Looking for fun restaurant in San Francisco | San Francisco, CA

John E.Date unknown

NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 06 Feb 2001 21:08:13 PST
Organization: SBC Internet Services
Date: Tue, 06 Feb 2001 20:37:14 -0800
Xref: usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu ba.food:64781

Marie I. wrote:
>
> Hi Group -
>
> I'm looking for a restaurant in SF with a great atmosphere and good food
> that would cater to a group of about 20 people.  Any suggestions would be
> greatly appreciated.

I've arranged dinners for a group of ex-coworkers (10 to 20 people each time) from a Silicon Valley tech company.  The tree places that we've been too are Terra Brazilis, Suppenkuche and Pastis.  All three worked out well. Our price range was about $30 to $45 a person.

In Terra Brazilis, they were able to set up a long table in the dinning room. At Suppenkuche, we sat in the back room, at two tables (this was a bit less than ideal if we all wanted to talk to each other).  Pastis worked out well, as the entire outdoor area in front was reserved for us around an L shaped table (20 people might be pushing it).  The weather was warm, so this worked out well as we could talk and mingle without disturbing other diners. The location also works out well for parking or taking public transport from points south.

I'll soon be deciding on the next location.

-john

John E.Date unknown

NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 07 Feb 2001 23:57:45 PST
Organization: SBC Internet Services
Date: Wed, 07 Feb 2001 23:26:42 -0800
Xref: usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu ba.food:64827

> > At Suppenkuche, we sat in the back room, at two tables (this was a bit
> > less
> > than ideal if we all wanted to talk to each other).
>
> How did this work out as far as noise level is concerned? I've met friends
> at Suppenkuche, intending to dine there. But we quickly decided the noise
> level was deafening, and this was early in the evening, when the place was
> less than a quarter full. The high, bare walls and wooden tables made us
> think we were in a beer hall rather than a restaurant, which may have been
> the designer's intention.

Yes, Suppenkuche is pretty noisy; often too noisy.  We were seated in the smaller, back room.  There is less noise in that room, but it was still a bit louder than we would have prefered.  The other restaurants that I mentioned were a good more quiet.

The design of Suppenkuche reminds me of some of the informal places that I visited in Germany during my one and only short trip to the country. In particular, I'm reminded of a place popular with students from the univesity in Munich.  And Suppenkuche supposedly specializes in Bavarian food.  I believe that it's fairly typical.  That sort of place serves lots of beer, but also complete meals (nothing fancy).  I like the communal tables. The decor at Walzwerks (another new (East) German restaurnt in town) is similar (minus the communal tables).

The restaurant's web page describes it as a "Wirtshaus" which it defines as a "local pub or inn".

http://www.suppenkuche.com/

I remember hearing somewhere that the original idea for the restaurant involved a somewhat different menu.  Then, the owners made some simple dishes for a Hayes block party and they were such a hit that they stuck at the restaurant.

-john