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Budget
One night booked through Priceline including local taxes. As of May, 2008:
$ 95 Lodging
$ 33 Parking
$ 15 Lunch, Mario's
$ 35 Dinner, Pacific Cafe, shared entree and dessert
$ 30 Brunch
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$206 Total
Where to Stay
To get your San Francisco getaway within a $200 budget, you won't have to stay in a dump, but you will have to do some work. Use the "Hotels in a Known Area" section of our guide to finding a place to stay in San Francisco, cheap, and you should be able to get a four-star hotel near Union Square for about $85 per night (before tax), as long as there are no major conventions or events in town that take up all the rooms.Parking at most nice San Francisco hotels can cost $40 per night or more. Drop off the bags at the front door, skip the valet and park yourself in a city-run parking garage for a more reasonable rate.
Where to Eat
Pacific Cafe (7000 Geary Blvd at 34th), far from the "tourist" San Francisco, has served fresh seafood, simply prepared for over 25 years. Crawl through the crowd in the small waiting area to put your name on the list as soon as you arrive, collect your complimentary glass of wine and strike up a conversation while you wait, a pleasure almost as great as the meal itself. Portions are large (we always carry half our meal home), so save room for dessert by sharing one entree. Our favorites are the bay shrimp salad and crab cakes. To get there, drive west on Geary toward the Cliff House and look for the restaurant on your right. You'll find a free parking lot a block up street.Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store Cafe (566 Columbus Ave), a narrow, triangular-shaped space at the corner of Columbus and Union Streets serves sandwiches big enough for two. Try grilled eggplant on focaccia bread or opt for a thin-crust pizza instead.
A big brunch should hold you until dinner time. Buy a Sunday newspaper and read along with the locals in line at Mama's on Washington Square (1701 Stockton at Filbert), who line up for French toast and "m'omlettes," or drive west on California Street to Presidio, where you'll find Ella's, our favorite San Francisco breakfast place. Ella's brunch menu changes weekly and includes items such as a bacon scramble with brie and chives or a sausage omelette with grilled eggplant, black olives and fontina.
Cut meal costs by heading to the Ferry Building Farmer's Market (Market at Embarcadero) on Saturday morning to pick up some fruit, artisan bread, handmade cheeses or other items for a picnic lunch or in-room breakfast.
What to Do
You'll find plenty of things to do in San Francisco for free, and if you're a people-watcher you can indulge yourself all day long at Fisherman's Wharf or seated outside a North Beach Cafe.Walking is always free, too. Try our favorite San Francisco walks, pick up a copy of Stairway Walks of San Francisco, or just strike out on your own.
