It is a city of many cultures, cuisines, and food choices. Visitors to the "City by the Bay" certainly won't be coming away from the journey with a hungry stomach. There are excellent restaurants for any wallet or any food cravings located all over town.

Often seeing what kinds of foods are available in a restaurant ahead of time helps with decisions on where to have dinner, so I will list a few food choices for each restaurant reviewed.

In the mood for Italian?

1. We will start with Italian cuisine and a great moderately priced and relatively new restaurant in town is called The Last Supper Club. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner and a brunch is available on weekends. The eatery is located at 1199 Valencia Street. An extensive wine and cocktail list is available.

Expect to find:

• Gorgonzola Fondue with apples, walnuts, and grilled bread
• House-made Gnocchi with braised veal sugo and ricotta salata
• Mahi Mahi Picatta with lemon-caper sauce and mashed potatoes
• Pork Saltimbocca with lemony string beans
• Cioppino al Tegamino (seafood stew)
• Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Red Wine Macerated Huckleberries

Old fashioned comfort food . . .

2. For an inexpensive dinner or lunch offering, Joe's Cable Car Restaurant has been serving up fun food like burgers, shakes, and fries for four decades. Choose from three sizes for your burger, the largest being 8 ounces. Joe's is located in the Mission Street district at 4320 Mission Street.

Expect to find:

• Choice of toppings for your burger
• Choice of bread for your burgerRib Eye Steak Sandwich
• Steak A la Joe Sandwich
• Other sandwiches (fish, chicken, hot dogs, grilled cheese, etc.)
• Fabulous desserts including cheesecake, ice cream, carrot cake

And for something different . . .

3. If you enjoy Peruvian food, or would like to experience it for the first time, there is a restaurant in the Mission District area called Limon a la Brasa. Prices are moderate and the ambiance is distinctive. Find Limon at 3316 17th Street.

Expect to find:

• Vieiras can Foie Gras (scallops and foie gras with yucca puree and fig sauce)
• Empanada Don Walter (pastry filled with beef, olives, raisins, and eggs)
• Ceviche Limon (halibut with seafood in lime juice served with yams, Peruvian corn, and
• mussels in salsa criolla)
• Pollo Latino (chicken breast with pasta and truffle oil)
• Chuleton Carlitos (large pork chop served over cabbage with potato hash and mushroom ragout)
• Peruvian Volteada (Peruvian custard)
• Chocolate Bandido (warm chocolate cake with ice cream)

If your choice is upscale . . .

4. Boulevard is found at the corner of Steuart and Mission Streets and offers a modern American dining experience but with a French elegance. Prices are rather high with entrees ranging from $28 to $39, but the food is superb. On the waterfront, this 1889 building was a survivor of the fire and earthquake in 1906.

Expect to find:

• Sweetbreads Wrapped in Pancetta with Veal Ravioli
• Pan Seared Day Boat Sea Scallops
• Mesclun Salad with Bruleed Boucheron Goat Cheese
• Roasted Veal Tenderloin and Fourme D' Ambert Fritter
• Wood Oven Roasted Rack of Lamb
• Caramel Bottom Vanilla Brulee
• Boston Banana Cream Pie

A taste of the 50th state

5. For a moderately priced choice that will make you feel for a moment as if you have flown over the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii, try Rick's Restaurant and Bar. If you want entertainment as well as great food, this is the place to sample. You may even find the nerve to perform at the open mic on karaoke night. Visit Rick's at 1940 Taraval Street.

Expect to find:

• Goliath Stew (prawns, crab, whitefish, mussels, calamari, and clams)
• Sole with Macadamia Nut Crust
• Hawaiian Roast Pork
• Calamari Steak
• Mahi Mahi with Avocado Papaya Salsa

A French Bistro on Clement Street

6. Chapeau with its French Provencale ambiance is found at 1408 Clement Street. Sunday brunch is available and there is a special menu for early bird diners as well as a vegetarian menu.

Expect to find:

• Winter Salad of Endive, Roquefort, Walnuts, and Apples
• Crispy Duck Confit "Garbure" with savoy cabbage and applewood smoked bacon
• Salmon with leeks, potatoes, salsify, and red wine butter
• Glazed Duck Breast a l'Orange with endives, spinach, and turnips
• Hazelnut Cake with Creme Fraiche and Citrus Compote
• Caramelized Banana and Pecan Napoleon

Looking for meat? Need not enter

7. Greens Restaurant serves a completely vegetarian menu. They use organic produce and the influence is American Southwest, Asian, Mexican, and Mediterranean. Diners can see the Golden Gate Bridge from Green's and the dining style is Casual Elegant. Green's is found at 204 Bay Street. Started by Zen Buddhists more than two decades ago, the prices here are quite reasonable.

Expect to find:

• Baked Goat Cheese (appetizer)
• Filo (with artichokes, criminis, leeks, ricotta, walnuts, etc.)
• Grilled Fennel Pizza
• Coconut Almond Financier
• Raspberry Rhubarb Lattice Tart

Can't get enough sushi?

8. For visitors to San Francisco who enjoy sushi, there are numerous sushi bars all around the city. One such establishment is Mas Sake Freestyle Sushi found at 2030 Lombard Street. The cuisine is a perfect match of California and Japanese tastes. Be sure to find out what specials they have when you will be in town.

Expect to find:

• Kuwayaki Wakadori
• Teriyaki Filet Mignon
• Extensive list of sushi choices
• Maki Rolls
• Tacos (chicken, NY steak, spicy shrimp, seared Ahi)

See food? It's seafood!

9. If seafood is your dining choice, you may want to stop by Yabbie's Coastal Kitchen. In addition to a raw bar (oysters, littleneck clams, etc.) and fresh seafood a la carte, diners will find an exciting mix of influences from numerous worldwide cuisines at Yabbie's. It is located at 2237 Polk Street.

Expect to find:

• Double Cut Pork Chop
• Idaho Trout wrapped in bacon
• Yabbies Cioppino
• Sesame Crusted Tuna
• Classic Banana Foster

Trip to Spain without leaving San Francisco

10. Alegrias Food from Spain at 2018 Lombard Street dishes up Spanish cuisine from old family recipes. If you are hungry for paella or tapas ("little food" or "snacks"), this is the place to visit.

Expect to find:

• Many hot and cold Tapas choices
• Solomillo de Cerdo con Uvas (pork loin with sherry sauce and red grapes)
• Chuletillas de Cordero (lamb chops with vegetables and potatoes)
• Conejo con Aceitunas (rabbit stew)

Considering there are hundreds upon hundreds of excellent eating establishments in San Francisco, this will just serve as a minuscule sampling of what diners in the city will be able to find when it's meal time. No matter how long or short your stay will be, you will not be at a loss for food choices.

External Links:

• San Francisco Dining - Find the top restaurants in town
• Open Table - Extensive list of restaurants in San Francisco