Cheap eats, San Francisco
 

Hi, my name is Steve, and I'm a cheapskate. Oh, it feels good to get that off my chest - but really, there are few things I like better than a great bargain.

Here's my situation - I'll be out there for a week or so in mid-March for my son's graduation from a program at Culinary Institute of America in Napa County. He graduates on a Friday night, but on Thursday evening we (my wife, my son & me) are driving down to San Francisco to pick my daughter and her fiance up at SF airport, & the 5 of us will probably have dinner before heading back to St. Helena. When we go out Friday night after graduation, I'll probably have to spend a bundle, so I'd like dinner Thursday night to be cheap. I mean DAMNED cheap, like nothing on the menu over $20! But still nice, so everyone thinks I'm a genius.

Here are some places I've found that might fit the bill - do you have any comments if you know these places? Or any other places to suggest?

Regalito - Mexican - Mission

Pesce - Small Plates(dangerous cost-wise!) - Russian Hill

Wierd Fish (this place seems a little kooky) - Vegetarian/Fish - Mission

Beretta - Italian/Pizza - Mission

Pomelo - Global - Noe Valley

LOl...I'm not the expert you need and I'm sure the SF crowd will come along soon and give you fabulous suggestions.

I'd look for the famous clam chowder bread bowls... those are under 10 bucks oer person and are quite filling and delicious. I'd stay out of the "sit down for dinner and be served" places and go for more the "won't THIS be a fun exoerience?!!" places.

My other thought is that you may not want to go all the way into SF just for dinner... maybe you should bypass and look for something once you get past SF.

Have a great time and congratulations on your sons accomplishment!

" I'd stay out of the "sit down for dinner and be served" places and go for more the "won't THIS be a fun exoerience?!!" places."

A fiendishly clever idea, onemoneygirl - they'd think I'm "fun", not cheap!

Try this list of "bargain bites."

http://www.sfgate.com/bargainbites/

Bon appetit!

smetz!!!

EXACTLY!!

For example, if you had time, you could drive across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito, wander around a bit... and just eat at the little pizza place (the name escapes me) that looks over the harbor.

Make it about the experience of being together.

I think you're gonna have a fantastic time no matter where you end up! :)

We dine at Pomelo quite frequently. Very eclectic. We had Valentine's dinner there last night. It is not your "meat & potatoes" place. For the 2 of us, we had
-Appetizer of crostini with arugula salad (cueno on the menu)
-I had a wonderful soup - many ingredients (merida on the menu)
-my wife had my favorite appetizer - fish tacos (called Cabo San Lucas on menu) - don't miss these
-I had Havana - which is skirt steak on rice, Mexican beans, plantain, and mashed up avocado, salsa - I almost always have this, unless the monthly special of Paella is on the menu
-my wife had le puy - salad of lentils, brown rice, cilantro, cucumber, spinach, pine nuts, balsamic vinaigrette, topped with grilled herb marinated chicken
- full bottle of Capay Voigner
-Glass of Schug Pinot Noir

Total bill without tip was $90. Normally we would not have 3 appetizers nor a seperate glass of wine. Only 2 appetizers w/o glass of wine would bring the tab to $75. My Havana was $16 and my wife's le Puy was $12.50. We had leftovers, which my wife is having for breakfast.

This is where we go in The City if we want to have an inexpensive dinner that is "different". I think they take reservations for 6 or more. If your son is an aspiring chef - this restaurant does not have the usual salmon/pork chop/pasta/steak/roast chicken that you find at many of the cookie-cutter restaurants in The City. He might find something interesting to copy.

Stu Dudley

We had dinner last night at <b>Sultan</b>, 340 O'Farrell Street, just west of Union Square. It has very good Indian food. Most entrees are $10 and you could do 3 of them between the 5 of you. An appetizer or 2, rice and you should come in well below your budget. We ordered too much [2 entrees, salad and rice; with a BIG beer it was $40].

<b>Hog Island Oyster Company</b> at The Ferry Building, has Happy Hour on Thursdays with $1 oysters and $3.50 beers. It is from 5 - 7pm. The place is open till 8pm and they have $14 clam chowder and $14 manila clams, sand dabs {YUMMY, sweet small fish]for $14, various salads, and grilled cheese for $11. Great vibe that you will all like.

Deb

Thanks for the recommendation, Stu. I was leaning toward Pomelo, since it sounds like the kind of food my family enjoys, plus it would be a bit of a different experience since I don't know of any &quot;global&quot; restaurants back here in Baltimore.

DebitNM, Sultan sounds great (especially the BIG beer), but we have so much Indian around home that it probably wouldn't generate a lot of enthusiasm. And I love Hog Island, but their place doesn't land until 7, so we'll probably be too late - a definite for another time, though.

&gt;&gt;back here in Baltimore&lt;&lt;

Baltimore??? - then you should have some of our Dungeness crab &amp; find out what good crab is really like!!!

Stu Dudley

&quot; then you should have some of our Dungeness crab &amp; find out what good crab is really like!!!&quot;

You're talking about two different things in that compound sentence! I definitely plan to do the first while out there in San Francisco, but I've already done the second - right here in Baltimore!