Tony, I love you but seriously I don't know who did your pre-shoot scout for this episode, but I honestly think he needs to do a retake. Who would honestly suggest House of Prime Rib? If that were the case I would have told him to go to Outback Steak House. I was so looking forward for this episode too. After watching it now, I am very very disappointed.

You have to come back, and revisit San Francisco, I will show you whats good. I will not disappoint you.

Ugh, me too. I live here and that's probably the worst episode of No Reservations I've seen, hands down. This city has a wealth of little gems, unpretentious restaurants and everything else you could imagine.

I felt like as if I watched that Rachel Ray episode where she went to SF, except there's a Dodge Charger involved.

Come back to SF Bourdain, I'll give you my personal tour.

Offended? Yes. About Tony's ridiculous rebellion against "politically correct" food. Honesty, it was like watching an 8 year-old playing with bugs, just because his parents told him not to.

I adore his shows, but this one jumped the shark for me. From now on he's the fat pusher. Fat sandwiches, fat sushi, fat coffee, fat crabs (as an ex-Marylander I like mine steamed).

His real flip of the bird was when he did finally make it across the Bay Bridge, closer to Alice's place, and spent the day eating from a taco truck. Yes, Tone, we know where your emotions lie, but I saw in your eyes during the last shot at that greasy spoon near the Golden Gate, that YOU knew you were acting silly. And not feeling all that well to boot.

Offended? Really? Wow! The more I watch this show and then read these boards, the more I realize how much I love Tony for what he does and how he easily offends the delicate sensibilities of the uptight tools that sometimes watch his show.

Offended? Not me. I don’t go into watching an episode of Tony’s show thinking that what he shows is everything about a location/town/city. It is really more about HIS experience, His knowledge and what HE thinks – and in that I usually like what I see. This episode shows us that SF isn’t all about vegans, vegetarians, political correctness, and generally pricey gourmet food. It is also about your down to earth burger places, your cheap taco lunch trucks, and some nice old-style dining with prime rib and that monstrosity of an omelette he had at Tadich Grill (that sushi was awesome too). On the other hand, I do wish he went down Clement Street or into the Sunset District – because there are simply some great places there to eat. But I realize that SF is a place with simply a ton of outstanding restaurants – both cheap and expensive. There is simply no way to do it justice within a 1hr show with commercials. I think Tony would have had to make a 3-hour show to really show off SF (or for that matter, New York). But all in all, it wasn’t bad and I did enjoy it.

Offended, no. Slightly disappointed that my personal faves didn't get mentioned, yes.

As noted in my other post, I wish he had featured the Tamale Lady. She's an SF icon.

I am glad they mentioned the taco trucks in Oaktown & Red's Java House. (I am a tugboat sailor after all). I had hoped they would visit Rosamund, next to Toronado in the Haight. In the spirit of Bourdain, they do one thing, and they do it right. It's a walk-in closet sized joint that serves gourmet sausages only. It's tiny and it's spotless clean and it's right next door to the best beer bar in SF.

I'm both disappointed and grateful that he didn't visit my favorite dive bars. I would have enjoyed talking about skiing at Great Gorge in New Jersey in the 70's (I might have been that punk who ran over his skis) but I would have resented all the douche bags who would have flooded the joint after.

P.S. Check out my "Don't Call It Frisco" quiz...

http://www.helloquizzy.com/tes...-call-it-frisco-test

Go ahead, call it Frisco, I do (sometimes)

Seriously!! not necessarily offended but felt gypped. It seemed different than other episodes, short and not much heart in it - if that makes any sense. I feel like our city wasnt represented well but then again he did do previous episodes in our city - which were better. Although I think he needs to venture into Oakland a bit more!

Yeah, me too. I mean, the ferry farmer's market? Yes, he wanted to hate it. But is the one on the south side of Bernal Heights gone? The real one? I admit, I moved to Boston 9 years ago, before the foo-foo ferry market (though I am sure it is at least as good as any farmers market we get out here) Did his friends in SF not know where to go, really? If so many years ago, the best Chinese was in the Richmond, why would it have moved to Chinatown?

And, even from this time and geographical difference, I can't believe the short time they gave the mission.

Also, can anyone tell me: Was that offal restaurant in Noe Valley the spot that used to house Speckman's? I knew it was gone, but Speckma's was the best.
'k, I am dating myself (44) but it seems as though they missed all of the cheap, but best food ever stuff you can't find in NYC let alone Boston. Sheesh.

And yes, I know this is redundant, but hey. I don't think I am a "tool" to point out that there was a lot more car driving and repeat shots of Broadway than the usual "let's find something" vibe Tony's show usually goes for. I enjoyed seeing some old 'hoods but I used to work at the CCA, and I knew a lot of chefs. There is so much more going on here. The person who said it was like Rachel Ray was correct. I think it is great that Tony can appreciate the old school stuff, but that is not what we look to him for. We look to him, by his own hype and bylines, for the offbeat.

And, a personal note about the Haight bar. Once that mean guy died, why go there? Just my humble opinion, and I have to admit that back then I drank scotch, wherever I was.

Tony clearly has San Francisco and Berkely confused. San Franciscans are not tofu eating organic only gluten free vegans. Yes our fine dining establishments use local ingredients, microgreens, etc. but so do NYC restaurants!

S.F has great and diverse restaurants! Who scouted the locales for this episode? People from the east coast perhaps?

I wasn't offended, but very disappointed. Bourdain normally makes an effort to be open to the local area - and in SF he clearly allowed his preconceived notions, lazy (or non-existent) scouting, and addiction to cool cars override that.

Bourdain owes the City another visit, but THIS time, he should: a) Avoid tourist traps (like House of Prime Rib) unless he is now officially the mistress of the Convention & Visitors Bureau) b) Actually visit real places in SF, not just yuppie hangouts in Marina, Noe Valley, and other areas (which is ironic, because even as he railed about foodie overpretentiousness, he seemed to deliberately visit places with his 'friends' that scream that very thing), c) be open to things he normally wouldn't try, just like he does in other cities from Bangkok to Buffalo, and d) Not kowtow to whatever monied interests made him decide to redline where a lot of real, cheap, good food is -- SOMA, the Tenderloin, Civic Center, and more of the Mission (which he barely touched on). Nothing drops the pretentious/foodie/yuppie veneer faster than a good, hearty meal in these working class area of the City. (And yes, I live where those areas intersect, and for all you suburban know-it-alls, YES, many people live in this area who DO work and do life and we are not all druggies, prostitutes, etc.)

Even the farmers' market visit at the quasi-touristy Ferry Building was silly -- Tony, there's a Civic Center market 2x a week with real food vendors (excellent food, if not better, sometimes live chickens for sale, and most stuff at a lower cost than the Ferry Buliding market). Then again, the folks at Civic Center might treat him like a real person, not like some sort of Food God -- and maybe that was what he was after more than a decent show.

Also, Bourdain, if you're serious about SF -- it isn't a City you drive in much unless you are a clueless tourist. How much did the car company pay you to drive the mid-life-mobile around SF??

Please, visit again, do your homework, and give SF -- and the PEOPLE of SF -- the same respect you give other areas.

Just very disappointed. I do realize that there are far too many good restaurants in SF for an hour show to do justice, but seriously, House of Prime Rib over Max's at Opera Plaza or Delancy Street? I would have thought that the back story to Delancy Street alone would have made it a featured restaurant. As other posters have said, it didn't feel like a "No Reservations" episode. In other episodes, Tony seems to make sure he goes out of his way to find the small, slightly skeezy looking, places that, nonetheless, serve great food. This episode seemed like it was planned by the SF tourist board. "We'll send him to the yuppie enclaves. He can do the tourist thing over in the Embarcadero and we'll let him do a couple quick carefully controlled shots in the Mission, the Haight, and over in Oakland for color, but we'll keep him out of the places where most people actually live and work. That way, people might not realize that all of SF doesn't look like it does in Monk." There are lots of young chefs (and family owned restaurants) doing things much more interesting than sushi and offal nights in the less pretty areas of the City.

I just watched the rerun on 11/9/09. I've lived in SF my entire life and was amazingly disappoiinted. If I want to watch a food review, I'll watch Zimmerman or the other guy. San Francisco has phenomenal food but that's not why it's America's most popular destination. There is so much to see - so much to offer. Bourdain does an amazing job all over the world but he did not do SF justice at all. He needs to return - and soon - and do it right - or he shouldn't have done it at all.

From me to you, Travel Channel (I could do less with the Zimmeran), to Comcast. Here in Houston, Texas...yes it's Texas so let it all out,I'm trying to watch delicious Anthony Bourdain during his scintillatingly yummy trip (I assume) to San Francisco, but I'm seeing only hair-crap-Guthy-Renker ads. From CST 1:00 AM-2:00 AM. No lie. "I will use nothing else ever again". But where's my Tony. Fix it. Betrayal sucks and I now distrust The Travel Channel. What are we going to do now Travel Channel? Not watch. That's what.

As you have [QUOTE]Originally posted by stev0001 "...lived in SF my entire life and was amazingly disappoiinted"... you can also understand my befuddlement regarding the choices for this episode. Underground and establishment-ly mixed, but what does this say for the tried-and-true establishments frequented by natives and visitors alike? I'm headed to San Francisco in December (for the first time) and was extra excited about Bourdain's reflection on the city, culinarily-speaking. However, I'm left a little empty-handed;especially since I feel that the best way to experience such a unique city is through its food.
San Franciscans, heed my call: where should I go to eat?
Please, please!

Anthony,
Your scouting group was not prepared to feel more of the city!!.I feel, too, you should do a re-do.My North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco has much to offer in many flavor's to experiance....from the stinking of garlic to fresh fish to pizza and pasteries.
The characters of people and surroundings makes North Beach have it's own personality gem.This seems to be your nature to feel the people's surroundings and dive's.
Your taste for the Mustang Bullitt played ok as a tribute to the greatest chase and to San Francisco..It seemed to be the same location of cut and paste. Take it out for a drive like McQueen did!!!
If you need a scout and one that was born and raised in San Francisco, I will give you the cook's tour..Come back and be better than Rachel Ray or Gianna..........