San Francisco Sunday brunch
 

My apartment rental in SF is up on Sunday and friends (Lee's sister in law, niece, and others) are picking me up and taking me to Saratoga for a few days. But we'd like to have brunch in the city after they pick me up near Union Square -- or I can go meet them somewhere.
There will be 6 of us. We want something really fun and different. Open to all kinds of food. And we want to be able to talk. This last one seems to be an issue. I had thought Luna Park might be fun, but I don't think it's possible to hear yourself think. 2223 Restaurant, Pomelo, and Town's End come up on "Best of Brunch" lists. Any other ideas?
It looks like the Pride Parade is Sunday -- so we'll want to avoid major traffic or parking problems.
I was thinking The Slanted Door, even though I'll have been there for the GTG the day before. But that's where the same group (part of us anyway) met for lunch last time.

How about Greens at Fort Mason?

Hmm. That could be nice, but I'm not sure everyone would be happy with all vegetarian. I know there's a great view there, though.

Speaking of views, what's what these days out at the Cliffs -- what's that called?

The Cliff House? http://www.cliffhouse.com/home/index.html

Oh, yea. That's the place I was thinking of for "view", but clicked on the website. Don't think we want to do that lavish buffet deal there.

I'll email the others with the Greens suggestion and a link to menu. I've never been there (I was vetoed once before due to the vegetarian thing -- but for brunch -- why not? And I think parking is no issue there, right?

A really fun Chinese -- dim sum or share meal -- would also be good, but not Yank Sing, which we found very overpriced and disappointing on a Sunday brunch, despite so many raves.

Koi Palace at Daly City is supposed to have very good dim sum.
http://www.koipalace.com/shell.html?page=home

Zuni Cafe..1300 Fillmore or St. Francis Hotel

One of my favorite dim sum places is City View in the financial district.

Also, it's not a brunch place but it has a huge menu--Tadich's. They have nice booths for parties of 6, but I think they don't take reservations. If you arrive before 11:30 it usually works out. Great clam chowder and crab louie.

Parrothead, Tadich's is one place I can't take them. Some of these were part of our party of 5 one time for lunch there, when Lee's elderly mother didn't feel well and only wanted soup as the rest of us ate and drank heartily, so they added something like $15 extra to our nearly $400 bill (including two good bottles of wine) as she didn't meet the per person minimum. Huh? An attempt to clarify with the manager met with incredible rudeness and an "if you don't like it, you don't have to eat here again" attitude! I'm taking his suggestion.

Have you been to the Beach Chalet or the Park Chalet? Take the virtual tour at the website and you can check out the view from the Beach Chalet. I see they have brunch on Sunday morning. I haven't been but everytime we eat at the Beach Chalet I think how lovely the Park Chalet looks. It would put you away from downtown and all the traffic with an easy route out of town.

http://beachchalet.com/index.php

Another thought I had was Scoma's in Sausalito. It has been a long time since I have eaten there but it was very nice, view of the bay, and you could take the ferry over or even drive over.

http://scomassausalito.com/about-us.html

I understand about your Tadich dilemna, but I really like this place for some reason so I suggest it often.

I ate only once at Silks in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, everyone in our party loved their meal but it was expensive. Also had a fancy-shmancy brunch at the Sheraton Palace, too formal for me but the room is spectacular. The Sheraton is right on Market so this could be troublesome if the gay parade is along that route. The Hilton on O'Farrell used to do a rooftop brunch. I know you want something different and these places aren't that, except for the Sheraton which is something to see.

both days of this upcoming weekend are pride celebration days and the parade is on sunday.
so try if you can at all get away from market/beale area all the way down to market/8th.
that is the reason i am considering the ferry to the gtg.

if you are interested in dim sum, try tong kiang on geary street in the avenues.
food and prices are very good.

if you are looking for a view, check out the waterfront restaurant.
it has been around for a long time and i read recently that they have a new chef so the offerings are much better than they have been and the view is spectacular.

I'm thinking I may take a taxi (or muni) to wherever to meet them rather than have them come pick me up around noon. I suspect there will be major traffic problems at that time in this whole area.
One thought was Palomino. Easy parking there and easy access for them coming up from Saratoga. Lee and I took his sister-in-law there once for dinner and she loved it.
Abranz, Ton Kiang keeps coming up for great dim sum. Maybe that's a good idea for us as well -- totally away from the other chaos.

Parrothead, we once did that brunch in the spectacular room at the Sheraton Palace. It was special -- but too much for us.

Ronda, I'm trying to see the Beach Chalet as anything more than a glorified huge "Denny's" in atmosphere. Maybe I'm wrong, but somehow the pictures make it seem like a huge cafeteria, especially when picturing it filled with people.

in the more casual place at cliff house i believe they also have brunch and it wasn't the lavish brunch, just a menu, but very good and you can't beat the view

foreign cinema?

i like towns end- didn't realize it was on the best of brunch list

Check out Sinbad, it's tucked in between Ferry building and Amtrak office. They have a parking lot (is it free or vallet? not sure). By the time of brunch the parade and activities will move to the park.

http://www.sinbadsrestaurant.com/pages/brunch.htm

Quiet place with inside and outside seating, perfect views.

Oh, now that toncasmo mentions it, brunch at Foreign Cinema is really really great. You can sit indoors or out (we ate outside in December! and it was beautiful). The food and atmosphere are both delicious. However, of course, it, along with everything else even in the direction of "downtown" is likely to be very crowded this Sunday. But I would check to see if you can get a reservation. (You have to call for a party of 6, the number is 415.-648-7600

I was thinking "kids" but maybe your niece is older and "fun and different".

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...alifornia.html

- MUNI will be jammed all day
- a taxi will be easier from a hotel but may still hit traffic
- the Giants are not in town so Palomino may be a great idea. Same for Townsend but they are ALWAYS crowded
- many brunch places will be JAMMED so wherever you plan to go make it a place that takes reservations AND offers valet parking or a lot nearby

you may be safe in the mission since the parade path is not anywhere near it.
foreign cinema is a great option as is bar tartine.
also in the mission if you are inclined to south indian food, dosa is amazing.

palomino is off the parade path as well. i don't know anything about brunch as i've only had dinner there.

From my old stomping grounds in Pacific/Laurel Heights-
you may want to take a look at the Brunch menus of Elite Cafe on
Fillmore or the Magic Flute out on Sacramento.
The Magic Flute has a neat garden in the back which would be a great place to sit
if the weather holds up in SF as they are predicting it
to be around 70. I would add Ellas on California and
Masonic/Presidio except they do not take reservations
and if you're not there early you will be sitting on the benches outside waiting for a table.

((C))

R5

Hello Patrick. Would it be easy for your group to meet you in North Beach? I am sure you know where the parking garage on Vallejo St., is, just one and a half blocks west of Columbus St. Right above the North Beach PD. If nothing else the Washington SquareBar and Grill in North Beach serves brunch on the weekend from 11:00a.m. to 3:00p.m. They do have jazz however so I don't know if that would be a problem. It is strange but their website doesn't seem to have a menu. Anyway, for your review. Btw, I haven't been there since the new owners have taken over.

http://www.washingtonsquarebarandgrill.com/

I was wrong about the parade route. I thought it started way west of Castro and ended at 8th and Market. But no, it starts at Beale and Market and goes east to 8th. So Palomino is actually pretty much right in the staging area and sounds pretty scary now. Not to mention my getting across Market. (Dykes on Bikes on that route starts at 10:30 with the big parade to follow)

So far I have one vote from one for Palomino (before the discovery of the parade route) and two votes for dim sum at Ton Kiang. Two others have said they don't care so long as it's quiet and we can talk.

And yes, no kids. The youngest in the group is over 40!!!

But now I'm fascinated by this Foreign Cinema. The menu looks great and location should be good too. But I don't get it. Are there movies playing during brunch? If not is it a very noisy place? It really sounds like fun if it's also good for talking.

I called Greens. They can't take us until 1:45. We need to eat around noon as we have to get back to Saratoga and we're doing a light dinner there that evening.

I was told Ton Kiang is "good, but totally lacking in any atmosphere". Can anyone confirm that?

you heard right about ton kiang. it is totally utilitarian - absolutely no atmosphere.
unlike yank sing which caters to the suits, ton kiang caters to the families.
but their food is simply awesome.

i don't recall foreign cinema playing movies during brunch. i do remember then being played on the back wall for dinner.
there is no sound, only picture. the only noise would be from the patrons.

Recently had Sunday brunch at Amber India's San Francisco branch. Wonderful food--and the place/atmosphere/ was fine for conversation. The $20 pp included mimosas. Yo can make reservations. Bon Appetit!

there wasn't a movie playing when we went to foreign cinema for brunch and it was very nice for talking. we had wonderful food there too and it was a very cool place- nice atmosphere- just don't judge it by the steet presence!!

<i>just don't judge it by the steet presence!!</i>

No kidding :-) I actually like the brunch at FC much more than I like dinner.

Patrick~2223 is on Market right in the Castro. It will be packed.

See you Saturday.

OK, STOP already! It's a done deal. We have a reservation at noon at Foreign Cinema. I've been assured noise isn't a problem, we've requested outdoors. I can get a bus from outside my door on Sutter to Van Ness, then directly down to the restaurant, and can meet them there as they are coming up the 101 and won't need to be bothered by the Parade route.

So really looking forward to it. Sounds like fun.

Now enough time spent focusing on this. I'm off to Swan Oyster Depot for one of those huge and wonderful dungeness crab salads for lunch! It's too beautiful to be sitting here on the computer!
Porgy and Bess and the SF Opera tonight. Looking forward to that.

Please let us know how you liked it. i so worry when i give a suggestion for a place to eat. i'm known for trying all new places and people always ask me where to go but then i worry the whole time!
best

<i>Porgy and Bess and the SF Opera tonight. Looking forward to that.</i>

I am so jealous -- I saw it at the Westport Playhouse when I was a teen, with Cab Calloway!

Well, toncasmo, let it be on your head along with sf7307's! I'll have everyone spam you both and raise hell if it's terrible!!!!

I've already decided on my new fodor's screen name :-)

Gee. I can't believe I didn't post back about this.
Brunch at Foreign Cinema was GREAT!
First, I got there by bus (last day of my week pass). One bus from just across the street from my apartment on Sutter to Van Ness, and an another from Van Ness to right in front of the door of Foreign Cinema. Couldn't have been easier, and only a bit of slow traffice around the Civic Center due to Pride activities setting up and general traffic to the parade.

Everyone loved the place, the very efficient and friendly servers, the atmosphere, and most of all the food! Oddly just before I left the apartment on Sunday morning, the TV was on, they happened to have "View on the Bay" or some such local magazine show -- and it was actually the chef AT Foreign Cinema making their famous "pop tarts" which are considered a must for brunch, so of course we shared some of those. I had their version of a hangtown fry -- crispy cornmeal oysters atop scrambled eggs, bacon, and potato hash. It was great.

So glad you liked it!

me too! glad all went well