PACIFIC HEIGHTS is home to many young urban professionals, largely
residential, and has gathered even more popularity since the movie of
the same name came to the screen. (By the way, the house used in
Pacific Heights is not actually located in Pacific Heights but can
be found on Potrero Hill.) Painted Victorians line street after
street in most of the area which is roughly divided by 'shop till you
drop' Fillmore Street. There are a number of very good restaurants on
Fillmore Street.
THE PALACE OF FINE ARTS was created for the 1915 Panama-Pacific
International Exposition by architect Bernard Maybeck. This beautiful
Greco-Romanesque rotunda with Corinthian colonnades was a central part
of the Expo's grounds. The palace is now home to a hands-on science museum
for curious minds called the Exploratorium. The Exploratorium is free on
the first Wednesday of the month, and every Wednesday between 6-9:30pm.
PRESIDIO HEIGHTS: Big, beautiful estates-- many designed by our best
architects (Willis Polk and Bernard Maybeck). While shopping at
the local market you might see personalities such as actor
Robin Williams, or California senator Diane Feinstein. Well OK maybe not.
But, they do live here.
RUSSIAN HILL: See the crazy crooked street (Lombard at Hyde), of course,
but avoid driving, especially during summer months. Take the Powell-Hyde
Cable Car line, Muni Bus #45 or 41.
SOMA (South of Market Area): Nightclubs, a wide variety of restaurants and
bars are found in this district--formally full of warehouses. Parking at
night can be a *nightmare*--take a cab or the bus. But, don't wander
around on sidestreets, unless you are familiar with the area. The
intersection of 11th and Folsom Streets is a good place to start your
'adventure'-- try the DNA for dancing, Slim's for big-name headliners,
Paradise Lounge (for local up-&-coming bands) and Hamburger Mary's for the
strangest late-night snacks you'll ever run across... SOMA clubs are a
mixture of 'straight', and Gay/Lesbian *and* somewhere in between.
Tolerance is a must. During the day, SOMA has a great variety of art
galleries which are open to the public.
TREASURE ISLAND: The turnabout has an incredible view of the twinkling
lights of the city--go late at night. Treasure Island is accessible by car
from the Yerba Buena Island exit in the middle of the Bay Bridge. The
turnabout is just before the entrance to the naval base. The entire area of
Treasure Island was human built for the 1910 World's Fair.
VAN NESS: Van Ness is the widest street in the city at 142 feet wide. (The
narrowest is DeForest Street at 4-1/2 feet.) If you are looking for a fancy
new car and a movie afterward, this is the place to go. Van Ness has
the highest concentration of new car dealerships and cinemas
in the City--and a high proportion of fast food joints if that is your
pleasure.
MOSCONE CENTER/YERBA BUENA PARK: Conventionland-- very conveniently located
near the main shopping area of Union Square and dozens of excellent
restaurants. Mario Botta's new Museum of Modern Art Building is located
at 3rd and Folsom. MOMA has a very good permanent collection and a great
reputation for interesting visiting shows.
POLK GULCH/TENDERLOIN: In the 70's Polk Street was known for its nightclubs
and bars, but the area has fallen on hard times and is not only sleazy,
it can often be frightening. Best to avoid unless you are cruising for
drugs or *** for money -- neither of which I recommend doing anywhere.
CLEMENT STREET has more restaurants per square-foot than any other city in
the world! But, this street remains a 'neighborhood' in the true sense--
a place people live and work, where you can still get your shoes
re-heeled and your dry cleaning done. Interesting shops line Clement Street.
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The Shopping District includes Union Square, Grant Avenue and Maiden
Lane and crosses Market Street to include San Francisco Centre (Emporium
and Nordstroms). Farther South of Market are many factories and large
discount-type outlets for clothing (Jessica McClintosh and Burlington
Coat Factory are just two).
Discounted tickets to theatrical productions are available at the STBS SF
Ticket Box Office at Union Square. Phone 415/433-7827 for details.
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Restaurant Reviews (provided by various net contributors)
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Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store, 556 Columbus, 362-0536
Great place to sit and people-watch. Cheap wine and
sandwiches. Good view of Washington Square Park.
*Bohemian* atmosphere and clientele...
Little Joe's, 523 Broadway, 433-4343
People used to line up to eat here, but things have
quieted down. Sit at the counter and watch the chefs
cook huge plates of pasta (for low prices).
Enrico's, 504 Broadway
Recently reopened with *upscale* cuisine at fair
prices. Comfortable bar with occasional live music.
The patio is an excellent place to sit and watch
the world go by...
Caffe Sport, 574 Green
The food isn't what it used to be, but if you like garlic and rude
waiters--this is the place to be. Go at lunch when you won't need
reservations and the prices are a bit lower. Pesto here is out of
this world!
Star's, 555 Golden Gate, 415/861-7827
Moderately expensive and always crowded with well dressed locals. Fun
bar (if you've dressed up a bit) and it's always interesting to sit
at the counter and watch the chefs cook.
Angkor Wat, 4217 Geary
Excellent Cambodian food at great prices.
Caffe Macaroni, 59 Columbus
Exceptional Italian food at moderate prices. Small, romantic restaurant.
Sam's Grill, 374 Bush Street
Great grilled fish. Fun place to have a two martini lunch.
Turn-of-the-century decor.
Tadich Grill, 240 California Street
Wonderful old-time decor and perfectly rude waiters. Great
fresh fish (oysters, sand dabs) and sourdough bread. The
bar is fun and you'll probably spend an hour or so sitting
there while you wait for a table.
Hamburger Mary's, 12th & Folsom
Like walking back into 1976... Extremely loud music and
colorful waiters. Good, hearty, inexpensive food (try the 'Meatless
Meaty' or excellent omelets. The bar is still a great place to see the
type of people that give San Francisco a reputation for 'oddities'...
California Pizza Kitchen, 438 Geary
Not bad for a chain and a good stopping place after a hard day of
shopping. Try the Thai Chicken Pizza.
Julie's Supper Club, 1123 Folsom
Great food (waffle fries, polenta, fresh fish, burgers...)!
Great decor (something between a bowling alley and a
bad dream you had about your parents in 1952.) Friday and
Saturday nights are crowded and there is often live music
which is very good. The mixed drinks are divine!
Icon Byte, 9th & Folsom
Gen-X hangout. Free Internet access!
Lulu's, 816 Folsom
Excellent food served family style. Huge platters of garlic
crab and rosemary chicken at moderate prices. Very loud
and very trendy. Hint: eat at the new counter area off to the
left. You'll be in and out much quicker and a little cheaper.
The Zuni Cafe, 1658 Market Street
Mesquite grilled Southwestern cuisine, California Cuisine,
fresh shellfish. Very expensive, very trendy-- but very
popular with locals.
Cha Cha Cha, 1805 Haight
Recently enlarged, popular spot for South American cuisine. Good prices.
Square One, 190 Pacific, 415/788-1110
Contemporary Mediterranean cusine. Moderately expensive. Exceptional
service. Excellent grilled meats and roasted chicken.
Fog City Diner, 1300 Battery, 415/982-2000
Fun, busy--and noisy, with good hearty food. Try the crab cakes and the
mussels. Soups are always exceptional.
Green's at Fort Mason, 771-6222
Reservations essential. Wonderful views of the Bay and Golden Gate Bridge.
World-famous (really!) vegetarian cuisine and Tassahara bread. Free
parking or take a cab.
Caribbean Zone 55 Natoma Street
Dr. Winkie, the owner of Club DV8 and one of SF's most whimsical
business proprietors, asks: what would a restaurant be like if it was
created by a plane wreck in the Caribbean? The answer, in this case, is
excellent, inexpensive and not to be missed. (You might want to take
a cab here if you are unfamiliar with the neighborhood).
La Cumbre, 16th & Valencia
Dirt cheap burritos and tacos --meats cooked over open flame grills.
Excellent food. Tiny, hole-in-the-wall that could be cleaner.
Alejandro's Restaurant, 1840 Clement
Great Spanish food! Fun atmosphere.
Elite Cafe, Filmore Street at California
Creole/Cajun food in a turn-of-the-century recreation. Crawfish and
Oyster bar. Try the Redfish Carolyn. Often long waits--but you can
sit at the counter to save time.
Max's Diner 311 3rd Street
A tribute to the owner's dad (whose name was Max). Revisionist
American cuisine, done better than it ever has been. There's one odd
thing, though: the food is huge! I'm not kidding! Massive
portions, almost ridiculous! Be hungry or share with a friend.
Mel's Diner 3355 Geary Street
Another purveyor of classic American food, served in a 1950's
Californian atmosphere. A history lesson and good food. The
Geary location was featured in George Lucas' 'American Graffiti'.
The Shadows, 1349 Montgomery Street on Telegraph Hill
Great views. French Cuisine. A bit touristy and very expensive.
Ricos, 943 Columbus Avenue
Huge Burritos and other Mexican delights. They have won the San
Francisco salsa competion.
Henry Chung's Hunan Restaurant, 924 Sansome Street
Hot and spicy Hunan-style Chinese food. This Hunan restaurant has a
very distinctive flavor. (The original San Francisco Hunan restaurant.)
Brandy Ho's Hunan Restaurant, 217 Columbus
Good hot and spicy Hunan food. Open late. Try the bean sprout and cucumber
salad and Kung Pao Chicken. (Another branch at 450 Broadway is much
more 'upsale', more expensive--yet serving smaller portions). Order
Medium, or Mild -- hot means *hot*.
Dol Ho, 808 Pacific
Excellent Dim Sum. Good service. Small, family run joint that is often
very crowded. You can order dim sum to go at the front counter by just
pointing to whatever looks good. Prices are very reasonable.
House of Nanking, 919 Kearny Street
'I often wondered why so many people waited in line to get into this small,
Chinese restaurant when the restaurants on either side were empty.
Until I tried it...'
Los Socios, 690 Sacramento Street
'Good Cal-Mex food. Wonderful vegitarian burritos at low low prices.
They have choices of brown rice and whole wheat tortillas too.'
Zarzuela, 2000 Hyde, 346-0800
Tapas bar on Russian Hill. Very popular--recently highly reviewed.
St. Francis Fountain and Candy Store, 2801 24th Street
75 year old soda fountain with tiled floor and booths. |
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