Lunch in San Fran

I think most san franciscans can list about 20-50 places they consider "great"... When people ask i end up coming up with a "short" list depending on the neighborhood, type of food, food truck, time of year, etc. One thing I would recommend that's pretty hot right now is this list: http://www.7x7.com/tags/big-eat-2012. I do have to add that I think Zuni, Nopa, Dosa, Slanted Door are ones visitors really do like. The suggestion of the Ferry Building is great too. I would highly recommend going to Tartine for a treat (morning bun or bread pudding w/ seasonal fruit). (I also like to recommend visiting Japantown - Bushi Tei & Suzu are good places... restaurants are very hit & miss there so be careful. There is a great manju shop (japanese "pastry") called Benkyodo if you're up for trying something different while you're in j-town.

Bar Jules, Tartine, **Canteen {take out and sit in Yerba Buena gardens near waterfall}, Samovar, Delfina pizzeria. If you have any interest in the East Bay: Poulet on Shattuck near Ceder, O Chame, Vik's Chaat House. Have a gorgeous time!

Absinthe on Hayes In Hayes Valley has a wonderful lunch, soup/salad or other fresh choices; Kuleto's on Geary has great Italian; Mason Cafe on Mason has a huge variety of choices but inexpensive. All around Union Square except Absinthe.

For "not too fancy" very old school there's always Tadich, the oldest restaurant in San Francisco down in the financial district. I like R&G Lounge a lot too.

The Ferry Building is great because you can just wander around choosing what you want to graze on.

The young guy who used to have Una Pizza Vera Napoletana in NYC has supposedly set up shop in SF. I don't know where. He only makes three kinds, none of which resembles a Wolfgang Puck pizza. His is the real thing.

Zuni Cafe is actually pretty reasonable at lunch and the street car stops almost right outside the door---and I don't mean the cable car which I refuse to ride.

For a casual lunch, the ferry building on a tuesday, thursday, or saturday is great - tons of food trucks out with amazing stuff. Other good options are Nopalito in the Western Addition, La Oaxaqueña in the Mission, or Dosa (on Valencia or Fillmore). But the ferry building would be a great option, even if it's not a farmer's market today. Inside, there are lots of permanent stalls with great lunch offerings, like Cowgirl Creamery, Prather Ranch, Delica, and more...

Go to the basement of Macy's and get a Wolfgang puck pizza and enjoy sitting in the sunshine of Union Square.

If you are not looking for sit-down waiter service, I would recommend El Norteno Taco Truck on Bryant Street at 6th (cabeza tacos in particular); Naked Lunch on Broadway; and roasted turkey sandwiches at Arguello Market

Which neighborhood?

I'm familiar with the Financial District/Chinatown/Downtown areas. Some of my favorite spots in this area:

Financial District/Downtown: B44, Cafe Bastille, Plouf, Brindisi, Paladar Cafe, Spice Kit, Henry's Hunan
Chinatown: R&G Lounge