San Francisco and what to do in it

Okay ILX, DON'T FAIL ME NOW... awhile back my wife intimated that all she wants for mother's day is Korean BBQ. since I can't line up a babysitter for Sunday, this means I need to find somewhere decent that will deliver in the Mission. Anyone got any recommendations?

havent had korean in the city yet -- seoul house in downtown oakland is shabby but v good next time youre hungry in the east bay, though...

Is there even Korean in the Mission?

there's some shitty Korean in the Mission, my hope is there's somewhere farther afield that will deliver (or that I can pick up)

There's Playground in Japantown, but I doubt they deliver (maybe Waiters on Wheels or something would though). All the other Korean I know is in my neighborhood which seems too far to drive there and back for.

Delivering KBBQ is kinda hard because KBBQ is all about the diners interactively cooking their meats on the open charcoal flame... your best bet for true KBBQ to go would be something like the "Mountain of Meat" from Hahn's Hibachi (sic, no hibachi's used at Hahn's). However... I have a better idea, the KBBQ sandwich from Rhea's deli in the Mission is really great and they deliver... but definitely not to be confused with a place like Brothers in the Richmond or Juban in J-town.

yeah I know KBBQ is really all about the dining experience but my options are limited here...

kbbq isn't very hard to do yourself if you have any korean grocery stores near you

the KBBQ sandwich from Rhea's deli in the Mission is really great and they deliver.

? I thought this place was a liquor store

it was until a few months ago, now it is like 'OMG BEST SANDWICH' type place, and also still a liquor store. i think the sandwiches are just all right, though they are monstrously large for the price, and their fake chicken sandwich is miles above most places i've had similar sandwiches. the meat stuff is just eh...anyway, they don't have a menu online, but if you go in you can get a take-out thing...

weird

otoh don't think my wife would be impressed that I procured her mother's day dinner from a liquor store

their kimchi is really fucking good.

Uh you are getting Korean take out food. . . how impressed is she likely to be either way?

depends on where it's from/how quality it is, of course!

But the very def. of Korean bbq kind of precludes getting best quality take out fare as Steve points out.

yeah it's all a part of MISSION STREET FOOD 2010 FOLLOW US ON TWITTER FOR OUR FIG ON A PLATE CART FOR $9.99

hahah okay I might be able to sell her on that

their fake chicken sandwich is miles above most places i've had similar sandwiches

i have been curious about this tbh - thanks for the tip

ok so I don't have the time right now to scour this thread for info, but can anyone offer recommendations for hotels? want to stay someplace relaxing (maybe romantic?). a view might be nice.

2 restaurants I've really enjoyed dining at recently:

Mission Bay Cafe

Frances

I dined at Frances last night and it was even better than the first I went.

So did you have a reservation, or just stand in line (at Frances)?

We made a reservation on leaving last time and did again, this time.

She's really good (melissa perello?), I went to a private dinner she threw at Sebo after she'd left the 5th Floor and while Frances was under construction. The coolest thing about that dinner was that she came to our table after our meal and honestly asked for our opinion! But it was funny because my dining companion was with this hypercritical daughter of a chef who finds fault with nearly everything and Melissa took it all in stride. I just mentioned some small things regarding the presentation of the appetizer and a flaw with the dessert.

I had 2 meals @ 5th Floor when she was chef there and it was really amazing. I have yet to go to Frances but I heard it's much more casual and homey than the 5th Floor, so I'm eager to try it once they hype dies down. My SO has been twice and thought it was okay the first time and better the 2nd time.

Last night was perfect. They're really sweet in there, too. They're just slammed all the time. It's very nu-SF - good service but very laid back otherwise.

It's also easily walkable ro bikeable for us, Steve, which is nice. I had a drink at Starbelly prior (I've only eaten there once - for brunch) and the bartender was very cool, steering me to a glass that met my description and that was at the lower end, price wise, some Spanish white blend. I'll have to try and dine there at some point. The menu looks good and I liked brunch there last time. I love that the Castro is getting more and more decent restaurants. For quite a while I always felt like I was in gay-Disneyland and they could serve you anything and you'd just have to take it or scram.

@nnie and i have had frances twice, and we love it. our favorite restaurant in the city maybe? first time i had double duck; recently i had two lil starters (beet salad and bacon beignets), and the trout entree. stellar all around. we love the by-the-oz wine, too. what happens to the ounces in your carafe that you dont drink, by the way? you dont get charged for them.

oh yeah starbelly is next on our list for new places to try, but we've got repeat reservations scheduled at flour+water in june, and frances again in july.

If anybody goes there soon and doesn't get the chilled pea soup and they're not a pea hater, they're a fool.

starbelly bruch is pretty great.

the castro used to be one of those neighborhoods with no good restaurants (gay men don't eat, do they? jkjk) but there is a lot of hype right now: ikes, frances, starbelly, etc.

more like gay men don't take their boyfriends on dates to expensive restaurants amirite

not when the Pendulum is right down the street anyway

There have been good restaurants from time to time in the Castro. In the 80's, it felt to me like the neighborhood really circled their wagons around HIV/AIDS and LGTB rights and activism. By the mid-90's with all the anti-HIV cocktails and a sunnier outlook it became more of a tourist destination again and tourists take what they can and aren't around long enough for their voice to be heard if they're being exploited. Perhaps it's because there are more aging gay couples from a different generation or God knows what, but from Home to 2223 Market to Lime to Catch there was new wave of good or goodish (I've always liked 2223, the others less so) restaurants and the choice is getting better and driving up the competition. I live in the Lower Haight, so having Castro as a walking option in addition to Hayes, NOPA, Haight, Lower Haight, and the Mission (walking or busing) is great for me and it's dead easy to get to after work for me.

hey you folks! i will be in town with the boyfriend from the 22nd until the 27th, if anybody wants to meet me this is your chance. really excited to explore yr city btw, this thread is full of good hints

I, alas, will be away. Have a great time!

jesus christ

seems like the beginning of a law and order episode

Starbelly has the worst name. My wife, who works across the street, called there to ask where it came from (her co-workers had a bet it was from the Dr Seuss story) and apparently it was some marketing guy who was like "You know what would be an awesome name -- Starbelly! Star means happy and belly means your belly! So Starbelly = happy belly! Great idea, right? So fucking pay me now."

"the castro used to be one of those neighborhoods with no good restaurants"

I wouldn't say this, but def. it was trended towars homier comfort places rather than fine dining establishments.

Star means happy?

According to the person who answered the phone @ Starbelly, it does.

And the unnamed consultant whose idea the name was.

I haven't been to Starbelly mostly cuz I'm not a big fan of Beretta and I believe they are owned/run by the same folks, right?

beretta pizza sucks a little, but the drinx are good, and the hostess was really nice and brought me and @nnie some free bruschetta when we were freezing waiting outside forever

not that that answers the question of if they are the same owners

hey you folks! i will be in town with the boyfriend from the 22nd until the 27th, if anybody wants to meet me this is your chance. really excited to explore yr city btw, this thread is full of good hints

― elmo leonard (elmo argonaut), Sunday, May 16, 2010 2:29 AM (2 days ago) Bookmark

yo not sure about how available imma be, but id love to drink a beer or eat a burrito w u dudes

http://www.amquix.info/humor/sneetches/sneetchlogo.gif

Right! I mean seriously why wouldn't you tell everyone that was where the idea came from??!! Fear of lawsuit??

We went to Frances early last night (5pm!), sat at the bar, and really enjoyed it. Our waiter was less-than-helpful, but who cares, because the food was perfect. The gnocchi with favas and morels was particularly great. I tried to get a 2-person reservation for my birthday in late June, and was told they only had 9:45. I guess we'll have another early dinner at the bar...

hey, i tried frances last night! it was kind of impromptu because my boyfriend and i were down in the castro visiting his friend (one of the sisters of perpetual indulgence iirc) but were lucky enough to be seated at the bar immediately. really great meal, asparagus with brown butter hollandaise made me spastically roll my eyes it was that good.

at the moment i am convalescing after having stuffed myself at brenda's soul food @ polk & eddy. we were recommended by a friend who knows the owner, and it happened to be a few blocks from our hotel. we had to wait a while to be seated but def worth it.

my daughter and i will arrive there tomorrow! we have an unexpected trip to the san jose area that arose suddenly (i.e., yesterday). i love california.