Marlowe
Often featuring among the top restaurants of the region, Marlowe offers a modern menu of American favorites in a comfy bistro setting. There is an understated elegance to the dining room, done up in shades of black and gray. Warm lighting and a lively clientele add life to the inert theme. Executive Chef Jennifer Puccio offers an edited menu of favorites such as Anson Mills Polenta, Grilled Niman Pork Chops and pan seared day boat scallops. Accompanying the selection is a choice of sides including Marlow Fries and Smokey Baked Cauliflower. The Marlowe Burger is considered to be among the best in the city, and so should not be missed. There's a diverse choice of spirits to accompany your meal. The restaurant can accommodate groups and is ideal for intimate get-togethers. Check website for more.
In a city with an ever-evolving culinary landscape, it is heartening, if not surprising, to find such an old-timer. Politicians and business people have been coming here forever, buying each other martinis and waiting to be seated. The seafood is fresh and fabulous and the décor is turn-of-the-last-century. The wait staff is great, and it's not surprising--some of them have been here more than 3 decades.
This restaurant in the heart of the Castro serves some of the freshest seafood away from Fisherman's Wharf. The service and decor of the restaurant are simple. Diners order at the counter and seat themselves at small tin tables and chairs. All the seafood is fresh from the ocean, including the steamed crab and steamed mussels. There tends to be a large lunch contingent, so dining during off hours is recommended. You can also buy fresh seafood here to make your own culinary creations at home.
Trestle
With a simple prix fixe menu consisting of only two options in each course, Trestle is quite an extraordinary fine dining restaurant. The staff are extremely well versed with the dishes and considering the menu changes constantly, requesting them for recommendations is advisable. Don’t forget to ask for some of their complimentary Firebrand Bread that is served with olive oil and butter. Delightfully tasteful, you might even consider skipping the main course altogether. The simplicity and elegance of this restaurant coupled with its delectable meals at prices that won’t break the bank will make it your favorite place for pampering yourself or celebrating a special occasion.
Super Duper Burgers has locations all over the Bay Area and this one located on Market St. is the original. Inside the kitchen, the chefs prepare 100 percent humanely raised, vegetarian fed beef, where most of the ingredients are sourced from within Northern California. In the case of the shakes and buns, the former comes from Straus Family Creamery while the latter arrives from a local San Francisco baker; needless to say, everything is fresh. For those who don't eat red meat, SD still has chicken and veggie options. Add some garlic fries to your burger; then, top your meal off with a Cookies & Cream shake; it doesn't get any better.
Delancey Street Restaurant is a great venue for any meal of the day. Its open-air patio looks right over the San Francisco Bay and the Bay Bridge, and depending on what time of the year it is, you can enjoy your meal as the fog rolls in or as the sun shines bright. The interior is well-lit and roomy, and staff is welcoming and attentive. An interesting fact about this restaurant is its community service aspect: the founder of the Delancey Street Foundation, Mimi Silbert, had a vision in 1971 to employ recovering addicts and criminals, so that they could learn the importance of the strict rules she laid out. The atmosphere of the restaurant is light, the food is moderately priced and tasty, especially the grilled chicken and tuna sandwiches, and the chicken skewers with peanut sauce are worth a try.
Calibur
Made to order, Grass Fed & Grass Finished Beef, Tallow Fries & Delicious Milkshakes! House Made Veggie Burgers, B.L.T.’s, Grilled Cheese, Hot Dogs, Salads & Chili!!
You might pass by this casual and slightly funky place and dismiss it as just another hole-in-the-wall, but do not be fooled. Inside, it is done up with whimsical lighting and bright paint. The menu takes the best of Californian cuisine and fusion trends. The wait staff is as hip as the joint itself and just as accomplished. The entrees are imaginative, fresh and never less than very good. The wine list is also good, featuring Californian vintages.
