Ah! Marin! Seems like the best of all worlds!
My daughter lived in Bayview, and it took her longer to get to her job in the Financial District than it did her co-workers from Oakland.
Anyway, taking the ferry to Vallejo shortly.
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Hi, thanks - no I’m in NYC now until Wednesday. Then I’ll fly to San Francisco. I’ll keep you posted!
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Nice . Fog and sweaters
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4:30 ferry to Vallejo cancelled. Lined up for the next.
I remember this place!
Can only wonder what happened.
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Times are getting worse
Wow, that’s a lot of responses.
First, most of the comments here are a small list of the classic restaurants that have defined our scene for the last 30 years. Or more, in the case of Tadich & co. You did ask specifically about local institutions, which is why you’re getting those.
I’m going to recommend you check out the Eater 38. I think Eater’s food writing is up to date, current, and good, and they’ve made a point of writing about 38 whole restaurants, which I’m not going to take the time to do. There’s quite a few of the old classic places like Zuni on the Eater 38 list, and much overlap, but there’s also newer places on that list which might spark your interest. They mention a few places not otherwise mentioned, like Boulevard, which I thought was on the decline in a visit probably 2015 sometime, Eater says they’re back to old form, which if true would make them a strong contender for your visit. They mention a couple of places I’ve been very interested to try, like Anchovy Bar.
You mentioned cocktails, and that’s a strength of san francisco. Bourbon and Branch was way ahead of its time in what we now call craft cocktails. True Laurel is absolutely smashing and on the Eater 38 list.
If you like a drink and want to get on the water for a moment, the correct move is to catch the ferry to Oakland, a famously hard drinking town. If its warm out, there’s nothing better than a drink at the Heinhold’s First and Last Chance. If you like a real dive bar, Merchant’s is within stumbling distance of the ferry. If you like music, see if Yoshi’s is sold out; it’s a great room, and the food and drinks aren’t bad. The only problem with Oakland is the best area is currently Uptown which is a long walk (but a short bike / scoot / uber). You would do well to start at Van Kleef’s. Shiro in the same block is exceptional. Other places, like Starline, Mua, Blind Tiger, are a bit further yet. I also like World Famous Hotboys, it’s a pretty legit nashville hot chicken in a pretty punk environment.
Otherwise, solid move is to take BART or a car to 16th and Mission, and hop between whatever looks good on google. If you are tempted to walk all the way, please don’t. There’s an area called the tenderloin, and a few years ago it was just kinda dirty and druggy, but apparently in the last few years it has gotten entirely out of hand - something about a new kind of meth. As a person who is very comfortable on the streets in oakland, it’s a bit beyond the pale right now.
The mission is kinda spread out, so if you’re comfortable on a scooter or rented bike, that’s the best way. Valencia is a bicycle protected street with a wide special bicycle area. I like Curio, Beretta, Lazlo, El Rio, The Rite Spot, The Lone Palm, Taqueria Vallarta (very authentic). Lazy Bear gets special mention - if you can get a ticket, it’ll be an exceptional experience - they have family style seating, you’ll sit next to people at a big long table - it is a little expensive. I understand they also open their lounge only for drinks at a certain hour. But it’s also true I’ve just picked any place with a decent google rating and it’ll likely be excellent and interesting - I ate at Base Camp a few months ago just picking randomly, and it was very solid nepalese, good fresh taste. I almost argue it’s the best nature of SF dining - vibrant, not hidebound, people coming with new ideas and fresh concepts. Mission Chinese started there (and might still be?). There are neighborhood bars, I’ve got my favorite, I’d drop in at the Uptown see if I remember anyone, or whether they’ve re-opened the Hideaway at Dalva, but admit I don’t know if I’d take a tourist to any of these places without knowing what they like specifically.
Going to Buena Vista after a cable car ride is a tourist thing that is great.
Good luck! Report back.
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Nice! I’m going to try some of that!
Husband has been a big fan of Boulevard for a long time; I believe he rode a ski lift with Nancy Oaks in the early nineties.
We have a lot of history there, especially with the previous pastry chef, but they got the temp on my protein wrong, in spite of my entreaties prior to ordering, so I usually protest when he suggests that. It was many years ago, “BC” ( before covid), but I recall they did “make it good”.
I’ve always found the view of the haves and have nots from the window seats at Zuni intriguing.
Today we started with oysters and ended with cookies, which I did not get a picture of, but we greatly enjoyed them. We passed on the chicken and bread salad today ) , and enjoyed the " paparika sausage with a winter squash puree" and I think a charmoula sauce, and the burger with blue cheese, and those pickled onions and zucchini pickles that I love.
The bread was just right for its “roll” ( 
) and the burger just medium rare without being too rare.
Oh man. I might have to eat the half I brought home before I sleep.
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I second (third) the Zuni recommendation. Although founder Judy Rogers passed away at a tragically young age in 2013, the restaurant is still firing on all cylinders. The chicken is a benchmark.
For influential and legendary restaurants you can’t do much better, with the possible exception of Chez Panisse in Berkeley. A bit of a schlep on BART to get there, but a trip that will be rewarded. I recommend the upstairs cafe rather than the downstairs restaurant.
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Don’t see that very often 
The consensus here nixed any sightseeing or exploring the rest of the BA.
Thanks for sticking up for taking in the beauty of the bay.
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If I had only a day I’d stay in SF too. If you can arrange a few extra days on either side of a work trip, that’s when you’d want to grab the caltrain to stanford after a work day and eat around palo alto, or the bart to fruitvale for a taco crawl, or a long night of drinks in oakland.
I do hope you take my advice about getting down to the mission. If you’re looking for a sunday morningish thing, start at four barrel on Valencia for coffee, one can walk Dolores Park to find the golden fireplug, walk the Clarion Alley murals, see how long the line is at Tartine, see if BiRite will sell you some good pastries and eat them in the park as things warm up. The higher / back / top section of the park actually has a view.
If you and your crew likes a good morning run, do the waterfront. It’s easiest to start at PacBell Park and run north along the waterfront paths until you get tired and loop (if you get to the GGBR you’ll be doing a half marathon). However, it’s all flexible - if you start and/or end at the Ferry Building you can get coffee and a snack on either end. All the brunch places there are good: Town’s End, Delancy Street, South Beach Cafe. If you want old school, def. hit Red’s Java House. I personally always get the egg sandwich with sausage.
But back to the mission - catching some coffee and a good walk in Dolores park is a very native thing to do, where native is defined as 30-something who moved to SF in their mid 20’s for a tech job and now might or might not be employed and is probably married and thinking about moving out of the city b/c of desire for kids but let’s go out with friends to hang at the park this morning because I guess we were at the Midway till midnight even though we called it early because we’re not young anymore.
If you hoof it over to the castro from there, there should be brunch, but for some reason Google isn’t showing that many of the old standard gay places with the excellent eggs benedict and a bloody mary. Maybe Noe is the direction to go for brunch? Or stay in the mission? Not a brunch guy.
If you want to take a longer walk to the far side of the mission, there appear to be 4 alleys of murals near 24th st. Balmy is the original, but Google tells me Horace, Lilac, Cyprus, and Osage alleys also are proud of their murals. I like Precita Cafe for brunch, if you go that way, although it’s small and they don’t have good parklet so you might not get in easily. The taquerias on 24th are definatly not touristy - Vallarta, San Jose, Guadalajara, La Taqueria, Faralito. One has ones favorites, and each place does certain dishes and meats better than others, but they’re all good.
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Farolito, 24th/Alabama location, I always get the chile relleno super burrito with green salsa. You get your $ worth here. It’s easily two meals for me.
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I’ve only been to 24th/Mission, and I do carne asada at that Farolito, even though I’m usually a pork orderer (carnitas or al pastor). They do an excellent job at their carne asada, I’ll usually order a regular. The chile relleno does sound good. No doubt they are huge. If I remember they are also cash only? might have changed.
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Not cash only. I think Alabama might be the only location with chile relleno, I have no idea why. Since I need to drive, park, Alabama is my go to. Even meat loving friends don’t miss meat eating these burritos. Now I want one!
Pacific Cocktail Haven is fun and about 1/2 mile from your hotel.
From the same owner, Kona Street Market is very close to the hotel and about as good. Not sure when PCH is going to start doing their Christmas themed menu again, but hopefully not yet.
Co-sign all the other bar recommendations. I’d add ABV for cocktails and snacks if you get to the Mission. Pagan Idol and Last Rites probably have the most tiki like feel (volcano and crashed plane, respectively), Smuggler’s might have better drinks.
whether they’ve re-opened the Hideaway at Dalva
It’s open again, but my understanding is that it’s switched up a bit, and the fancy cocktails are now up front and the divier stuff is in the back. I believe it’s being run by one of the ABV folks now.
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+1 on Kona’s cocktails. Check out the Red + Blue, an ube flavored rum drink with salted whipped cream if you go there. I also went to PCH a little while back for the first time since they moved after the fire, the new space is quite nice and the cocktails were as good as I remember them. They have a small patio out front now too.
Also near that general area (Union Square) Rye Bar is currently doing a “Shining” themed popup if you’re feeling the Halloween spirit.
+1 ABV, they also have good food, good burger and also fried cauliflower
Pagan Idol, Last Rites, and also Zombie Village in the Tenderloin (same owners as Pagan Idol) do have a very tiki ambiance but I also think that Smuggler’s Cove has better drinks on the whole and also more variety. Smuggler’s also has a very large rum selection if you just want to have some rum.
Some of my favorite cocktail bars:
Pacific Cocktail Haven aka PCH (Union Square)
Trick Dog (Mission)
True Laurel (very good food as well including tempura fried maitake mushrooms and a great patty melt, from 2 Michelin * Lazy Bear’s owners, also just around the corner from Trick Dog if you feel like doing a mini cocktail crawl).
Smuggler’s Cove (Hayes Valley)
Stookey’s Club Moderne (Union Square/Tenderloin) - cool art deco bar with classic cocktails
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Chron put out a good article on the best dim sum in the bay, which included two specific dim sum spots in Chinatown and one in embarcadeo center, along with the yank sings.
Sorry for not including a link, i couldn’t find a share button in the app
re cocktails, we really do have it well. for example, down by that hotel you have mourad and flytrap, both of whom serve good drinks. boulevard always used to be an under rated bar scene. its pretty easy to scope out which restaurants care, and then which bar tenders care (sometimes you have someone filling in). I recently went to a central American place near city hall and they had good stock and an attentive bartender.
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Chile relleno burritos are pretty widely available. Pancho Villa on 16th St, half a block west of Mission, does a quintessential one,
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I don’t really object to Frisco, because it has historical roots going back to the Gold Rush. Herb Caen’s campaign against it was mainly about his own status anxiety (middle-class kid from Sacramento hobnobbing with the rich and famous of San Francisco); “Frisco” was, and remains, more popular among working-class folks, and the elite here have always looked down on it.
“San Fran”, of course, is a crime against the City.
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