national mall and memorial parks Best Milkshake: It s close, but I m giving this one to Taylor s Refresher. Both it and Burger Joint

Best Milkshake: It s close, but I m giving this one to Taylor s Refresher. Both it and Burger Joint (see Best Burger, above) use S an F rancisco s luscious Double Rainbo w ice cr eam for their first-rate strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate shakes. But in the summer Taylor s branches out with a to-die-for blueberry shake. See p. 125 and p. 142. Best for B reakfast: F or its inv entive omelets, terrific pancakes, and fr eshbaked breads, Ella s (500 Presidio Ave.; & 415/441-5669) takes the priz e in the early meal categor y. See p. 139. Of course, while in S an F rancisco, y ou could always branch out and hav e dim sum for breakfast (see Best Dim Sum, below), which I highly recommend. Best Children s Menu: Kids ar en t limited to chicken fingers and fries at friendly Puccini & Pinetti (129 Ellis St.; &415/392-5500). The children national mall and memorial parks s menu includes a salad, fr uit, soup , and spaghetti, along with the irr esistible makeyour- own-pizza option. See p. 108. Best D ecor: Step into Ana M andara (891 Beach St.; &415/771-6800) and step into Vietnam complete with tropical foliage, a facade of a Vietnamese home, and Indochinese artifacts. See p. 129. Best Views: Perched atop a bluff o ver the open ocean, the Cliff House Bistro (1090 Point Lobos A ve.; & 415/3863330) affords a vista that will take your breath away. See p. 149. I f you can t make it out to the S unset District, try McCormick & K uleto s (900 N orth Point S t.; & 415/929-1730) in G hirardelli S quare for a vie w of the S an Francisco Bay, Alcatraz Island, and the historic ships of the H yde S treet P ier. See p. 130.

Innkeepers John and Renate Kenaste, and daughter G abriele, are polite hosts who maintain some nice touches in their family-r un inn such as vintage claw-foot tubs, an antique bird-cage elevator, and complimentar y afternoon tea with homemade cookies. The continental breakfast included in the room rate features coffee, tea, croissants, and muffins. There s also Humphrey, a friendly golden r etriever. Note: During peak months in summer, rates push the Golden Gate into the moderate price category.

Even the traditionally laid out roads are confusing when a hill gets in the way and the street ends abruptly only to emerge on the other side, which is par ticularly annoying if you re driving. Travel with a map; I like the San Francisco Transit Rider Map and Guide (see Maps in the Fast Facts section of the appendix for details on finding one). Numbered streets, by the way , ar e do wntown, south of M arket S treet. N umbered avenues (notice the subtle difference) national mall and memorial parks are found in the Richmond and Sunset districts southwest of downtown.