Greens is the best! Firm not paying? Witchcraft.

slanted door

beetlenut

slanted door is so so so overrated, but if you like surely waitstaff, it's the place to be.

Yank Sing is hard to beat for summer associate lunches -- best Dim Sum around

Is Belli's Deli (as in Melvin Belli) still in existence?

Boulevard rocks. Farallon and Aqua for seafood.

i like subway.

How is Gary Danko? Has anyone been?

If the firm's not paying, go for burritos at El Castillo in the Castro. So delicious.

Is there anything in San Francisco that's NOT overrated?

Must-eats in san Fran? Other than cock, I don't know.

Home. Slanted Door. In-n-Out.

Boulette's Larder in the Ferry Building. http://www.bouletteslarder.com/

I would be interested to learn about more places to lunch in Silicon Valley besides the regulars: Tamarine, Evvia, and the Village Pub.

1. Gary Danko is good, not great -- and not worth the $250-300/head it costs. Technically flawless, but not super memorable. And, like most of SF's top restaurants, not open for lunch.

2. As noted above, most of SF's top restaurants (especially those in the Financial District, where most law firms are) only serve dinner. So fancy lunch options are few and far between. Basically, you're limited to Aqua (well past its prime, but probably the best you can do), Kokkari (only been once, but the lamb chop is very very good), Boulevard (skip it! it's only good for dinner - lunch there is consistently disappointing), and (reaching down a tier) Piperade. I'd put Slanted Door yet another tier down. SF is just not a good lunch town.

3. If you have time to kill, it's worth a cab to Delfina Pizzeria. The small plates there are better than anything you'll find in more expensive digs down town.

4. Whoever recommended Witchcraft is not a food lover. It's shocking that Tom Coliccio would have opened a place so bad. Boxed Foods (on Kearny & Bush) is much better for sandwiches. Mixt Greens (on Sansome & Bush) is the best for overpriced salads if you need something take-out (and don't mind waiting in line for 15-20 minutes for a salad).

there are a couple good spots in the embarcadero plaza. oh and aqua off 252 California St

The Chronicle ranks the Top 100 restaurants, not SF Mag.

Boulette's Larder in the Ferry Building.

I would be interested in other ideas for lunch options in Silicon Valley besides the regulars: Evvia, Tamarine, and The Village Pub.

French Laundry for the farewell lunch/dinner, if you can get anyone to take you there.

Slanted Door is totally over-rated. Aqua if your firm's not too cheap (mine is), and Boulevard is always excellent. I didn't like Kokkari that much myself. I have a fondness for Chaya, right on the waterfront - their bread pudding is to die for.

3:32 - The weather.

SF restaurants you don't want to miss:

Boulevard (just so you can say you went)
Aqua (again, just so you can say you went)
Ozumo (excellent sushi)
Slanted Door (the Shaking Beef is divine)
Kokkari (great deserts and attractive setting)

Other good choices include: One Market, Chaya and Fringale (a little out of the way, but great French food).

"French Laundry for the farewell lunch/dinner, if you can get anyone to take you there."

LOL - if you can get a reservation is more like it . . .

San Francisco Chronicle's top 100:

http://www.sfgate.com/food/top100/

3:34 -- lulz

If you want an ok lunch but a great view, hit the Carnelian Room at 555 California.

I laughed out loud at 3:34 as well (and I'm gay, so that's okay).

3:41 -- right on. i left NY for SF (same V5 firm, different office) and never looked back. same base, same bonus, better hours, awesome weather, cheaper COL, and views of Sausalito/Tiburon instead of the pits on either side of Manhattan. but in all fairness, the pizza sucks here. so do the bagels. but i make up for it with mexican food.

Town Hall is really good -- I recommend the duck tacos if they're still on the menu...

I'll have to second Chaya. Not too expensive, good variety, friendly place.

townhall is tasty

Slanted Door (Vietnamese)
Roy's (Hawaiian fusion)
Market Bar
Aqua
Boulevard (mmm, incredible)
Perbacco (upscale Italian)
Atrium
Town Hall
Yank Sing (dim sum)
Ozumo (Japanese)

Someone mentioned Betelnut, which is great, but it's in the Marina, making it a bit inconvenient for those in the Financial District.

Lavande in Palo Alto -- amazing for dinner with their new chef!

Guys at my high school used to eat lunch in San Francisco all the time, and it was no big deal.

ame is great

Oh, if we're doing Palo Alto, make sure to do:
Tamarine (Vietnamese)
Three Seasons (Vietnamese)
Evvia (Greek)
Tai Pan (upscale Chinese, v. good)

Swan Oyster depot.

Thanh Long (garlic noodles and crab)

Yank Sing

Hong Kong Flower Lounge

House of Prime Rib (old style Prime Rib)

Michael Mina

Tadich Grill (oldest restaurant in SF) good for ambiance and petrole sole

Fleur de Lys

On the Peninsula -- Three Seasons in palo alto is fine, Bistro Elan is pretty good, especially the desserts. The Coppola restaurant wasn't terrible, if it's still there.

Perbacco - Italian
Palio D'Asti - Italian
Henry's Hunan - Chinese (when it's on your dime)
Market Bar in the Ferry Bldg
Hotel Americano on the Embarcadero - outside

Waterbar
Chaya
Shanghai 1930s
Slanted Door
Boulevard
Aqua
Kokkari

Belden Alley is great too, lots of places to choose from - B44, Plouf

Aqua has to be near the top of any list. Slanted Door is interesting. Town Hall is overrated.

Moby Dick.

In and Out

overrated? people calling the city san fran. stop that

sushi ran in sausalito is worth the trip

Hotel Americano on the Embarcadero is good if you're looking for urban chic.

Beetlenut is in cow hollow, not the marina. And if you're in that area, you should check out Bobos, which is a wonderful steak place. Their filets are superb.

second on sushi ran. it's awesome, and sausalito is adorable.

Veto Sushi Ran. It's merely okay. North Beach Sushi is much better, and .5 the price. hth.

Henry Hunans

4:35 -- Disagree on sushi ran. Amazing bluefin tuna. excellent black miso cod (i thought better than nobu in NY). very good vegetables.

San Francisco? Frigid, foggy, expensive, and chock-full of hipsters. Even worse, it's completely impossible to find a parking space anywhere.

San Jose is where the winners thrive - sunny skies, ample space, hot babes, and cool dudes.

Oh, but if you are stuck in SF for lunch, you can't go wrong with a tasty meal from "What's up Dog," the Bay Area's premier hot dog stand.

French Laundry

Classic. $400 a pop and impossible to get reservations.

"Frigid, foggy, expensive, and chock-full of hipsters. "

Sounds like Williamsburg...

Yank Sing is overrated. City View is way better.

Aqua
Town Hall
Boulevard
Chaya
Greens
Kokkari
Four Seasons
Hotel Americano
Market Bar
One Market
Belden Place
Coco500 if you can get anyone to go to SOMA
Ame
Salt House

Thanh Long (the garlic noodles and crab) is an excellent call, but I believe there's only one (?), and it's by the beach, not downtown ...

Around the Supreme Court building ... Absinthe does lunch, Zuni after work .... and, Blue Bottle coffee to keep it all rolling

back downtown, Salt House is nice too, and Momo's, if they send you to a Giants game

I remember eating at a fairly decent restaurant when I was there called Mecca...

I remember eating at a fairly decent restaurant when I was there called Mecca...

Sam's Grill for fresh fish and ex con waiters who get it impeccably right.

Taylor's at the Ferry Building on a sunny day is tough to beat.

Tu Lan

4:58, megadittos, but you have to admit that San Jose pales in comparison to america's finest city, Fremont.

I just have to throw this in b/c it is so popular and about the cost of a summer associate lunch budget --

Mixt Greens

Wow! What firm are you at that Mixt Greens is about the cost of a summer associate lunch budget? I love Mixed Greens, but it is at most $20 per person.

Just curious, what is the going rate for summer associate lunch budgets at SF firms now a days?

When I was a summer in SF, we frequented Kokkari, One Market, Chaya, Slanted Door, etc. Maybe once a week we went to a cheap place like Mixt Greens. Aqua and Boulevard, which are more expensive, were more rare - only 2-3 times the whole summer.

5:59, are you a recruiting coordinator trying to keep summer associate expenses down?

Tai Pan? Isn't that just a nicer version of Panda Express?

If you want good Chinese food, but without much in the way of ambiance, R&G Lounge is excellent. Get the crab.

Tai Pan? Isn't that just a nicer version of Panda Express?

If you want good Chinese food, but without much in the way of ambiance, R&G Lounge in Chinatown is excellent. Get the crab.

scoma's

Palo Alto:

Coppola's for lunch is hit or miss.
Junoon for Indian if they're buying, Hyderabad House if you are.
Tamarine: Be sure to order the Clay Pot Cod and the Empress Rice.
Krung Siam is decent Thai is you have to buy.
Bella Luna can be great if you stick to their salads and simple pastas, but otherwise you never know. The service is usually slow.

I'd love to take some summers to Tu Lan, but I'm pretty sure I'd get a lecture if the firm ever got word of it. Or one of the summers would freak out about getting mugged on the way there.

It was one of my favorites when clerking (and close by), but I could never convince the judge to come along.

Jeanty at Jacks on Sacramento St. is a very good French Bistro that serves fancy lunch for those on an expense account.

Here are my pics, in reverse order:

1. Town Hall (warm day, outdoor table);

2. Either of Pat Kuletto's brand new rewturants right on the water in the Embarcadero--Epic Roasthouse and Waterbar--stunning views and architecture;

3. Boulevard (dinner);

4. Michael Mina (dinner);

5. Gary Danko (dinner)

French Laundry (in Saint Helena) takes a month working the speed dial to get in. Last time I was there--and ordering a modestly priced wine off the wine list ($125-bottle) lunch for four clocked out at $1,200 + tip.

It's a foodie pilgrimage for sure, but not summer associate fair--unless the associate just finished a Supreme Court clerkship.

I agree, Aqua does rock, and its in the financial district.

Many of the ones I like -- Yank Sing, Ozumo, Perbacco, Americano, Ame, Town Hall -- have already been mentioned. One of my favorites not yet listed is TWO (re-vamped, formerly Hawthorne Lane). Here are some others in the FiDi/SOMA vicinity that were decent and not yet mentioned that I have been to for work lunches:

Bong Su
Kyo-Ya
Garden Court
Globe
Chiaroscuro
Roots
Bix
Local Kitchen
Maya

I've not yet tried Anchor & Hope (seafood, of the same management as Town Hall and Salt House) or Sens, but both seem to be in the appropriate business lunch vein.

On your own dime, but not cheesy, is Mijita in the Ferry Building.

Many of the ones I like -- Yank Sing, Ozumo, Perbacco, Americano, Ame, Town Hall -- have already been mentioned. One of my favorites not yet listed is TWO (re-vamped, formerly Hawthorne Lane). Here are some others in the FiDi/SOMA vicinity that were decent and not yet mentioned that I have been to for work lunches:

Bong Su
Kyo-Ya
Garden Court
Globe
Chiaroscuro
Roots
Bix
Local Kitchen
Maya

I've not yet tried Anchor & Hope (seafood, of the same management as Town Hall and Salt House) or Sens, but both seem to be in the appropriate business lunch vein.

On your own dime, but not cheesy, is Mijita in the Ferry Building.

Yay, Greens! One of my all time faves. If you're looking for cheap eats, hard to beat a quick bart ride to the Mission for burritos; the ferry building; or sandwiches by the water.

"San Francisco? Frigid, foggy, expensive, and chock-full of hipsters."--exactly why we love it.

San Jose? Please.

For Palo Alto Evvia of course, Tamarine, Bistro Elan, Bodeguita del Medio (Cuban) for a great atmosphere. I also kind of like that Tapas place across the street from Evvia - not sure what the name is.

Opinions may vary, but for my (firm's) money, the omikase at Sebo is one of the best dining experiences in SF. The place is cool, the food top-notch and a great sake menu. Of course, there is only seating for about 16 people, and it is only a dinner place...

Kokkari (sister restaurant to Evia Estiatorio, 420, Emerson St., Palo Alto) is great--thanks for reminding me.

The original chef there (and Evia) – Jean (“John”) Alberti --was the house chef at Jumby Bay Resort where I married and Honeymooned. His French take on Greek cuisine is still honored there and its excellent.

If you go there you have to order an appetizer called taramou salada, and the whole fish (tail and all) or the lamb chops.

Try a glass of retsina.

_

Alberti Bio:

Le Gavroche and Interlude de Tabaillau in London, The American Embassy in Paris, Le Bistro in Beverly Hills, Jumba Bay Resort in Antigua, West Indies, The Gran Casino in Barcelona Spain; co-owner and chef of The Brasserie Restaurant in Reno, Nev; Executive chef Evia and Kokkari. (Last I heard, he was in Shanghai, China.)

PS: In writing this I am reminded of one of one of Alberti’s (and my) favorite San Francisco restaurants, A-16 (named after the Italian Highway) located on Chestnut Street in the Marina (cross street, Divisadero). Owner Shelly will dazzle you with her extensive Italian wine recommendations, and the tripe (trust me on this one) will make you cry.

In Palo Alto, Three Seasons and Straits Cafe are good, as are the others already mentioned.

In Palo Alto, Three Seasons and Straits Cafe are good, as are the others already mentioned.

Another Palo Alto suggestion: Mantra

Who cares? When are you doing New York?

Palo Alto:

Sundance (for steaks)
Fuki Sushi
Quattro
Trader Vic's for a Mai Tai

SF:

Shanghai 1930
Swan Oyster Depot
Hog Island Oyster Co
Osha Thai
Ducca
Umbria
Anchor & Hope
Slow Club
21st Amendment or Tres Agaves before a Giants game. Drink up summers!

If you're going to go fancy (dinner):

Rubicon
Campton Place
Postrio
Michael Mina

It's possible to get a reservation at French Laundry, I was there earlier this year. Very expensive, but flawless. And yes, it's much better than anything you're going to get in NY (as are most of the fine dining spots in SF). It's not a summer associate spot. But if you're in Napa:

Ubuntu
Ad Hoc
Redd
Martini House
Go Fish

French Laundry????

Isn't that in Napa? Yountsville at that? With SF traffic it is about 3 hours away, no? Nice "lunch spot" idiot.

However, if you are in Napa, some other places I suggest are Tra Vinge, Cook, and Brix.

For lunch, Taylor's Refreshers is great.

5:40 has it dead on. Taylor's is fan-fucking-tastic.

The entire Ferry building is great

"I'd love to take some summers to Tu Lan, but I'm pretty sure I'd get a lecture if the firm ever got word of it. "

Seriously?

Go to the Stinking Rose for garlic overdose.

Stinking rose is not work approprite.

My personal farovites (not elite places) for lunch. Cafe Macaroni, DPD, TuLong (dumpy place, great food-good for testing if summers are snobby jerks).

I have a love-hate relationship with the Slanted Door. I lived in the Mission when they opened at the first locale. Damn near destroyed the neighborhood with the parking issues. So, I always am bugged by the place on that nit. But now, I'm bugged by the hype.

The food is good to ok. Its a perfectly fine upscale Asian restaurant. It fits in the same genre as the stale Tommy Toys did 20 years ago. Its food is fine. Its just not this culinary mind-f%%k that everyone seems to think it is. And for all the hype it gets, it should be. I eat there about 5 times a year. Its fine. But, it isn't Nirvana.

Upscale: Michael Mina is good, Gary Danko isn't bad (cheese course is the best part.) but isn't close enough to downtown. Fluer de Lys (sorry, spelling sucks) is tired but always a pleaser.

best-o-burger on pine by the b of a building. great little burgers, great price, more of what you want, less of what you don'.t

I think Stinking Rose was a joke.
But the Tu Lan advocates are for real.

Palo Alto: Osteria is a must. The saltimbocca and the carbonara are my faves. Sundance is excellent for steaks (props to the guys from Cooley who took me their for my call back some 4.5 years ago). Cafe Pro Bono (yes, that's reallly the name) is suprisingly good. Fuki Sushi is delicious, but a bit out of the way. If you happen to find yourself farther south, Castro Street in Mountain View has a number of really solid and popular places, especially Vaso Azzurro, Zucca and (although I don't care for it) Xanh. Then there's also Michelin-rated Chez TJ, if you've got a partner footing the bill. If you're lucky enough to have Google as a client, check out their amazing cafeteria (subsidized by the company and run by 4-star chefs).

San Francisco itself has been covered pretty well. I would echo the Belden Place recommendations. Scala at the Sir Francis Drake breaks the "hotel restaurants suck" rule and has great service. As for bars, for some reason or another, every summer class ends up having at least one night at XYZ in the W hotel.

If for some god-forsaken reason you end up in San Jose for lunch (keep in mind I live in San Jose), try Seven. It's west of downtown, past the Arena, on the Alameda. The burger is insanely delicious. Get it with bacon.

Can't believe I forgot Zibibbo for Palo Alto. Definite go-to place. Three Seasons is very good, as has been mentioned. It's a shame that Spago closed.

If you have time for a drive in Silcon Valley, get a made-to-order burrito at La Costena in Mountain View. Those who prefer more standard burritos tend to love La Bamba, just three doors down.

Slanted Door used to be really good, back when it was in that spot along the Embarcadero (between when it was in the Mission and the Ferry Building). Now they've figured that they can coast on their name and reputation even if they don't meet it -- thus making huge bucks on stale onion cakes, average noodle dishes, and overpriced cocktails.

Orale Orale for best mexican food in the financial district hands down.

House of Nanking for Chinese food... bit of a hole in the wall but best in the city and not far from the financial district

Gary Danko is the best restaurant in the city, bar none.

No no no to House of Nanking. Ugh.
There are at least a dozen better restaurants in Chinatown.

Orale Orale is okay. Very greasy. I prefer Pancho Villas or Alex's.

"sushi ran in sausalito is worth the trip"

Please raise your hand if you have ever made it to Sausalito for a summer associate weekday lunch.

most of these johnny-come-latelys don't know what they're talking about. perbacco? please. that's just what passes for good food downtown.

best kept sushi secret in the bay area? kayegetsu.com

In Silicon Valley, Zotts on a Friday afternoon (Alpine Inn) in the beer garden, of course - while the food may not be gourmet, the atmosphere is hard to beat, and the summers will realize they're definitely not in NYC.

Perbacco
Pres a Vi

Take the ferry to Tiburon and go to Sam's. Sit on the deck, eat mediocre food, but get drunk and sunburned while doing it. Take the rest of the day off, you don't have shit for work anyway.

Palo Alto: Junoon is completely overrated -- too expensive and teeny tiny portions. Chef Chu's on San Antonio is awesome Chinese and not too expensive. Darbar (downtown) is great Indian and also not too expensive. Joanie's Cafe on California Ave. is another pretty cheap but excellent option.

if you're not in the mood for douchey west-coast fusion garbage, go to Oakland and eat bbq at Everett & Jones

if you're not in the mood for douchey west-coast fusion garbage, go to Oakland and eat bbq at Everett & Jones

Dorsia, Espacé, Nells, Texarkana, The Four Seasons, Arcadia, Hubert's, Crayons, Camols, Orso's, Peto, Smith & Wolemski's, Atlantis, Harry's Bar, Le Cirque, Flamingo East, Oyster Bar, Canal Bar

Dorsia, Espacé, Nells, Texarkana, The Four Seasons, Arcadia, Hubert's, Crayons, Camols, Orso's, Peto, Smith & Wolemski's, Atlantis, Harry's Bar, Le Cirque, Flamingo East, Oyster Bar, Canal Bar