Budget San Francisco: Dining, lodging and shopping bargains

— -- With the economy in the commode and the likelihood of early retirement evaporating as fast as your 401k, the search for a silver lining is not just a figure of speech. For travelers looking for a way to save some coin, San Francisco may not be the cheapest place you can visit, but it definitely offers some bargains if you know where to look.

Restaurants

Cav Wine Bar & KitchenThe cost of food and wine seems to be inversely proportional to the stock market these days, but one chic little wine bar has bucked convention by actually lowering their prices. Yes, you heard me right. Noting that "wine and food are two of life's greatest pleasures, and during stressful times, comforts," Cav Wine Bar & Kitchen (1666 Market St., 415-437-1770, cavwinebar.com), which was named one of the San Francisco Chronicle's Top 100 restaurants in 2008, now has no entrees over $20, and has added more small plates and inexpensive wines by the glass to its menu. Nibble on chilled poached shrimp or Kampachi crudo, foie gras or housemade charcuterie, or go large with sautéed Branzino or a grilled pork chop. It's hard to go wrong here, and the entire menu is designed to complement their wines, of which there are more than 250 selections.

Jack FalstaffDozens of restaurants, including high-end establishments, are trying to rijigger their menus these days with well-priced options. In the trendy SoMa district near the ballpark, Jack Falstaff (598 Second St., 415-836-9239, jackfalstaff.com) has come up with Happy Jack Hour Wednesdays–Fridays from 5 to 7 p.m., when you can get $5 cocktails and bar bites that include specialties such as ahi and crab ceviche and heirloom tomato salad. On Sundays, the typically young and eligible crowd goes family style for Sunday Night Supper, a four-course dinner featuring comfort favorites such as buttermilk fried chicken and mac and cheese, plus value-priced carafes of wine that are usually only offered by the bottle. Suppers are under $30 per person – which while not exactly cheap, is a bargain compared to the normal a la carte menu.

Mission Beach CaféChef Ryan Scott earned a following as the chef at Myth Café and a huge fan base as a contestant on TV's "Top Chef" last year. His latest venture is the down-home Mission Beach Café (198 Guerrero St., 415-861-0198, missionbeachcafesf.com), where he and pastry chef Alan Carter create stellar farmers-market-driven fare at neighborhood prices. His lunchtime truffled, grilled three-cheese sandwich ($10.50) is practically legendary, as are his soul-warming soups. For dinner, entrees run the gamut from grilled New York steak with caramelized gnocchi to sea scallops with roasted cauliflower, mustard greens, and pancetta ($25-$29). For dessert, don't miss the banana butterscotch cream pie or any of the berry pies, which can also be purchased whole for take-out. Budget watchers might want to opt for brunch, where you can dine on heavenly custard-battered brioche French toast at the earthly price of $12.

L'Ptit LaurentGood, reasonably priced neighborhood restaurants are the bread and butter of the San Francisco dining scene, but a good, reasonably priced French restaurant is still something of a rarity. L'Ptit Laurent (699 Chenery St., 415-334-3235, leptitlaurent.com), located in the south side neighborhood of Glen Park, is a tiny Parisian bistro owned and operated by a very Parisian staff, complete with steak frites and just the right touch of l'attitude. Sunday through Thursday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. they offer a three-course prix fixe menu for $19.99, and if it's available, one of those courses should include the wonderful cassoulet. Other sure bets include the steamed mussels in white wine, the frisée salad with bacon and poached egg in sherry vinaigrette, and the profiteroles.

Blue Bottle Coffee Co. In this neck of the woods, coffee is not just a beverage, it's a meal, and by all accounts the cheapest meal of the day. At the Blue Bottle Coffee Co. in the newly minted Mint Plaza (66 Mint St., bluebottlecoffee.net), coffee is also an experience. The cult-status artisanal microroasters, whose previous outlet consisted of a walk-up kiosk, recently opened a café in Mint Plaza near Union Square, an alley that's been transformed into a friendly European-style pedestrian street. Voted one of the top U.S. coffee bars by Food & Wine, Blue Bottle uses only organic, shade-grown coffee beans that have been bagged less than 48 hours after roasting. Try the popular Bella Donovan, a "wild and citrusy" blend of Ethiopian and earthy Sumatran, or the Purosa Papua New Guinea, described as "milk-chocolate dipped gummy grapefruit." The coffee bar is part of a full-service breakfast and lunch café, where you can get housemade sandwiches on Acme Bread rolls, fresh organic soups, salads, and sweet treats.

Hotels

The Good HotelSan Francisco has embraced the green movement with both its tree-hugging arms, from restaurants that use only organic and sustainable ingredients to buildings that leave no carbon footprint. The Good Hotel (112 7th St., 415-621-7001, jdvhotels.com/hotels/good), the latest entry from the Joie de Vivre chain, takes environmental and social consciousness to a whole new level of hip with the rehab of two, old motor court motels into a 117-room stylish and bargain-priced boutique that doesn't skimp on eco perks. Décor features bedframes made from reclaimed wood, recycled glass water bottles, and bathroom sinks with water-saving foot pedals. There's also free parking for guests with hybrid cars, easy ways to offset the carbon footprint of your stay, and a program that lets guests be "voluntourists" during their stay via a partnership with the nonprofit organization, One Brick. Lest you think it's all granola, the Good also delivers on high-tech and fun, with flat-screen TVs, iPod docking stations, and a vending machine courtesy of Ready-Made Magazine that stocks things like emergency modular dwellings and wallets made from FedEx envelopes. Good Pizza, the adjacent restaurant, serves terrific organic, thin-crust pizzas day and night. Rates run $109-$149, depending on season.

Handlery Union Square HotelLocated directly off Union Square, the Handlery (351 Geary St., 415-781-7800, handlery.com) is one of San Francisco's last remaining family-owned hotels, run since 1948 by four generations of the Handlery clan. Harkening to a more gracious era in the city's history, it features old-fashioned touches such as a barbershop, an outdoor pool with a garden courtyard, and architecturally unique guestrooms—some of which date back to 1908. At the hotel's restaurant, the Daily Grill, you can slide into a leather banquette for meatloaf and mashed potatoes, or steaks and martinis. Winter rates average $105 for a double.

Hotel DivaThe Diva (440 Geary St., 415-885-0200, hoteldiva.com) is the premier property of the local Personality Hotel Group, which cultivated urban-modern chic long before the likes of Philippe Starck and the W. Located directly across from the Curran and ACT theaters, and a block from Union Square, the Diva is about as centrally located as you can get, but its prices are surprisingly budget-minded (doubles for around $139 right now). It's not the Ritz, but there are loads of nice little amenities, including complimentary Wi-Fi, a Starbucks off the lobby, in-room iPod docking stations, and complimentary fitness room and designer Internet lounges. Perhaps its greatest asset though, is the Diva Kids Suite (rates from $165-$249)—a room just for kids (connected to a parents room) that features bunkbeds and playful décor from trendy furniture purveyor Design Within Reach, a drawing table, a personal flat-screen TV with kid-friendly movies, dress-up clothes, and a karaoke machine.

Sights

California Academy of SciencesThousands of people lined up on opening day this fall to get their first glimpse of the new California Academy of Sciences (55 Music Concourse Dr., Golden Gate Park, 415-379-8000, calacademy.org), LEED-certified as the world's "greenest" museum. Three years in the making, the Academy is by all accounts spectacular, featuring a four-story indoor rainforest complete with free-flitting butterflies and an acrylic tunnel that takes you under the Amazon River; an all-digital Planetarium; the country's biggest coral reef display; and a living roof covered with thousands of native plants that serves as insulation for the galleries below. Even with the steep entry price ($25 for adults), the lines have been epic. But if you're on a budget, don't fret. The Academy offers free admission the third Wednesday of every month. (Across the concourse, the de Young fine arts museum offers free admission the first Tuesday each month, which will come in handy this June when the museum brings back the mega King Tut exhibit, which broke all box office records 30 years ago.)

Shopping

GoodByesFor years, bargain hunters in search of top-quality pre-owned designer clothes and shoes have flocked to this consignment shop in the heart of posh Presidio Heights. Here, the cast-offs from some of the town's most upscale closets get a second life, most for pennies on the dollar. This is the place to find a barely worn Chanel suit, a Miu Miu sweater, and big-name designer suits (I once saw an Armani tuxedo in here for $200). There are separate stores for women and men (3464 Sacramento St. – men; 3483 Sacramento St. – women; goodbyessf.com), and the periodic sales are worth fighting the crowds for.

Jeremy'sIf second-hand is not your thing, but high fashion is, head to Jeremy's (2 South Park, 415-882-4929, jeremys.com), a mecca for the label-conscious and those looking for of-the-moment discount fashion. Merchandise includes overruns and rejects from department stores, returns and slightly damaged goods, samples, and past-season items. This is not your run-of-the-mill bargain outlet. On any day, you might find Jimmy Choo pumps, a Prada skirt, Dolce & Gabbana boots, Tse cashmere, or a Dior jacket at 40 to 70% off retail. The selection can be hit or miss, but if you can handle rummaging through the racks of odd sizes and sometimes downright strange styles, the payoff can be spectacular.

Bonnie Wach is the author of USATODAY.com's San Francisco City Guide.