Frances

 

location: 3870 17th street (at sanchez), castro
time of day: weeknight dinner
i ate: applewood smoked bacon beignets ($7), calamari salad ($7), chickpea fritters ($7), crab risotto ($16), bavette steak with potatoes ($25)

frances is by far the best meal i've had in san francisco. the food is fresh, unique, and delicious. the space is small and intimate but comfortable enough to enjoy your own conversation even though you're a foot from your table neighbor. the service is impeccable. i have been to many of san francisco's top restaurants and nothing tops the service here. my meal was made even better by an incredibly thoughtful gesture of a friend and that really put the experience over the top.
frances specializes in giving you a great dining experience and they do it at a pretty low cost. all of the appetizers are sharing size and the same low price - $7. the starters include fresh vegetables, pastas and meats and are also low prices and sized to share. the entire meal at frances could be shared with another but i encourage ordering a lot, because the more you try, the better the experience. frances also specializes in their pay-by-the-ounce house red and white wines and their "market shot" - a daily shot priced at $3/3 ounces.
reservations are a requirement unless you want to walk in at 5:00 pm and eat 5 hours later. i would also recommend making your reservation well in advance - we made ours a whole month in advance but we were able to get a perfect dining time. depending on your budget you can do dinner here at a low cost or you can go all out, another reason this place is so perfect.

tastiness: yay!
food vs. price: yay!
service: yay!

Ragazza

location: 311 divisadaro (between oak and page)
time of day: weeknight dinner
i ate: warm olives ($5), asparagus with ricotta ($9), amatriciana pizza ($16), potato with smoked bacon ($16)

my san francisco pizza party continued at ragazza with some of the best pizza in the city. ragazza is the second restaurant by sharon ardiana who also brings us gialina pizzeria in glen park. ragazza has a bigger space and kitchen allowing for an expanded menu of fresh, veggie and meats filled neapolitan style pizzas, appetizers and starters. the menu also has a great selection of italian wines and really delicious desserts.
ragazza opens at 5:00 pm and doesn't take reservation so i would get there early. i was there for almost 2 hours eating, drinking, and enjoying the great service and they never made us feel rushed to get out.

tastiness: yay!
food vs. price: yay!
service: yay!

Tacolicious

location: 2031 chestnut (at fillmore), the marina
time of day: week day lunch
i ate: chicken taquitos (no longer on menu?), chili con queso ($7.50), rock shrimp taco ($3.95), carnitas taco ($3.95)

if you're lucky enough to get a seat at tacolicious without waiting an hour, you're in for a real treat. if it's busy and you're waiting, it can be super crowded and irritating and by the time you sit, who you're squeezed next to can really affect your meal. i've done my fair share of waiting for tables at tacolicious because the food really is worth the wait and the staff seem to do all they can to get in you in quickly, but that also means that often they're trying to get you out quickly. almost all of their menu items are made with fresh, local meats and veggies and you can really taste the freshness in every bite. the queso (which the menu claims is neither fresh nor local) is my favorite thing here. i contend that one of the best things you can get in sf is their $10 special (taco, tecate, tequila shot).

food vs. price: yay!
tastiness: yay!
service: okay!

Locanda

location: 557 valendia (between 16th & 17th), the mission

time of day: weekday night

i ate: fried castelveltrano olives ($), jewish style artichoke ($8), bucatini all'amatriciana ($16), carciofi crudi ($11), halibut with white beans ($21)

when i was seated at locanda the couple finishing their meal at the table next to me asked if it was my first time, it was so i told them yes, and they said "well get ready for the best meal you've ever had." my meal at locanda would definitely be high up on a list of best meals ever. the restaurant serves delicious, fresh, authentic italian dishes that worked perfectly for sharing. our server was fantastic, explaining anything we were unsure of and giving recommendations when asked. the belgian beer selection was wonderfully expected. i couldn't ask for more, accept for the long wait for a reservation. if you're thinking about going at a normal time, like most of the other hyped sf restaurants, the wait can be a while for a res. 

food vs. price: yay!

tastiness: yay!

service: yay!

Park Tavern

location: 1652 stockton (filbert), north beach
time of day: week day night, early dinner
i ate: deviled egg ($2/each), brussels sprout chips ($7), lemon chips with burrata ($13), grilled pork chop ($24), twice baked potatoes ($8)

park tavern is a fairly new restaurant in washington square park. the restaurant has a huge, open air window that looks out onto the park and gives the dark wood space a really light and airy feel. the restaurant is still pretty hyped from it's opening so we were stuck choosing between a 5:45 or 10:00 pm reservation. we opted for the early seating, which was probably the best decision because i've heard the wait there, even with a reservation, can be a while. the selections we made for dinner were really good although i have mixed feelings about how some of the things are priced. i was surprised by both the brussels and lemon chips. the brussels chips were very crunchy and flavorful without being too oily and the lemon chips were prefectly battered leaving them sour and tart but refreshing. the pork chop was amazingly flavorful. it felt like our server came by our table too much which can be annoying when you're mid conversation over dinner.
i suggest making a reservation at least a month in advance for a decent seating time.

food vs. price: okay!
tastiness: yay!
service: okay!

One Market

location: 1 market (at steurant), fidi
time of day: weekday night
i ate: crab cakes ($15), ahi tuna (complimentary), bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin ($27), brussel sprouts ($7), tater tots ($7)

the dining experience at one market lives up to it's michelin-star repuation. the restaurant is a popular fidi destination for tourists and suits on business meetings in fidi - it was definitely a male dominated crowd the night i was there. reservations are an absolute must, as there is a wait even when you make one. i went to dinner with d and we shared everything, putting a little ease on the wallet, although we ordered several things, wanting to try a little bit of everything. the full bar offers some really interesting cocktails. toward the end of our meal service really slowed down, i think due to the demand of the large parties surrounding us.
the food was memorable, the view of the ferry building that we enjoyed was fantastic and the bill left a lasting impression on my bank account.

food vs. price: yay!
tastiness: yay!
service: okay!

Luna Park

location: 694 valencia street (at 18th), the mission

time of day: saturday afternoon

i ate: grilled jumbo artichoke with lemon aioli ($8), pulled pork sandwich with fries ($12)

luna park is an adorable, small eatery in the mission. it has a lively atmosphere, diner inspired menu and sidewalk seating. the restaurant offers a full bar with beer on tab and a small wine selection. reservations are probably necessary. we were there on a saturday afternoon and the line was out the door with people waiting to be seated. it's a small space so you'll feel like you're sharing a meal with the stranger next to you. our waitress came by a lot and it felt like she was trying to us through, likely because there were so many people waiting. 

food vs. price: yay!

tastiness: okay!

service: okay!