San Francisco Restaurants / November 2003 #4 - ADVENTURES

Chinatown (south to north & east to west - approximately):
--------------South Border of Chinatown is Bush Street (start of Union Square)-------------- 
s to n: Pine - California - Sacramento - Clay - Washington - Jackson - Pacific - Broadway 
Old St. Mary's Cathedral - 660 California/Grant & Stockton 288-3800 
Chinatown Kite Shop - 717 Grant/Sacramento 989-5182 - SFW 5/03 --- www.chinatownkite.com 
The Wok Shop 718 Grant 989-3797 - cooking supplies 
Eastern Bakery 720 Grant/Sacramento 392-4497 "best & oldest Chinese bakery in US - 1924" SFW 5/02 
Far East Flea Market 729 Grant 989-8588 gifts 99 
Gold Mountain Sagely Monastery 800 Sacramento 421-6117 - functioning Zen Buddhist monastery
Clarion Music Center 816 Sacramento/Grant 391-1317 "exotic musical instruments SFW 5/00" 
Little House 891 Sacramento  (fine cheap continental)

Clay/Grant - "best historical street corner (Grant is city's oldest street)
827 Grant - Capt Wm Richardson pitched tent June 1835, later he replaced with city's first wooden dwelling 
Jade Empire - 835 Grant - I liked - beads, tiaras, coins 
Empress of China 838 Grant/Clay 434-1345 - sixth floor cocktail lounge, VIEWs of Chinatown & Nob Hill - 1940s / celebrities -- Bg 7/02 
Portsmouth Square (1839 - faced onto Yerba Buena Cove) 
1/2 block bellow Clay @ Commercial - where cargo was unloaded after being hauled uphill from the sea wall at Montgomery St
Waverly Place - from Sacramento to Washington - Dashiell Hammett's "Dead Yellow Women" - wrough-iron balconies
Tin Hou Temple - 125 Waverly Place - Buddhist & Taoist 
Li-Po Lounge 916 Grant/Washington 982-0072 2pm-2am "venerable saloon - sailor hangout in Barbary Coast days - SFW 5/00 & BG 7/03"<--- 
Ten Ren Tea Company - 949 Grant/Washington 362-0656 - SFW 5/04 - www.tenren.com 
Tung Tai Ginseng 1142 Grant --- ginseng teas BG 7/01 
Silver Restaurant 737 Washington/Stockton 433-8888 --- 24-hour Dim Sum BG 99 
Chinese American Telephone Exchange Bldg 743 Washington - closed 1949 (now Bank of Canton) 
Sam Woh 813 Washington (three flights up) 982-0596 - open late, congee & century eggs breakfast (Herb Caen & hippies) 
King Tin (Hong Kong)  826 Washington 982-8228,-7855  daily
Sun Wah Kue 848 Washington (fine cheap cont)  daily
Lucky Creation  854 Washington  veg, gluten  noWed Gary Wolf SFwkly 10/21/92 recommends
Sam Bo Trading Co - 14 Ross Alley (Washington & Jackson, Grant & Stockton) 397-2998 - offering papers 

R & G Lounge 631 Kearny/Clay 982-7877 "best Chinese SFW 5/00" 
Chinese Historical Society 750 Kearny/Clay & Washington 986-1822 Tu-Sun + walks <-------------- 
Great Star Theater 636 Jackson 982-6645 "best Hong Kong movies BG 96" 
Pearl City lighter fresher Dim Sum 641 Jackson daily 9-3   SFWkly 7/10/91
Great Eastern 649 Jackson/Kearny After MIDNIGHT Hong Kong 98 / SFW 5/03 
+Ping Yuen  650 Jackson (fine cheap cont)  daily
Sam Lok  655 Jackson/Kearny    authentically greasy Sichuan  SFW 2/98
Tung Shing Trading Co - 734 Jackson 291-9528 TEAs 1997 
Woh Hei Yuen Park - Powell between Jackson & Pacific 

PARKING 728 Pacific 
Asia Garden 772 Pacific 398-5112   Dim Sum (chandeliers, glitter) with Chris 7/95
Tung Fong 808 Pacific 362-7115   Dim Sum (smaller) - this is where Mimi's raved about Dau Hau was 
*Hong Kong Tea House   835 Pacific 391-6365   Dim Sum
Dim Sum: Gold Mtn ("best 97") 644 Broadway/Columbus, Hang Ah 1 Pagoda Place/Sacto, Lichee Gdn 1416 Powell/Broadway,
               Meriway 728 Pacific/Stockton, Oriental Pearl 760 Clay/Grant - Feb2001, Hang Ah Tea House - 1 Hang Ah 982-5686 
               + Delicious 752 Jackson, Dick Lee 777 Jackson, Gourmet Kitchen 1051 Stockton, House of 735 Jackson, 
               Kowloon Veg 909 Grant, Grand Palace 950 Grant 982-3705, Louie's 242 Stockton + Louie’s  1014 Grant Ave 
Little Paris  939 Stockton/Clay & Washington   (fine cheap continental) 
Canton Tea House 1108 Stockton 982-1030   Dim Sum
Obrero Hotel B&B 1208 Stockton 989-3930

Cafe Niebaum-Coppola  916 Kearny   BG 4/99 (Sentinel bldg - Zoetrope)
(TRY! House of Nanking  919 Kearny 412-1429   daily  SF Wkly 6/90:great - BG7/91:crowds - best Chinese BG 7/00 
           SFwk 10/21/92 "crowds of tourists but deserves it"  (across from Coppolla’s doomed Zoetrope)
Chef Jia’s  925 Kearny/Pacific daioy Hunan & Mandarin   BG 9/9/92 Janet Hazen liked
* Franthai  939 Kearny  ("hot" Thai)  cheap!  daily (nr No Beach) (+BG 6/90) poor service
Lusty Lady 1033 Kearny 391-3991 / 391-3126 legendary peep show - backstage tour every December - 2003 became a coop

La Moone  533 Jackson/Columbus 392-1999   FUSION   SFW 4/99 
mc2 470 Pacific 956-0666 French by French 3/02 "stunning setting" 
Thomas Cara 517 Pacific 781-0383 - father was first Italian espresso machine retailer in SF 
Cafe Prague   584 Pacific/Columbus  Prague Czech cafe   SFW 5/02 Best of   <-------------<

-NEW: Banducci’s 391 Broadway closed Sun
The Helmard (Afghan)  430 Broadway 362-0641    no Sun  Bay Food 2/90-17  &  SFW 12/00 rave "best mideast 2001" 
Broadway Studios - 435 Broadway/Kearny - old timey jazz dance Tuesday nights 505-8530 --- http://www.oldtimey.net/tuesdays.html
Amusement Center 447 / 459 Broadway 398-8858 - classic arcade games -- BG 7/02 & SFW 5/03 & BG 7/03 - Mr. DO! 
Glow  (was Vanessi’s) 498 Broadway   SFW 1/01
Black Cat  501 Broadway/Kearny 981-2233 --> French bistro BG 7/01 
Enrico's 504 Broadway 982-6223 classic Al Fresco patio Ital + heaters + dessert to midnight "popular + kumquat caipiroshka 2001" 
- Try New  Dar Tunis  536 Broadway (Tunisian)  SFWkly 2/91 liked 
Big Al's - 556 Broadway 391-8510 "best adult videos BG 7/02" 
Sweet World 601 Broadway 989-1228 - ice cream in unusual flavors BG 7/02 
Update Gift Shop 607 Broadway/Grant 989-1551 "best Pokeman store SFW 5/00" 

North Beach (Pacific, then e to w along Broadway & then N):  (great for poster shops) 
s to n: Pacific - Broadway - Vallejo - Green - Union 
SOUTH OF BROADWAY: 
YaYa Cuisine 663 Clay/Montgomery  434-3567 daily  Fertile Crescent  rave SFW7-9/98 
Redwood Park 600 Montgomery St/Clay St 283-1000 expensive! Chef George Morrone who got Fifth Floor 4stars but not sez SFFocus 5/02 
Vertigo 600 Montgomery St (Transamerica Pyramid) 433-7250 2002 
Foster-Gwin Antiques - 38 Hotaling (1/2 block east of Montgomery) 397-4986 - rare Mediterranean furniture & art 
Elisabeth Daniel 550 Washington/Montgomery  & SFW 12/00 oldie $$$ special occasion 
$$ Cypress Club  500 Jackson at Montgomery 296-8555    decor   rave 91 "most romantic 95"    great desserts BG 93 & 98 + Monday night sing-alongs 

Ristorante Gondola  15 Columbus noSun  Venetian   BG 2/01 
Cafe Macaroni 59 Columbus 956-9737 "European feel BG 7/00" 
Advance Camera 118 Columbus 772-9025 "repairs cameras (Russian guy) - 97" 
PARKING: Columbus, south of City Lights 
Tosca Cafe 242 Columbus 986-9651 "first date - opera arias on the jukebox - longstemmed glasses + capuccino BG 95" 
The Dreaming Room 245 Columbus/Broadway 788-7882 art from 45 countries $$$ ad BG 7/00 
Specs' - 12 Saroyan (an alley behind 250 Columbus) 421-4112 SFW 5/00 "one of oldest saloons in SF" 
Vesuvio Cafe 255 Columbus 362-3370 famous boho bar 
Jazz at Pearl's 256 Columbus 291-8255 - "legendary jazz club recently reopened" 
City Lights Books 261 Columbus 362-8193
Alfred Schilling 270 Columbus/Broadway 362-7210 noMon to 10pm (the chocolatier) cafe mocha rave 5/00 / 
----------------- sm plates, stylish, interesting decor, but not a food rave 1/03 & 5/03 

ALONG BROADWAY: 
Vietnam 620 Broadway/Columbus After Midnight 
- Try! Emperor Herbal (Chinese healthy)  626 Broadway
Hing Ming Aquarium & Pet Shop 660 Broadway/Stockton & Grant 399-0164 "best goldfish store SFW 5/00" 
- TRY NEW: Hing Lung (unusual Chinese) 674 Broadway/Stockton 398-8838 daily "best jook - SFW 5/00" 

Yuet Lee   1300 Stockton/Broadway 982-6020    SEAFOOD  Gdn 1/92    & SFW 8/01 rave
            shrimp chow fun / mussels w black bean sauce hot & spicey+ to 3 am cash only ----to 3am 
 Victoria Pastry Co. 1362 Stockton/Vallejo 781-2015 "best European-style bakery SFW99" ---- where I got the Zuccato
East West Books 1435 Stockton
BEST PARKING North Beach & Chinatown - 735 Vallejo/Stockton 399-9564 - SFW 5/04 - fortune cookie sayings 
 
Ocean King  684 Broadway   SEAFOOD  Gdn 1/92
Des Alpes 732 Broadway (Basque-still there)  SEAFOOD  Gdn 1/92
Wing Wah  785 Broadway (nr Powell)  daily
Han Palace Fine Arts 1165 Powell/Jackson 788-5338 "museum-quality Chinese antiquities SFW 5/00" <-------- 
Imperial Tea Court 1411 Powell/Broadway 788-6080 "best tea house" Chinese decor 60 TEAs SFW best ofs 99 + 5/02 + 2003 <--------- 

NORTH OF BROADWAY: 
Tavolino (Basque Hotel) 15 Romolo/Brdwy&Vallejo, nr Columbus 392-1472 Italian - Venetian ciccheti/small plates11/98 & 9/99
The Stinking Rose  325 Columbus/nr Vallejo   Gdn 3/92
The Steps of Rome 348 Columbus 397-6261 - cafe (flirtacous waiters)
---> Mona Lisa  353 Columbus 989-4817(Jolene)
Columbus Cutlery 358 Columbus 362-1342 "best knife sharpener BG 99 + SFW 5/04 " 
Molinari's Deli 373 Columbus 421-2337 "one of best delis 95" - take lunch to Vesuvio to eat
Pinocchio 401 Columbus/Vallejo 392-1472 Italian "best for - polenta con funghetti" SFW 5/02

Caffe Trieste 601 Vallejo/Grant 392-6739 - + show Saturday ca 2pm - 5:30pm ---www.caffetrieste.com 
Truly Mediterranean 627 Vallejo 362-2636 "best shawarma BG 7/03" 
Powell's Place #2 - 708 Vallejo/Stockton & Powell 863-1404 "best soul food breakfast SFW 5/00 - owned by cop" 
 
Panelli Bros Delicatessen 1419 Stockton 421-2541 daily since 1934 "best family-owned deli in N Beach BG94" 
North Beach Museum - 1435 Stockton 391-6210 Mon-Sat - 1984 
A. Cavalli Italian Bookstore 1441 Stockton 421-4219 Mon-Sat "best place to buy Italian books, newspapers, magazines, music BG 95" 

Caffe Puccini  411 Columbus 989-7033   to 1am  "best tiramisu- BG 98"
Caffe Greco 423 Columbus 397-6261 - cafe 
North Beach Cutlery 427 Columbus/Stockton 982-7725 "best knives - SFW 5/02" 
Calzone's 430 Columbus 397-3600 - cozy upstairs big windows view 
Hotel Boheme (was? Millefiori Inn) - 444 Columbus 433-9111 - B&B in Victorian 
Stella Bakery 446 Columbus/Green & Vallejo 986-2914 "best bakery" SFW 5/02 
Z Cioccolato - 474 Columbus/Green 395-9116 - "best candy SFW 5/04" 

Maykadeh (Persian) 470 Green 362-8286 daily  SFW 10/97 & SFW 7/01 & "best" SFW 5/02 
Bocce Cafe   478 Green/Grant   5/00
101 Basement - 513 Green/Grant 392-6368 "best used vinyl but not alphabetized SFW 99" 
Columbus Cafe 562 Green 291-0818 "best happy hour BG readers 7/00 - best bar for heterosexuals BG 7/02 " 
Caffe Sport 574 Green St/bet Columbus & Grant 981-1251 seafood 
O’Reilly’s Irish Pub & Rest  622 Green/Stockton   SFW 3/99 music, Irish breakfast
Natalini Flowers 641 Green/Columbus 421-0424 "best florist SFW 99" 

Green Street Mortuary - 649 Green 433-5092 - city's last mortuary band BG 95 
Beach Blanket Babylon - Club Fugazi - 678 Green/Powell 421-4222 --- www.beachblanketbabylon.com
-------------------- & celebrity handprints on sidewalk 
Anthony's 1701 Powell/nr Green 391-4488 LOBSTER seafood 
SF Rock Poster - 1851 Powell 956-6749 --- www.sfrockposter.com 

Toko Arts 1314 Grant/Green & Vallejo 397-2323 - I liked - I kept card 
--------------- furnishings from recycled wood, Mike Leon jewelry, mobiles, Balinese kites "gorgeous shop" SFW 11/01 
Ideale  1315 Grant  391-4129
Showbiz - 1318 Grant/Green & Vallejo 989-6744 - movie posters, sheet music SFW 11/01 
La Bodega  1337 Grant 433-0439      flamenco  94/95      8-11pm shows 
Old Vogue 1412 Grant 392-1522 "smoking jackets BG 99" 
101 Music 1414 Grant/Green 392-6369 - also vintage concert posters 
In Solent 1418 Grant/Green 788-3334 "best shoe boutique SFW 99" + saw ad 5/00 
Ooma - 1422 Grant 627-6963 "best jewelry BG 7/03" 
Donna 1424 Grant 397-4447 - classic European clothes 
Savoy Tivoli 1434 Grant 362-7023 - cafe + Al Fresco 
Grand 1435 Grant 951-0131 - clothes for clubbers - sleek & synthetic 
Quantity Postcards 1441 Grant/Green & Union 788-4455 "best postcard store SFW 5/00" 
Yone - 478 Union/Grant 986-1424 BEADS M, Tu, Th, F, Sat 
Ristarose 1453 Grant 781-8559 - funky duds / bridal gowns 
Cafe Jacqueline 1454 Grant/Green 981-5565 "New French" noMonTu (dessert souffles rave 97") - "best romantic - 97 & BG 7/02"

Mara's Italian Pastry - 503 Columbus 397-9435 
Dianda's Italian-American Pastry - Columbus/Green 989-7745 desserts: rum cake 
L’Osteria del Forno 519 Columbus/Green   982-1124  Italian tiny Focus Oct 92  SFW 6/94 "SFW 5/00 best Italian"
Abitare 522 Columbus 392-5800 gifts SFW 12/02 
Little Joe's 523 Columbus 982-7639 classic (40 years - rave BG 99) 
Caffe Roma 526 Columbus 296-7942 - cafe 
Rose Pistola  532 Columbus/n of Green   399-0499 daily Italian (nw-Ligurian) best cioppino SFW 5/03 Reed Hearon (Lulu, Cafe Marimba) 
Il Pollaio 555 Columbus (across from Dixie Cafe) Ital fast food, cheap
Rist. Castellucci  561 Columbus/n of Green    BG 11/20/91
Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store 566 Columbus/Union 362-0536 "best sandwiches - meatball SFW 5/00"

** Gira Polli 659 Union/Columbus  434-4472 daily   (Jolene) roasted chicken
Cold Mine - 663 Union/Columbus 398-2653 - ice cream - SFW 5/04
Little City  673 Union/Powell  "famous for antipasti"
UFO, Bigfoot & Crop Circles Museum 709 Union/Powell 974-4339 -------- 97 
Pena Pacha Mama   1630 Powell/Union 646-0018 - Sukay plays here - noMonTu  / Sun brunch SFW 7/02 + BG 7/03 ---www.penapachamama.com

Around Washington Square Park and north - bound by Union, Stockton, Filbert, Powell :
Flor d'Italia - 601 Union/Stockton 986-1886 "America's oldest Italian restaurant - 1886" ad 7/03 --- www.fior.com 
Iluna Basque - 701 Union/Powell 402-0011 - Tapas - SFW 5/04 - www.ilunabasque.com 
Aria - 1522 Grant 433-0219 - one-off ornaments, vintage photos, paintings, crystal jewelry 2004 
Macchiarini Creative Jewelry 1529 Grant 982-2229 - father designed model of Emperor Norton & African & tribal-theme jewelry in early 1900s 
Slips' - 1534 Grant 362-5652 "best linen store - upscale BG 7/01" - gone? 
Asia Galleries - 1534 Grant 392-9127 - "Buddhist artifcats & Asian antiques" 
Columbine 1541 Grant/Union & Filbert - 434-3016 "plant & taxidermy insects BG 99" 2004
MAC 1543 Grant 837-1604 - "Modern Appealing Clothing" - gorgeous locally designed + 2004
Jianna  1548 Stockton/Union & Green   daily  gourmet creative romantic    SFW 10/00
Film Yard 1610 Stockton 392-4255 - video store like Le Video - BG 7/02 
Caffe Malvina 1600 Stockton 391-1290 - cafe 
Moose’s  1652 Stockton/Union 989-7800     BG 10/99 desserts 
Washington Square Inn - 1660 Stockton 981-4220 - B&B 
Liguria Bakery 1700 Stockton/Filbert 421-3786 "best focaccia SFW 99" + SFW  5/02 "Best Foccacia"
Mama's 1701 Stockton 362-6421 "best breakfast BG 95" "packed on weekends" 
Gourmet Guides 1767 Stockton/Filbert & Greenwich - 391-6903 - cookbooks & travel books 1984 - gone? 

Laurel's - 258 Chestnut 441-5952 - clothing & collectibles from around the globe, cozy, glass, Tiffany lamps, kaleidoscopes 1993 

Telegraph Hill (Coit Tower): 
Jack Early Park - tiny beautifully landscaped VIEW of Bay (built 1962-1987 by Jack Early) - Grant/Chestnut & Francisco (up Chestnut & turn left) 
other way up (from the east): Filbert Steps - Sansome & Filbert 

to the northwest 
Da Flora Ostaria Venexiana 701 Columbus/Filbert 981-4664 romantic RAVE SFW 5/03 - cat on each table 
X0X Truffles 754 Columbus 421-4814 --- SFW 99 & 5/00 & 12/02 
San Francisco Art Institute 800 Chestnut (1 block west of Columbus)/Leavenworth & Jones 771-7020 - terrace with VIEW of fireworks at Pier 39 - walk thru main entrance and keep going until you hit the roof - 24 hours + "best place to pee in North Beach" 
Rosalie's New Looks 782 Columbus/Greenwich 397-6246 "best place for wigs SFW 5/00" 
Buca Giovanni  800 Greenwich  noSun     Ital  SFW 9/90 "best Italian" - WELL 92 
The Brazen Head 3166 Buchanan/Greenwich 921-7600 "one of best bars SFW 5/00 + good food, out of the way" 
Cobb's Comedy Club 915 Columbus Ave 928-4320 

*** Albona (Istrian) 545 Francisco St/Taylor 441-1040  noSunMon  Italian 
Zax 2330 Taylor/Columbus & Francisco 563-6266 -- noSunMon    7/19/00 SFFocus 5/02 "elegant"
Club Bien Bien 385 Bay/Mason 399-955 "best multilingual karaoke rooms BG 96" 

to the southwest Russian Hill (= north of Broadway Tunnel)
Macondray Lane - setting for Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City 
1652-56 Taylor - survived quake
Broadway between Taylor & Jones = best place to watch the moonrise
1067 Green/Jones & Leavenworth - octagonal house that survived
1013 Vallejo/Taylor - home of architect Willis Polk 
VIEW - from Jones & Vallejo, east up Vallejo, go up steep alley marked "Not a through st" ---> tree-lined steps down to North Beach 
apartment building - 1048 Union/Jones & Leavenworth - VIEW + "one of 5 best vestibules - SFW 00" 
Filbert from Hyde to Leavenworth - one of steepest hills 
Jones from Green to Greenwich - one of steepest hills & where Steve McQueen in Bullitt raced his Mustang downhill 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 

to the east towards Embarcadero (north of Embarcadero Center (Clay St):
Yank Sing 427 Battery/Clay 362-1640 upscale decor Dim Sum (gone?) 
Punchline 444 Battery 397-0644 - comedy club 
Antonio's - 701 Sansome/Jackson 781-1737 - furniture restorer/antiques 
Bix - 56 Gold/ bet Sansome & Montgomery, 1 block n of Jackson 433-6300 "1925 / F. Scott Fitzgerald decor + Calif cuisine BG 7/00" 
Globe  290 Pacific/Battery   391-4132   "bistecca plate - best steak for two + best bouillabaisse SFW 99" --- Italiany nouveau ---- to 1am5/02 + desserts 
---------------- + http://sf.ruggedelegance.com/places/101.html "sm, intimate, Calif w Fr & Ital influences 
mc2  470 Pacific/Montgomery bldg  "one of best SF" - (?)Montgomery at Washington(?) 

north of Broadway 
Julius’ Castle  1541 Montgomery/Union 392-2222   daily Italian  VIEW Telegraph Hill 99
Pastis/Piperade  1015 Battery/Green  391-2555  noSun Basque   SFW 11/02 Gerald Hirigoyen - chef at the top of his game (Fringale)
$ Il Fornaio  1265 Battery/Greenwich  986-0100 daily    but also breakfast & lunch M-F cheaper BG 9/03 

kaiseki 

http://www.cityhikes.com/