Out near Chimney Rock in Pt. Reyes NS we’re getting hundreds of Elephant Seals too, so you could even see both in the same trip! (December on)
They do an amazing steak sandwich, too. I’ve hardly touched most of the stuff on their menu, because when I go there, I can’t pass up the opportunity to get the sandwich again.
It is fantastic. I love Sol Food, but the steak sandwich, while tasty 
, is not something I could eat again without serious risk of my arteries starting to look like a tub of margarine.
Here is another who heartily recommends Sol Food. For me, it is about the pork with black beans and the roast chicken. The Cuban sandwich is pretty good as well but I like to order in order to have leftovers for breakfast.
Psycat, I currently live about four blocks from Japantown (now known as the Fillmore Jazz District). In fact, I can see the pagoda from my apartment window…
Avoid the bar, O Izakaya, in the Kabuki Hotel. It used to be spectacular but the chef, Nick Balla, opened a better place in the Mission called Nombe. It is one of my Top 5 restaurants in the city.
Up Fillmore Street are great places to dine:
Grove - Good for breakfast
La Boulange - Good for breakfast or lunch (I love their Nicoise salad)
S.P.Q.R. - STUNNING Roman small plates. Probably the best restaurant on the street.
La Mediteranee - Very good Middle Eastern for the price (inexpensive)
Fresca - Peruvian. Not my favorite.
Dosa - Expensive, fancy Indian. GREAT bar for cocktails with over 30 types of Gin.
Woodhouse Fish Co. - Unpretentious and quality fish, both fried and grilled. Good oysters too.
Elite Cafe - Upscale Southern food (think shrimp & grits). Better for weekend brunch than for dinner.
Thai Stick on Fillmore - Avoid. (Let me know if you want Thai, there is a very good one in JTown)
Chouquet - Unpretentious French. Nice, fresh ingredients.
Florio - Quality comfort food; roast chicken, good steaks, nice atmosphere. Pricey for what it is.
Osaka Japanese - Avoid
Ten-Ichi - Okay sushi on Fillmore. There are better sushi places in JTown.
Via Veneto - High quality Italian. Too expensive for my taste when there is better Italian in North Beach.
Citizen Cake - Opening this weekend. I’ll report back…
Jackson Fillmore Trattoria - Very small, always crowded Italian. Great pasta.
India Palace - Good neighborhood Indian. Not fancy or anything. Just decent.
Pizza Inferno - Avoid.
Rassella’s - Ethiopian PLUS a Jazz Club. Interesting Scene.
Aunt Sheba’s - Also Ethiopian plus piano bar. Less authentic than Rassella’s.
Yoshi’s - VERY expensive, fancy “Japanese” with Jazz Club.
1300 Fillmore - Like Elite Cafe, fancy Southern. Mediocre and the bar is atrocious.
Pride of the Mediterranean - Hookah Bar. AVOID THE FOOD!!!
Hope this helps…
Double post…
Speaking of things mangled by Americanization…
Thanks Fried Dough Ho! Excellent information, I’ll keep it for future city visits.
We ate at O Izakaya a couple of years ago during Beer Week since they did a pairing dinner on one of the nights. It was OK then, but nothing to write home about. No plans to return.
I doubt we’ll eat in Japantown though, just sleeping there because a jdv hotel has a rate of 75 bucks and offered discounted tix to the Academy.
That’s not the actual name, but maybe Tamerlane has the same problem I do - my laptop keyboard doesn’t have an easy way to make ñs. (To get that one, I had to copy and paste.)
It may, I’m just way to lazy to bother ;).
If it makes you feel better Nava, I did take a year of Spanish back somewhere in the 17th century and do visualize the tilde in my head when thinking of the name :D.
Just a quick note to say that I got a job today and will be moving to Napa in the next few weeks. Unlikely I’ll be in the city that week before Christmas, but you never know. I’ll try and check back but I have a feeling I’ll be in the throws of either packing or un-packing boxes…
Have fun everyone!
Hijacking slightly… I’ll be in San Fran from thursday the 18th until the end of the month, mostly doing the NaNoWriMo tourist thing.
Will make sure to check this thread while I’m in town for ideas.