Sna Francisco restaurant recomendations?

[javadog]

I'll be headed to Monterey this weekend for the MotoGP/AMA races and will be headed back to San Francisco for a couple days following. I'm looking for recommendations for good restaurants, particularly Chinese and seafood. I've been to the Bay area quite a bit (wife's from that general area) so I have hit all of the usual tourist spots. I am dragging the kid with me, so I am going to be dressing casual, which rules out all of the nice places. I also grew up in Singapore, so the average Chinese restaurant doesn't impress me. In fact, I haven't found much in Chinatown to get excited about; most of of the food I've had there is the crap they cook for Americans, which isn't anything like what they eat in Asia.

Any ideas?

JR

[Rick Lee]

Good luck. I haven't had much good Chinese food in the Bay Area either. You're better off in Monterrey Park in LA. I've been to plenty of good restaurants in the Bay Area, but not great Chinese food.

[Moses]

You can get really good Chinese food a little east of San Francisco... New York.

[javadog]

Okay, so New York is a little out of the way and I already have a list of places in that city. Back to SanFran. If Chinese isn't to be had, how about seafood? Good Thai? Vietnamese?

JR

[onlycafe]

i used to go to a great little place on kearny called hunan restaurant, they have since moved to a great big place on sansome. was last there in 1999. they have a dish made with smoked ham that is terrific.
while you're in san francisco , make sure you try an it's it.

[mikester]

Garlic noodles and Crab man....


Thanh Long

http://www.anfamily.com/Restaurants/thanhlong_restaurant/displaypages/homepage.html

[K. Roman]

for fish, try Fish in Sausalito

[vash]

easy.

seafood for a family. pacific cafe out in the richmond district. seafood cooked "clean". not alot of sauces, but stuff grilled, or broiled, etc, to really let the animal shine. not too expensive. sometimes the wait is brutal, but they pour free wine for the nice people shivering on the sidewalk. it works out nicely. tiny place, the owner is fully involved.

chinese food: hong kong flower lounge in milpitas. right outside the city. it reflects the type of food you would find in monterrey park, as mentioned above. there is a small restarant called Santon, in the sunset that is really popular on the weekends. great noodles, and lots of young folks eat there.

vietnamese....there is a 7 course beef restaurant in the tenderloin that ROCKS! i know the corner, not the name...maybe alittle too "colorful" for the family. edit...i remembered HANH HONG on geary and larkin.

[Tobra]

+1 on Pacific Cafe, out on Geary, halfway to beach from Japantown.

How about the Cliff House? Out by the beach, like the end of Geary sort of, go 30-60 minutes before sunset.

Better Italian food in SF if you ask me, numerous excellent spots.

Tadiches(spelling?) Grill generally has good fish, very expensive. Go across the bay to Spenger's in Berkley maybe.

[nostatic]

New Eritrea in the Sunset (around 11th and Irving iirc)

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-21380907R-new_eritrea_restaurant__bar-i

Read my friend's blog for other ideas:

gfork.wordpress.com

[trekkor]

I'm sure this will come down on me like a ton of bricks, but I like 'Spenger's Seafood Grotto' in Berkleley.


KT

[nostatic]

Limetree for southeast Asian

http://www.limetreesf.com/

[nostatic]

Limetree for southeast Asian

http://www.limetreesf.com/

[widgeon13]

Buckeye Roadhouse, north side of Golden Gate.

http://www.buckeyeroadhouse.com/

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by trekkor

I'm sure this will come down on me like a ton of bricks, but I like 'Spenger's Seafood Grotto' in Berkleley.


KT

why would they land on you and not on me?

I liked it better before the big remodel

[trekkor]

Oops, missed your comment... D'oh.

I like their chowder, Louie salads, french bread, popcorn shrimp and Black and Tan beers.

Different menu everyday. I always been happy.
Very interesting antique nautical decor.


KT

[javadog]

Originally Posted by vash

vietnamese....there is a 7 course beef restaurant in the tenderloin that ROCKS! i know the corner, not the name...maybe alittle too "colorful" for the family. edit...i remembered HANH HONG on geary and larkin.

Actually, "colorful" is just fine. The less refined and Americanized a place is, the better I like it. If I'm the only guy in there that speaks English, I'm happy. Where I grew up, there was no refrigeration or sanitation to speak of, when the street vendors prepared food, and I lived through it just fine.

JR

[javadog]

[QUOTE=Tobra;4060226How about the Cliff House? [/QUOTE]

Been to the Cliff House more times than I can count. Used to have the same waiter every year, till he got a gig working a on private yacht. The guy looked a lot like William H. Macy.

Of course I haven't been there since the last remodel, so I imagine the wife will want pictures of the place anyway. Last time I was there I briefly met Nicholas Cage. He arrived in a limo, for a late lunch, and needed directions to the men's room...

JR

[Don Plumley]

Slanted Door (Vietnamese) in the Ferry Building (yeah, yeah, the original was better. meh)
Piperade (Basque) on Battery
Perbacco (Northwest Italian) on California
Quince (Italian) on Octavia
COI (French/Asian) on Broadway
Sea Salt (seafood) in Berkeley
Hog Island Oyster Company (duh, oysters) in the Ferry Building
Pesce (seafood) on Polk
Shangahi 1930 (chinese) on Steuart
I could go on and on....

God, what a great restaurant city

[vash]

then you have to try 7 course beef. you order it up, by the number of people. generally funner with more people. you eat with your hands.

tadich grill is great. good suggestion. san francisco bay area is the best place to eat...