Sean

I'll be traveling to San Fran on business and I plan on having a few days to myself(straight male).Any suggestions on sites and restaurants etc. for mon - wed. Thanks!

Monica Richards

OK, you don't need to tell us your sexual orientation--contrary to popular belief not everyone in SF is gay!

Best sights in San Francisco (of course this is just my opinion) are Golden Gate Park, The Warf, and Union Square. I'm not current with which clubs are in so I will defer to someone else about that (although I will say I really like the London Wine Bar in the financial district, and the Thirsty Bear Brewing Company is overrated). Best place for dinner is oh my gosh, I can't remember the name of the area but it's the Italian food area. Of course, I just like Italian food so I would think that.

Also, you will want to cross the Golden Gate bridge and stop at the vista point on the other side. If it's not foggy, you can get some great pictures of the bridge with the city in the background.

Email me for more info--perhaps my brain will return by then.

Monica

Owen O'Neill

I believe the area referred to in the previous post is North Beach. Lots of dining, much of it Italian. We ate at "Joe's" (it might be called "Little Joe's"). It's a landmark with open grill area, counter seating near the grill (great for singles) and big common tables for groups - you are served individually but typically share tables with other diner's. If you love garlic and seafood - it's a must. Very casual and informal. North Beach (which by the way, has no beach and isn't by the water) also has loads of good coffe joints and funky bookstores, including City Lights (one of the launching pads for the Beat movement). I'll leave the rest for other folks to comment on.... was only there for two days and wished that I had a week! Also - the Alcatraz excursion is REALLY worthwhile. I went on a lark and loved it. A fascinating slice of history and the best possible view of the SF skyline. Get the audio tour and you MUST reserve a couple days in advance.

jj

Sean: Here's a list of restaurants we enjoyed in SF:

Roxanne Cafe, Bush and Powell Sts.
Sotano Grill, down the street from Roxanne
The Garden Court, Sheraton Palace Hotel
Fior d'Italia, North Beach
Perry's, Pacific Heights
Stella Bakery on Columbus Ave. for cannoli
McCormick & Kuleto's, Ghirardelli Sq.

Stephen Balbach

Try the Presidio. Walk around - there are few people because the base has been closed and its run by the Nat Park Service and you have the place to yourself (for now) - a rare window in time to do this and see it in pristine historical mothballed condition. There's a Presidential appointed panel deciding its fate. The Army had a career path saying: General, Presidio, Heaven. 2 centuries of Army wives transformed the landscape from treeless scrub (like the other side of Golden Gate bridge) into a forested wonderland.

kam

You really need to buy a guide book to recommend restaurants----there are so many of them!! Little Italy aka North Beach is very good. SOMA (south of Market) is a newer area with more clubs for younger people as well as little restaurants--try the FleaTrap. Almost any is good---I would just avoid Fishermans Wharf! You can also get info from the Zagat guide on the Internet. And, yes, Monica is right that you don't need to tell us your sexual orientation, but there are gay bars in SOMA and the Castro so if that would bother you, pay attention--most will openly advertise if they are gay.