Where is the Best Family-Friendly Dining in San Francisco, California?
We’ve tried several items on the menu at Buca Di Beppo,and while some are good at best,have decided on one which we find to be not only great,but a great value as well!Order the “Fruite de marre”,and ask for the bread,which is served with olive oil for dipping,a large size is more than enough for 4;there an abundance of mussels,shrimp and calamari,all in wonderful sauce,atop a mound of pasta.Don’t bother ordering the salad….it’s overpriced and just not up to par,their desserts,while pricey are pretty good,and sometimes they have a special offering your birthday dessert for free(get the cannollis)!The atmosphere is a hoot too!
Went here with some friends visiting from out of town, one of whom had been to vietnam (and I’ve travelled Southeast Asia extensively as well). It’s a great little neighborhood place and we were blown away by the attentive service (never ONCE wanting for anything!) and the FANTASTIC food….especially for being here in the states…it made us feel like we were there all over again (in Asia that is!). We ordered pretty much everything on the menu (can’t list them all here)…especially liked the tableside cooking show 🙂 We will definately be regulars at this place…much better atmosphere than the cafeteria-like Slanted Door where you have to wait a gazillion hours to get a table! Try it..you won’t be disappointed!!!Pros + everything!Cons – parking’s a little rough, although if you’re early they have a little parking area across the street
I have often passed Annabelle’s on my travels downtown but have never dropped in. I decided to give it a try this time. I was a little nervous that they wouldn’t be able to serve me as I only had an hour before my movie started at the Metreon. I asked the hostess if they could accomadate my time restraints and was assured that I would get to my movie on time. Sure enough, the waitress was able to get me a wonderful fresh salad of blood-oranges followed by the best whole sole that I have had in a long time. Glancing at the big clock on the wall, it looked like I might not make it to the show, but I was reasured that the clock was on “bar time” and thus set 10 minutes fast. “Heck” I thought. I even have enough time for a cup of coffee. Next time, I’m giving my self enough time to really relax and enjoy the great service and out-of-this world food that Annabelle’s has to offer.
When we walked in, we were seated by a very overbearing woman. I was not impressed with the atmosphere or decor at all. The menu seemed very typical–meat, carbs, and a vegetable. I ordered lamb, which I never order because it is so often gamey, & I was impressed with the flavors of my dish. I tried some of my friend’s pork chop and found that it was a nice, thick cut that was not dry. I thought the flavors migled perfectly. They did not over-season the dishes. I loved the simplicity of the ingredients. Cons: the service was a bit slow. Our food took about half an hour. Dessert was just so-so. Chocolate cake with ice cream or something similarly unmemorable. And I was bummed that for such an expensive place the coffee was so bad. I would go back here, but I won’t be a regular.Pros + foodCons – coffee, atmosphere, prices
