good for groups

Restaurant Website: http://www.burgerbarlv.comGoogle Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=251+geary+st.,+san+francisco&sll=37.788139,-122.399056&sspn=0.02642,0.037937&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=251+Geary+St,+San+Francisco,+California+94102&z=17

The interior of Hubert Keller’s burger emporium (his second—the first is at the Mandalay Place in Vegas) is nothing much to look at, but thankfully the restaurant—which is located in Macy’s, one floor beneath the Cheesecake Factory—has an amazing view of Union Square. Ask for a table near the window, and try to ignore the techno music and the rhinestone and logo adorned underwear for sale behind the bar.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>Every permutation of the burger is represented here, from classic (American cheese, bacon) to luxe (foie gras, truffles). It’s not just beef, either—you can choose from bison, salmon, chicken or vegetarian. The toppings are limitless, but beware the sin of overindulgence: too much of a good thing sometimes is too much. Naturally, you can also choose your fries—skinny or fat, sweet potato or regular, even zucchini. This warning about overdoing  it extends to the milkshakes—the best among them are the simplest.</p>

Restaurant Website: http://www.pibarsf.comGoogle Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1432+Valencia+St.,+san+francisco&sll=37.793753,-122.40249&sspn=0.006604,0.009484&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=1432+Valencia+St,+San+Francisco,+California+94110&z=17

The Pi Bar space bears none of the hallmarks of its former occupant, Suriya Thai. Gone is the pink paint and the elephant mural, replaced by a vaguely sports-bar esque interior, the centerpieces of which are the long bar and the communal table set in the window up front. A chalkboard advertises the nightly draught beer options.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>The pizzas here—and pizza is the centerpiece of the menu—are New York style, the large one (21 inches) the size of a manhole cover. Topping options are limited to more classic choices, such as anchovy, housemade Italian sausage and portabella mushrooms, the sauce is appropriately tangy and the cheese is laid on with a heavy hand.  A slice (which sells for $3.14—that is pi) and a beer at the bar isn’t the heights of culinary creativity, but on nights when that’s what you’re after, Pi hits the spot.</p>

Restaurant Website: http://www.thetipsypigsf.comGoogle Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=2231+chestnut+st.,+san+francisco&sll=37.750902,-122.434327&sspn=0.006608,0.009484&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=2231+Chestnut+St,+San+Francisco,+California+94123&z=17

At peak times (Friday and Saturday nights, for example) the crowd and accompanying din here can be overwhelming—even during quieter times, the live room can make easy conversation a challenge. Opt for a table in the quieter “library” in back or, if weather permits, carve out some space for you and your friends on the large back patio.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>Tipsy Pig serves grown-up pub fare with a few standouts. The pulled pork sliders— sweet, shredded meat piled high on plush buns—are terrific, and the maple-brined pork chop is so good you’ll want to gnaw at the bone (and happily, this is a place where no eyebrows would be raised if you went for it). While some of the other options—burgers, macaroni and cheese, Caesar salads—are somewhat pedestrian, the 50 or so artisan beers help patrons happy.</p>

Restaurant Website: http://www.schmidts-sf.comGoogle Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=2400+folsom+st.,+san+francisco&sll=37.782054,-122.410932&sspn=0.006606,0.009484&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=2400+Folsom+St,+San+Francisco,+California+94110&z=17

Like Walzwerk, the sister restaurant, the focus here is on German food and drink. But whereas Walzwerk’s dining room is  a cozy cell that only serves dinner, Schmidt’s is airy, bright and high-ceilinged and also offers lunch. The servers, efficient and brusque, do not suffer fools lightly.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>The signature sausage plates, heaped with spaetzle or mashed potatoes and sauerkraut, are always a good choice, but the expanded offerings at Schmidt’s also include an irresistible golden brown veal schnitzel, and—as official gild to the lily—it’s topped with a fried egg and a couple white anchovy filets. If you’re going to do this kind of eating, you may as well throw caution to the wind and have a couple oversized steins of German beer, especially since the few desserts are nothing to fuss over.</p>

Restaurant Website: http://www.thetipsypigsf.comGoogle Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=2231+Chestnut+St.+San+Francisco&sll=37.764456,-122.475715&sspn=0.009279,0.013304&ie=UTF8&ll=37.801138,-122.440116&spn=0.009274,0.013304&z=16&iwloc=A

Decorated with kitschy eBay finds, from brass pig’s head to wooden ducks to a literal library of vintage volumes, this self-proclaimed gastro-pub from the owners of Mamacita and Umami attempts to capture a bit of London in its Chestnut Street location. The large back deck, however, where drinkers can lounge al fresco, is pure San Francisco. Marina-ites pack the bar, but neighbors and families have made the sit-down area into a casual night out.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>Tipsy Pig may be British in spirit, but the menu tends toward American comfort classics. There’s the requisite burger, of course, as well as fried chicken and a brined pork chop, generously rimmed in delicious fat and served with a potato cake (perhaps the most pub-like among the offerings). Though there is a list of creative cocktails and wines by the glass, beer is the beverage of choice here.</p>

Restaurant Website: http://www.tropisueno.com

There’s not a whole lot of Latin flavor to be found right next to the Four Seasons, but this Mexican restaurant is straight from Central Casting, with heavy wooden furniture, punched tin lanterns, woven curtains and colorful bouquets of paper flowers. By day, the restaurant operates as a taqueria, while at night it puts on its finer-dining hat, with a full menu and table service.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>At lunch, choose from the usual suspects—tacos, quesadillas and burritos among them, all a good notch above average. Come dinner, choices expand to include ceviche, albondigas (meatball soup), a superb chicken mole and other substantial plates, many of which are served with rice and beans. Margaritas here are made with fresh juices and rimmed in spicy salt.</p>

Google Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1801+Alemany+Blvd.+San+Francisco&sll=37.752971,-122.420461&sspn=0.00928,0.013304&ie=UTF8&ll=37.723886,-122.437456&spn=0.009284,0.013304&z=16&iwloc=A

This restaurant is located at the center of a busy intersection, far out in the Excelsior with nary another Chinese restaurant in sight. The most significant design element is the enormous flatscreen television, which shows all manner of bizarre and spectacular Chinese pageants. If you can’t stomach the Formica tables and bright lights, you can always get take-out, but then you’d miss out on recommendations from the sweet staff.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>Though you’ll find a handful of familiar Chinese-American dishes on this large menu, far more exciting are the Northern Chinese specialties, from glutinous flour balls—small round dumplings stir-fried with vegetables and meat—to fried crepe-like pancakes filled with ground pork and vegetables. A long list of dumplings (including an unusual fennel-filled variety) and hot pots tempt, as does a pungent, love-it-or-leave it dish of lamb showered with cumin seeds.</p>

Restaurant Website: http://www.zareflytrap.comGoogle Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=606+Folsom+St.+San+Francisco&sll=37.753751,-122.407608&sspn=0.00928,0.013304&ie=UTF8&ll=37.786216,-122.396944&spn=0.009276,0.013304&z=16&iwloc=A

Those who remember the original Fly Trap, that bastion of classic San Francisco cuisine, will recognize this dining room; little has changed, decor-wise, since chef-owner Hoss Zaré took over. Walls are still a brilliant red and botanical prints still decorate the walls.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>While the interior design may not have changed much, the menu has been given a complete overhaul. Gone are the liver and onions and the Hangtown Fry, replaced by Hoss Zaré’s masterful Persian techniques and ingredients, such as braised lamb shank with pickled grapes, oversized meatballs stuffed with myriad delights and silky eggplant in a sun-dried yogurt sauce with walnuts</p>

Restaurant Website: http://www.lamarcebicheria.comGoogle Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Pier+1+1%2F2++San+Francisco&sll=37.753955,-122.404196&sspn=0.00928,0.013304&ie=UTF8&z=16&iwloc=A

Superstar Peruvian chef Gaston Acurio’s first stateside restaurant occupies a breezy historic building smack-dab on the Embarcadero that, with its whitewashed beams and neon-blue webbed chairs, hints at country-club chic. Sample a refreshing pisco punch at the bar, grab a casual bite in the ceviche lounge or settle into a full supper in the dining room overlooking the Bay. The large deck provides some of the best waterfront dining in the city.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>A meal at La Mar is like a Peruvian primer—the menu is punctuated with traditional ingredients, from aji amarillo chiles to leche de tigre (a key ingredient in La Mar’s outstanding ceviche). Don’t miss the rice dishes, such as the arroz chaufa, an inspired Peruvian take on fried rice, and the full-flavored soups, among them a robust shrimp soup enriched by the addition of a poached egg.</p>

Google Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1199+Valencia+St,+San+Francisco,+cA&sll=37.781536,-122.440845&sspn=0.012007,0.025148&g=1199+Valencia+St,+San+Francisco,+cA&ie=UTF8&z=16&iwloc=addr

2009 EDITOR'S PICK: BEST NEW RESTAURANT

2009 READER'S CHOICE AWARD: Best Cocktails

This quiet corner of Valencia once housed the Last Supper Club, which was given a complete face-lift before reopening in April 2008 as Beretta. A large communal table anchors the upstairs dining room, and the bar is now the focus of much of the action. Tables in the picture windows are great for people-watching.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>Chef/owner Ruggero Gadaldi (who also owns Antica Trattoria and Pesce—both on Polk Street) continues to cook according to his Italian roots, but at Beretta he’s turned his focus to pizza and antipasti. Pies are of the thin-crust variety, with blistered edges and restrained toppings—we’re fans of the potato, radicchio and Gorgonzola version. Antipasti change seasonally, but keep your fingers crossed that the eggplant caponatina with burrata cheese is available. The mostly Italian wine list is made for this kind of food, but you’d be remiss if you didn’t begin your meal with a cocktail, prepared from top-quality juices and spirits by some of the best in the business.</p> <p>MUST ORDER: Eggplant Caponatina and a Dolores Park Swizzle</p>