Dining Solo

[bookluvingbabe]

crazeegirl said:

I will be in San Fran later this week...any recommendations for solo dinners?    Must go places?

I have been to SF since 1998. What I remember most was how welcoming they were to a single diner. Both the restaurants and the people dining around me. Other guests kept trying to share wine with me. (And not other solo diners so I don't think I was being hit on...)

Jennifer

[Joe H]

As noted above, as a solo diner both Gary Danko and Boulevard were outstanding. Coincidentally these are two of the best restaurants in San Francisco. For Danko you will have to get there before 5:30 to have a shot at one of the 8 or so bar seats (which serve the full menu) and Boulevard is hit or miss all night. I've gone there at eight and had dinner at the bar AND in the dining room without a reservation. Note that this restaurant typically has a one month wait for a reservation at peak times. If you are serious about food you should try Danko-it is one of the best restaurants in the United States. Please read the link in my post here.

[DonRocks]

You will not go wrong at Swan Oyster Depot, and you'll probably remember the experience for a long, long time.

[Marty L.]

On 12/10/2017 at 5:51 AM, DonRocks said:

You will not go wrong at Swan Oyster Depot, and you'll probably remember the experience for a long, long time.

I did not go wrong!  (This probably deserves its own thread.)  Actually walked right in -- no line! -- at 2:30 yesterday, and had one of the most enjoyable and delicious meals in memory.  And perhaps because there was no line, it also was not rushed.  (Over the next 90 or so minutes, there was an occasional wait, but I'd be surprised if it was ever more than 15 minutes.  From what my server told me, 11-1:30 and all day Fridays are the busiest times -- but he was careful to stress that you never know, from day to day . . . .)  Leisurely, conversational (with the servers and a motley array of patrons, local, national and int'l), and convivial. 

What Rockwell & Bourdain say is true.  Can't believe I never ate here before (and was deterred by the lines -- silly me!).  My order, as it turned out:  Anchor Steam on tap.  Cup of Chowder (excellent, but not life-changing, Don, especially compared to the other things).  Half-dozen mixed oysters -- perfect.  "Italian sashimi"---aji tuna; scallop; mackerel; hamachi; salmon.  Capers, onions.  Oh. Lord. (See photo here--a "cheat sheet" you really should read before you go.)  Uni (in its still-moving shell) -- so much smoother, fresher, and more delicate than any I've had before.  And then the "half" order of smoked salmon--and I have to agree with Don, this was at least equal to, if not better, than Russ & Daughters', which in my book is saying a lot.  Just delicious.  I was so tempted to cap it all off with an order a combination cocktail, if only to sample the delectable-looking crab, but I had latkes coming in a few hours, and the salmon was a perfect capstone; and so I called it a day.  A very special experience.  (Followed by a walk to the Walker Evans exhibit at the S.F. MOMA--and perhaps the best collection of modern German art I've ever seen in one place (Kiefer, Richter, Baselitz, etc.).  Very well-spent afternoon.)