Can anyone recommend the best of the following in SF:
-Seafood
-Chinese (in Chinatown preferably)
-Italian (in Little Italy preferably)
Thanks!

Little Italy in San Francisco? Can bet anything - it's North Beach area. Never ever living here in SF heard anybody referring to any SF area as Little Italy. Or Big. Or Large. Or Small.

The best seafood restaurant is Aqua (very high-end and very expensive)
A more casual spot is Yabbie's on Polk Street
The best Chinese in Chinatown are Great Eastern and Four Seas.
Enjoy!

Yabbies is nice, and casual. Aqua first-rate. For french seafood, Plouf. In North Beach, many good Italian places ... take a look at Zagats for several names in that neighborhood. Ciao

Osteria del Forno in North Beach for wonderful home cooked Italian.We send guests to the Great Eastern in Chinatown if they want a big and easy Chinatown place. There are also good Chinese restaurants in the Richmond, the "New" Chinatown in the area near Geary and 17th. Son who lives not far says Ton Kiang is his fave. Also recommends Ocean for Cantonese seafood, Yet Wah for Mandarin and Hong Kong Flower Lounge for dim sum. All in same area. Look at www.sfgate.com

For upscale Italian, try Cafe Pescatore near Fisherman's Wharf. Wonderful food, superb service. (The chocolate torte desert is to die for!!)

The best:

Seafood:
Aqua (but too pretentious and loud)
Yabbies (but don't go on a weekend - the fresh stuff is best during the week)
MC2 (not only seafood, but I always love their preparation of the seafood items).
Plouf (Right on for me!)

Italian:
Antica Trattoria (on Polk at Union, so not in North Beach)
Rose Pistola (in North Beach, but very noisy. Go at off hours)

Chinese:
I am still in search of the BEST. Too many to choose from and all a great find.

French (you did not ask, but we have some great stuff with the full range of prices):
Plouf (num!)
Pastis (num!)
Fringale (num!)
La Folie (num!)
Campton Place (nummy!)
Jardinere (late night nummy)

Aqua on California Avenue. Had the best fish I have evr had in my live. It tasted like butter. You should not miss eating there.

Thanks everyone for your great responses! I've made reservations at Aqua, and I am going to print out all of your replys and bring them with me - we'll probably be able to hit most of your suggestions! Thanks again.

If yer gonna eat at Aqua be prepared to raise you voice significantly to talk with your dining partner. The tables are very close together and it is probably the loudest restaurant I've ever eaten in. The food was good though.

Try Masa's it is french, a much more subdued atmosphere and highly rated. My wife and I ate at the White Barn in Kennebunk and to us, Masa's put it to shame.

RM

I thought Yank Sing was pretty nice for dim sum, not to mention bright & clean. Otherwise....sorry, I'm chinese so the restaurants I frequent in Chinatown I only know by sight.

Fringale is good for French and is a pretty good deal, too.

Five words: Slanted Door Restaurant, Shaking Beef.

Technically vietnamese but one of the top 3 meals in my book.

Italian: The Gold Spike on Columbus in North Beach. Friday nites has the best cippiano in the world. Go early or it will be gone. Bon Appetite!!!! Lee in Austin,Tejas

My Chinese friends describe Yet Wah as the "Dennys" of Chinese food. If you go to China Town or just about anywhere else in the city and just pick a place that looks good to you an d one that has some asian customers it would be hard to go wrong. There are many choices and if they are no good they will not long stay in business in such a competative enviornment.
Same thing for North Beach. Just walk around. The menus are posted to look at.
Both come in all price ranges and all varieties. There is no such thing as the "best."
Scotts and Scoma's also excellent for seafood. I once recommended Scotts to 2 New York police inspectors. They later sent me 2 NYPD police patches and a thank you note.