Partitia

Partita has absolutely gorgeous jewelry, both for men and women. Their pieces are unique and come from designers around the world, and their sales people are extremely knowledgable. Not pushy at all and willing to show/let you try on some of their rare, beautiful pieces like colored diamonds and tourmaline. When my boyfriend and I bought rings there, they told us to bring them in every 6 months to be cleaned and checked out.

Wonders Of Tibet

Such a unique store. Very unusual Asian gifts, statues, jewelry, art, you name it. The store feels a bit cluttered but the patio in the back is a nice sunny spot, and the friendly owner invited my friend and me to bring drinks or a snack and sit out and enjoy it!

Much of the things here aren't terribly practical, but could be a great place for rare/unusual gifts.

Dylan

Great boutique in Russian Hill. Eay to walk to (cross street is Polk) and good variety of quality women's clothes and accessories from casual to semi formal. Love this store!

New Marina Shoe Repair

Good service - I brought my very strappy, very broken favorite pair here (a strap broke, but it was no easy strap to fix). I was afraid they were beyond repair, but they are now as good as new! I've also brought in broken heels and a purse strap that I wanted removed, no problem. Turn-around time isn't as great as others, but other than that no complaints.

Mb Body Shop Of San Francisco

Great service. Took my car here after my first accident - someone backed into me! - and didn't know what to expect. The service manager I worked wit, I think his name was Brett, was very attentive and helpful. They thoroughly checked my car to make sure there was no interior damage that wasn't visible from the outside, and the repairs were done in a timely fashion.

Only downsides are the location and somewhat limited hours.

Ace Wasabi's Rock-N-Roll Sushi

The big draw here is the sake and the music more so than the sushi. It's a great place to go with a group of friends for a good time, but if you're serious about getting high quality fresh fish there are better options.

Left at Albuquerque

Fun place to come for margaritas with friends - you can get a fishbowl to share - but the food is just average. Aside from happy hour, the best time to come is for lunch on the weekend so you can sit outside and people-watch on Union.

Brandy Ho's Hunan Food

Went to Brandy Ho's on a recommendation from someone who used to spend a lot of time in San Francisco. They have pretty good Chinese food but it's noisy and the tables are close together. Maybe I'll have to try again to see what the rave reviews were all about, but for now I thought it was only so-so.

Greens Sports Bar

This is another locals' favorite sports bar in a convenient location on Polk. It gets especially crowded in the back and is probably busiest during college football season, when people all turn out to root for their alma maters - usually a 20s-30s crowd, but not exclusively.

Perrys

Perry's has been around forever and is well-established among locals. It's a neighborhood favorite at all times of day with both a solid bar and yummy, American comfort food.