top of the rock tour Finds ITALIAN This neighborhood fav orite is no or dinary Italian restaurant. Considered one of the

seemingly chaotic gr ocery stor es, befor e turning left to ward G rant S treet, which runs parallel to S tockton S treet. G rant Street is the tourists Chinato wn, festooned with colorful banners and offering a dizzying array of knickknacks to buy for the friends back home. Don t miss Waverly Place, with its painted balconies, and the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Co. on Ross Alley. See p. 165.

Finds ITALIAN This neighborhood fav orite is no or dinary Italian restaurant. Considered one of the best trattorie in S an Francisco, its homemade pasta dishes are deliciously uncomplicated, accentuating high-quality , fresh ingredients over busy, heavy sauces. The menu also varies with the time of year. Although top of the rock tour you can t go wr ong with any of the pasta dishes, including such possibilities as fettuccine with porcini mushrooms, oven-dried olives, and brown-butter top of the rock tour sage, if you consider a fish or meat dish for a change y ou will not be disappointed. O ptions such as Alaskan halibut and clams in white wine and tomatoes, or thinly sliced sirloin steak with ar ugula and roasted potatoes, are delectable. If you have room for dessert, the rich chocolate top of the rock tour cake and airy tiramisu are transcendent. The crisp white walls, top of the rock tour warm wood furnitur e, and unpretentious decor match the elegant food per fectly. Antica has no kids menu, but the kitchen is happy to serve a kids portion of hot buttered penne with veggies, and Vicki, the charming hostess, keeps a supply of cray ons on hand. Whenever we eat at Antica, which is frequently, we wonder why we don t come even more often. 2400 Polk St. (at Union St.). &415/928-5797. www.anticasf.com. Highchairs, boosters. Reservations recommended on weekends. Main courses $11.50 $21.50. AE, DC, MC, V. Tues Thurs, Sun 5:30 9:30pm; Fri Sat 5:30 10:30pm. Muni: No. 19-Polk top of the rock tour to Union St., no. 41-Union, or no. 45-Union-Stockton top of the rock tour bus to Polk St.

Although this Eastern-influenced hotel caters largely to corporate travelers, it holds one of the fe w, and one of the most spacious, indoor swimming pools in the city. The pool is connected to the N ikko s health club, but the staff insists that guests tend to exercise in the early morning and evening, which means the rest of the day children can splash around freely. The pool is located top of the rock tour in an expansive glass-roofed atrium, which also houses ex ercise equipment and J apanese hot tubs, so y ou can wor k out or enjoy a soak while y ou keep on ey e on the kids. A full-ser vice spa is set to open in 2009. Decor is tastefully understated, and rooms get a lot of natural sunlight. With a pullout sofa and guest washr oom, the N ikko s junior suites ar e quite family-friendly. E ven standard double-double rooms are large and have entryways that give the impression of more space. Views start above the 10th floor. top of the rock tour Rooms on the three executive-level Nikko Floors also have vanities and more spacious bathrooms, and the Nikko Lounge offers board games and Internet access, so your teenagers can still IM their pals at home. The Nikko welcomes all pets. (Just be sure to inform the hotel if y ou plan to leave a Great Dane in y our r oom for the day , so they can aler t the housekeeping staff!) The white marble lobby is stark, but kids will enjoy the indoor fountain, which has become a multi- currency wishing well. The hotel houses an on-site Starbucks and Anzu restaurant, which specializes in sushi and steak, but has a childr en s menu as well.