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