# What's a cool place in San Francisco? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 2, 2001, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cool-place-in-san-francisco/91173 "2001-11-02T18:46:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2001, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cool-place-in-san-francisco/91173/21 "2001-11-03T22:47:09Z")
In terms of suggestions for places, I have to confess that I’m not a big seafood fan. I **did** go down to the wharf with my companion last year (even though she’s not wild about seafood either), but it won’t be high on my list. As for driving, we’re staying at the Hilton downtown, so I hope not to have to use our rental too much. So, **Snooooopy** and **slackergirl** have indicated some interest in **Kyla** ’s suggestion for getting together. Anybody else? I’m going to print out this thread as a mini-Guide book (“The BADs Guide to the BA?”) for my trip. Thanks for the great input everyone! ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cool-place-in-san-francisco/91173/22 "2001-11-04T02:07:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by slackergirl \* > Another favorite thing is the Musee Mecanique at the Cliff House. It’s a collection of antique penny arcade machines. Those are cool, but they also have a nifty wally of photographs of the old Cliff Houses (there have been several destroyed and rebuilt over the years), the Sutro Baths, and some other local landmarks. [http://museemecanique.citysearch.com/](http://museemecanique.citysearch.com/) \*\* Do not miss the Musee Mecanique if you can possibly avoid it. It is one of the most incredible collections of arcade games in the world. The Tadich is the place for seafood. Better than most of the Fisherman’s Wharf tourist traps and lower prices. The swordfish is superb. Don’t miss their famous bloody Marys (they have their own mixer). Although it actually hasn’t been open since the gold rush, it has been operating at one location or the other since _The Civil War_. If you don’t like seafood, then hit John’s Grill. It is where Hashiell Dammett, er… um, Dashiel Hammet penned some of “The Maltese Falcon”. It is a true steak and chop house and though pricey, the food is really great. If you’ve never had dim sum (the legendary Chinese breakfast) make sure to hit Chinatown for a morning snack. It is truly one of the pinnacles of Asian cuisine. I’ll be going overseas about the time you get here so I’ll have to take a pass on meeting you this time. Perhaps you’ll let us know if you come through town again. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cool-place-in-san-francisco/91173/23 "2001-11-04T02:19:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zenster \* > \*\*hit John’s Grill. It is where Hashiell Dammett, er… um, Dashiel Hammet penned some of “The Maltese Falcon”. \*\* I don’t think this is true. I believe that the Hammett/Falcon connection is that Sam Spade has a quick lunch there (he ordered lamb chops) before going off on the wild goose chase that Bridgid O’Shaughnessy springs on him toward the end of the novel and film. Spade also eats at the Garden Court of the Palace Hotel on Market Street and New Montgomery. You can do that too. Caspar Gutman stayed at the Clift Hotel, just a few doors down from the Geary Street Theater, where Joel Cairo had tickets for an evening performance of Shakespeare…Spade found the ticket in his wallet after he knocked him cold and searched his pockets. If you want to do Hammett stuff, I could go on for a LONG time. ---
**Author:** ![highjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed8c4c/32.png) [@highjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/highjack)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cool-place-in-san-francisco/91173/24 "2001-11-04T02:36:38Z")
The City Lights bookstore - home of Beat poetry. Just around the corner from Chinatown. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cool-place-in-san-francisco/91173/25 "2001-11-04T04:33:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ukulele Ike \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Zenster \* > > \*\*hit John’s Grill. It is where Hashiell Dammett, er… um, Dashiel Hammet penned some of “The Maltese Falcon”. \*\* > > I don’t think this is true.\*\* [http://johnsgrill.citysearch.com/4.html](http://johnsgrill.citysearch.com/4.html) “John’s Grill, a San Francisco tradition since 1908 is a must on a visit to San Francisco. This landmark was the setting for the Maltese Falcon novel whose author Dashiell Hammett was a regular and mentioned John’s Grill in his novel.” Close enough for gummit work! ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cool-place-in-san-francisco/91173/26 "2001-11-04T12:53:12Z")
There was a book out in the 80’s called a literary tour of SF. An Amazon search came up with Dashiell Hammett tour by Don Herron. and there are some cool dashiell hammet spots. but the book had things like where hunter s thompson wrote helol’s angels ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cool-place-in-san-francisco/91173/27 "2001-11-04T12:55:14Z")
hell’s angels, a terrible and twisted saga. typing one handed with china bambina on my lap. ---
**Author:** ![DPWhite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d26b3c/32.png) [@DPWhite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPWhite)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cool-place-in-san-francisco/91173/28 "2001-11-04T20:28:47Z")
Since you are not into seafood (and if this is just a holdover from childhood, get over it, because good seafood is very, very good) I second the Sheraton Palace’s Garden Court, very beautiful, almost etheral room. Excellent food. A magical experience. ---
**Author:** ![buddy1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@buddy1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddy1)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cool-place-in-san-francisco/91173/29 "2001-11-04T20:38:28Z")
I haven’t been there in ages…they had the best sanwiches that I remember. Can anyone let meknow if this bar is still around? ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cool-place-in-san-francisco/91173/30 "2001-11-04T21:03:44Z")
I’m up for a get together…date & time? I’d like to second Tommy’s Joynt. Used to hang out there quite a bit when I worked up the street at the Galaxy. If anyone’s interested, you can get food there made from buffalo. (The animal, not the city.) Full bar, etc. I think Lefty O’Doul’s is still around, but the place next door is gone. (I want to say Original Joe’s, but I could be misremembering.) ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cool-place-in-san-francisco/91173/31 "2001-11-05T00:16:45Z")
go to the golden gate bridge, talk in arabic into a large walkey talkey and walk briskly from all authority figures. that’s a good thing to do. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cool-place-in-san-francisco/91173/32 "2001-11-05T01:42:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zenster \* > **"This landmark was the setting for the Maltese Falcon novel whose author Dashiell Hammett was a regular and mentioned John’s Grill in his novel."** “Setting” would mean where the novel, or part of the novel, was set, not the setting where the author wrote the novel. From p. 165 of the current Vintage Crime edition: \*“Hello, Frank. This is Sam Spade…Can you let me have a car with a driver who’ll keep his mouth shut?..To go down the peninsula right away…Just a couple of hours…Right. Have him pick me up at John’s, Ellis Street, as soon as he can make it…” He went to John’s Grill, asked the waiter to hurry his order of chops, baked potato, and sliced tomatoes, ate hurredly, and was smoking a cigarette with his coffee when a thick-set youngish man with a plaid cap set askew above pale eyes and a tough cheery face came into the Grill and to his table… ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cool-place-in-san-francisco/91173/33 "2001-11-05T02:49:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by voguevixen \* > **I’m up for a get together…date & time?** I’m there Friday (well, late Thursday night, actually) through Monday. Saturday would probably work best, since my crazy boss from Tokyo will probably want to go on a bit of a tear Friday night. Of the suggestions thus far, which would be the best for meeting up with people? And I think we found a topic that **Ike** feels strongly about. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cool-place-in-san-francisco/91173/34 "2001-11-05T03:16:43Z")
Since I work second-shift, I couldn’t make a Friday night thing, so I’m definitely voting for Saturday. As for where, heck, I haven’t been to most of these places, so it would be as much an adventure for me as for our out-of-town guest. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cool-place-in-san-francisco/91173/35 "2001-11-05T05:11:00Z")
I can’t make it on a Saturday, so I vote for Friday. Just to be contrary, you understand. (I’m kidding. I actually am working on Sunday.) ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cool-place-in-san-francisco/91173/36 "2001-11-05T16:25:24Z")
It seems **Kyla** and **Snooooopy** [sup]\*[/sup] have a conflict for timing. (Unless Kyla works in a bar worthy of crashing. :D) I guess if it’s going to happen, we should firm up what plans we’re going to make. What timing gives us the most number of attendees? [li]Friday evening[/li][li]Saturday afternoon[/li][li]Saturday evening[/li][li]Sunday afternoon[/li][li]Sunday evening (presumably less wild than the other options)[/li] [sup]\*[/sup]Am I the only one who has to copy & paste Snooooopy’s alias every time I want to use it? ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cool-place-in-san-francisco/91173/37 "2001-11-05T16:44:16Z")
Well, you could write it as Snoo[sup]n[/sup]py. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2001, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cool-place-in-san-francisco/91173/38 "2001-11-05T19:24:33Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Cerowyn \* > \*\*It seems **Kyla** and **Snooooopy** [sup]_[/sup] have a conflict for timing. (Unless Kyla works in a bar worthy of crashing. :D) I guess if it’s going to happen, we should firm up what plans we’re going to make. What timing gives us the most number of attendees? > > [li]Friday evening[/li][li]Saturday afternoon[/li][li]Saturday evening[/li][li]Sunday afternoon[/li][li]Sunday evening (presumably less wild than the other options)[/li] > [sup]\*[/sup]Am I the only one who has to copy & paste Snooooopy’s alias every time I want to use it? \*\* If it would cause you to want to choose a time favorable to me, you can call me plain ol’ **Snoopy**. 🙂 I’m good for all day Saturday and Sunday afternoon. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2001, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cool-place-in-san-francisco/91173/39 "2001-11-06T02:30:44Z")
Am I impatient? Just bumping the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2001, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cool-place-in-san-francisco/91173/40 "2001-11-06T18:24:00Z")
Hmmm… is _this_ how I get to 1000+ posts? Back to back posting in the same thread? A little more information about my schedule: it seems that my boss from Tokyo does want to get together Friday night, so that’s probably out. Are folks up for a Saturday night get together downtown? (Somewhere that I can get clear directions to, preferably.) As I mentioned, first round is on me. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cool-place-in-san-francisco/91173.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-cool-place-in-san-francisco/91173.md?page=3)