<p>IMO Greens is the best vegetarian restaurant in SF. For a less expensive, not very decorous. but different vegetarian place try Cha-Ya (Japanese vegetarian) in the Mission district (Valencia around 17th or 18th).</p>
<p>The Greek restaurant is called Kokkari. It’s quite good.</p>
<p>I have eaten at Isa and recommend it if you are in the neighborhood. (We ate there just before an event at the Palace of Fine Arts.) Very nice little spot. </p>
<p>If that’s the sort of scale you’re looking for, check out the SF Chronicle reviews (sfgate.com). The 100 best restaurant guide that they put out each year is accurate really useful for finding good places in whatever neighborhood you find yourself in.</p>
<p>When I was visiting D., I noticed that Andrew Yaegar had a place on Fisherman’s Wharf. His family had a restaurant down here for years on the lakefront. Any idea how his place in SF is doing? Is it well thought of?</p>
<p>(I realize that Fisherman’s Wharf is probably mainly for tourists not locals, but would appreciate any info).</p>
<p>Some SF restaurants:
Boulevard (expensive)
Zuni (has a great oyster bar; can be expensive)
Hayes Street Grill (for fish)
Delfina (trendy, can be expensive)
Yank Sing (great dim sum; not in China Town (off of Market near Montgomery)
Tadich’s (fish; great old ambiance; on California Street in the Financial district)
Tomaso’s (great pizza, cooked in wood-burning oven) (near North Beach)</p>
<p>Berkeley restaurants:
Chez Panisse (despite some of the comments, still one of the best restaurants in the area, if not the country) – need to make a reservation up to a month ahead of time for downstairs; can make a reservation for upstairs too, nowadays.
Cesar (next door to Chez Panisse – note the name, another allusion to Marcel Pagnol’s trilogy) – fun, Spanish accented, tapas and great drinks
Picante (Mexican food – casual)
Eccolo (Italian; on Fourth Street, former Chez Panisse chef-owner)</p>
<p>some notes on recommendations:
Slanted Door – very popular; you need a reservation long in advance. It is bustling, has a popular bar lounge and is in the Ferry Bldg., so on the water, but the atmosphere, to me, was a little like an airport lounge
Zachary’s – there are two of them in Berkeley – Chicago style pizza, heavy on the tomatoes especially the deep dish version; no desserts
Cheese Board – cheap, good, but all vegetarian, usually no tomato and often corn…and almost no seating, and long lines to boot. Only for lunch and you will have to eat it standing up or on the street median.
Next to UC campus, at College and Bancroft is a nice restaurant, Adagio; nothing else particularly nice (for adults) so close to campus. Don’t eat on Telegraph Ave. </p>
<p>The best ice cream in Berkeley, and maybe anywhere except Berthillon in Paris, is Ici on College Avenue (another Chez Panisse offshoot – owned by former pastry chef); unusual flavors, homemade cones.</p>
<p>Myth is another idea for a business and/or upscale dinner. It is located near the Transamerica building.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>When we first went there, it was very good, my family used to go there every year but over the years I agree it’s deteriorated. Toward the end it was not worth going there.</p>
<p>dstark</p>
<p>We are going to Marin and Point Reyes next week for a wedding. Would love some restaurant suggestions. We already have a place to stay near Point Reyes–what we could get at the last minute. I couldn’t get a pm for you, but would love any input!</p>
<p>dstark-- i chuckled at your wife’s comment. We have some business dinners where I am interested in trying some nice new spots. But, we are also bringing the three college/high school kids and they range from a vegan to a steak and ribs lover to a very picky eater, so it is always a challenge to accomodate everyone on family trips and can lead to some dissention in the ranks. It helps to plan ahead by looking at menus for those family outings. I wish I made them eat more experimentally when they were kids…it just didn’t seem worth the fight at the time…now it is all my fault they don’t like eclectic cuisine…can’t win!</p>
<p>It’s been so long. I see Scomas still exists-I thought it was so great-is it? I was also in my 20’s.</p>
<p>There are several good places in Pt, Reyes:
Pt. Reyes Station: Station House Cafe
(for a picnic lunch, check out the Cowgirl Creamery and other food shops (including a good cheese store) in the same building)
Olema: Olema Inn (this has gone through several incarnations; at last count, it was good – nice space, with a garden)
Manka’s (this was the best restaurant in the area, but there was a fire a few months ago, so you need to check this out on the Internet).
If you have time to explore the area, Limantour beach is lovely – lots of egrets and other birds, dunes similar to Cape Cod. Nice walk on the Bear Valley trail as well.</p>
<p>movinmom, Well my wife, my daughter and I used to be vegetarians. No longer for any of us. So who knows? I do remember ISA now. 
I would go there.</p>
<p>bethievt, what kind of food and atmosphere are you looking for? Are you looking to eat near West Marin (Point Reyes)? </p>
<p>Marin is the nicest place in the Bay Area. ;)</p>
<p>Edit: I see mamenyu has come up with some good choices.</p>
<p>I liked Scomas too. Of course, the last time I ate there I was in my 20s. :)</p>
<p>Yes, we’re thinking Point Reyes, but are open to suggestion. Normally we plan a bit more in advance, but it’s been one thing after another here and we’re just getting on the plane and hoping for the best. We kind of like anything, but are not too formal.</p>
<p>Of the restaurants I suggested, Station House Cafe is the least formal; Olema Inn isn’t particularly formal either (they have a website you could look at); Manka’s requires a reservation, and while nothing out there is strictly formal, it is fairly pricey and is the fanciest in the area. Pt. Reyes is a fairly long way from anywhere else to eat, so you might want to plan accordingly (i.e. give yourself an hour and a half to get back to a restaurant in SF or Berkeley)</p>
<p>thanks mamenyu</p>
<p>We wouldn’t drive back to San Francisco once we got to Point Reyes. We are just too relaxed for that. I appreciate your suggestions!</p>
<p>Well, if you really like everything, there are oyster farms where you can have a picnic and eat live oysters. Places like the Tomalas Bay Oyster Company aren’t far from Point Reyes. </p>
<p>Otherwise, I think mamenyu has the restaurants in that area covered. I e-mailed a friend who has a place near Point Reyes to see if there is a place he would recommend that I don’t know. I will let you know.</p>
<p>On the off chance that you end up in Central or Southern Marin, I like Royal Thai, Mulberry’s pizza and Amici’s Pizzeria in San Rafael. There is also a very good Vietnamese restaurant on 4th Street in San Rafael but the name escapes me. Insalata’s, Comforts, and for breakfast Bubba’s in San Anselmo. I also like Willy’s for breakfast in Kentfield. Others might prefer Half Day Cafe (I think that is the name) also in Kentfield. For Italian food, I like Marin Joe’s in Corte Madera, or La Ginestra in Mill Valley. I also like the Dipsea Cafe in Mill Valley.</p>
<p>In Tiburon, if you go for the food. I would go to Rooney’s. If you want the view, I would go to Sam’s. Servino’s is also good (getting expensive). Guymas is an upscale Mexican restaurant with a great view of the bay. My brother and his wife love the place (and had their wedding reception there). I don’t, but maybe I’m wrong.</p>
<p>I also like India Place in Mill Valley and Horizon’s (Chinese food) in Mill Valley. </p>
<p>All these restaurants are casual. I rarely go to a place if it isn’t. ;)</p>
<p>I’m curious to see what mamenyu likes. Mamenyu, there is a very, very casual Italian place in Western Petaluma not far from Point Reyes. Do you have any idea what I am talking about?</p>
<p>My daughter and I tried the walk around Chinatown and pick a place that looks good for dim sum. It turned out to be a huge mistake, one of the worst meals of my life. Get a good recommendation for Chinatown or just eat somewhere else.</p>
<p>I found food at Chinatown usually not very good. I usually dined at the North Beach, L’Osteria Del Forno. I second the Tomalas Bay Oyster Company. You can grill or have fresh oysters at a picnic table. Make sure you bring some wine.</p>
<p>Another vote for Yank Sing for dim sum and Boulevard’s for a special dinner (Not a hole in the wall). If you go to Zuni’s try the burgers… or did someone say vegetarian.</p>
<p>Kate’s Kitchen. </p>
<p>Wear their pin.</p>