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A very classic French bistro, in the original sense of casual eating, not in its current meaning of a pretentious synonym for restaurant. Former mayor Willie Brown, a noted hedonist, has been known...
A very classic French bistro, in the original sense of casual eating, not in its current meaning of a pretentious synonym for restaurant. Former mayor Willie Brown, a noted hedonist, has been known to come here. The scallops provençale are great, as is the traditional onion tart.
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I used to go to Swan's every Saturday (you have to get there around 11AM to beat the rush), and got to being treated on a first name basis, but the family has been running this place since 1946 or...
I used to go to Swan's every Saturday (you have to get there around 11AM to beat the rush), and got to being treated on a first name basis, but the family has been running this place since 1946 or so, and if they still haven't expanded to accomodate the perennial crowd, it means at some level they do not have proper respect for their customers.
The food is impeccably fresh, reasonably priced by San Francisco standards (I know, that's not saying much), and I have no qualms about recommending it. Obviously, their oysters are their forte, but their clam chowder is pretty good, as are their seafood Louis salads and their smoked salmon. I have never tried their soft-shell crab (too lazy to deal with it), but I took my mother once and one of the nephews took the time to shell a freshly cooked lobster for her. If you manage to get in, the service is great.
If you can't make it before the line starts getting really long, I would recommend you get their combo salad (a Louis salad with crab, lobster, prawns and shrimp, served with sourdough bread), easily the best value on the menu (one serving feeds two), and walk a couple of blocks up California Street (going away from the cable car line) to eat in the park.
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Bix
Category:
Restaurants
56 Gold St
San Francisco, California 94133
(415) 433-6300
Bix is one of my favorite places in San Francisco. I was actually planning to go there for dinner tonight but couldn't reserve a seat.. It is tucked away in a tiny alley in the historic Barbary...
Bix is one of my favorite places in San Francisco. I was actually planning to go there for dinner tonight but couldn't reserve a seat.. It is tucked away in a tiny alley in the historic Barbary coast district near the Transamerica pyramid and the Embarcadero. the decoration is 1920s style, but not raffish as the term "speakeasy" would suggest, more like a very relaxed jazz club. There is often a live pianist playing.
At its best, California cuisine, like French Nouvelle Cuisine, is all about top-notch ingredients highlighted, rather than overwhelmed by the preparation. The chef at Bix clearly spends a lot of time sourcing the freshest produce and meats from local organic suppliers. Obviously, the menu changes frequently to accomodate what's available on the markets. You can check it online at www.bixrestaurant.com (annoyingly, Flash is required).
One of my favorites there is the local farm-grown caviar, served on crisp yet melt-in-the-mouth potato pillows and creme fraiche. And the pastry chef is no slouch, his chocolate semifreddo with toffee tiles was to die for, easily the best dessert I've had in San Francisco.
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Pesce is one of the better places in Polk Gulch. It serves Venetian cicchetti (small plates) that are a welcome change from ordinary Italian cooking, as is the dark wood-panelled decor.
Pesce is one of the better places in Polk Gulch. It serves Venetian cicchetti (small plates) that are a welcome change from ordinary Italian cooking, as is the dark wood-panelled decor.
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Watergate
Category:
Restaurants
1177 California
San Francisco, California 94109
(415) 474-2000
I put up a more complete write-up here:
http://www.epinions.com/content_128438537860
I put up a more complete write-up here:
http://www.epinions.com/content_128438537860
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Delessio
Category:
Bakeries
1695 Market St
San Francisco, California 94103
(415) 552-5555
A couple of blocks from the Muni Van Ness station, this Italian bakery and deli has petits fours to die for, if a little expensive.
A couple of blocks from the Muni Van Ness station, this Italian bakery and deli has petits fours to die for, if a little expensive.
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