San Francisco Restaurant Tips by 100ACRE

Since you will be touring the City by District, you will need to know the top restaurant choices in each neighborhood.

Downtown you will find 2 San Franciscans favoritea:

Tadich Grill, 240 California Street (415) 391-1849
Sam's Grill, 374 Bush (415) 421-0594

Check out "Bargain Bites" below:

For more research, do a google.com search on:
"restaurant name" +"san francisco"

For example, here's how to search on: "north beach pizza" + "san francisco"

CLICK HERE: "north beach pizza" +"san francisco"

This will take you to the restaurant's web site (if available). Use this search strategy to find anything in the world!

Favorite Dish: For a few discount dining coupons:
DestinationCoupons.com

Just click on 'California' and follow the links to 'San Francisco'.

A couple of good coupons are for:
Lori's Diner and North Beach Pizza.

They also have coupons for hotels & bike rentals.

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Theme: Other

Restaurant Name: DISTRICT: NORTH BEACH

EAT AT NORTH BEACH AT: Moose's; Cafe Jacqueline (soffles, expensive) ; Fior D'Italia (Italian, formal); The Stinking Rose* (popular, trendy, Columbus); Little City; MaMa's on Washington Square (breakfast*); New Pisa (atmosphere, old family!); Capp's Corner (Italian family-style); Michelangelo's Cafe* (romantic match box); Original U.S. Restaurant; Tomasso's Pizza; North Beach Pizza; Mo's Burgers; Betelnut (Chinese, pricey, 3-star reviews); Cobalt ($19 entrees, grilled dishes, 3-star reviews) and Little Joe's, pictured here is Joe himself.

Try Moose's on Washington Square - food, drink and soft, cool jazz, 1652 Stockton St.; (415) 989-7800. Dinner for two with wine, tax and tip, about $150.


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Gary Danko; Scoma's* (fish); Lapis; Zax.


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John's Grill (historic steak house, 63 Ellis); Tony Roma's (delicious ribs, 126 Ellis)


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Restaurant Name: DISTRICT: THE MARINA

On Lombard Street: La Barca* (Mexican, worth coming just for award-winning margaritas, good food & atmosphere)

On Chestnut Street: Cozmo's Corner Grill; Yukol Place Thai Cuisine

On Chestnut Street (5 Stars): Andale Mexican Restaurant, reasonanbly priced, popular local hangout, excellent food, nice people watching, and loads of atmosphere (eat-in or take-out)

On Fillmore Street: Balboa Cafe*; Pane E Vino

Also in this District: Greens (best vegetarian); Isa; Merenda; PlumpJack.

Favorite Dish: Lucca Deli (pictured here)

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Restaurant Name: DISTRICT: CHINATOWN

Sam Lok serves traditional Szechuan with all of its peppers and spices. It's located on Jackson Street between Grant and Kearny. For more information, call (415) 981-8988.

Yank Sing serves delicious dim sum in a comfortable parlor atmosphere. It's located on Battery Street between Clay and Washington. For more information, call (415) 781-1111.

Also worth mentioning:
Yuet Lee
Brandy Ho's Hunan Food
Hunan Home's Restaurant
Great Eastern

Also:

Sam Wo's ! Eat the "House Chow Mein", beef, pork, chicken, and shrimps.

Favorite Dish: - walking tours in Chinatown (free) every day led by volunteer guides, covers everything from the mansions of Pacific Heights to the murals of the Mission. I counted 51 different walking tours in their schedule. Every day there are at least three or four, and sometimes as many as a dozen to choose from. They're all free. You'll learn, for example, that there are two Chinatowns (41 back alleys): (1) the tourist Chinatown, marked by upturned red rooflines and dragon lampposts, and (2) the residents' Chinatown, along Stockton Street and those back alleys. In those alleys you'll hear the clacking of mah-jongg tiles, see bok choy being dried on balconies and encounter bins of geoducks and durians outside the markets - For a current schedule of free walking tours led by City Guides, visit www.sfcityguides.org or call (415) 557-4266.

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Every year the SF Chroncile publishes its' list of the 'TOP 100 RESTAURANTS'.

CLICK HERE: TOP 100 RESTAURANTS

Loosen your belts and open your wallet, click above for "the List".

Plus see my other entries in this Restaurant section.


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Theme: Local

The SF Chroncile also publishes its annual list of the 'TOP BARGAIN BITES' in the City.

Be sure to check out the year's Top SF Bargain Bites

Print their list out and you'll never go hungry in any neighborhood when you travel to this beautiful city!

Hard To Get To Places:
Saigon Sandwiches --Awarded the "Best Bargain In The City"-- 560 Larkin (at Eddy), 3-4 blocks up from Civic Center. Get the $2.25 roasted pork sandwich, made on a fresh crusty roll, filled with shaved carrots, cilantro, peppers, sauce, and mayo. (Ask for "no spicy" if you have a low tolerance for hot food.) There's a long line at times, but it moves fast because their menu of items is small! Sandwiches are heated, wrapped in paper and a thin rubber band. Standing room only. Your friends will ask you, "How did you find this great deal?"

Rosamunde Sausage Grill, 545 Haight (at Fillmore). Get the burger, available only once a week, on Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. "until the meat runs out". Take it next door to the Toronado pub & wash it down with a beer. Includes lettuce, tomato, mustard, ketchup, pickles, grilled onions, and cheese on a puffy bakery bun. Worth it!

Falooda at Bombay Ice Cream and Chaat, 552 Valencia (at 16th Street). Great shake with your choice of several homemade ice creams (e.g. saffron pistachio, cardamom, and mango!), layered with translucent chewy noodles, crunchy basil seeds, and fragrant rose syrup.

Tommy's Joynt, 1101 Geary (at Van Ness). Freshly roasted turkey on a sourdough roll. There are two kinds of mustard on each table, plus sliced pickles in a barrel at the end of the steam tables. Have it with one of the bar's 100 beers from around the world.


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Theme: Local

MY FAVORITE - ELLA'S
500 Presido at California (415) 441-5669
ellassanfrancisco.com

Also worth mentioning:
1. Judys
2. Dotties and
3. Mamas


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Theme: Breakfast
Comparison: about average

Inside landmark Westin St. Francis at Union Square is my favorite - the Compass Rose. A relaxing place to pamper yourself - have an elegant luncheon salad or afternoon tea.

See how the "other half" lives.

You are surrounded by kingly marble pillars, sculptured furnishings, pinkie fingers, darjeeling tea, gloves & chapeaux, and petit fours--pardon my French.

This place is like a behemoth living room in a grand old mansion. It's cozy and romantic. Soft lighting, dark wood paneling, arched windows draped with heavy gold curtains and easy chairs and sofas. Thick with history.

Tea timers have their pick of teas from Mighty Leaf, a San Francisco-based company: Ceylon yalta, pear caramel, chamomile citrus blossom, mint melange and ti kuan yin, among others. Do it English style with sugar and cream. Royal Tea includes a flute of champaign ($37 to $46 per duke and duchess).

As you relax, decide on where to go next. Hmmm, let's see, around the corner is Chanel, Burberry, FAO Schwarz, Victoria's Secret...!

Favorite Dish: .
FOR YOU TEA LOVERS:
Where to sip when it's tea time in the City:

-- The Compass Rose in the Westin St. Francis Hotel, 335 Powell St., 3-5 p. m daily, year-round. Holiday tea is served 2:30-5 p.m. daily through Dec. 31. Tea service starts at about $16 per person. Make reservations by calling (415) 774-0167.

-- The Palace Hotel, 2 New Montgomery St., 1-3 p.m Saturday, year-round. Holiday tea is served 2-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Tea service ranges from $20 to $37. Make reservations by calling (415) 512-1111.

-- The Terrace at the Ritz-Carlton, 600 Stockton St., 3:30-5:30 p.m. Monday- Thursday; 2:30-4:30 Friday; 1:30-4:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Tea service ranges from $26 to $38. Make reservations by calling (415) 773-6198.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: more expensive than average