48 Hours in San Francisco (Marina: fit in, rent, house)

[DevanXL]

I'll be landing in San Francisco from Seattle at 8 AM this Sunday and will be leaving around the same time Tuesday morning. I'm going just for a short trip and will be staying with a family member near the USF campus. I want to maximize my trip in terms of food, bar experiences, and hidden gems that aren't over run with tourists. I've been to San Francisco before but it was when I was in 8th grade. We did the typical tourist attractions and stayed at the Hilton in China Town.

From a locals perspective, what are the best restaurants and attractions to jam pack into 48 hours? (I enjoy all types of food and don't have any preference)

[PixelatedTherapy]

El Faro in the Mission District is always a great spot to go.

[bmw335xi]

San Tung is a MUST, the chicken wings are amazing, it's really close to USF.

Shabu House has great Shabu Shabu and Sukiyaki and also near USF.

Hong Kong Lounge is a good place for sim sum, also near USF (10:30 to 2:30pm).

[jade408]

Fit in Bourbon and Branch or Smugglers Cove for cocktails. Whatever fits in best. Or Odd Job (go to the back room - it is really cool. You can describe the cocktail you want. And you can use obvious food descriptors, art or even characters form movies or books to inspire your drink.)

[Ruth4Truth]

It really depends on what you're into, OP. Museums? Scenery? Quiet walks in the park or on the beach? I think a good bet for you would be to visit the Presidio park, and from there, to walk partway across the GG Bridge, for the views. From there, you could go to nearby Clement Street, and explore shops and restaurants. Clement has a variety of ethnic, including good Chinese, eateries. While in that part of town, you could continue south to Golden Gate Park, and have your choice of things to see: Steinhart Aquarium, the DeYoung Museum, the Conservatory, the Japanese Tea Garden (touristy). Sundays the park is closed to traffic, so it's more peaceful. You can rent roller skates to see the park, or watch people doing weekly Swing dancing on the bandstand, around mid-day. You can explore the park and seek out the buffalo herd. Or move on to other attractions. You could move south along the Great Highway alongside the beach, to Fort Funston, and watch the hang-gliders swooping off the cliffs over the beach.

The Ferry Building and Embarcadero park are nice; shops to explore, there's a gourmet ice cream parlor in the Ferry Building. I would say the Cable Car Museum would be a must.

[beb0p]

Originally Posted by DevanXL

I'll be landing in San Francisco from Seattle at 8 AM this Sunday and will be leaving around the same time Tuesday morning. I'm going just for a short trip and will be staying with a family member near the USF campus. I want to maximize my trip in terms of food, bar experiences, and hidden gems that aren't over run with tourists. I've been to San Francisco before but it was when I was in 8th grade. We did the typical tourist attractions and stayed at the Hilton in China Town.

From a locals perspective, what are the best restaurants and attractions to jam pack into 48 hours? (I enjoy all types of food and don't have any preference)

Just hang out in the Mission District then... all kinds of new hip restaurants, bars, and dessert.

I'd say visit El Techo for the view. Mission Pie. Humphrey Solombe for the ice cream. Dandelion for the chocolate. The great taquerias. Trick Dog or Beretta for drinks. And just google Mission District's many restaurants and pick the ones that catch your fancy.

Just keep in mind that most hip restaurants need reservations.

.

[bmw335xi]

I personally hate the mission district, besides some of the few authentic taquerias.

Most of the places these days are over-priced white hipster versions of ethnic restaurants.

[aslowdodge]

Originally Posted by PixelatedTherapy

El Faro in the Mission District is always a great spot to go.

Man I loved that place!

[DevanXL]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

I personally hate the mission district, besides some of the few authentic taquerias.

Most of the places these days are over-priced white hipster versions of ethnic restaurants.

What other areas of town would be worth checking out?

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by DevanXL

What other areas of town would be worth checking out?

Definitely not Mission if you only have 48 hours. It's a dump full of homeless people, drunks, trash and preppy hipsters.

Ride the cable car from G. Square or Fisherman's Wharf to Powell Station. It's a cool way to see different parts of the city along the way. Check out North Beach, which is the Little Italy part of town, really nice views, good coffee, but a lot of bad restaurants, so be sure to use Yelp if you want to eat there. Union Square is a must see, so you can feel what the heart of the city is like, great for shopping. Marina District is really nice, especially along Chestnut Street and Crissy Field, the views from Crissy Field are beautiful. You can walk through Chinatown between North Beach and Union Square. It's quite touristy, but there still are thousands of recents immigrants living there, so there are authentic bakeries, etc, avoid restaurants though as most are tourist traps, especially on Grant Ave. If you are there during the farmers market, check out the Ferry building. I'd also check out Golden Gate Park if you get a sunny day.