STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

luckylily · Gucci

San Francisco - places to eat or shop

mikacat · Coach

I highly recommend Delfina. We were in San Fran two years ago and I read about it in a review in Town and COuntry Magazine and it was really wonderful and pretty reasonable. It was one of our fav meals out there. It is kind of a small, intimate artsy place with fabulous food. I have seen several reviews for it since we ate there in different mags and papers. From the moment chef Craig Stoll and his partner, Anne Spencer, opened Delfina in the Mission District, the praise from both local and national foodies came flooding in. The short, seasonal, farmer’s-market-driven menu takes its cue from simple, regional Italian dishes which allow the talent of the kitchen and the essence of the ingredients to shine through. Making regular appearances on the starters list are a superb insalata del campo, boasting a stand-up aged balsamic dressing, toasted walnuts and bitter greens; and a plate of succulent, grilled calamari resting on frisee and warm white beans. Rustic pastas, like ravioli plumped with spinach and locally made ricotta or toothy ribbons of pappardelle tossed with tender chunks of slow-cooked lamb shoulder, make up about half the entrée list. Meat and fish command the remainder, with handsome entrées like roast chicken with mashed Yukon Gold potatoes and Niman Ranch steak with crispy, well-salted fries. The mid-sized, mid-priced wine list is stocked with tasty bottles, each of which the servers would be happy to discuss at length. Delfina’s success is evidenced in the nightly line of well-dressed diners lining up outside the door hoping to get the few coveted walk-in tables. Prime-time weekend reservations may require a call over a month in advance. But take the 5:30 p.m. reservation if you must; the classy-yet-casual, industrial-inspired, butter-yellow room can get quite noisy by 8 p.m.

Here is a link for a sample menu.

Call the restaurant:
(415) 552-4055 Get driving directions from MapQuest
Delfina - San Francisco, CA (Restaurant)
3621 18th St., San Francisco, CA 94110

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000063AJR/002-1737366-6446423?v=glance

-- Edited by mikacat at 09:44, 2005-08-31

sfcaligirl · Dooney & Bourke

i second the delfina recommendation! it's one of my favorite restaurants in the city. if you go there, also check out tartine, the most incredible bakery in SF (or anywhere for that matter!). it's right next door to delfina and the pastries/cakes are definitely worth waiting in line for.

delfina and tartine are in the mission district- a lot of the best restaurants in the city can be found in that neighborhood so i recommend starting there. limon is excellent peruvian (try their ceviche!), andalu is great for small plates, luna park is yummy (they have the best mac and cheese and they have s'mores for dessert!), and tokyo a go go has fantastic sushi. there are also a million great taquerias in the mission too.

other suggestions: i've heard that the slanted door (in the ferry building at the embarcadero) is excellent, although i've never been. they feature creative vietnamese cuisine. betelnut (on union street) is great asian fusion and their drinks are fantastic.

as far as cool boutiques go, i would check out union street, hayes street, or haight street- depending on your style.

union street (not to be confused with union square which is the major shopping center with all of the deparment stores and chain stores) has a pretty good variety of boutiques- some funky, some more classic. one place that you must check out is my roommate's closet. it's actually on fillmore (but very close to union street) and it's a boutique outlet! beautiful clothing at amazing prices. a funky place on union is LF. ambiance carries great stuff, but it's serioulsy overcrowded.

hayes street (in hayes valley) has some great boutiques, but most of them are very pricey. check out dish, gimme shoes, and azalea. there are a few others and i can't remember their names, but everything is concentrated on just a few blocks (most of the good stuff is on hayes between octavia and laguna).

haight street is super funky. there's another ambiance there, but i'm a bigger fan of jax, shoe biz, american apparel, and villian's vault.

oh man, now i want to go eat and shop! have a great time in SF!!!