Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
MODERATE
Citizen Cake
BAKERY/CALIFORNIA When y ou walk into this cafe, y ou ar e
faced with such a fetching array of cakes, tar ts, cookies, pastries, and ice cr eams that all
thought of the food pyramid dissipates as y ou grapple with the mind-bending question:
What do I choose?
You can take time to figur e that out while dr ooling at the counter or
sitting at one of the tables in the austere room, where ample windows keep you in touch
with the street action. Brunch is a good time to eat her e, as it will give you an excuse to
order their homemade donuts. B ut you're best off making it a teatime tr eat. Lunch and
dinner menus may be too esoteric and pricey for a family meal—and dinner pushes
Citizen Cake into the expensive category.
399 Gr ove St. (at Gough St.).
&
415/861-2228.
w ww.citizencake.com. H ighchairs. Reser vations f or
brunch r ecommended. M ain c ourses $10-$13 lunch, $22-$26 dinner . AE, MC, V. L unch Tues-Fri
11:30am-2:30pm; dinner Tues-Sat 5pm-10pm; brunch Sat-Sun 10am-2:30pm. Muni: No . 21-Hayes bus
to Gough St., and then walk 1 block north to Grove St., or streetcar to Van Ness St. Station, and then walk
3 blocks north to Grove St. and 2 blocks west to Gough St.
133
INEXPENSIVE
Arlequin
SANDWICHES Opened by the owners of nearby Absinthe, a swanky res-
taurant for the pre-theater set, Arlequin ser ves the needs of hungr y shoppers, sightseers,
and local merchants in search of a nice, simple lunch in a lo vely setting. Order a home-
made soup , a flav orful sandwich with a gourmet touch—think r oasted chicken with
tangy aioli—or a freshly made salad and head out to the surprisingly pleasant and serene
garden out back . . . or at least it will be ser ene until the kids start running amok. (Well,
better outside than inside.)
384 Hayes St. (btw. Franklin and Gough sts.)
&
415/626-1211.
Highchairs, boosters. Main items about
$10. AE, V, MC. Mon-Fri 8am-8pm; Sat 9am-8pm; Sun 9am-5pm. Muni: No . 12-Hayes bus to Gough St.,
or streetcar to Van Ness Station.
Frjtz
BEL GIAN FRIES/CREP ES Among the hip boutiques and antique shops of
Hayes Valley is this funky teahouse specializing in fries. Thick and crispy, and wrapped
in a paper cone just like y ou get on the str eets of B russels, the star chy wedges are best
eaten when they 're as hot as y our fingers can handle. The inv entive dipping sauces
include kalamata-caper ketchup , miso may o, and spic-y ogurt peanut. I f you feel guilty
just feeding your kids fries for lunch, y ou can order them salads, sandwiches, or cr epes,
all of which are named after artists. Another location is in the M ission.
581 Ha yes St. (at Laguna St.).
&
415/864-7654.
w ww.frjtzfries.com. F ries $3.25-$4.75. M ain c ourses
$7-$14. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Mon-Thurs 9am-10pm; Fri-Sat 11am-midnight; Sun 11am-9pm. Muni: No .
21-Hayes bus to Laguna St., or streetcar to Van Ness St. Station, and then walk 2 blocks nor th to Hayes and
then east to Laguna St. Mission: 590 Valencia St. (at 17th St.)
&
415/863-8272.
Muni: BART to 16th St.
5
10
MARINA/COW HOLLOW/PRESIDIO
EXPENSIVE
Greens
VEGETARIAN The setting is so lo vely and the food so good at this
vegetarian spot, even dedicated carnivores will enjoy it. Built by the San Francisco Zen
Center in a conv erted warehouse, the r estaurant boasts v ery high ceilings and a wall of
windows that frames a stunning view of a marina, the bay, and the Golden Gate Bridge.
Come in the early evening, and you'll be rewarded with a glorious sunset as w ell.
