Pls suggest ROAD and FOOD - Los Angeles to San Francisco coastal

My wife and I did this drive just few weeks ago. The scenery along the coast road is absolutely beautiful. We rented a Mustang convertible and the weather was perfect for having the top down. I hope it is the same for you.
 
We did stop at Nepenthe for lunch. The food was good but the view was better.
 
In San Francisco we did go to Sears Fine Food and the House of Nanking. We weren't disappointed. I wish we could have gone to the Tadich Grill for Cioppino but we ran out of time. A good reason to go back someday.
 
Enjoy your trip

If you decide to eat in San Francisco's Chinatown, I don't recommend House of Nanking- it's a flat out tourist trip- you will be in line with a bunch of tourists. One of the signs of a bad chinese restaurant in San Francisco is that there are no asian patrons dining at that restaurant- House of Nanking is no exception.
 
I totally recommend Dol Ho- for some of the best Dim Sum you'll ever have- best time to go is brunch, the staff doesn't speak english but you can get  away with nodding yes or no.
 
Two other  great places in Chinatown are R & G Lounge and Chef Jia's
 

[quote=wanderingjew]

If you decide to eat in San Francisco's Chinatown, I don't recommend House of Nanking- it's a flat out tourist trip- you will be in line with a bunch of tourists. One of the signs of a bad chinese restaurant in San Francisco is that there are no asian patrons dining at that restaurant- House of Nanking is no exception.

I totally recommend Dol Ho- for some of the best Dim Sum you'll ever have- best time to go is brunch, the staff doesn't speak english but you can get  away with nodding yes or no.

Two other  great places in Chinatown are R & G Lounge and Chef Jia's
 
 
Yes. Exactly!!  Stay away from the touristy places. Too many good restaurants here.

 
Hang on.   "Touristy" is not the same as "Tourist Trap'.  A place might be touristy ...meaning it gets a lot of tourists ... because it might actually be good. 
A tourist trap, on the other hand,  over-promises or over-sells, and under-delivers with a classic bait and switch.... a trap. 
 
Big Frank recently posted he went to House of Nanking, and it did not disappoint.   Yet, it has been called a tourist trap here and touristy here, and to avoid it.   For those saying to avoid it and calling it either a tourist trap or touristy, have you actually eaten there?   Big Frank went there and liked it. 
 
 
Glenn
 
 
 
 

Glenn1234


 
Hang on.   "Touristy" is not the same as "Tourist Trap'.  A place might be touristy ...meaning it gets a lot of tourists ... because it might actually be good. 
A tourist trap, on the other hand,  over-promises or over-sells, and under-delivers with a classic bait and switch.... a trap. 

Big Frank recently posted he went to House of Nanking, and it did not disappoint.   Yet, it has been called a tourist trap here and touristy here, and to avoid it.   For those saying to avoid it and calling it either a tourist trap or touristy, have you actually eaten there?   Big Frank went there and liked it. 


Glenn

 




Glenn,
 
Big Frank is also from Conyers GA, not to slight Big Frank or Conyers but I don't think its a haven for chinese restaurants. Here in Rhode Island. many Rhode Islanders think that Smokey Bones BBQ and Taco Bell have the best BBQ and Mexican on the planet but they would laugh at anyone who went to the Olive Garden or Red Lobster.
 
I passed by House of Nanking, I was told by locals to avoid it like the Plague. Considering that the place had a line of Caucasian people out the door and not one asian patron in the restaurant spoke volumes to me. My hotel was right near House of Nanking- passing by several times during the course of my stay- the same scenario played over and over again.
 
I ate at Dol Ho- I was the only Caucasian there, I also grabbed a couple of Egg Rolls and R & G Lounge, the place was packed on a Saturday night (no lines of people waiting to get in though) and I can count on my hand the number of caucasians at that restaurant.

House of Nanking is not "touristy" its a Tourist Trap
 
Ask anyone here on Roadfood , I've never steered them wrong.

Glenn1234


 
Hang on.   "Touristy" is not the same as "Tourist Trap'.  A place might be touristy ...meaning it gets a lot of tourists ... because it might actually be good. 
A tourist trap, on the other hand,  over-promises or over-sells, and under-delivers with a classic bait and switch.... a trap. 

Big Frank recently posted he went to House of Nanking, and it did not disappoint.   Yet, it has been called a tourist trap here and touristy here, and to avoid it.   For those saying to avoid it and calling it either a tourist trap or touristy, have you actually eaten there?   Big Frank went there and liked it. 


Glenn
 
Yes, some places have lots of tourists and are not tourist traps. The House of Nanking is a tourist trap. Not a good place to eat and in Sf there are a great number of excellent restaurants. I have eaten there a number of times and will not go by choice again. In fact I drive by it each day and can't imagine going.
 
WJ's suggestions were quite good.

 
Wanderingjew -
 
I got a good chuckle reading your comments about RI'ers who like Taco Bell and Smokey Bones.  I know what you mean.  ... (As a side note, there is a decent BBQ place in Middletown, RI called Becky's BBQ, located in an old house on Route 138 a little north of the Newport line.... just north of where 138 and 114 split, and on the west side of 138.  The guy has a commercial smoker in back of the building, uses hickory, and does a great job.). 
 
As for "tourist trap", I understand.  If it is truly a tourist "trap", then that's a good reason to avoid it.    But, some called it "touristy".  Touristy might .... or might not.....be bad.   I see the the word "touristy" used in a negative connotation a lot here.  Touristy is just that ... it gets a lot of tourists, irrespective of food quality, which could be terrific or bad.
    
One of my favorite BBQ joints is Pierce's Pitt BBQ (yes with 2 T's) in Lightfoot, VA, just outside Williamsburg.  I went to Pierce's a lot in college (Wm. & Mary) for my weekly dose of BBQ.   Back then, Pierce's was not much more than a roadside stand with a take-out window.    Now it is a mid-sized establishment with a room or two added on, serving several hundred people on a nice weekend.    It has become very TOURISTY. ...  It gets lots of tourists.   Yet, the food is just as good as always. 
There's a case where a "touristy" place is not bad.    They became "touristy" because they had darn good BBQ, and got lots of tourists as word spread.  
     So, how do places that suck become touristy?  Is it that they were good at one time, then got too busy, grew a big head, and let quality went down?  Quite possible.  But, many touristy places, such as Pierce's, kept the quality up. 
 
My problem is that it seems that on RoadFood.com, the word "touristy" is always used in a negative connotation, even though being "touristy"  is not necessarily bad.    WJ, I realize you said "tourist trap",  but many do seem to use "touristy" in a negative light.  
 
 
Glenn
 

Glenn,
 
Perfect examples of "touristy" are Durgin Park in Boston, Katz' Deli and The Carnegie Deli in NYC and Gino's East, "The Original Pizzaria Uno's" and Lou Malnati's in Chicago.
 
Unfortunately  House of Nanking doesn't fall into that category.  
 
I'm quite familiar with Becky's they're still around. We've had them cater some of  our lunches at work. However after experiencing the BBQ Meccas of Kansas City, Memphis, Lockhart TX etc, it's just simply not the same.

wanderingjew


Glenn,

Perfect examples of "touristy" are Durgin Park in Boston, Katz' Deli and The Carnegie Deli in NYC and Gino's East, "The Original Pizzaria Uno's" and Lou Malnati's in Chicago.

Unfortunately  House of Nanking doesn't fall into that category.  

I'm quite familiar with Becky's they're still around. We've had them cater some of  our lunches at work. However after experiencing the BBQ Meccas of Kansas City, Memphis, Lockhart TX etc, it's just simply not the same.

 
 
I really like Durgin Park and Gino's East.  The  Original Uno's is just "okay"   Still need to try Katz's and Carnegie.    I've tried several of the TX BBQ Brisket and Memphis BBR pork / rib places.  They are hit or miss, depending on the particualr place, and personal taste.  I love the 'touristy'  Charles Vergos' "Rendezvous"  in Memphis  ;)    They're probably in my top 10 all-time favorite RoadFoods.   Probably top 3 if I thought about it. 
 
As for Becky's, they're pretty darn good (for RI BBQ), and I wasn't sure if you had tried them.  Good to hear they're still around. 
 
 
Glenn