Our Favorite San Francisco Restaurants
scott, February 5th, 2012 
While we were in San Francisco for Macworld last month, we enjoyed a couple great restaurants – one an old favorite, and one that was new to us, but was very good.
First the old favorite. In the theater district just across the street from the ACT theater, Colibri (http://www.colibrimexicanbistro.com/) serves Central Mexican cuisine with a modern twist. Just two blocks from Union Square on Geary, this restaurant oozes old world charm – filled with old wood accents, soft lighting, Mexican artwork, and a cozy atmosphere.
Although you can get chips here, warm corn tortillas are the norm, and the yellow salsa (sweet, citrus-y) is to die for – ask for extra, because you WILL want it. The homemade guacamole is really good too, and they’ll make it as hot as you want it.
They don’t serve blender drinks here, but they do serve tequilla – there’s a huge case on display for afficianodos.
Our entree favorites here include the Callos con Crust de Tortilla (scallops, always cooked to perfection), the Pechuga Rellena de Huitlacoche (with a wonderful, subtle blend of flavors) and the Filete Mignon – all are fantastic. And if you lie custards, try the flan for dessert.
One word of warning – this place fills up fast on play nights, so if you don’t want to eat before six or after nine, make your reservations early.
Now the new place. Brought to our attention a few months back by fellow Purple Roofs blogger Carlos Melia, Flour + Water (http://www.flourandwater.com/) can be hard to get into – not in the metaphorical sense, but literally. We tried last time we visited in November, and they were completely booked for a month and a half (well, sort-of – see below). So we made reservations right away for our next trip.
Flour + Water does keep a number of tables open for walk-ins, but it’s a small place, so you pays your money an you takes your chances (so to speak).
Situated on the eastern edge of the Mission District, F+W inhabits an old Victorian home at the corner of Harrison and 20th. They don’t offer valet parking, but they assured us it would be easy to find a spot on the street nearby – don’t believe it! It took us 25 minutes to find a spot three blocks away, and we almost missed our reservations. Go early, or take a taxi, or Bart – the 16th and Mission and the 24th and Mission stations are both seven short blocks away. But be aware, the Mission can be a little dicey at night.
Flour + Water is an Italian restaurant, and the main draw here is the hand-made pasta. Sure, the pizza’s pretty good, but the pasta dish that Mark had was a revelation – perfectly cooked, beautiful and full of unexpected flavor.
We only wished that there had been more of it! And at $13-17 a plate, we found the prices more than reasonable.
If you can, stick around for dessert – the chocolate budino with espresso caramel cream & sea salt was fantastic too.
Our recommedation – don’t miss this place – make reservations well in advance if you can, but if not, call and ask about a walk-in.
For quick eats in SOMA and Union Square, try Boudins for lunch (on the south side of the main Macy’s building on Geary) for soup and sandwiches, or Cafe Rulli – great on-square location, decent pastries, coffee and juices.
There’s also a decent food court in the basement of the SF Center, with a large array of dining choices (but zero atmosphere).
There are many more great places to eat in The City – these are just a few of our favorites. get out there and explore!
Categories: Uncategorized colibri, flour + water, gay travel, restaurants, san francisco
One Reader Comment
check out Francis in The Castro!!