a guest blog by travel journalist Jules Older, co-creator of the new iPhone App San Francisco Restaurants.

Savor San Francisco Dining without Breaking the Bank

Here’s a travel fact: San Francisco is the world’s favorite American city. Year after year, it’s the city overseas visitors most want to see.

Here’s a food fact: Along with Chinatown, the Golden Gate Bridge and those little cable cars climbing halfway to the stars, one of San Francisco’s biggest attractions is its food. It has 3,489 restaurants.

Here’s a locals’ fact: San Franciscans firmly believe that visitors routinely miss the best of the restaurants.

I’m a San Franciscan. I share that belief.

When I see tourists, they’re flocking to places all my friends avoid. When my wife and I eat out, the places we choose rarely see a tourist from farther away than San Jose.

Why the disconnect? Because while there are fine restaurants downtown, most of the best eating in San Francisco is in the ‘hoods. Especially at small ethnic restaurants. And most especially, at small, ethnic, cheap restaurants.

Even those that aren’t cheap cost far less than the Venus Fly Traps where tourists flock to devour… and be devoured.

Let me share some of our faves with you.

Our go-to restaurant is a venerable Thai place, Little Thai. It’s on Broadway and Polk, where Russian Hill meets Pacific Heights. Don’t miss their pumpkin curry with soft tofu — we eat it so often that when we sit down, Toni, the owner asks, “And what are you having besides pumpkin curry?”

One of the great bargains of San Francisco is a Persian restaurant on Van Ness and Sutter.