San Francisco is one of the world’s great restaurant cities. In addition to a plethora of Four and Five Diamond establishments, it offers a global smorgasbord of savory delights, not to mention the bounty of nature’s table by way of the greater Bay Area’s many organic farms.

But I’m here to help answer the question of where you can turn when you need to fill your stomach without relying on an expense account or owning a wallet that faints at the thought of Gary Danko or The Dining Room at The Ritz-Carlton. What if you just want to eat some good, well-prepared food that won’t break the bank? Keep reading; I have some recommendations.

Lunch & Dinner

Great Vietnamese food in the Mission District? We’re talking about San Francisco, so yeah. Sunflower Restaurant has two locations—a small, casual walk-in on Valencia Street (just below 16th Street) and a fancier counterpart (meaning tablecloths and more refined service) just around the corner on 16th. Since I’m a casual guy, I like the one on Valencia.

Sunflower has all the dishes you’d expect, but my absolute favorite is the pho. The classic Vietnamese soup is served the standard way, a big bowl of aromatic broth swimming with thin rice noodles, sliced scallions and your choice of meat (chicken for me) or tofu.

There’s the obligatory plate of bean sprouts, fresh basil leaves and hot green chilies that you dump on top (I leave out the chilies), and a lime wedge to squirt and stir in. Spring for the extra buck that adds mixed vegetables, and you’ll get chunks of lightly steamed broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash, celery and red bell pepper, along with snow peas and cabbage leaves.

Healthy, soothing and filling, it’s a bargain—$8.95 at lunch, $9.95 at dinner. Service can be a little on the brusque side, but you’re not coming here for a fine dining experience.   

I found out about Grill House Mediterranean (533 Jones St., 3 blocks west of Union Square between Post and Geary streets) via a rave review in the San Francisco Bay Guardian weekly paper. It’s on the edge of the Tenderloin neighborhood, but don’t let that stop you from dropping in for a cozy lunch. My friend and I sat in the little alcove by the front window, which had banquette seats, painted walls and a scattering of pillows for atmosphere.

I had the chicken shawarma platter, diced grilled chicken heaped on top of a mound of fragrant basmati rice. My friend opted for the vegetarian special, a mélange of squash, carrots, zucchini and potatoes resting atop couscous. The shawarma platter was accented with capers and chopped parsley and came with a green salad; the veggies were lightly steamed and redolent of curry.

We dunked the accompanying Middle Eastern bread in a small bowl of mystery broth flavored with leeks and spices; I don’t know what it was, but I liked it. There’s also free hot tea. Everything was delicious, and only a few menu items top the $10 mark. Check this place out.

Pastries

I love this city’s many bakeries and doughnut shops, so convenient for a quick, between-meal treat. And when I decide to indulge, it isn’t the doughnuts that catch my eye; what draws me in is the lure of an apple fritter. This certainly isn’t the world’s most elegant-looking pastry; the flattened, bumpy exterior and dark brown color lend it an unfortunate resemblance to a cow pie.

But in this case appearances are definitely deceiving. The crunchy outside, washed in glazed sugar icing, yields to a soft, melt-in-your-mouth inside speckled with bits of cinnamon-flavored apple. They are so bad for you, and so yummy.    

Eppler’s Bakery (downtown on Market Street, just west of Grant Avenue) has a really good apple fritter ($1.95), but arrive early—they often sell out by 9 a.m. I also go to Allstar Donuts (at the corner of Van Ness Avenue and Market Street), which is just steps from the Van Ness Muni station. This tiny walk-in has zero ambience, and it can be a hangout for street people (mostly late at night).

No problem—I duck in early, get one to go ($1.85), hop on Muni, get off at the Embarcadero station and head to the Ferry Building, where I savor my fried dough feast with Peet’s coffee while sitting on a bench next to the water and gazing at the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. Now that’s a perfect San Francisco morning.