i'll be taking a day trip to the city w/my family to see cirque du soleil just before thanksgiving. as usual i plan my day around the great eating in S.F. after reading tons here i have narrowed it down to lunch at l'osteria del forno and dinner in belden place, either plouf or B44 depending on appetite of all involved. however the show starts at 8pm. will we feel rushed thru dinner at either of these places? maybe i should reverse it and have lunch in belden and dinner at l'osteria? any opinions? thanks!

uh oh! already having to start over. l'osteria del forno isn't open on tues which is the day we'll be there. hadn't thought of that. also will have a seafood eating vegetarian, which i guess isn't really a veg. then, with us. please help!

Since Cirque is set up in the PacBell parking lot, it might make more sense to eat in SOMA, than the financial district (i.e. Belden), and thereby not have to rush as much to the performance because as far as know neither Plouf nor B44 are traditional pre- performance restaurants. Check PacBell's website for restaurants near by.

Try Fringale or South Park Cafe -- both are walking distance from PacBell.

The SF Bay chowhound.com message boards can point you in the right direction as well.

Fringale is indeed a good choice - I go there at least 3 times a year for dinner - BUT - make reservations early! Fringale has been packed every night ever since its opening, with good reason - it's all about the food there. The best roast lamb in town, in my opinion.

I enjoyed Plouf on Belden Lane, but as the previous posters point out, it may be more about location for you. If you go to Plouf, order whatever food the bartender recommends--he was right on everything!

thanks! i remember considering fringale last time i was in s.f. i'll propose it to the rest of my party. good to know it's still popular. i ate at the slanted door last time there and loved it! but as i live in seattle i want to try somewhere new. maybe we'll lunch at belden place. then i can eat at both! in that city i live to eat and will schedule the rest of the day around where i want to eat. thanks all!

How could I have forgotten!
If Fringale is booked up, how about Chez Papa for dinner? It's on 18th & Missouri, on Portrero Hill, which makes it very close via car to Pac Bell Park. Chez Papa is owned by the same partnership which runs Plouf and has made a good name for itself in the 2 years or less that it's been open.
I had dinner at Chez Papa last week - every dish on the menu was tempting. If I was dining there tonight, I'd have the lamb daube with winter vegetables and then either the fig tart or pot au creme de chocolate for dessert. I guess it's time for me to leave work and go cook some dinner....anyway, a thought which I thought I'd offer as a useful alternative. Have fun, however it turns out.

yea! made reservations at fringale. maybe it being a tues and two weeks in advance made it easy.
now i need to decide on lunch. we'll most likely get into the city around that time. maybe something light? what's the opinion on ebisu? i've read a lot of back and forth on japanese food here. one will say a place is good, others will disagree. makes it hard.hmm...

I think there was a long Ebisu discussion on Chowhound.com (SF message boards). Do a search or post a new thread and you'll get plenty of feedback.

Ebisu used to be one of my favorite sushi bars, well worth the long wait on weekend evenings. The sushi was creative and the ambience was jolly and authentic (try being there on New Year's Eve!) The last time I went, the food was a little tired and the chefs were cranky. However, it still packs 'em in. Ebisu also runs a noodle restaurant across the street - is it called Hotei? Can't remember, but it was o.k. for a lunch stop.

thanks again all! i'll try chowhound again. i didn't find it as user friendly as this board.
i thought i heard ebisu had declined a bit. but will research some more