Fog City Diner

location: 1300 battery, embarcadero

time of day: weekday night

i ate: cheddar biscuits ($5), mac n cheese ($13), chicken satay ($11), chicken & chorizo tacos ($10)

this iconic embarcadero restaurant is serving up modern versions of great classic comfort foods. i like the small plates that they offer but nothing really pairs well together. i definitely recommend checking out this spot at some point, it's not just for the tourists (or fans of so i married an axe murderer). there is a lot of history and humor. our waitress looked just like michael cera the night i was there. it was eerie.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: okay!

service: okay!

Pizza Nostra

location: 300 deharo (at 16th), potrero hill

time of day: sunday night

i ate: bruschetta ($10), gamberi pizza ($16)

i stumbled upon pizza nostra on my way to bottom of the hill. we ended up turning into the parking lot (yes, a parking lot right outside!), checking out the menu and staying. this restaurant serves neapolitan style pies with fresh ingredients and friendly service.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: yay!

service: yay!

Tony's Pizza Napoletana

location: 1570 stockton (at union), north beach

time of day: weekday night

i ate: calarmari fritti ($11), spinich salad ($12), margherita pizza ($19), wild robiola ($23), new yorker ($22)

tony's is considered some of the best pizza in san francisco and it definitely lives up to it's reputation. it's worth the 45 minutes wait, and may i recommend any of the bars around the corner while you wait. i went with a few friends so we could try several different pizzas. dining at tony's is a different experience than most pizzerias. tony is literally rolling the dough and preparing the pies at the counter in front of you (pictured above). the restaurant has several different ovens so that the pizzas are cooked the way they were originally intended, so you get the most traditional slices you could imagine. ask a lot of questions, the waiters are happy to answer and make recommendations.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: yay!

service: yay!

1300 on Fillmore

location: 1300 fillmore street (at eddy), the fillmore

time of day: sunday brunch

i ate: strawberry brioche french toast ($12), bloody mary ($9)

i highly recommend the 1300 on fillmore gospel brunch. every sunday starting at 11:00 am they have beautiful singing, breakfast cocktails and traditional southern food. the energy and atmosphere are amazing. if church was like this i'd be there every week.

tastiness: yay! food/ okay! drink

food vs. price: okay!

service: yay!

Anchor & Hope

location: 83 minna (between 1st & 2nd), soma

time of day: week day lunch

i ate: fries ($6), lobster roll ($24.5)

reservation for anchor & hope is recommended almost always. this is probably the best lobster roll i've ever had. it's been suggested it's the best in sf, for a lunch sandwich, it's pretty pricey, so be prepared.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: yay!

service: okay!

Hillstone

location: 1800 montgomery street (at embarcadero)

time of day: weeknight dinner

i ate: spinach and artichoke dip ($12), thai steak and noodle salad ($19)

hillstone has the best spinach dip i've ever had. fyi: it is not vegetarian (i asked). they make it fresh when you order it and it's warm and mixes perfectly with the salsa and sour cream on the side.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: okay!

service: yay!

Boulevard

location: 1 mission street (at steuart), soma

time of day: saturday night

i ate: calamari stuffed with maine lobster ($15.75), liberty farms duck breast ($33)

make a reservation, open your wallet and enjoy your night. dining at boulevard is an amazing experience from the time you are seated until the time you happily hand over a weeks worth of earnings. not very veggie friendly. be prepared to try something new.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: yay!

service: yay!

Saigon Sandwich

location: 560 larkin street (at eddy), tenderloin

time of day: week day lunch

i ate: roast chicken bahn mi sandwich

make sure you have a place to go eat because this little shop has no seating. the line is long all day long so you'll be waiting outside in the tl. you'll definitely get out the door spending less than $5 and you'll be full for a while!

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: yay!

service: yay!

Greens

location: fort mason, building a, the marina

time of day: weekday lunch

i ate: asparagus (11), mesquite grilled brochettes (15)

everything at greens is vegetarian, fresh, local and organic (including a lot of the wine!). this restaurant is also worth a trip for the beautiful view of the golden gate bridge and the fog rolling in or out (depending).

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: yay!

service: yay!

Slow Club

location: 2501 mariposa street (at 18th), potrero hill

time of day: saturday brunch

i ate: fried egg sandwich (10.5), bloody mary (9.5)

i asked for my egg over hard and it was cooked perfectly. also, hands down the best bloody mary i've had in san francisco.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: yay!

service: yay!

Chilayo

location: 2150 chestnut street, the marina

time of day: weekday dinner

i ate: chips & guacamole (6), super vegetarian burrito (8.5), sangria (7)

chilayo is part of the sabor mexicano restaurant family (tlaloc in fidi, cancun in berkeley), they own their own farm in sonoma and everything is produced there for the the restaurant.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: okay!

service: okay!

Straw

location: 203 octavia (at page), hayes valley

time of day: sunday dinner

i ate: pretzel bites (7.5), corn fritters (can't remember), pulled pork sandwich (9.75)

when i dined at straw they didn't have a liquor license, but they do now! wine, beer, and specialty sake cocktails. this restaurant is vegetarian/vegan friendly!

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: yay!

service: yay!