old town trolley alexandria 145 Jeff erson St. (nex t t o the Wax Museum). &415/440-5610. www.rainforestcafe.com. K ids menu , h

Cantonese: M ost of the Chinese old town trolley alexandria r estaurants in this chapt er fall int o this category. I n the w et, c oastal pr ovince of C anton, seaf ood and v egetables grew in abundance. Cantonese food thus relies on fresh ingredients, which are mildly old town trolley alexandria seasoned with fla vors like g inger, soy sauce, and spring onions. Specialties include dim sum, noodles , seafood, and v egetable dishes. Hakka: Hakka peoples ancestors settled in the less f ertile, old town trolley alexandria hilly regions of southern China. Their cuisine uses dried and pr eserved ing redients and little seafood. Specialties include salt-baked chicken, stuffed bean curd, and crispy meatballs. Hunan: Hot w eather in the mountainous Hunan r egion called f or str ong spices to help pr eserve food and mask spoilage. Today refrigeration keeps food fresh, but Hunan s fondness for chili peppers, shallots, old town trolley alexandria garlic, and other piquant fla vors r emains. F amiliar dishes include stir-fries , sw eet and sour chicken, and Hunan beef. Mandarin: Mandarin, or Northern Chinese, cuisine stems from the nation s capital, Beijing, and neighboring old town trolley alexandria provinces. Specialties include Peking duck and hot and sour soup. Shanghai: Hailing fr om the east ern c oast of China, Shanghai cuisine is noted for using a lot of alc ohol and sugar, in addition t o soy sauce. Specialties include drunken chicken and crisp y shrimp balls. Szechuan: This w estern Chinese far e is w ell k nown f or its spic y, fla vorful seasonings. Chile pepper past es and oils ar e liberally old town trolley alexandria used as c ooks strive to combine hot, sour, sweet, and salt y tastes in dishes. Specialties include twice-cooked pork and t ea leaf duck. CHINAT O WN

That s not to suggest you shouldn t choose the Hotel Vitale if you can get a good deal. 93 For families, a good option could be one of the six Family Studio suites, which feature a larger room with a king-size bed and a pullout old town trolley alexandria sofa, as well as a small dining table. A few of these suites have a curtain that parents can pull across the room to separate the sleeping little ones while the adults watch a mo vie in bed. U nfortunately, these suites don t offer views of the water. A possibility that does feature the Vitale s signature views is one of the seven interconnecting room configurations, pairing a king-siz e bed room with a spa shower, but no tub , with a r oom that has two twin beds as w ell as a bathtub. One word of caution: The Vitale old town trolley alexandria is also home to the indoor-outdoor Americano Bar, which is packed with 20-somethings most nights of the w eek. The upshot is that the Vitale is in a v ery desirable location, offers fabulous vie ws, and boasts v ery ne w, w ell-decorated rooms. But because the family suites don t have the views and the Americano Bar is not quite a kid-friendly scene, I d try to get a good deal on r oom prices before booking.

145 Jeff erson St. (nex t t o the Wax Museum). &415/440-5610. www.rainforestcafe.com. K ids menu , highchairs, boosters. Reservations not accepted. Main courses $11 $29; kids menu $6 7. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Sun Thurs 11am 9pm; Fri 11am 10pm; Sat 11am 11pm. Muni: F-M arket streetcar to Mason St.

BAKERY/CALIFORNIA When you walk into this cafe, y ou are faced with such a fetching array of cakes, tar ts, cookies, pastries, and ice cr eams that all thought of the food pyramid dissipates as y ou grapple with the mind-bending question: What do I choose? You can take time to figur e that out while dr ooling at the counter or sitting at one of the tables in the austere room, where ample windows keep you in touch with the street action. Brunch is a good time to eat here, as it will give you an excuse to order their homemade donuts. B ut you re best off making it a teatime tr eat. Lunch and dinner menus may be too esoteric and pricey for a family meal and dinner pushes Citizen Cake into the expensive category. 399 Gr ove St. (at Gough St.). & 415/861-2228. w ww.citizencake.com. H ighchairs. Reser vations f or brunch r ecommended. M ain c ourses $10 $13 lunch, $22 $26 dinner. old town trolley alexandria AE, MC, V. L unch Tues Fri 11:30am 2:30pm; dinner Tues Sat 5pm 10pm; brunch Sat Sun 10am 2:30pm. Muni: No. 21-Hayes bus to Gough St., and then walk 1 block north to Grove St., or streetcar to Van Ness St. Station, and then walk 3 blocks old town trolley alexandria north to Grove St. and 2 blocks west to Gough St.