San Francisco and/or Monterey Restaurant Recommendations?

[aggie94]

Hi Canice! ;) :D

DH & I, along with my best friend and her DH, are headed to SF and Monterey for my birthday in February. DH & I have been trying to plan this trip for well over a year now and finally managed to get it together. Since it's my b-day, it's my trip to plan, which includes restaurants. Activities are pretty much covered since the main focus of the trip is for the boys to visit the Steinhart Aquarium and Monterey Bay Aquarium.

We'll be in SF Thursday night, and after doing a search for past threads with restaurant recommendations, I am sure I want my birthday dinner (a few days early) to be at Myth (http://www.mythsf.com/index.html) (thanks, Canice!!). Let's hope I can get a reservation.

Friday is the Steinhart Aquarium and probably the Ferry Building Marketplace for lunch/shopping before headed to Monterey. We'll be in Monterey Friday night, all day Saturday, and head back to SF Sunday, where we'll spend another night before heading back to Phoenix on Monday. Sooooo, that leaves a couple of lunches and dinners in both Monterey and SF that I would love to have suggestions for. We are staying at the Marriott in Monterey, and in SF, we are staying at the SF Marriott (Mission & 4th Street) Thursday night, then the Stanford Court (Nob Hill) on Sunday night.

[Canice]

Hahah, here I yam!
I think Myth will be an excellent choice (obviously). It's a quiet stretch of Pacific Avenue but just around the corner from Tosca, which is an Edward Hopper-esque Deco bar favored by visiting Hollywood-ites and a kind of different spot. Also just a block from the venerable Vesuvius, of the Beatnik era...and around the corner from all of North Beach. If you want to go out before or after dinner, just head up Columbus Avenue.

As for dinner on Sunday - do you have a particular cuisine or atmosphere in mind? That's a good night for getting a table, no doubt, and what a great location, being at the Stanford Court; you can be anywhere in short order.

If you visit the Ferry Plaza on Friday, your options will be pretty clear (and you've already been there, so you know). Slanted Door and MarketBar are the only full-service restaurants there, but I love Delica, the Japanese "deli", for lack of a better word, but Boulette's Larder (crud, or is it Mistral?) has a big following. There are some popular restaurants within about two blocks if you want to venture out for table service.

Just want to be sure you know Steinhart Acquarium is being rebuilt (TG - I always worried about all those reptiles on the loose after The Big One) and is currently housed South of Market, not in its usual Golden Gate Park location. http://www.calacademy.org/aquarium/

ETA: I think you *can* get a reservation at Myth! Thursdays are tough, but that's a good time of year. I use opentable for most of my reservations, but I would call the reservationist and plead my case as it were ;) . I think two months is the most advance reservations any restaurant will take, but I'd call and ask.

[aggie94]

Thanks for the advice - I will definitely call and see if I can get a reservation.

Yep, we know of the temporary location for the Steinhart. We actually decided on the Marriott because of its close promixity to the aquarium, opting for it over other hotels closer to Union Square, which is where I would normally prefer to stay. But Sharon chose the Nob Hill hotel, and we got a smokin' rate on it, so I'm glad to hear the location is good.

As for Sunday dinner and Monday lunch, we are open to anything and we are all fairly adventurous eaters, although the boys do like meat. :rolleyes: Mediterranean is always a favorite, as are good Thai and Indian. Tapas was something we really wanted to do in Napa but ran out time so that might be an option if you know of any good places.

Sooo, what do you know about Monterey restaurants?? ;)

[tbb113]

For Monterey restaurants...hopefully PoppyJ will join in. She lives in the area

[SandyM]

Eva - I have my notes at home from my trip back in 2002 - Gail had several recommendations. For the life of me, I can't remember the names of any restaurants in Monterey/Pacific Grove, but they were all good. I'll check back tonight.

[Peggy]

I have some Monterey restaurant ideas. On Cannery Row I love The Sardine Factory and The Whaling Station. They are right next door to each other and the food is excellent. Closer to Fisherman's Wharf is Fresh Cream. In Pacific Grove I would recommend The Old Bath House. If you need phone numbers and addresses, I can get those for you.

Peggy

[TLee4]

I love this restaurant in Monterey:

http://www.chart-house.com/index.html

I think the food and the views are wonderful. It is very close to the aquarium.

Some people might not like it b/c it is a chain, but I've never had a bad meal there, and I've been there quite a few times.

Terri

[ChristyMarie]

Last time we were in SF we ate at Gary Danko's. It was fabulous!

http://www.garydanko.com/

[SandyM]

On Cannery Row I love The Sardine Factory In Pacific Grove I would recommend The Old Bath House. If you need phone numbers and addresses, I can get those for you.

Peggy to the rescue!! :D

The Sardine Factory is the one I was trying to remember - it's where we had dinner with Gail and her DH. And it was 2003, not 2002.

She also recommended The Old Bath House, but we didn't make it there.

I know you're not a fan of Mexican food, but I had the best fish tacos at a small Mexican joint in Pacific Grove. (We walked to the Aquarium from there - it's not far.)

[Canice]

Here are some places that are all across the street from the ferry building:

One Market
Boulevard
Ozumo
Yank Sing (well, that one's about 2 blocks away)

For Sunday dinner, you might consider Plumjack (http://www.plumpjack.com/cafe_main.html); they have a new chef and my friend Amy raved about it recently on her blog (http://cookingwithamy.blogspot.com/). It's a great neighborhood, with lots of shops and restauarants, so it can be a pleasant place to walk around before or after dinner.

[aggie94]

Wow, thanks for all the great recommendations! The Sardine Factory sounds amazing - I am definitely going to try to get a reservation for either Friday or Saturday night there. And not eat anything for breakfast or lunch that day so that I can order four entrees and dessert for dinner. :eek: :p

I had forgotten about Plumpjack - thanks for the reminder! We loved their winery in Napa and just finished our last bottle from there last weekend, a merlot that DH raved about.

I am only worried about reservations for our trip because it is the weekend right after Valentine's Day, so I'm wondering how many people are going to be going out to dinner on the weekend instead of a Wednesday night. That's always the problem with my birthday - I rarely get flowers or a nice dinner out near my birthday because it's so d@mn close to V-Day. I am going to call Myth today and see if they will take a reservation yet.

[Wendy w]

Eva - I have my notes at home from my trip back in 2002 - Gail had several recommendations. For the life of me, I can't remember the names of any restaurants in Monterey/Pacific Grove, but they were all good. I'll check back tonight.

Could it be because lots of wine was consumed?? :p ;)

On the serious side, it sounds like a great way to celebrate birthday season. You are going to love the Monterey aquarium.

[kgraham]

Its been a few years since we've been, but there used to be a really good Thai place across from the Monterey Bay Aquarium called Amarin Thai. We had lunch there a couple of times when visiting the aquarium.

[aggie94]

Thank you all for the fantastic recommendations! I have a dinner reservation at Myth :D and am trying to narrow down the Monterey restaurant choices (Fresh Cream, Whaling Station, and Sardine Factory) to two choices for dinners. We also are tentatively planning lunches at Amarin Thai - I love Thai food - and Nob Hill Cafe when we return to SF.

Canice (and others) - any suggestions for a great Chinese restaurant for dinner on Sunday? It's the Chinese New Year (and my birthday :D) and would love to find a place that might be doing a special New Year's menu to celebrate. I saw your dim sum recommendation of Yank Sing on another thread and will probably end up going there for lunch on Monday if we can't find a great Chinese place for dinner Sunday.

[Canice]

Eva, EVERY Chinese place in town is going to be packed out! I assume they'll be doing special menus, but I can't speak with authority or specificity there.

Are you looking for something within walking distance/short cab ride from Nob Hill, i.e., Chinatown, or are you willing to venture out into the (Chinese) neighborhoods? Also, are you looking for the more "elegant" sort of place or the more typical bright lights and hustle and bustle?

DBF is trying to dig up a particular recommendation - his former GF's parents were Chinese and the mother owns a Chinese restaurant; this is the place where she and all her restaurant friends entertain. I'll post when he comes up with it!

[Leslie Ferguson]

It's been a while since I lived in Monterey but the restaurants I remember well that used to have good food were:

Seafood:
Abalonetti Seafood
Cafe Fina
Domenico's

Cafes/Bakeries
Old Monterey cafe
The Wild Plum Bakery and Cafe

Abalonetti and Domenico's used to be owned the same person - John Pisco (if memory serves).

Enjoy your visit.
Les

[tbb113]

Eva -
A good friend of mine is originally from Hong Kong. I know that they have had several special occasion meals (weddings, etc) at Hong Kong East Ocean (http://www.hongkongeastocean.com/) in Emeryville. The view alone is worth it :)

[Peggy]

... and am trying to narrow down the Monterey restaurant choices (Fresh Cream, Whaling Station, and Sardine Factory) to two choices for dinners.

Eva - I have eaten at all three restaurants and IMHO the absolute "MUST" is the Sardine Factory. The Whaling Station is right next door (on Cannery Row) so if you are looking for a different location for the second night, I would go with Fresh Cream which is closer to Fisherman's Wharf. It is situated above the wharf and has nice views of the bay. Foodwise - you can't go wrong at any of the three.

Peggy

[tidbit66]

You mentioned the boys but since I can't be sure of the ages, etc. would they like eating a platter of food with fingers as utensils? If so I would highly recommend a very "hole in the wall" plain front place East African Food along the front in large letters though it may now also say the name Massawa. It is Eritrian/Ethiopian cuisine and wonderful. It can be spicy or not and is ser ved on a platter lined with their light bread which you pull off and use as a scoop to spoon the wonderful various stews and other dishes into your mouth. We have been there twice and will be there again hopefully. It is located near the intesection of Haight Ashbury facing on Haight though I can't recall the exact address.

Sounds like a great birthday trip, btw.

tidbit

[aggie94]

tidbit,

LOL - the "boys" are actually my DH and my best friend's DH! :o Sorry for any confusion! They are both big fish/reef-keeping hobbyists, so the aquarium trips are really for their benefit, although I enjoy stuff like that too.

The restaurant still sounds great, though! Thank you for the recommendation - I will definitely keep it in mind.

[aggie94]

Thank you all again for the great recommendations. After a minor crises earlier in the week (DH found out about a scheduling snafu at work that was going to cause us to have to either heavily revise our trip plans or cancel entirely), we are back on for our trip as originally planned! Well, mostly. Best friend and her DH bailed :(, so it is just DH and I. I have dinner reservations at Myth in SF for Thursday night and reservations at Sardine Factory and Whaling Station in Monterey Friday and Saturday night. We are going to play it by ear for the other meals but I will definitely check out some of the other recommendations folks have made, esp. the Thai place in Monterey if it's still around.

Thanks again, and I'll post a trip report (and hopefully some pictures) when I return!

[Peggy]

Eva - Have a wonderful time! I hope your enjoy The Sardine Factory and The Whaling Station as much as we always have. I'll look forward to your report when you return!:)

Peggy