Foodies: Looking for non chain restaurants. reasonable price

We are a family of four. My daughters are young adults. We love all types of food. We would like to try local restaurants. We like steak, seafood, chinese. Would like to try at least one Chinese restaurant and also have dim sum one day. We like all ethnic food. We would like good food at a decent price.

Cost is an issue. We want really good food, clean, safe surroundings. can be a busy restaurant or a small family type.

We will be staying in San Francisco.

Also any suggestions of places to eat in the Napa/ Sonoma area would be helpful.

Restaurants to eat in the Berkeley would help too.

Dont know weather to turn right or left when we arrive. Any help is really appreciated

Foodies: Looking for non chain restaurants. reasonable price

Look at sfgate.com, in the food section, for ';bargain bites.'; Perhaps this link will work.

http://www.sfgate.com/food/bargains/

Also consider reading through the San Francisco board of chowhound.com.

Foodies: Looking for non chain restaurants. reasonable price

Even though I%26#39;m certain that the helpful CA TA posters will have an abundance of wonderful suggestions for you, I thought I%26#39;d chime in as a fellow tourist (and fellow Buckeye).

My husband and I spent a week in SF/Monterey Bay area in October 18-25, 2008, and sought out some distinctive (and not costly) spots to eat. We stayed in North Beach and found Mama%26#39;s on Washington Square (for breakfast) and L%26#39;Osteria del Forno (for dinner) to be memorable and unlike Ohio dining.

You can read my reviews “The very first in line...our strategy revealed” at tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60713-d3538… and “Forno = oven” at tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60713-d3539…

My daily narratives can be located by searching the topic ';SF/Monterey Bay Area First-Timers'; in California forums.

Motherchic - it might help us to know where you%26#39;ll be staying so we can give neighborhood specific recommendations.

Best dim sum in the city is Yank Sing at Rincon Center (they also have a location on Stevenson Alley but it%26#39;s smaller). It%26#39;s not cheap but definitely worth it.

Good steak place that it isn%26#39;t as expensive as the top spots but still a fun, convivial and local atmosphere is Izzy%26#39;s Steaks and Chops on Steiner St. in the Marina.

If you%26#39;re over near Civic Center try Arlequin on Hayes between Franklin %26amp; Gough (mostly lunch I think they%26#39;re only open until about 8pm) and/or Frijtz on Hayes near Octavia. Arlequin has the BEST mac-and-cheese ever!

There are also some excellent, inexpensive Mexican places in the Mission.

One can start a small battle over the dim sum issue. Yank Sing is lovely and, as previously noted, expensive.

I usually send people City View on the edge of Chinatown and the Financial District, or Oriental Pearl for dim sum if they want nice surroundings at a reasonable price. I sent them to Y Ben if they want good value AND the full-on, chaotic, loaded-with-Chinese-families-and-dim-sum-carts experience.

If you have dim sum, perhaps you%26#39;d like to try a different regional Chinese cuisine, such as Hunan, you can try Hunan%26#39;s Home on Jackson St. .. salt and pepper ribs are good.

Swan%26#39;s Oyster House in Polk Gulch for lunch -- they don%26#39;t serve dinner.

If you%26#39;re staying in Union Square area, there are lots of inexpensive restaurants in that area, but they get better value as you go farther into the Tenderloin. On the edge of that, check out the Old Siam Thai Restaurant kitty-corner from the Parc 55 Hotel, on Ellis St. I used to go here when it was a hole-in-the-wall, and the crew was always very friendly. Now it%26#39;s expanded into the old Red%26#39;s Bar and the interior is spruced up enough to recommend to travelers who don%26#39;t want hole-in-the-wall.

Be sure to go to Fisherman%26#39;s Wharf - you can almost make a meal out of all the clam chowder samples.

In Berkeley - try Fondue Fred. It%26#39;s not very expensive - it%26#39;s not a chain :0 and your girls will have fun.

In Napa = Uva is very reasonable. You can get 1/2 plates - that saves money. I also like Ristorante Allegria. Both of those are Italian. A wonderful Cajun restaurant is Bleaux Magnolia. Probably my favorite hole-in-the-wall is Taqueria Rosita on Main Street. You can get a ';wet'; burrito for $5. Great salsa, everything they make is good.

In Sonoma = The Sonoma Market has really good food, buy some and take it to the Square at the park to eat.

In Petaluma - Old Chicago Pizza - their ';Chicago pizza'; is way better then the pizza that Chicago makes!

I recommend these:

South of Market: Henry%26#39;s Hunan on 110 Natoma between 2nd %26amp; New Montgomery; 1/2 a block south of Mission St.

www.henryshunanrestaurant.com

Nob Hill, Sushi Rika on Bush %26amp; Taylor streets http://www.sushirika.net/

in Japantown: Dosa on Fillmore %26amp; Post http://dosasf.com/index.html

in Japantown: Suzu Noodle House, entrance on Post in the Kinokuniya Bldg.; it%26#39;s the first restaurant on the left; sign in and prepare to wait but it is worth is for excellent noodle dishes as well as Japanese curry dishes.

You should also taste the Mexican food in the Mission district: Pancho Villa www.panchovillasf.com or El Toro Taqueria www.eltorosf.com

The ';Basque Hotel'; is (was?) a great restaurant in North Beach. They served family style.

Sam Wo%26#39;s in Chinatown is a real experience. You%26#39;ll be talking about the ';ambience for a long time.

My favs in SF are Dottie%26#39;s True Blue for breakfast and Swan Oyster for lunch

Haven%26#39;t been to House of Nanking in Chinatown, but many seem to love it

Enjoy

Hi, in Sonoma, check out the Swiss Hotel for great food that is reasonably priced, there is an outdoor patio area there with a fountain and fireplace. The girl and the fig a few doors down is also one of our favorite lunch spots in Sonoma. There is also Cafe La Haye in Sonoma which is a smaller venue with excellent food, make reservations here.

Also, in Sonoma is Carneros @ the Lodge @ Sonoma, a very good restaurant where they grow their own food, there is a nice garden in the back of the restaurant that is fun to look at while you are there. The El Dorado Kitchen is also very good, located right across the street from the girl and the fig @ the El Dorado Hotel.

Have fun in the wine country and Happy New Year! :)

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