San Francisco Restaurant Reviews & Recommendations

[TarteTatin]

Any recommends for good, local seafood next Tuesday night in San Francisco?

edited to say: not tomorrow, but Tues, 8/18.

Edited August 11, 2009 by TarteTatin (log)

[gooseman]

Hey guys,

I'm going to be traveling w/ Gruzia.

Just watched that No Reservations about San Fran. Gotta say that Incanto and the House of Prime Rib look intriguing. Any thoughts?

Also, any places in the area that serve stuff along the lines of WD-50 (molecular gastronomy)? I ate there last year and it was phenomenal.

-g

[Gruzia]

How about Manresa? It's a bit out of the city and we'd have to rent a car but has anyone been there? Worth the drive?

[tupac17616]

How about Manresa?  It's a bit out of the city and we'd have to rent a car but has anyone been there?  Worth the drive?

I'd definitely say it's worth the drive. To me, it's the best restaurant I've been to in the United States.

If you're considering renting a car, though, that opens up a whole new set of options, among which Ubuntu in Napa deserves special attention.

[Eatmywords]

Just watched that No Reservations about San Fran. Gotta say that Incanto and the House of Prime Rib look intriguing. Any thoughts?

-g

←

I loved the offal at Incanto but of all the places he visited I thought the sushi place, Sebo, was the most intriguing (and inline with your wishlist).

[DaFonz]

Anchor and Hope was one of my favourite restaurants when I visited. Lobster remoulade was to die for.

[DaFonz]

I am making reservation for Ames right now for 8/22/09. The food looks wonderful. However, I thought it is a 5 courses tasting menu and you showed a lot more than 5 dishes, what happened?

Thanks

←

I got to about the 2nd course and just started ordering from the menu. I covered off most of it I think.

[Carolyn Tillie]

Anchor and Hope was one of my favourite restaurants when I visited. Lobster remoulade was to die for.

←

And I can't go there without getting the sea urchin...

[annachan]

I'm a fan of Incanto. But I gotta say, it isn't for everyone. A co-worker really hates it.

[ulterior epicure]

I'm a fan of Incanto. But I gotta say, it isn't for everyone. A co-worker really hates it.

←

Why?

[paigebrown]

Hi I live in SF AND was born and raised in Tampa, so thought I'd throw my 2cents in.

I love Canteen (consider the veggie option) and I love Coi. I know other folks here don't but the meals are just so fun and inventive, its really the most exciting two meals I've had. It is *pricy* though and I get the wine pairing. You can eat in the bar and sample also so you can try some of his seasonal yet technical gastronomy. I recommend it.

Agree with previous post - Aqua is in trouble.

I'm not sure if this qualifies as budget busting, but I love Delfina. It has such a San Francisco vibe to me.

How can noone mention Zuni? The institution.

I do like Chez Panisse - haven't been downstairs in a long time though. If you're thinking about an East Bay jaunt, have a look at Camino. The cocktail was fabulous and the food was too.

-Ame - read some reviews here and was thinking to do the sitting at the bar thing and order crudo

-Canteen

-Coi

-Fleur de Lys

-Koo sushi

-Gary Danko

-La Folie

-Chez Panisse - requires a trip to Berkley and there's a lot of talk about it not being worth the hype, but so much history and influence that I feel almost shameful not going there

-Michael Mina

-Aqua

[gaf]

Breather - Greens - San Francisco

After a hectic culinary week in San Francisco, it was time for a last lunch. So many choices, so little time. Before heading off to a four-hour flight in a sardine tin, I needed some mellowing out. And in the Bay Area, Greens marries bliss with upstanding cuisine. One realizes the possibilities of a robust and creative vegetarian cuisine while relaxing at the edge of the Bay. Greens captures the ethical soul of near-fine dining. This is no veggie-shack, but green cuisine.

Having had a warm bath of calories the past week, I chose two cool and light plates. Both were generous – and humane – first courses. Grilled nectarines with fromage blanc, watercress, and Snyders sage honey was as tempting as any fruit salad that I have been served in, well, close to ever. It was summer sweet while the crunchy watercress added a slight peppery intrigue. Perhaps it could have been dessert given the honeyed depth, but for a small meal it was a fine starter.

The second plate was ricotta corn cakes with jalapenos, scallions, cheddar and smoked cheese, served with crème fraise, fire roasted tomato and pumpkin seed cilantro salsa. The ingredient list on the menu makes the dish sound more pretentious than it was in person, but those allergic to pumpkin seeds and smoked cheese have been duly warned. These griddle cakes were a fine success, reminding us that (pace Michael Pollan) corn is not necessarily a four-letter word. These cobby-blinis were complex without being precious. Had I the stomach I could have eaten a baker’s dozen.

And so from the bustling calm of Fort Mason, I left with memories to consume on the (thankfully) foodless flight home.

Greens

Fort Mason, Building A

San Francisco

415-771-6222

http://www.greensrestaurant.com/

Vealcheeks

[Carolyn Tillie]

I worked a festival at Fort Mason all weekend and ate at Greens twice. Having eaten there at least once a year for the past twenty years, I wish I could recommend Greens. I find it rather stodgingly stuck in the past as far as vegetarian food goes. Perhaps it is because Ubuntu has pushed so many envelopes of vegetarian cuisine, that I am surprised Greens has not followed suit. Their dishes seem so incredibly 1970s mainstream vegetarian; there is nothing to show a sensibility to changing flavor combinations or a refinement of techniques. To me, Greens is a clumsy reflection of what it once was.

[nikkib]

any recommendations on mexican food in San Francisco?

[Carolyn Tillie]

any recommendations on mexican food in San Francisco?

←

Sorry, not from me... I cut my teeth on Mexican food when living in San Diego and dashing across the border. I did okay eating Mexican when I moved to Los Angeles, but the further away I moved from the border, the less enchanted I was with my findings.

Probably the only place I don't mind (but which I don't think is very authentic, but "California-ized") is Tacubaya on 4th in Berkeley.

[AVFOOL]

I am making reservation for Ames right now for 8/22/09. The food looks wonderful. However, I thought it is a 5 courses tasting menu and you showed a lot more than 5 dishes, what happened?

Thanks

←

I got to about the 2nd course and just started ordering from the menu. I covered off most of it I think.

←

You did great. There are 4 of us going so we can for sure try a few of their dishes.

[Chocoholic]

I'm taking the wife to SF for a weekend on her 40th birthday in October. Two evenings for dining, one will be spent at her favorite which is The Slanted Door, the other is still open. We love contemporary Japanese / West Coast so Ame looks like a good one. Budget isn't an issue, just a good place, nice room, good service and of course great food. We'll be staying at the Fairmont and can taxi it to anywhere in the city within reason.

We are from Vancouver Canada btw.

So given the above, if you had one evening for a meal in SF...where would you go?

[Carolyn Tillie]

I'm taking the wife to SF for a weekend on her 40th birthday in October. Two evenings for dining, one will be spent at her favorite which is The Slanted Door, the other is still open. We love contemporary Japanese / West Coast so Ame looks like a good one. Budget isn't an issue, just a good place, nice room, good service and of course great food. We'll be staying at the Fairmont and can taxi it to anywhere in the city within reason.

We are from Vancouver Canada btw.

So given the above, if you had one evening for a meal in SF...where would you go?

Since you've been to The Slanted Door before, why not go there for lunch instead? Then you can have two amazing new dinners...

I love Ame but I have gotten to the point where I don't eat anything beyond the crudo. Their cooked mamal protein dishes just bore me, I'm sorry to say. But I am very happy making an entire meal out of various fish courses and you should definitely order Lissa's Employee Meal.

My other consistent Go-To restaurant that I bring visitors is Aziza. It NEVER ceases to impress and there is nothing like it anywhere else. It would make for a lovely birthday dinner...

[moosnsqrl]

FYI to anyone planning to visit Sebo . . . they are open on Sunday evenings but they do NOT serve sushi. The menu looked good nonetheless but we opted to do something else Sunday and returned Tuesday for some of the best sushi we've ever had.

[minirobot]

Hi all,

My wife and I have been to San Francisco several times now and love the city and its food. We're going to be heading down there again in about a week for 4 nights and are trying to figure out what restaurants we should focus on visiting this time.

The ones we tend to visit most trips are:

Dinner

-----------

- Delfina's

- Zuni

- Blue Plate

- Citizen Cake

Lunch & nibbles

-----------

- Tartine Bakery

- Cafe Claude

A couple of places that have piqued our interest in this forum that we've never been to before are:

----------

- lunch at Canteen

- Dinner at Aziza

We're not out to spend a fortune but love to eat good food. Any recommendations greatly appreciated

Thanks!

[minirobot]

Now also quite interested in Anchor & Hope, and Flour & Water

Any thoughts

[Carolyn Tillie]

Now also quite interested in Anchor & Hope, and Flour & Water

Any thoughts

I haven't done Flour & Water yet. But I frequent Anchor & Hope and ALWAYS order the sea urchin in shell with beurre blanc and crab. It is a MUST order. Also, when/if the lobster pot-pie is on the menu, that is incredibly rich and amazing!

[Ochowie]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I was wondering if anyone has been to Fleur De Lys recently and if it's still worth going to. I've always seen Keller on Top Chef and they did the first episode of the show there so I've always wanted to check it out but I don't want to waste a night on it.