OT: North beach eats and strolls, need ideas

by foothillsfan on Apr 3, 2009 3:31 PM PDT Comment 17 comments

Sunday I am going with 3 folks to The City...for ballet, near Civic Center, not for baseball.

I have not been around North Beach for years, and we will need a walking break both before and after the show. And eating too.

Any suggestions for a fairly fast meal around 1130 or 12? Or dinner around 5 or 6?

One of the friends is Italian ancestry but never visited North beach. Authentic food would be fun. Chinatown would be a possibility, or someplace else close in.

I figure we will pay for parking all day, then take Muni or a cab or something out to Civic Center. We're coming from Sacramento area, could drive over either bridge, or even take the tube from Berkeley. thanks, mccovers

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I lived in North Beach for over 4 years and just recently moved to another part of town. I have tried just about every restaurant and bar so I know my way around there pretty well.

If you are looking for a great Italian dinner before the show I highly recommend Ristorante Ideale located on the corner of Grant and Vallejo. They serve authentic Roman style food, the bread alone is worth the visit. Pizza and gnocchi are highly recommended.

Another great spot for price and atmosphere is Bocce Cafe located on Grant and Green. This place is tucked away in what seems to be another world and the interior reminds me of an Austrian ski lodge, very laid back.

If you need a beverage break there are some great beer bars including Kennedy’s (Columbus & Chestnut), La Trappe..check out the “cellar room” (Columbus & Greenwich) and the newly opened Church Key (Grant & Green). All 3 of these places have outstanding beer selections that will get you properly primed for the ballet.

Enjoy!

Any type of mongering is A-OK in my book.

by Man-o-War on Apr 3, 2009 3:56 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Gino and Carlo's

Pop in here, tell them you are a friend of Al’s and that you want some neighborhood recommendations. They will take care of you.

On Green a short block up the hill from Columbus and Washington Square.

Also, a few minutes sitting in the back row of St Peter and Paul Church (across street from the square) is rather nice.

by seyheystretch on Apr 3, 2009 4:14 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

clarifying lunch in the daytime

thanks so far, our show is 2 pm, so there could be both a lunch, not too slow, and a dinner later.

adopter/sponsor of "Go, Antoan" Richardson

by foothillsfan on Apr 3, 2009 4:47 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

1) China Town: House of Nan King (on Kearny)
2) No. Beach: Caffe Delucchi (Stockton & Columbus)
3) the Lusty Lady

"ever so cynical yet whimsical giants related signature"

by The Gene Hackman on Apr 3, 2009 4:47 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I’ve always been a fan of the Stinking Rose, the all-Garlic restaurant — it’s on Columbus just north of the huge intersection at Broadway, but that’d be the kind of place you’d want to go after, not before, if you went — a bunch of garlic before the Ballet is probably an inconsiderate idea at best.

Another restaurant I really like is Pizzelle — it’s almost as close to hole-in-the-wall as you can get on the main North Beach stretch along Columbus (across and just north of The Stinking Rose) but the Sicilian pizza’s pretty nice and the staff is plenty friendly. It’s been a few years since I’ve been, though.

Which program are you seeing? The West Side Story suite? I’m going to watch that one Saturday night — should be a fun one.

by offthedeepend on Apr 3, 2009 5:44 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

yep looks like the same program all week. Christopher Wheeldon is Big New Thing in choreography I think. my stepdaughter is ex ballet dancer.

adopter/sponsor of "Go, Antoan" Richardson

by foothillsfan on Apr 3, 2009 6:58 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

yeah, my girlfriend’s a dancer and I do lighting design, so we’re hoping to get out and see some of the ballet programs this year…as long as we can get rush tickets, anyway. We’s broke-ass college students.

For the tiny few who may or may not remember, the Padres fan and I broke up months ago and I’m now seeing a wonderful girl who has renounced her SoCal father’s Dodger-fan-ness. Unfortunately, she’s also not as into baseball and her dad’s coming to the game with us on Sunday. I’m trying hard to remember to leave all my sharp implements at home.

by offthedeepend on Apr 4, 2009 1:57 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wow..is there any other information you’d like to give us? You can start with ATM pin, social security number, blood type, and what you had for breakfast on Thursday.

Proud papa of Nathan John Schierholtz. Choo Choo...the train is a comin' baby, get off them tracks!!

by PacBellBoozer on Apr 4, 2009 1:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

SOs are fair game, IMO

I talk about mine fairly often here.

"While conservatives tell you 'leave things alone and no one will lose,' and liberals tell you 'interfere a lot and no one will lose,' baseball says 'someone will lose.' Not only says it - but insists upon it! ... Democracy is lovely, but baseball's more mature." BVCE supports SF Dugout and Manny Burriss.

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Apr 4, 2009 3:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Your stories are actually interesting though. The dude ignoring your moves when you took him to a game, a sad, but funny story.

Proud papa of Nathan John Schierholtz. Choo Choo...the train is a comin' baby, get off them tracks!!

by PacBellBoozer on Apr 4, 2009 7:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Offthedeepend’s story was worth a read, to me. It’s unfortunate that his pick doesn’t like baseball, but you can’t fight city hall.

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Apr 6, 2009 8:29 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I've been partial to this place:

Capps Corner. If memory serves they bring a heaping bowl of delicious minestrone to your table even before you’ve had a second to peruse the menu. Just make sure you get there before the Beach Blanket Babylon crowd arrives or after they’ve already gone in.

Noonan. Nooooonan!

by Giant Fan in Singapore on Apr 3, 2009 9:17 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Second on Capps. This is the place people who know where to go go. I once saw Jerry Brown with a whole bunch of fellow politicians at Capps. Great food great place.

Also I enjoy the coffee and pasta at Caffe Puccini. Some of the best in Little Italy and a great place just to sit down and enjoy a cup while watching people go by.

I only have a signature because I recognize everyone else by their sigs, not their usernames..

by lmaozedong on Apr 4, 2009 10:48 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

You’re going to see the bear in the little car?

Oh and I read the title as “North Beach eats and trolls.”

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Apr 4, 2009 12:12 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Da Flora. Venetian osteria with Hungarian influence. It’s small, sort of romantic. kind of spendy, and the wine selection is great (Flora really knows her stuff). I go there only rarely, but it may be my favorite restaurant. The sweet potato gnocchi with bacon in a cream sherry sauce appetizer is plate-licking good and the menu changes all the time depending on what’s in season.

Hi, I am Johnny Disaster.

by Johnny Disaster on Apr 4, 2009 10:27 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

They were featured on “Check Please, Bay Area” and we’ve been trying to get there but it’s been either too crowded or closed.

That’s the problem with that show, it makes little places impossible to get into after a good review. We still love the show.

My adopted Giant: "Raptor Jesus" Guzman

by Goofus on Apr 6, 2009 6:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

thanks, fans. Will check again tonight for more ideas. Am leaning now to brunch at Caffe Delucchi, then the show, then maybe dinner at Bocce. Da Flora sounds great but closed Sunday. I am from New York, and I pretty much avoid Italian places here in the small towns. The City, on the other hand…is much closer to Italy.

adopter/sponsor of "Go, Antoan" Richardson

by foothillsfan on Apr 4, 2009 6:02 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs