With well over three thousand
restaurants crammed onto the
small peninsula, and scores of
bars and cafés open all day,
eating
in San Francisco is never
difficult. Eating is
the
culture in this town, with
excellent food often at modest
prices. Be warned, though - San
Francisco closes early, and
you'll be struggling to get
served much after 10pm.
Mexican
food is big in the Mission,
Italian
places abound in North Beach,
and, of course, Chinatown
naturally has plenty of
Chinese
, while
Japan Center -
the heart of Japantown, located
at Post between Geary, Laguna
and Fillmore, a mile west of
Union Square - boasts a few fine
Japanese places. In
health-conscious San Francisco
you'll find
vegetarian
entrees on every menu and quite
a few entirely vegetarian
restaurants. With the vineyards
of Napa and Sonoma Valley on the
city's doorstep, quality
wines
have a high profile in most San
Francisco restaurants. State law
prohibits
smoking in all
restaurants, cafés and bars, as
evidenced by crowds of people
puffing illicitly on the
pavements.
Downtown
Aqua 252 California St tel
415/956-9662. The city's best
seafood restaurant (and some
say, best restaurant, period)
with an amazing wine list. Open
for lunch and dinner, make
reservations and bring your
credit card: a meal here won't
be cheap....
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The Marina, Embarcadero,
Fisherman's Wharf, North Beach
and Chinatown
Café Marimba 2317 Chestnut St
tel 415/776-1506. Not a bad
choice if you're down in the
Marina district, Marimba tries
to replicate authentic Mexican
regional cuisine, achieving
excellent salsas and moles.
Packed with young...
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Civic Center, Tenderloin,
SoMa and the Mission
Asia SF 201 9th St tel
415/255-2742. More of an
"experience" than a
restaurant, this only-in-San
Francisco spot features an
all-drag-queen staff who put on
a nightly revue. Though it can't
compete with the show, the
food's not half bad,...
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The Castro, Haight-Ashbury
and Japantown
Axum Café 698 Haight St tel
415/252-7912. Neighborhood
coffee shop where you can chow
down on well-made Ethiopian
specialties in a relaxed, homey
atmosphere. Cha Cha Cha 1805
Haight St tel 415/386-5758.
Bright, colorful, noisy...
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The Sunset and Richmond
Beach Chalet 1000 Great Hwy tel
415/386-8439. A combination
brewpub and restaurant located
in a pretty WPA-era building,
with Lucien Labaudt murals and
mosaics, along the windy
stretches of Ocean Beach. Coriya
Hot Pot City 852...
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Late-night eating
For that midnight snack or 3am
binge, check out the following
24-hour dependables. Allstar
Donuts 2095 Chestnut St at
Steiner, Marina (tel
415/441-9270). Bagdad Café 2295
Market St at 16th, Castro (tel...
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