the darling of local and national media. It's little wonder because its popularity is based on talent and Craig Stoll's ability to make straightforward, robust flavors resonate.
3621 18th St. (between Dolores and Guerrero)
San Francisco
Tel. (415) 552-4055
 
A good neighborhood Italian place, not in North beach is Allegro Romano. It is not too far from Nob Hill and was highly recommended by a friend who lives there. I have been there twice in the past year, the food is excellent, it is small, seats less than 30. Let them do the family style where they just keep bringing you excellent food and the house wine. You can't go worng. 1701 Jones@ Broadway (415) 928-4402.

In China town, try the R&G Lounge, 631 kearny Street. Doesn't look like much from outside but food is good. Has a mix of locals and a few tourists.

If you want to go "downtown" and get old San Francisco- you can't go wrong with Tadich Grill or Sam's Grill. Both lean towards seafood and while they are touristy, they are fun places and food is still quite good.

Another off the beaten path place I was taken to by friends who have lived there 20+ years is Betelnut. It is out in the Cow Hollow area- just a bit west of Nob Hill, right above the Marina area. 2030 Union Street. It is more Asain fusion. The shopping is also good in that area. There is also a famous bar/hamburger place just down the street- forgetting the name right now

If you want a steak and love baseball, go to Dimaggio's in North Beach. Good steaks, chops and more baseball memorabilia and pictures of Joe D and Marilyn than you can look at in one night.

Basically, you have to work hard to have a bad meal in San Francisco. All the usual suspects, listed in the other postings are quite good. Biggeststink when I was thre last time was the percieved snub by Michelin and how they didn't understand the restuarant scene in SF.
 
I am good for Betelnut about twice a month...nothing like knocking back a few drinks at a curbside table on a Sunday afternoon watching the local scenery
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Tommasos was a recommendation we got here. Really, really liked it.

We're going back to the Bay Area in May and are looking forward to all the great dining in SF.
 
Canteen is in Nob Hill and serving up some of the best food in town. They only have seating for 20 and they do three seatings a night. First class food in a casual setting. I went there for my b-day with my wife on Wednesday, and they were playing some Hank Williams...very cool...
 
We were only in town for one night (Sunday), so I didn't get to check out all of the suggestions on here, but thanks for all the thoughts.

I called Tuesday for reservations at Gary Danko, which was predictably full. But the pleasant hostess on the telephone offered to put me on the waiting list. Sure enough, she called Saturday afternoon and told me that they had a cancellation for 8:00 (!) if I wanted it. We took it and had a great time. It is one of the top-5 dining experiences of my life.

For lunch, we did Barney's hamburgers in the Marina. The burgers were pretty damn good. The best part was that the bacon cheeseburger had about a dozen slices of bacon on it--if you took off the hamburger it would have been a good BLT. The second best part was that the condiment tray came with three types of mustard . . . and no mayo.

However, as I have opined on a different thread, a bacon cheeseburger is more like a BLT than a cheeseburger, and so I think the BLT condiment of choice (mayo) trumps the cheeseburger condiment (mustard). But that's another discussion entirely.

Thanks again for the suggestions, and I'll try to hit some more of them when I go back.
 
Figured I'd bring back this thread since I'm going next weekend. Any other good reco's or agree with what's already stated in this thread?
 
I saw Barry Bonds at Betelnut. It was Sunday, January 8, 2006. I had driven from Pasadena to San Francisco a few days after the Rose Bowl to hang out with a friend, then we drove up to Portland.

Betelnut was great. As we walked out, Barry was sitting there with some hot piece of ***. My friend's GF said, "That's not his wife" and was very close to saying something to Bonds about it.
 
The Hunan Restaurant 924 Sansome. The owner, Henry Chung, opened the first Hunan restaraunt in the US in the early '70's. It was located on Kearny and never reopened after the '89 earthquake. The best Chinese I have ever had. Spicy Deep Fired Pork or anything else. We have an autographed cookbook. Henry fried chicken in Houston for 20 or so years, then moved to SFO. Mao was from Hunan.

Harris on Van Nuys and Pacific was the culmination of our multi-year steakhouse tour. Peter Luger, Gene and Gerogetti's, etc. Affiliated with the Harris Ranch near Fresno, some of the beef is dry aged in a refrigerated window. As good as it gets. Ribeye with Bearnaise, creamed spinach, Caesar salad, cheesy potatoes.

Tadich Grill. 240 California St. Oldest place in town, fresh seafood-simply prepared; across the street from the Bank of America World Hqs. Grilled Petrale sole. Cranky old waiters.

If we are there four days, we eat at the Hunan twice. I find it hard to try new places when these are so great. A sign of advancing age, I suppose.
 
Was in SF a couple of weeks ago and ate at House of Nanking (on Kearny I believe). A hole in the wall with good food. There is usually a line on the sidewalk outside waiting to get in.
 
I'll throw The Slanted Door for consideration, at the Ferry Building. Neat atmosphere, different takes on Asian and seafood.

Kuleto's near Union Square. Italian in a light atmosphere. Can't disagree with some of the other Italian recs on this thread, though.

I would throw in getting a beer at Vesuvio in the North Beach. It's an old Beat bar, Jack Kerouac was a regular patron.
 
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