byob

Google Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=771+O'Farrell+St.,+San+Francisco&sll=37.771088,-122.42486&sspn=0.011839,0.019312&g=545+Haight+St.,+San+Francisco&ie=UTF8&z=16&iwloc=addr

Don’t be discouraged by the relatively charmless atmosphere at Sai Jai Thai, where the decor is limited to oversize arrangements of fake flowers; here, the action (and beauty) is on the plate. Bring a group of friends so you can work your way through a good number of the 88 dishes listed on the menu.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>It’d be wise to begin with somtum, the green-papaya salad that’s on nearly every Thai menu, if only so you can appreciate just how delicious it can be—this version is spicy, gently flavored with fish sauce and absolutely addictive. Don’t miss the signature grilled pork shoulder (kao pad kor moo yang) atop fried rice or one of the northern-Thai-style curries (we like the seafood one), fragrant with coconut milk. Coconut sticky rice with mango is a fine way to conclude your feast.</p> <p>MUST ORDER: Green Papaya Salad with Salty Crab (ask for it spicy!)</p>

Google Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=339+Taylor+St,+San+Francisco,+CA&sll=37.80346,-122.425525&sspn=0.006476,0.013454&gl=us&g=1450+Lombard+St,+San+Francisco,+CA&ie=UTF8&ll=37.787691,-122.411277&spn=0.006478,0.013454&z=16&iwloc=addr

This sweet restaurant, located in a small Union Square hotel bordering the Tenderloin, is co-owned by Frank Klein and John Duggan (whose grandfather founded the famous Original Joe's). The narrow space is dressed up with bamboo flooring and chocolate browns and lined with tufted banquettes and booths. There's a small private room called the Fish Bowl that's perfect for 20-person-or-fewer events.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>After coming in first place for 7x7's "Burger Bonanza," the burger—a sopping mess of saucy deliciousness—has become a runaway hit. But chef Chad Newton's down-home, farm-forward menu includes plenty more worth considering, particularly the seasonal pole-bean salad tossed with a dill crème fraiche dressing or the fried Petaluma chicken with vinegar slaw.</p>

This bare-bones, cash-only, reservations-required, fixed-price restaurant, which recently relocated from smaller digs on Pacific Street, is one of the city's finest places for Shanghainese food. Don’t expect your server to speak much English, or even offer you a menu, but rest assured you’ll walk out satisfied with a bellyful of authentic Chinese specialties. Eats:What's on your menu.: Set aside at least two hours for a dining extravaganza showcasing, at minimum, six cold and six hot dishes. Instead of ordering from a menu, you'll name your price and leave everything to chef Nei Chia Ji. The lineup varies depending on what’s fresh at the market that day, so every course is a surprise. Standouts to hope for include a spicy eggplant stir-fry and egg-white scramble topped with abalone. It's BYOB with no corkage fee, so bring your favorite bottle (or two).

This bare-bones, cash-only, reservations-required, fixed-price restaurant, which recently relocated from smaller digs on Pacific Street, is one of the city's finest places for Shanghainese food. Don’t expect your server to speak much English, or even offer you a menu, but rest assured you’ll walk out satisfied with a bellyful of authentic Chinese specialties. Eats:What's on your menu.: Set aside at least two hours for a dining extravaganza showcasing, at minimum, six cold and six hot dishes. Instead of ordering from a menu, you'll name your price and leave everything to chef Nei Chia Ji. The lineup varies depending on what’s fresh at the market that day, so every course is a surprise. Standouts to hope for include a spicy eggplant stir-fry and egg-white scramble topped with abalone. It's BYOB with no corkage fee, so bring your favorite bottle (or two).

Google Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1963+Sutter+St.+sf&sll=37.790625,-122.409368&sspn=0.006478,0.013454&gl=us&g=450+Post+Street+sf&ie=UTF8&ll=37.788336,-122.432692&spn=0.006478,0.013454&z=16&iwloc=addr

This perennial neighborhood favorite’s bright-red storefront and bold, block-lettered sign have been beckoning to Pac Heights locals for more than 15 years. Inside, golden-hued walls and mauve banquettes set a sophisticated but not stuffy scene just off the bustle of Fillmore Street.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>East meets West on chef-owner Kirk Webber’s inspired menu. He was a pioneer in Asian fusion, and it shows in his signature dragon roll—crispy prawns, shiso, avocado and cucumber wrapped in smoked salmon—which shares the list of starters with heirloom tomato carpaccio with a balsamic reduction. Mains run the gamut from a chicken roulade stuffed with roasted red peppers and lemon thyme to miso-glazed wild salmon. Swing by on weekends for such homey brunch items as pumpkin pancakes.</p>

This newly relocated Moroccan restaurant, run by Fez-wearing, Casablanca-born chef-owner Mohamed Ghaleb not only prepares most of the dishes himself in the itsy-bitsy open kitchen (barely big enough for two people) but also manages to chat with customers while he’s cooking. Somehow, they all seem to know the likable Ghaleb by name. Eats:What's on your menu.: You’re really here for the casual Moroccan fare, which is simply delicious. Zaalouk, a chilled salad of baked eggplant, tomatoes, garlic and parsley served with warm sesame-topped bread, is peppery and refreshing, while the juicy dajaj mequali—saffron-and-parsley-coated baked chicken served with preserved lemons and olives—is wonderfully briny. Order a pot of the refreshing mint tea, served in a beautiful silver kettle, to feel a little bit more refined while you chow down.

Google Maps Link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Bodega+Bistro++,++sf&sll=37.799137,-122.416105&sspn=0.026314,0.053043&gl=us&ie=UTF8&ll=37.793643,-122.416363&spn=0.026316,0.053043&z=14&iwloc=A

This sweet little Vietnamese restaurant is a step up from the usual Tenderloin pho joint. A mix of people—from foodies to neighborhood folk—come here to enjoy chef-owner Jimmy Kwok’s affordable French-Vietnamese food, presented with a bit of panache and served on white tablecloths.

Eats:What's on your menu.: <p>There’s not a patron here without a plate of Bodega’s unusually delicate green papaya salad, made with a tangle of crunchy, spaghetti-thin threads. The pho (beef noodle soup served with Thai basil and bean sprouts) is excellent, but the pho ga (chicken noodle soup) might be even better.</p>