My wife and I are planning a weekend getaway to San Franciso the weekend of April 19th. We'll be there for just two nights; are there any restaurants that we should absolutely not miss while we are there?

Thanks,
Nick.

PS If you guys have any opinions on Hotels, I'd appreciate hearing them too. I've read the Rant thread on the Westin St Francis, and am now trying to find a new hotel...

Aqua is my recommendation for dinner, or a nice weekday lunch but not everyone likes (perfectly prepared)seafood so I would also recommend Boulevard for a more varied French/Californian cuisine.

Hotel recommendations, The Huntington on Nob Hill or the New Four Seasons, I've also heard they have good weekend deals at the Brand new OMNI hotel on Montgomery Street(Financial District).

NickyD, San Francisco is an amazing restaurant city and everyone has his or her own personal favorite. Gourmet magazine had dedicated their most recent issue to dining in San Francisco as well as 100 must-do's while visiting The City.

Although I live in SF, I picked up a copy and found that many of the suggestions they offer, both in dining as well as activities were right on the target, for visitors and residents alike.

I would strongly urge you to invest the $4.95 for a copy, I believe it is the April issue, still on the newsstand; you'll find it worth the expense for all the information it offers.

Zagat Survey is also quite useful.
One of my personal favorites is 'Plouf' on Belden Pl. (b/w Bush & Pine Sts.). You have to try the mussels. Granted, the service is not super. http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdining_forum/smile.gif

Three words:

"I love Zuni!"

I love Gary Danko, though it might not be possible to get in (they book 2 months ahead). I also like Jardiniere and Boulevard.

1. Gary Danko
2. Aqua
3. Jardiniere
4. Plumpjacks

[This message has been edited by KatW (edited 04-01-2002).]

Another vote for Gary Danko. Three meals there in the last two years (most recent two weeks ago...) and they have yet to misstep... simply wonderful.

Boulevard is good, as is Aqua...

What's your budget NickyD? Some restaurants in SF can cost more than your hotel room. Some not as well-known but great places to check (at a reasonable price) are Jeanne D'Arc at the Cornell Hotel (Bush St./Union Square).. fixed price menu in a romantic setting, The Meetinghouse (Shaker style with great food & fun service), Delfina (I think the best Italian food in SF - 18th St/Castro Mission area), and Foreign Cinema (good food & fun setting in the Mission).

Besides the chains hotels, I've enjoyed stays in the Union Square area at Hotel Diva http://www.hoteldiva.com/ and the Savoy http://www.thesavoyhotel.com/home.html

Not a fan of hotel food, but the Savoy has a restaurant called Brasserie Savoy which I've always been very pleased with.

I do recommend the Fly Trap, 606 Folsom http://www.sfstation.com/restaurants/flytrap/
Hearty fare done well, great service. Best brains I've had, anywhere.

Stay away from Tadich Grill, has never lived up to its reputation IMO.

raffy also posted a nice list of restaurants on his SF dining thread titled: Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants

Thanks for all the replies everyone!

We did decide on the Aqua for Friday night, but decided to leave our schedule open for Saturday...

We are planning on Dim Sum on Saturday morning, and might just ask the concierge of the hotel for a suggestion of a place in Chinatown.

As for budgets...my wife and I have a standing agreement that we have no budget when we are on vacation. We'll spend as much as it takes to have a good time. http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdining_forum/smile.gif

I will check out the Gary Danko since it comes so highly recommended, and see if it will fit into our day. Thanks again.

Hmmm, you might or might not like Aqua. Expect a loud evening with uneven food. Expensive and the service is only so-so. I'd go to Farallon instead.

Ponzu by the Hilton is undervalued. Think Asian fusion tapas. Azie is out of the tourist way, but good.

Plouf and the places on Belden are good and fun on a warm day, even though the Plouf waiters are like nothing you'll see in France (except smoking at a table in Burger Quick). They're can be pretty flirty to women in the party, which can put some people off.

Dim Sum is often better in the "Avenues" or even in Peninsula cities. If you're visiting though, Ton Kiang on Geary or Yank Sing are good.

If you have some sort of transportation anyway, you might want to visit (horrors) Berkeley or Oakland, where you'll find our pal Chez Panisse, Citron, Oliveto, and even Fonda in Albany.
Rich

A few weeks ago I went to Chez Panisse in Berkley. The food was mediocre, the service was horrid, and to make matters worse the tables are on top of each other. If staying in downtown San Francisco avoid the trek out to Berkley. As for a good steak try Bob's. While the restaurant is a generic steakhouse chain, the food was excellent.

I had almost forgotten about this thread...

Dinner at the Aqua was wonderful. We had a table for four in the corner, and the corner made it quiet enough for us to have a nice dinner conversation. The entrees were excellent, but the best part of the food Butterscotch Caramel Pot de Creme for dessert! A must-try dessert if they are serving it!

Dim-Sum at Ton Kiang was excellent. And, we worked off the food by walking to Golden Gate Park and then onto the Japanese foot bridge. (wear Walking shoes if you do this!)

We spent all day snacking and touring on that Saturday, that we didn't stop for dinner until 11pm, and ended up eating at the Stinky Rose. Which is a fun concept, very fast service, busy crowd on a weekend, but the food, which was good, was nothing spectacular.

Had a very good meal with decent service at Foreign Cinema. Book through www.opentable.com (http://www.opentable.com) . Profile at http://bayarea.citysearch.com/profile/11346086/ .

Use valet parking unless you're from Phnom Penh or Beirut.
Rich

Go to PAKWAN in the Mission - great IndoPak food

While NickyD's visit to San Francisco has long since passed, I feel compelled to add the following:

Shroeder's Restaurant (http://bayarea.citysearch.com/profile/892452/)
240 Front Street
San Francisco, CA
(415) 421-4778

Shroeder's is a great German restaurant with a long history in San Francisco. Live music is frequently performed.

Fringale
570 4th St., San Francisco, CA 94107, USA
Phone: 415/543-0573

From Fodor's (http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mgresults.cfm?destination=san_francisco@137&cur_section=din&sort=name&review=full&pg=3):
The bright yellow paint on this small, dazzling bistro stands out like a beacon on an otherwise ordinary street. The well-dressed clientele comes for the reasonably priced French-Basque-inspired creations of Biarritz-born chef Gerald Hirigoyen, whose classic frisées aux lardons (curly salad greens with crisp bacon cubes and a poached egg), steak frites, duck confit with tiny French lentils, and almond torte filled with custard cream are hallmarks of the regularly changing menu. Small tables covered with cloths and white paper, a sensible wine list, and a crew of waiters sporting Gallic accents will have you practicing your French. Reservations essential. AE, MC, V. Closed Sun. No lunch Sat.