EATING OUT IN SAN FRANCISCO

Food challenged, I decided to take a little trip to San Francisco. What could be better than a week on Russian Hill? One of my sons keeps an apartment there - in an Art Deco building with a quaint European-style elevator which I am somewhat afraid of. But with my cell phone I have learned to get in it and pull the grille shut with little trepidation - particularly when I am going out to one of the delightful little restaurants in the neighborhood.

Usually first on my route is the tapas restaurant on the corner, where the Hyde Street cable car and and the the wonderful 45 bus cross. The tapas restaurant is always busy- a lot of regulars choosing their little plates, or the paella with all kinds of fish in a steaming skillet. For two people, four or five little plates will do it - everybody shares and the sangria is fine. It's a friendly place, informal but gracious. You can't go wrong there.

Another small plate spot that I really like is Pesche. It's small and narrow with a lively bar, sometimes crowded. The small plates are fish -wonderful choices. Everything is beautifully cooked with a European flair. My daughter and I had asparagus risotto, fresh peas, heirloom tomato salad, and a whole sea bass with capers and fresh mushrooms. The table next to ours had a wonderful looking lobster on top of linguine. Great food. Charming servers who know all the dishes. Go there!

Down a block on Hyde is another little gem - a French restaurant named Freschetti (I may not be spelling this correctly). Again, it's popular and you may not be able to get a table when you want it. Try to sit in the window, where there is a lot of action on the street and sidewalk. The menu is small, with just a few selections, but all of the ones I have tried are first-class. I particularly like the bread salad and the roast chicken , but everything is a treat. It is a place to go for a special evening or a birthday dinner. Very Russian Hill.

Beyond my means is a place on Polk Street that I would like to try sometime. How did I know it was beyond my means? Because I looked at the menu on the outside -that's why. It starts at $100 a person for a three course prix fixe and that's too much for me. Someday, someday.

To finish off my gastronomical tour we went to the Giants game, where we indulged in an orgy of ballpark food. What a week.