Looking for an incredible meal in/near San Fran (French Laundry, etc.)

[poincaraux]

I want to eat a really good meal in the Bay Area on November 3rd. I didn't call the French Laundry early enough, so I'm on the waiting list there. I was thinking of going to Gary Danko, but El Diablo's recent thread has me thinking that I should look elsewhere. What restaurants in this range left you thinking "oh my God, that was an absolutely incredible meal!"?

[Ulysses]

Gary Danko will be great. I doubt you'll be disappointed.

Aqua is always a fantastic meal if you like seafood.

Do NOT go to Michael Mina.

[sfer]

In no particular order (and this could easily be a couple of years out of date):

Boulevard
Globe
Jeanty at Jack's (was there in August and it was terrific...get the tomato soup with puff pastry)
Aqua
Yuet Lee
Slanted Door
Chez Nous
Jardiniere
Hawthorne Lane

[thirddan]

go to tommys joynt (geary and van ness), delicious and affordable /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[cadillac1234]

[ QUOTE ]
go to tommys joynt (geary and van ness), delicious and affordable /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I ate there every day for 2 years...

My other favorite place is Caps Corner in North Beach

[J.A.Sucker]

... or that place by the ballpark. Ask Zee.

[Ulysses]

[ QUOTE ]
go to tommys joynt (geary and van ness), delicious and affordable /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I love tommy's joynt. My favorite is the BBQ brisket sandwich.

[Ulysses]

[ QUOTE ]
In no particular order (and this could easily be a couple of years out of date):

Boulevard
Globe
Jeanty at Jack's (was there in August and it was terrific...get the tomato soup with puff pastry)
Aqua
Yuet Lee
Slanted Door
Chez Nous
Jardiniere
Hawthorne Lane

[/ QUOTE ]

I would knock Boulevard and Hawthorne Lane off this list, they are overrated imo and not terribly interesting. OP: Yuet Lee is awesome, but it is a pretty low-rent Chinatown place, definitely not a fancy restaurant.

[M2d]

[ QUOTE ]
I would knock Boulevard and Hawthorne Lane off this list, they are overrated imo and not terribly interesting. OP: Yuet Lee is awesome, but it is a pretty low-rent Chinatown place, definitely not a fancy restaurant.

[/ QUOTE ]
for dining experience, where do you put thanh long?
if op wants a real "experience", go to flints in oakland (for lunch, not dinner).

[poincaraux]

[ QUOTE ]
go to tommys joynt (geary and van ness), delicious and affordable /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
Tommy's Joynt is good stuff. I ate there a few times when I lived in San Francisco. I'll be in town for a few days (best man at a friend's wedding), so I might go there for a meal.

[poincaraux]

Gary Danko and Aqua are now officially on the list of contenders. Thanks.

[ddubois]

I swear to god I read the title of this thread as "incredible meat in/near San Fran".

Does this mean I'm gay?

[Ulysses]

[ QUOTE ]
I swear to god I read the title of this thread as "incredible meat in/near San Fran".

Does this mean I'm gay?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes.

[poincaraux]

[ QUOTE ]
Boulevard
Globe
Jeanty at Jack's (was there in August and it was terrific...get the tomato soup with puff pastry)
Aqua
Yuet Lee
Slanted Door
Chez Nous
Jardiniere
Hawthorne Lane

[/ QUOTE ]
A lot of these look really good. Per El Diablo's post, I'll stay away from Boulevard and Hawthorne Lane. I've been to the Slanted Door .. it was good, but not as good as I'd heard. It could just be that my ordering skills were sub-par, though. Thanks.

[poincaraux]

[ QUOTE ]
OP: Yuet Lee is awesome, but it is a pretty low-rent Chinatown place, definitely not a fancy restaurant.

[/ QUOTE ]
A good friend is getting married on Saturday and I'm showing up on Thursday to help out .. this means I'll be running around the city quite a bit. If I go near Chinatown, I'll check this place out. Oh, man .. I wish I had time for a day of dim sum and hanging out in Chinatown. Do they still sell soft-shell tortoises on the street?

[sfer]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
In no particular order (and this could easily be a couple of years out of date):

Boulevard
Globe
Jeanty at Jack's (was there in August and it was terrific...get the tomato soup with puff pastry)
Aqua
Yuet Lee
Slanted Door
Chez Nous
Jardiniere
Hawthorne Lane

[/ QUOTE ]

I would knock Boulevard and Hawthorne Lane off this list, they are overrated imo and not terribly interesting. OP: Yuet Lee is awesome, but it is a pretty low-rent Chinatown place, definitely not a fancy restaurant.

[/ QUOTE ]

Boulevard was my favorite spot and Hawthorne Lane a close second when I lived there, but again, I haven't been to either since 2001. I heard that HL had a series of kitchen changes. Oh well.

Yuet Lee is really great and well worth the hassle of trying to find parking in North Beach/Chinatown.

Lulu is another place I liked a lot.

[ChipWrecked]

[ QUOTE ]


Do NOT go to Michael Mina.

[/ QUOTE ]

Can you expand on this? That' pretty emphatic.

[samjjones]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I swear to god I read the title of this thread as "incredible meat in/near San Fran".

Does this mean I'm gay?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes.

[/ QUOTE ] http://www.cnn.com/US/9803/04/time.75th/link.tom.cruise.jpg

El Diablo, El Diablo. No, you see. Here's the problem. You don't know the history of homosexuality. I do.

[SossMan]

I've always like the carnelian room, but I've heard that food snobs disagree.

[jen]

Of this class of restaurant, I like Hawthorne Lane. It's a bit pretentious, but the food's great. I think Aqua is overrated and overpriced but still good. I'd totally stay away from Boulevard.