the selection is not very large but the food is quite good (and mostly savory) but the coffee some of the absolute best in the world at Blue Bottle Cafe which is just down the hill from Union Square (on Mint between Mission and Market just off of 5th). Walk down Powell to Market, then turn right then left on 5th, right on Mint.

Definitely worth a visit at least once while you are in SF and I highly recommend their polenta and other items.

Enjoy!

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Blue Bottle Cafe
66 Mint St, San Francisco, CA 94103

They definitely have fresh mozzarela and sharp, aged cheddars.

Also there are smaller cheese merchants who are at the Farmer's Market at the Ferry Building on Saturdays who carry some really excellent local aged cheddars.

Two other good options:

- multiple shops and delis in North Beach carry fresh mozzarela

- Lucca on Valencia has very good fresh cheeses as well

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Lucca Ravioli
1100 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110

having just had dinner there a few thoughts on my second visit - last time I got takeout, this time I ate in.

They are still finding their way re service and food but I think they are doing an awful lot right.

- menu has a lot of good options, not just bbq meats (even decent options for vegetarians and they are doing some salmon dishes on Fridays etc)

- while the first time I are there the cornbread by the time I got it home was a bit hard, though flavorful, eating in the cornbread was clearly freshly made (indeed I saw them putting in a fresh batch as I was there) and perfectly soaked up the spicy sauce.

I've only had the pork ribs (my favorite bbq cut) and have been very impressed so far. By far the best bbq I've had in SF so far - vastly better than local favorites like Memphis Minnies or for that matter any other place I've tried (and I've been trying most places I've seen). Good quality, very well trimmed, nice smoke flavor and cooked right.

Now I personally like the type of sauce they are using - and I think it may be in part that they have some Chicago connection (they offer "Chicago Style baked beans" which I definitely like - and I'm a Chicagoan).

I had the texas slaw tonight as well and it indeed was nice - not too soggy, fresh taste and the raisins added a nice dimension of flavor - and were clearly not the cheapest raisins available (they were plump and both black and green)

Personally they are rapidly rising on my shortlist of places to eat at that are reasonably easy to get to from my home (I live along the 24 bus line which stops right across the street).

I think they will settle into a good rhythm in a month or two but clearly they are starting from a focus on tasty food at reasonable - though not entirely cheap - prices ($18.50 for a nice slab of ribs and two tasty sides plus two cornbread muffins is a fair price in my book). $18.99 if you want a combo of two of their meats.

In short a place I will be returning to in the future and which I wish the best.

just in case anyone is searching - Radio Africa Kitchen is now at Coffee Bar. (Mariposa & Florida even though the address is technically on Bryant) last I looked it is now there Thurs & Fri evenings, though some dishes are available every day - and Coffee Bar is excellent any time of day

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Coffee Bar
1890 Bryant St, San Francisco, CA 94110

I'll try to stop by there in the next few days and report back w/photos. Ribs and Shoulder and I think they also offer skin (I'll try to jot down the right terms in Spanish). Usually however the rib meat and often the skin have been sold out by when I'm there - but everything is very, very tasty.

a few things I would suggest that are more unique to SF - and involve serious food.

Saturday morning - go the Ferry Plaza Farmers market - get there early (8am best try for 9 or so at the worst, before 10am when the crowds get busier). While at the market the following are where I always take friends:

- Blue Bottle for an espresso drink (coffee and hot chocolate are also goot). Two kiosks, pick the one with the shortest line

- Primavera for brunch - it is in the far corner of the market - the hardest thing about this option is that you have to past many amazing stalls on the way

- Frog Hollow Farms (in the building and outside) for some of the best fruit (and Jam) anywhere.

- in the current market also the amazing dates (you'll pass them on the way to Primavera)

and then wander around sampling fruits which are in season (citrus, persimmons esp at the moment, some pears and apples). There are many amazing cheese vendors (and the phenomenal Cowgirl Creamery inside the market). Pick up some bread from Acme (inside or outside), Pate from Fatted Calf (next to the Blue Bottle Kiosk on the side of the market) and a selection of fresh cheeses, perhaps locally made Salumi and prepare a great snack or picnic later in the day. (add fruits and other delectables to taste and budget)

By around 10-11am the market gets quite crowded, I'd then suggest taking your picnic fixings with you and exploring San Francisco - Golden Gate park is one option, Dolores Park is my personal favorite park, another good option might be a ferry ride in the Bay (to Alemeda or Tibruron/Larkspur, perhaps just coming right back and eating on the boat if the weather is nice.

In terms of restaurants while some great ones have been suggested here are a few others I like (and/or have been wanting to try) which might be a bit more unique to San Francisco:

Greens or Millenium both offer high end vegetarian dining. Not something you find everywhere (though there are similar restaurants in more cities than there once were).

Coi. Which is where if I were splurging on a tasting menu I'd probably go to first if I couldn't get a reservation and get to the French Laundry.

Chez Panisse in Berkeley is another option to consider (and the upstairs cafe is actually a decent value) and the whole neighborhood around Chez Panisse (the "Gourmet Ghetto" is a worthy stop for any foodie. Especially the Cheese Board for cheeses, baked goods and vegetarian pizza.

In terms of Burrito's my personal favorite (well one of my favorites) is Los Coyotes which is on 16th St just up the street from Mission (and right at the 16th St Bart station so very easy to get to. Very clean, very tasty.

For dim sum my personal favorite is Canton Seafood & Dim Sum which is on Folsom & Hawthorne (in SOMA) They serve great trolley service dim sum on the weekends, have a huge space, great food and are about half the cost of Yank Sing and, to my personal taste, better as well.

For bakeries (pastries) Tartine is pretty spectacular. But if the weather is good I'd actually suggest skipping the pastries and getting your calories just down the street at BiRite Creamery (on 18th St at Dolorores) which is, I think, truly amazing, locally sourced, organic ice cream.

I'm a serious coffee person and I think San Francisco currently has some of the best coffee of any city in the US (and indeed competitive with any city worldwide). My favorites:

Blue Bottle (cafe on Mint St between Mission & Market, just off 5th is a great experience) as well as kiosks at the market and a small kiosk in Hayes Valley

Ritual Roasters on Valencia. Yes, full of hipsters with laptops - but serve great coffee as well.

and two newer favorites:

Four Barrel Coffee (Valencia and 14th St) which is in a few days going to be turning on their new roaster.

and a final suggest Coffee Bar (Mariposa and Florida in Potrero Hill). They serve great coffee (and wine & beer). The coffee is from Mr. Espresso a local roaster in the East Bay. But the really special thing at Coffee Bar is dinner there on Thursday and Friday when Radio Africa Kitchen serves locally crafted, seasonal meals. One of my personal favorite dining gems in the city - a different menu every week, based on the best of the market cooked with an African influence but also with a great deal of skill and technique and at prices that are hard to beat (~$6 for mezes or small plates to share and usually two entrees one vegetarian one meat for <$20) with reasonably priced wine pairings.

Lots of other great places to explore but those are a few of my favorites.

Shannon

Doesn't have the exact view of Slanted Door but one of my favorite restaurants in the city is nearby - The Salt House. I took a business partner there for dinner and we returned another time the next time he was in town - great food and flavors, have never had a problem getting a reservation (though it does usually fill up) if I'm a bit flexible on time, and the menu is always changing.

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Salt House
545 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94105

I'll try to get a copy of the menu photographed the next time I'm there for lunch, was just told about the existence of the menu the last time I was there a few weeks ago.

not who i was thinking of in Chicago (he's male) but thanks, I'll add her blog to my reading lists. But I'm looking for someone here in SF. :)

Well I have to respectfully disagree - I had one of, perhaps the worst, meal of the past year the one time my Ex (who was visiting for a few days) and I ate there earlier this year. We're friends, but the food was just horrible. All told I was quite disappointed. Definitely a lot of character, quite busy at lunchtime, but I didn't find the food was very fresh or flavorful.

But that was just one visit, I'd try it again and order very different dishes - but I have a few dozen other places to try first.

Back in Chicago a number of one time active Chowhounds started to translate the "secret" Thai language menus which many of the best Thai restaurants in Chicago have. The best of these restaurants then made those translated menus available to anyone who asked - resulting in making some otherwise inaccessible (and in many cases amazingly tasty and wonderful) dishes available to non-Thai's. My personal favorite was TAC Quick which is still among my top 5 (if really pressed) restaurants I've eaten at regularly in the world.

Here in San Francisco I've encountered at least one very good Thai restaurant which does, in fact, have a Thai language only menu. A menu they do not display, is not part of their regular take out menu, and which indeed does include many dishes which are not otherwise on the menu (I know because I asked about a dish I didn't recognize and was told it was only on the Thai language menu but I could ask for it if I liked).

I suspect, but do not know, that there are many other of the rather good Thai restaurant selection here in the bay area who also have Thai language only menus.

Hence my question/request - if anyone does speak and read Thai with sufficient fluency to translate some of the menus - I'd love to learn of the menus and sample many of the dishes,.

The one place I know that has such a menu is Pad Thai on Mission. Which rather uninspiring name is, in fact, a quite above average Thai restaurant capable of serving very spicy dishes on request and even on their English language menu include many dishes not often seen in other local Thai restaurants (I personally am fond of the dish they call "egg bomb" which is quite tasty and can be quite spicy, though the fried eggs cut the spice nicely).

Shannon

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Pad Thai Restaurant
3259 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

In catching up with the San Francisco Chowhound boards I noticed that one of my favorite, semi-hidden places in the Mission appears to have not been written about before (or at least not in the past year).

So here is a quick capsule review - will add photos when I have a chance to go take some.

Carnitas Sandoval is a small, almost entirely take out place in the Outer Mission, along Mission St past Bernal Heights. It is, however, well worth staying on the 14 bus a bit longer or the extra bit of a drive. It is mostly a take out place - you can buy meat to make your own carnitas, can buy pre-cooked carnitas, or you can buy tacos (highly recommended) to eat there or take away.

They have a range of carnitas - but pretty much only carnitas - this is a place that knows what they do well and sticks to it. Nothing fancy, cheap prices, great flavor.

In short my favorite type of hidden (well hidden in plain sight) type of gem. Well worth further exploration - they usually be out of some of their various cuts when I've been there midday on a Saturday as I walked back from the Allemeny market.

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Carnitas Sandoval (CLOSED)
3723 Mission St, San Francisco, CA

another +1 for Sebo. One of my highlights of 2008 was a solo dinner I treated myself to at Sebo. Not cheap, but nothing I ordered had I ever seen at another sushi restaurant - flavorful, fresh and fairly creative fish that particular evening. Not cheap, but very friendly and everyone in the place seemed to be really enjoying themselves.

I'll try to get the exact name the but Udon place I was thinking about is inside of the mall in Japantown just over the bridge (walking towards the Sundance theaters). It did change ownership earlier this year so not 100% certain they are still making the udon entirely from scratch but I hope they are. The udon place downstairs is also quite tasty if not quite as serious about the making of the noodles.

Thanks for the feedback - I'll try to be more active, haven't been back on Chowhound in a while - definitely better software than when it was a standalone site!

Shannon

it was likely over analysis (but the point was more to think through the process, less specifically a review of Bodhi - though I hope it is clear I enjoyed my meal and hope they figure out a way to improve)

But one small correction if you please - I'm male - not female - try to make sure that's clear on my blog but I guess I'll have to take yet another look at that.