Plans (for the moment) call for me to be in SF arriving 5:10 p.m. Tuesday, September 2 and could do a dinner that night, or either of the following 2 nights. Probably have to leave one of the nights free for business associates, but I wanted to see if any VC folks wanted to get together before I plan a business dinner. Send me a PM or reply here if interested.

I can't access this site from work just yet because of that whole firewall thing. So if you PM or post, don't expect an immediate reply.

Thanks.

if you settle on a specific night soon, i could easily work this into my schedule. i feel the need for a trip to the city & now that i am close it will certainly be easier.

I can't access this site from work either but let me check my schedule once I return from work and see what is available. Where do you want to go for dinner?

Yes, pick a day - would love to meet you if my schedule permits.

Since I am flying on the 2nd, and there is always the chance that flights could be delayed or cancelled, let's toss that day out and pick the 3rd. But if you guys have a strong preference for one of the other days, I am flexible.
As to where, I like to try places I haven't been before. Here's a list of places I've never been to, but I would of course defer to the opinions of you locals if you have better suggestions. (Also, I must add that my wish list below is probably high end...at least I know a few of them are...I don't mean to suggest that this has to be a budget buster. With good company and good wine, I'd eat take-out in a parking lot. Come to think of it, I have!)

Places I've missed over the years:
Gary Danko
Elisabeth Daniel
Charles Nob Hill
Slanted Door
Masa's
Plumpjack's
Keith Luce's place (Merenda??)
Jeanty at Jack's
Fringale
Crustascean (Heard the LA spot is good. Don't know about SF)
Zuni
Osteria
Julia
And basically any other place that has opened up within the past 2 years.

But I really must stress that I am flexible, and would welcome anything. Decent list or BYO. I can easily tote wine with me. My only vetos would be used on Rubicon, Farallon (been to both twice and was 0 for 4 on good meals), and Tommy Toys. Soup served in a coconut is just a bad idea on so many levels.

No matter where you all go, please please please do a write-up. And, if you all really don't care where you go, and you are going to do a write up, my votes would be for Gary Danko, Masa's, and I think Jeanty at Jack's. But especially Gary Danko.

Not that my vote counts for nuttin.

Gary Danko - wine list is a rip off and the food not as creative as in the past. Still very tough to get into. If want to go there reservations need to be obtained now (if they are not already fully booked)

Elisabeth Daniel - This will be your last chance to go to Elisabth Daniel before Daniel Patterson, the chef, leaves in a couple of months to open a new restaurant. Loretta Keller of Bizou is supposed to take over. Frankly, her cuisine and Elizabeth Daniel's cuisine do not match at all.

Charles Nob Hill - A quiet room. Wine list is expensive but has gems like Henri Jayer Burgundies from multiple vintages.

Slanted Door - I would not recommend going to the Slanted Door now while it is still in the Embarcadero (and the Slanted Door in the Ferry Building is being built out). Its still good but not the same as when it was in the Mission.

Masa's - A number of us are going to Masas in mid September so personally I would say lets try somewhere else.

Plumpjack's - Plumpjack Cafe's food is ok but the wine list still is very reasonable for the City and has some rare wines.

Keith Luce's place (Merenda??) - Going to Merenda means wine has to be brought in. Parking will be very difficult for people who don't live in the City.

Jeanty at Jack's - Bistro Jeanty is better but Jack's still serves very good bistro cuisine.

Fringale - Haven't been in quite sometime.

Crustascean (Heard the LA spot is good. Don't know about SF) - Crustacean on Polk is the original. Great cuisine but the digs and location are marginal.

Zuni - People go nuts about Zuni Cafe. I have never understood why. Its very good but not at all unusual.

Osteria - A great neighborhood place a block from my home but not worth travelling for imo.

Julia - Sadly, Julia McClaskey is no longer behind the stoves. While reviews are still positive, I have not been since she left.

Polk St Crustacian has been spruced up quit a bit last year. Nicely decorated, new chairs and now tables with tableclothes. Outside still the same; old wood building needs paint.

I liked it the way it was before.

The crab is fantastic. Only problem would be holding on to your wine glass because of all the garlic butter you get all over yourself when eating the crab.

Their crab is superlative.

Unfortunately, I can't make the night of September 3 (The third is the Opening Gala for the San Francisco Symphony). I can make the fourth however.

If the 3rd is the opening of the Symphony then it might be more difficult to get a table somewhere nice. I do find it a bit odd that the opening is on a Wednesday and not a friday (or is only the Opera that has the Friday opening night?). I can make it either evening.

Let's say the fourth. Does 7:00 work? I'll narrow my list to Elisabeth Daniel, Plumpjack and, since you haven't been for a while, Fringale. If you've got someplace you've been meaning to try, or go back to, by all means, throw it in the mix. I hope your wife can make it too.

How does this work for others? Should this be a "buy a bottle-bring a bottle"?, or would we stick to the list. Electricity willing, I'll check back soon.

Okay, who is in for this. Let's get a list and I'll make a reservation at either Fringale, Plumpjack, or Elisabeth Daniel (I'm leaning toward Elisabeth since I've never been there for dinner, only lunch) for September 4th between 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m..

So post here if you would like to go to this offline featuring Jimmyv.

I am in for one. ED is fine with me.

OK. ED it shall be. I should know absolutely, positively by mid-week if this trip will be set in granite. Can one of you make a reservation? That way, just in case the mediation I am attending gets postponed, you can still use the table if you so desire.

gfleener & katy party of 2 please .

I am a DEFINATE maybe!

(Is that how you spell "definate"?)

FYI, ED requires a deposit to hold reservations.

david,

DEFINATE is spelled definite. by the way i don't think maybe is in the definition of

same difference?!?

So far I have the following:

JonesWineNo1
skwid
JimmyV
Gfleener (2)

Maybe:

Davidn

I'll make the reservations saturday (I'm in Boston and NYC this week). Btw, JW1 are you sure about the reservations? I was going to use opentable.com. Is 6:30 p.m. okay for everyone or is later better?
Also will anyone be bringing wine?