Seafood restaurant in San Francisco - recommendations
 

Family of six adults traveling to Northern California the week after Christmas. We arrive Thurs afternoon- staying at Hyatt Embarcadero Center - need recommendations for dinner, preferably seafood or great Italian! Thinking Scoma's, Trattoria Contadina, or Delfina (is it really loud?), but open to suggestions! Also, any suggestions for safe evening excursions, besides cable car to the wharf? Looks like it will be dark by 6 pm, but this is really our only night in the city. Friday plans are Golden Gate bridge, Stu Dudley's Marin county Vista points��, walks to Lincoln park, Ocean beach & Lands End, Legion of Honor or California Academy of Sciences. Hope to get to Hyde St Pier & Chinatown. Have I planned too much? Yes, we have a car. Alcatraz night tour leaves at 4:15. Dinner afterwards at Slanted Door, then heading to Monterey for 3 nights!!

I've only eaten at the pizzeria, but based on that, I would vote for Delfina. Really delicious, and fresh. Wasn't really impressed by Scoma. The fish tasted fresh, I just didn't care for the preparation, so it's possibly I ordered the wrong thing- but I would not go back. But if you don't get fish often, I think you'd probably enjoy it. If I wasn't spoiled when it came to fish, I probably would have enjoyed it more.

I walked a lot after dark, although it was during the summer, so that might make a difference. Lots of people out and about. My favorite "excursion" was to urban putt- it's an SF themed indoor mini golf course with a bar attached.

Delfina is quite far away - how had you planned to get there? BART, J-Church, Taxi, don't drive. We dined at Delfina 2 weeks ago - and had what might be their quietest table (for 2 only) but it was still noisy. Not much seafood on the menu either - only one choice
http://delfinasf.com/restaurant/food...ne/dinner-menu

I would make reservations for a booth at Sam's Grill - or Tadich (no reservations - very close to your hotel) if you dine early. Both have huge seafood selections.

Stu Dudley

Make reservations now!!!!! They are hard to come by around Christmas. Delfina does not have anything available on Opentable on the 29th (except 9:30) - but call them if you want to dine there. We called and got reservations that were "not available" on Opentable - but it was about 6 weeks before we dined there.

Try next door to Tadich at Perbacco for Italian - but reserve now!!!! (that's the second time I've said that).

Stu Dudley

And if Stu's !!!!! weren't enough . . . Do it now <B><red>!!!!!!!!!!</B>

We like Perbacco. Handy to your hotel.

So Sam's is still there? I've eaten there a number of times over the years - the fish is always excellent.

As they those who have frequented Fodors for a long time know, I think Tadich's is awful (and I work around the corner - I'd like to like it, but I think it's really bad).

I like Perbacco, and it's more casual side, Barbacco. La Mar? Kokkari? Coqueta?

Tadich! We eat there every trip to SF. With 6, you'll need a table, we are 2 and always sit at counter which usually has no wait. You could do that if it works for your group. Also, go early, that helps lessen the wait for a table.

IMHO, you can get Italian everywhere. But to be able to get FRESH seafood ah, that's tops in my book (ok I live on the desert SW)

Personally, I think you have too much planned for Froday especially given you have to be at pier ahead of time for 4:15 boat to Alcatraz (you do have reservations already, right?)

sf7307
I like Tadich for lunch - not dinner. About 1-2 times every year I head into the City for lunch at Tadich (usually in the fall or winter). I always have the same thing. Sauvignon Blanc, sourdough bread, and then a cup of clam chowder (best in the Bay Area, IMO). My main course has always been boned Rex Sole with shoestring potatoes. Sometimes I order creamed spinach too. I've done this lunch thing about 15-20 times. Once after the 2012 Giants parade down Market St celebrating the World Series victory.

I also dine at Sam's Grill about once a year - with my wife & father in law. Sams has pretty much the same menu as Tadich and I order the same thing - exactly.

IMO, the clam chowder is better at Tadich, the tarter sauce is better at Sams, and the rex sole is usually better at Tadich - it depends on whether it was overcooked or not. I couldn't recall who had the best creamed spinach. I sit at the counter at Tadich, and in one of the booths at Sams.

About 3 weeks ago, I went to Tadich and ordered sand dabs instead of the rex sole. At home, about 4-5 times a year I'll purchase sand dabs at Draegers. I cook sand dabs "minimally", with no tarter sauce, and no toasted almonds or any other adornment - except a drizzle of lemon juice. My sand dabs at Tadich were breaded and overcooked - not to my liking. They were actually horrible, IMO. Their rex sole has always been cook "minimally" and without any breading. The Spinach at Tadich was not that great either - Sam's must have been the preparation that I preferred.

Stu Dudley

Ate at Sam's 3 weeks ago at Stu's suggestion. Not only was the food very good but our waiter was a delight.

I'm with sf7307. I am meh on Tadish. The preparations are old fashioned, sort of like what you get on the wharf in Santa Cruz. I do like their bread and butter :).

>> The preparations are old fashioned,<<

I make many "exotic" (not old-fashioned??) preparations of Ahi tuna, salmon, swordfish, halibut, and red snapper. I have a double-decker recipe box with about 500-700 3X5 cards with recipes on them. About 40 or so for the above fish. Dozens of others are in the 50-70 or so cookbooks I have.

I have only 1 recipe for Petrale sole and only 1 for sand dabs - and they are pretty much the same recipe.

Petrale sole fillets:
1. Salt & pepper each fillet & dredge in Wondra (flour)
2. In med hot skillet melt 3 T butter & saute on first side for 1 min 20 seconds
3. turn fillet over, squeeze 1/4 lemon on each fillet, & saute 1 min 20 seconds
4. Plate sole, add another 3 T butter to pan, add more lemon to taste, & drizzle lemon/butter over fillets
5. sprinkle toasted almond slices over fillets.

Whole sand dabs (W/O head & tail) - trimmed to remove small bones.
- same as 1, 2, 3, 4 above, except cook for 2 mins 40 seconds per side.
no almonds

IMO, the preparation of fish depends on the type of fish. Salmon, halibut, Ahi tuna, etc can "take" lots of additions. Sole & sand dabs have delicate & sweet flavors, and "additions" only add conflict. I prepare these latter two fish the "old fashioned" way - which is very little preparation.

Stu Dudley

I agree with you, Stu. IMO, sole and sand dabs should never be breaded. I do a similar preparation to yours for sole at home.

Perhaps the OP should head over to Stu's for dinner.

Thanks for the restaurant suggestions - I will check out Sam's and Perbacco. Leaning away from Tadich since reservations aren't accepted, but we could try to go early and score a table. We're all flying from the East coast so will likely be hungry early.
My hubby & I live in Baton Rouge and dine in New Orleans frequently, so we are used to & Love exceptional seafood dishes! Never heard of sand dabs so may have to give them a try! BTW, I made reservations at Delfina's several weeks ago, but thinking of cancelling based on your feedback - don't want somewhere too noisy.
Let me know if you have suggestions for after dinner! Thanks!

Restaurants in SF tend to be very noisy.

Restaurant reviews in the SF Chronicle give noise level by # of bells.

For example:
Shakewell

Food: ★ ★ ½

Service: ★ ★ ★

Atmosphere: ★ ★½

Price: $$$

Noise: Four Bells

Bell scale:
ONE BELL = Pleasantly quiet (less than 65 decibels); TWO BELLS = Can talk easily (65-70); THREE BELLS = Talking normally gets difficult (70-75); FOUR BELLS = Can talk only in raised voices (75-80); BOMB = Too noisy for normal conversation (80+)

We like Scoma's very much! they have an extensive seafood menu and I always have trouble making a decision on what to order. We also very much like Perbacco but if its seafood and eating on the water that you want, then Scoma's will be your best bet!