San Francisco and what to do in it

Gotchya. Not that I have any issue with Boulange, really (although generally the service at the Hayes Valley one is pretty awful--the bread/pastries/food is good.)

I really hope Pascal hasn't expanded too quickly. He has boulanges all over the place and the service varies widely. The service at Soleil is okay (maybe since I've been showing my face since they opened) but their open-faced sandwiches on poilane-style bread are excellent and I stop by and get canneles (a little burnt custard treat from his native Bordeaux that Rigo is repopularzing) 'cause they're so delicious.

ooh I second the Jay's Cheesesteaks rec as well. I remember when they opened off of Valencia right after I moved to the city, one of my favorite places - glad they've stuck around and expanded

Last time I was in LA I went to this place (which was excellent) and had great caneles http://www.canele-la.com/

Looks like the old Expansion Bar is the Blackbird

Man now I'm all hungry again for good SF spots. Oh well, be there in a month!

xp no relation to the Chicago place, I assume.

Wow, Alex, that place looks great. Their wine list looks exquisite.

Ned and his sister and I had brunch at Soleil.

I saw Bubbles from the Wire (who was dating one of the owners) and Keith from Six Feet Under there as well.

OMG i would frakn die if i ran into Bubs. he seems like such a good guy.

Ned and his sister and I had brunch at Soleil.

And very good it was.

xp I was very very excited!

Speaking of celbrity sightings IN LA, I ran into a bunch fo the cast of Madmen at the London hotel about a year ago. The food at their bar (the resto is Gordon Ramsey, dontcha know?) was really good and not so expensive.

They make a mean dirty martini too.

back on topic, which of these mexicans should I head to for a fish taco?

That place in the Ferry building gets a lot of love.

My favorite is at La Fajita Grill on Market near 17th. It's not otherwise a great place but I really like their fish tacos.

I finally wnet to the Ferry Bldg place and I thought my tacos were fairly good but rather dear.

This may also be a steve shasta question but is there a good place to hire bikes from?

Most of the bike rental places are in gawdawful Fisherman's Wharf.

I can't really recommend SF's fish tacos in general - that's more of a SoCal/San Diego thing

I think I heard people like SF Cyclery on Stanyon.

Sinaloa taco truck has excellent fish tacos.

And I'm from San Diego, fwiw.

I can't really recommend SF's fish tacos in general

They're far too often made with salmon, which I just cannot abide. (Not salmon, per se, but salmon in baja style tacos.)

Where's Sinaloa, polyphonic?

salmon doesn't sound like it belongs in a taco.

That's where you're wrong, Ed.

Not with baja sauce, at least, Ned.

I'll allow that.

Where's Sinaloa, polyphonic?

I don't know where this is either...?

I will defer to ned on this, although I tend to avoid salmon on environmental/sustainability grounds.

That's more than fair. I usually don't have it unless when I'm home in Carmel.

The fishmonger at my farmers' market on Sunday had sardines. I didn't think this weas sardine season but I'll find out and if they're really in season, I think I'm going to bbq some soon. (apropos of nothing but incited by talk of things icthyoid.)

Yeah, Ed, I'm not always the biggest fan of salmon (had oodles of it here as a kid) but I won't have anything to do with locally caught salmon right now and the farmed stuff tastes like fish paste, cardboard and a dab of glue all bound together.

didn't know you could even GET locally caught salmon here

I don't know where this is either...?

You have to cross the Bay bridge. ;-)

lol

altho honestly I have been going to the East Bay a lot more now that I have a kid (Fairyland!)

Well, not now, Shakey but over the last several years...

Do I need a passport for that, polyphonic?

Would happily eat sardines anywhere any time if available, A little rosemary and garlic. Where's good for fish?

also, what are good bars within spitting distance of the downtown hilton? (Not staying there but E's conference is there).

Nothing good is near downtown.

Bar-wise that is.

That's the one on Geary, right, Ed?

Lefty's on Geary is an acceptable old school/tourist bar. The Owl Tree isn't far but I haven't been in ages and I don't know what the vibe's like. Tunnel Top on Bush above the Stockton Tunnel is fun sometimes. Foley's is okay in a faux-Irish pub kind of way. I don't drink there much but I would recommend going to John's Grill for a martini.

a former friend of mine owns House of Shields.... but I don't drink downtown.

This is the impression I get, but worth a punt, what's the best direction to head?

(Is asking for what are good bars near the hilton for any city ever going to get a positive response? Best I can do is a short walk from one of the london hiltons to a really good byob burmese restaurant).

Yup the one on Geary.

Obv, Alex is more discerning than me.

House of Shields is fun (Thank god your friend saved it, Shakey) but it's not exactly spitting distance.

I'd hop on the underground or BART and either head to Lower Haight or Mission/Valencia.

yeah, bit of a hike I guess

x-post

or the Castro

John's Grill - 63 Ellis (between Powell and Stockton). Opened in 1908 and has become essentially an old fashioned toursit kind of place but they make excellent martinis. Worth a stop, if only to look at 40 years worth of cops and pols on the wall.

I had a pretty good greyhound at the orbit room not too long ago.