S. F. Union Square Restaurants
Dec 4th, 2002, 12:54 PM
#3
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Mark, Let me start off by saying that I am not one of those "Union Square" bashers that SF Foodie is referring to. Below is an article that was in one of our local SF newspapers about the sad state of Downtown SF. I know that it may be too late to change your hotel reservation, but if you can I would. Also, there are many great restaurants in other parts of SF that you should look into for your anniversary. I would not want you to get a bad impression of SF based on our downtown area.
As if the bad economy wasn't bad enough.
This was a recent story from the local paper about our downtown. It is really sad what it has become.
For years, high-end shoppers flocking to the San Francisco Shopping Centre to grab the latest in Gucci have stepped over homeless people, just said "no" to crack dealers and politely grimaced as they passed risqué posters from nearby girlie shows. They braved the seedy mid-Market Street scene because they knew inside was a well-heeled haven of white marble and soft music.
Until last week. That's when a man staggered out of the food court restroom, blood spurting from a stab wound in his chest, and collapsed and died in front of horrified patrons.
What had long loomed outside the gilt-edged glass doors had finally seeped in.
"We're trying so hard to improve that mid-Market area," said Carolyn Diamond, head of The Market Street Association, which has been working to improve the area for more than 20 years. "It really does set us back every time something happens there."
Tough times
A month before the stabbing was another spasm of violence. Across the street from the Centre, a shopper had her child snatched from her arms and dangled over the railing of the Powell BART station by a mentally deranged man. For the Centre it adds up to tough times. The nine-story retail hive has 65 stores from Kenneth Cole to the world's largest Nordstrom. It is already in a slump because of the overall economic malaise. Coupled with downtown's dot-com hemorrhaging, the post-Sept. 11, 2001, financial nosedive was particularly painful.
Location, location, location
Though its executives are loath to admit it, the mall has struggled with its dicey location since it opened in 1988. This diamond in the rough sits in a four-block stretch of Market Street notorious for its open-air crack deals, panhandling homeless and sidewalk strip joints.
If posters of preposterously well-endowed nude women aren't enough to make horrified mall moms cover their kids' eyes, passed-out drunks and drunks exposing themselves and huge bloody billboards probably will. The posters were part of a recent anti-abortion protest nearby that is all part of the daily Market Street circus.
"Nobody should have to deal with homeless people littering our sidewalk, but until there is some real will in City Hall to create capacity in our homeless program, we're always going to have homeless people on our streets," said Chance Martin, editor of the Coalition of Homelessness' Street Sheet newspaper. "We need 15,000 units of low-income housing yesterday."
Though police recently beefed up patrols in the area, it's still a tough journey for the type of shopper the Centre is trying to entice.
Union Square squeeze
"The difference between the inside of the mall and the outside is really vast," said Cow Hollow resident Tory McEldowney.
As if the bad economy wasn't bad enough.
This was a recent story from the local paper about our downtown. It is really sad what it has become.
For years, high-end shoppers flocking to the San Francisco Shopping Centre to grab the latest in Gucci have stepped over homeless people, just said "no" to crack dealers and politely grimaced as they passed risqué posters from nearby girlie shows. They braved the seedy mid-Market Street scene because they knew inside was a well-heeled haven of white marble and soft music.
Until last week. That's when a man staggered out of the food court restroom, blood spurting from a stab wound in his chest, and collapsed and died in front of horrified patrons.
What had long loomed outside the gilt-edged glass doors had finally seeped in.
"We're trying so hard to improve that mid-Market area," said Carolyn Diamond, head of The Market Street Association, which has been working to improve the area for more than 20 years. "It really does set us back every time something happens there."
Tough times
A month before the stabbing was another spasm of violence. Across the street from the Centre, a shopper had her child snatched from her arms and dangled over the railing of the Powell BART station by a mentally deranged man. For the Centre it adds up to tough times. The nine-story retail hive has 65 stores from Kenneth Cole to the world's largest Nordstrom. It is already in a slump because of the overall economic malaise. Coupled with downtown's dot-com hemorrhaging, the post-Sept. 11, 2001, financial nosedive was particularly painful.
Location, location, location
Though its executives are loath to admit it, the mall has struggled with its dicey location since it opened in 1988. This diamond in the rough sits in a four-block stretch of Market Street notorious for its open-air crack deals, panhandling homeless and sidewalk strip joints.
If posters of preposterously well-endowed nude women aren't enough to make horrified mall moms cover their kids' eyes, passed-out drunks and drunks exposing themselves and huge bloody billboards probably will. The posters were part of a recent anti-abortion protest nearby that is all part of the daily Market Street circus.
"Nobody should have to deal with homeless people littering our sidewalk, but until there is some real will in City Hall to create capacity in our homeless program, we're always going to have homeless people on our streets," said Chance Martin, editor of the Coalition of Homelessness' Street Sheet newspaper. "We need 15,000 units of low-income housing yesterday."
Though police recently beefed up patrols in the area, it's still a tough journey for the type of shopper the Centre is trying to entice.
Union Square squeeze
"The difference between the inside of the mall and the outside is really vast," said Cow Hollow resident Tory McEldowney.
Dec 4th, 2002, 01:01 PM
#4
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Mark:
Sorry, I cannot help you with dinner; we have not been to Union Square in SF in several years. However, when we were there, the best breakfast place we have ever been to was right there - Sear's. What an amazing place! Lines around the block and worth the wait.
Incidently, we stayed at a great place -Holiday Inn with a suite - very reasonable at the time.
Make sure you take a ride out to Napa Valley and eat at Mustard's Grill! What a wonderful restaurant.
Sorry, I cannot help you with dinner; we have not been to Union Square in SF in several years. However, when we were there, the best breakfast place we have ever been to was right there - Sear's. What an amazing place! Lines around the block and worth the wait.
Incidently, we stayed at a great place -Holiday Inn with a suite - very reasonable at the time.
Make sure you take a ride out to Napa Valley and eat at Mustard's Grill! What a wonderful restaurant.
Dec 4th, 2002, 01:13 PM
#5
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The Tadich Grill is an institution and close to Union Square - I suspect its probably still terrific - Just check it out on the net - chowhound.com, frommers.com, etc.
The Dungeness Crab and Sour Dough Breads are incredible in SF. A great, great restaurant town.
Also, check out the oldest bar in SF down by Fisherman's Warf - Sorry, I forget the name - its on the corner - great Bloody Mary's and good breakfasts, too!
The Dungeness Crab and Sour Dough Breads are incredible in SF. A great, great restaurant town.
Also, check out the oldest bar in SF down by Fisherman's Warf - Sorry, I forget the name - its on the corner - great Bloody Mary's and good breakfasts, too!
Dec 4th, 2002, 02:06 PM
#6
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The Donatello is on Post Street near Powell I believe (not mid Market) and the following restaurants are within easy walking distance (and do not require you to be walking along Market St): Campton Place, Aqua, Scala, Masa's, Fleur de Lys and Farallon (which is on Post). Some of these are very expensive i.e. Masa's, Fleur de Lys even by SF standards but they are all very good. Aqua and Farallon as their names suggest have extensive seafood menus. In my opinion the food at Farallon is not as impressive as the decor, but the decor is truly something, so you should at least stop in to have a drink at the bar so that you can take a look. Scala is moderately priced. Aqua and Campton Place are also fairly expensive. If I were celebrating an anniversary and was not too concerned about the expense, my pick would be Fleur de Lys--very romantic surroundings plus I love french food.
Dec 5th, 2002, 04:13 PM
#8
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Mark,
Close to the Campton Place Hotel (on the alley actually called Campton Place) there is a very small French restaurant called Anjou. It's very cozy, food is good, and not outrageously expensive. Definitely easy walking distance from the Donatello. The Pan Pacific Hotel, which right across the street from the Donatello, has a very nice restaurant on the mezzanine floor. Keep it in mind in case it's pouring rain and you don't want to walk far. The Donatello itself has a restaurant called Zingari - I've never heard any reviews on it, good or bad.
Close to the Campton Place Hotel (on the alley actually called Campton Place) there is a very small French restaurant called Anjou. It's very cozy, food is good, and not outrageously expensive. Definitely easy walking distance from the Donatello. The Pan Pacific Hotel, which right across the street from the Donatello, has a very nice restaurant on the mezzanine floor. Keep it in mind in case it's pouring rain and you don't want to walk far. The Donatello itself has a restaurant called Zingari - I've never heard any reviews on it, good or bad.
Dec 9th, 2002, 10:21 AM
#10
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Trattoria Contadina on the corner of Union and Mason. Exceptional authentic Itialian food. It's small with a very friendly and personal atmosphere.
We love it and go there every time we visit. You can take the Powell-Hyde or Powell-Mason cable car right out of Union Square to the rest. in about 5 minutes, or walk (but it's all uphill).
I don't know why people want to make you think twice about going to the city. I was just there for 3 days last week and had no problem at all. I am a bit shy and not from a city background, so believe me, I would notice if something was going on. Anyway, I was in Union Square shopping all three days and 1 night and there was nothing to worry about. I don't know where all those crackheads are hiding, but they weren't out for me to see. I didn't go to Market Street though. I took a cable car from Fisherman's Wharf to Union Square, then I walked down O'Farrell to Sansome and took Sansome out the Embarcadero and all the way back to Fisherman's Wharf. So in all that walking, if I didn't see anything scary, then you probably won't either. By the way, I've been there several times and have never seen anything bad. Yes, the occasional homeless person slumped on the sidewalk, but that's about it. Big deal!
Go to Trattoria Contadina - it's great.
Enjoy your trip!
We love it and go there every time we visit. You can take the Powell-Hyde or Powell-Mason cable car right out of Union Square to the rest. in about 5 minutes, or walk (but it's all uphill).
I don't know why people want to make you think twice about going to the city. I was just there for 3 days last week and had no problem at all. I am a bit shy and not from a city background, so believe me, I would notice if something was going on. Anyway, I was in Union Square shopping all three days and 1 night and there was nothing to worry about. I don't know where all those crackheads are hiding, but they weren't out for me to see. I didn't go to Market Street though. I took a cable car from Fisherman's Wharf to Union Square, then I walked down O'Farrell to Sansome and took Sansome out the Embarcadero and all the way back to Fisherman's Wharf. So in all that walking, if I didn't see anything scary, then you probably won't either. By the way, I've been there several times and have never seen anything bad. Yes, the occasional homeless person slumped on the sidewalk, but that's about it. Big deal!
Go to Trattoria Contadina - it's great.
Enjoy your trip!
Dec 9th, 2002, 01:49 PM
#13
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Kuleto's is good but very loud. Postrio is nearby. I think Rose Pistola has gone downhill from its beginning. Grand Cafe so-so. Scala's Bistro is a good choice. I agree with Susan about Farallon, but do stop in for a drink at the bar and to see the decor.
