Help with san fran/sonoma/monterey restaurants!

[kosoffj]

Hubby and I are going on vacation to those 3 spots the second week in September. spending 3 nights in san fran (and the last full day till 10pm), 4 nights in Sonoma and 2 nights in monterey.

Hubby and I like EVERYTHING (he is allergic to shellfish but i still eat it and he adores all other types of fish - that's our ONLY restriction - we love all different nationalities and types of food)

Looking from low to upper moderate in pricing (we probably won't be at french laundry but would like a few nice dinners) and it would be great if they had a semi-reasonable wine list (as we are ameteur onephiles and would love to try some new things).

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, I would greatly appreciate all of your suggestions. (for b-fast and lunch we are flexible with place but for dinner we'd probably like to right in those 3 towns to limit driving)

Thanks in advance!

[tanabutler]

Carmel, Monterey, Pacific Grove thread, newly revived with two endorsements of Passionfish in Pacific Grove.

In Sonoma, drive to Jenner, next to the ocean. Stay in one of the cottages at the Jenner Inn, and eat at River's End restaurant. Local, seasonal, organic, beautiful, and utterly quiet--on the mouth of the Russian River and the edge of the continent. The loudest thing there is the ocean, or the barking seals. It's gloriously beautiful there, and you will love the place. It's rustic without being hickish, and the food is great. And no cell phones work there, hooray!

Edited August 18, 2004 by tanabutler (log)

[samgiovese]

Check out this thread on Sonoma restaurants.

[Squeat Mungry]

And this one and this one for ideas in San Francisco. Let us know if you have specific questions.

Cheers,

Squeat

Editing to add this one for breakfast and this one for dim sum.

Edited August 18, 2004 by Squeat Mungry (log)

[winesonoma]

Are you staying in the town of Sonoma? Cause it's a big county.

[tanabutler]

Hmmm, I'm trying to figure a way to work Manresa in here. It's worth a night in Los Gatos (you could stay there en route to Monterey area).

Do you have lodgings yet?

[Carlsbad]

In San Francisco, you might consider Piperade. Nice, casual atmosphere, great Basque food, interesting wine list, and reasonable prices. http://www.piperade.com/

[Carolyn Tillie]

You didn't indicate where you are visiting from which could have a big impact on the types/styles of cuisine you might want to pursue. I might recommend using San Francisco as your stepping board to more international cuisine like Thai, Chinese Dim Sum, or Cal-Italian (having Cioppino in San Francisco is very romantic). Consider the Slanted Door or Koi Palace for Asian, Aziza for Moroccan, or Rose Pistola for Cal-Italian. Restaurants like Boulevard, Fifth Floor, or Gary Danko are exceptional, but...

I would use your stay in Sonoma for the excuse for fabulous haute cuisine as there is a higher concentration of James Beard Award-winning chefs in the Napa Valley than anywhere else. While restaurants like Girl and the Fig or General's Daughter are pretty good, they don't really compare to dining experiences like La Toque or Terra (assuming you can't get into the French Laundry). In Sonoma proper (on the square) there is Sonoma Saveur which has the greatest excuse for an entire-foie gras dinner imaginable. No pretense here (and no white table cloths). Just great, simple food.

Then leave Monterey for seafood. Others have mentioned Passionfish which is pretty darned great for a dinner, but I heartily recommend an afternoon in Carmel with lunch at Cassanova (they have a table from Vincent Van Gogh's hotel in France). Tanabutler provided that link where I already extolled its virtue.

Hope this helps!

[kosoffj]

wow thanks for all the links guys!

Yes staying right in the town of sonoma at the el dorado, so walking distance for dinner would be fabu!

And I'm from philly, and we love to eat alot of good food here (particularly italian), so i can't wait to try some new great things out there!

[Gary Soup]

... (having Cioppino in San Francisco is very romantic).

Er, not too romantic if your partner is allergic to seafood.

I second the Koi Palace recco. It's worth the little extra time and driving to find. If they don't want to drive, Harbor Village might be a good alternative (though considerably pricier). It's also elegant and usually subdued enough to be considered "romantic" as well.

HV is also a good option for dim sum (I'm NOT a Yank Sing fan) if they don't want to deal with the joyful noise of Chinatown dim sum parlors. If they do, I'd suggest Gold Mountain or perhaps Lichee Garden. For a Chinatown dinner, I'd pick the consistently very good Great Eastern; R&G Lounge is something of a crap shoot, and Louie's California Chinese Cuisine is still struggling with an identity problem, IMHO.

[Carolyn Tillie]

... (having Cioppino in San Francisco is very romantic).

Er, not too romantic if your partner is allergic to seafood.

Ooops! You are right -- kinda forgot about that!

sorry - no Cioppino!

[KatieLoeb]

... (having Cioppino in San Francisco is very romantic).

Er, not too romantic if your partner is allergic to seafood.

Yeah - anaphylactic shock can cast such a pall over a nice evening.

[Squeat Mungry]

If you're into Italian, you might want to try some while you're in San Francisco, because I think you'll find it different from what you may be used to in Philly. San Francisco's Italian population has historically been predominantly from northern Italy, and even though you'll find countless restaurants in North Beach and around town producing mediocre southern Italian and Sicilian-style food, the best Italian food in San Francisco has always been in the northern Italian regional traditions. I'd recommend Delfina or Acquerello.

Just a thought.

Squeat

[Gary Soup]

... (having Cioppino in San Francisco is very romantic).

Er, not too romantic if your partner is allergic to seafood.

Ooops! You are right -- kinda forgot about that!

sorry - no Cioppino!

I did mean to say "shellfish", not "seafood" as Carolyn and Katie correctly understood.

Cioppino is nothing if not a battle with shellfish in the shell in a bowl of tomatoey chowder. Even if nobody's allergic to shellfish, it's still a struggle for me to feel romantic when I'm wearing a tomato sauce-stained bib, I have to say.

[Carolyn Tillie]

... (having Cioppino in San Francisco is very romantic).

Er, not too romantic if your partner is allergic to seafood.

Ooops! You are right -- kinda forgot about that!

sorry - no Cioppino!

I did mean to say "shellfish", not "seafood" as Carolyn and Katie correctly understood.

Cioppino is nothing if not a battle with shellfish in the shell in a bowl of tomatoey chowder. Even if nobody's allergic to shellfish, it's still a struggle for me to feel romantic when I'm wearing a tomato sauce-stained bib, I have to say.

Ah, then you are doing it wrong! The romance is having a loved one lick the dripping sauce from your chin!