I've been reading up online, trying to find some midlevel restaurants for us to visit while we're in San Francisco. I'd love to go to Gary Danko, but at $55/person, it's a bit higher then I could stomach this trip I noted these restaurants and wondered if anyone had personal experience:

LuLu
Daves (bar)
La Scene
Scalas
Kokkari Estiatorio
and for fun, 303 Restaurant and Movie Lounge.

Worth a visit? I've looked at most of their menus, and they LOOk good, but heavens knows that the menu may sound better then it tastes.

Also, can someone give us some recommendations for dining in Chinatown? Preferably Dim Sum, but we're open. We'd like something more "authentic" but not so much that we're lost (like our Asian friends enthusiastic recommendation of Duck Tongues...I'm adventuresome, but even I could stomach that concept )

Thanks!

For Chinese try Sam Woo (Wo)? in Chinatown on Washington Street I think. Yet Wah on Clement Street has a good Sunday Dim Sum.

You can hardly go wrong anywhere in Chinatown.

For incredible, moderately price, food in wonderful restaurants, head for Belden Place.

Branv,
LuLu is a long time favorite of mine, they serve family style. The rest. is loud and seemingly underdecorated. The wood chairs are various colors painted with "stressed" paint, sort of like a Mexican cantina look. But, the food is great, the open kitchen smells permeate the dining rooms, great appetizers and spit roasted chicken; walkable from Union Square or SOMA.

Scalas has great Italian food, it is a lobby restaurant, tastefully decorated, crowded and lively, prices are reasonable. This is a good place for pre-theater dining.

Kokkari is in Jackson Square, nice location but a bit "hidden". Again, great menu with a Greek flair. Two dining rooms, very different but both great. The front is more formal and quiet elegant; the rear dining room is near the open kitchen, lots of waiter traffic, but a good visual experience. Many of the dishes are unusual, but have never had something I didn't like. We go there for lunch quite often.

Very near Kokkari's are two dim sums we go to for lunch also, Harbor View in Embarcadero Center and City Lights(?, not sure of second word!!)in a nearby alley. Also, try Palio D'Asti, don't know if they still do this, but we stopped in for Friday night Happy Hour and you got a free wood-fired (awesome) pizza for every 2 drinks ordered. We ended up not going for dinner afterward.

Dim Sum w/o duck tongues try either Yank Sing in Rincon Annex or Ton Kiang(?) out on Geary. I think if $55/head is above your budget Kokkari might be high as well. I think it's a great place and worth the $ but Gary Danko might be more fitting for the $$. BTW: check out either Blue Plate or Luna Park in the Mission for mid range.

Branv - what a great list! LuLu is consistently good - a keeper on anyone's list. Been to Kokkari once and loved it.

I'll have to try the rest (though I'm sure I've been to Scala's long ago). Even trying a new place every two weeks or so, there are so many restaurants in San Francisco (and good ones!) that it's hard to keep up.

As for Dim Sum - I recently had a great experience at a place I believe was called "Kams" - a bit of a way down Grant Street (the main drag in Chinatown).

I would avoid Yank Sing - so many people told me that was the best Dim Sum in the city - I ended up taking a visitor from London there. I found that the place has very little atmosphere. It felt like I was dining at a mall food court. It was very pricey as well. Not the Chinatown experience I was hoping for. Anyplace in Chinatown would be preferable.

For Chinatown and dim sum, try

The New Asia Garden Restaurant
Meriwa Restaurant

both on Pacific

Along the main drag, Grant Avenue, is the Far East Cafe. Small street front hides a cavernous place with pretty good Chinese food.

I would avoid the Chinatown restaurants that are recommended over and over again by "experts".

Happy dining!

Brnav-

LuLu is TERRIFIC and affordable...definitely go there...

Another GREAT affordable place is DELFINA---

As for DIM SUM-- I have been going to Yank Sing for YEARS-- the one in the Financial District has a little more atmosphere and is WAY WAY busier than the one off Union Sq near the Sheraton Palace...But we have been to both...
As far as ATMOSPHERE- good lord, in Chinatown, there is NO atmosphere either..all you see is Chinese people ( which is normal)..but you still see Chinese people at Yank Sing along with tons of Caucasians interested in terrific Dim Sum....

Gary Danko is excellent (food and service)!

LuLu is good too.

For Dim-Sum, Harbor Village in Embarcadero Center (Tower 4). My Chinese friend's family go there for Sunday brunch almost every weekend!

yank sing or tan kiang (sp?) is where my family goes for dim sum when we are in town. I've never had duck tongues in the US, only in Paris Chinatown, and I must say they were delicious!

Koi Palace is always hopping in South San Francisco (not Chinatown--so a car would be required). They do have duck tongue but you can avoid it--they have lots of selections and it is always busy.

I actually prefer several places in Oakland Chinatown, but I know that is not an attractive idea to many out-of-towners who fear Oakland. But you can take BART to 12th st. in Oakland, walk down Broadway to about 9th St. and there is a place in the Pacific Renaissance Mall called Peony's on the mezzanine level (very close to the Marriott).