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A science fiction film that takes liberties with the natural laws of physics, how shocking, Ms. Library Lady!

Look, it's a classic B movie not a science lab film. It had all the campy, cheesy elements you look for in a Mystery Science Theatre 2000 candidate (remember that show, anyone?) & Charlton Heston was always a delicious sight to behold in any film. Yum Yum cut me off a piece of that!!!

Gotta concur with Renzata. Much as I hate to stifle anyone's creativity. Risotto is all about the creamy texture. The pom seed addition will wreak havoc to the dish with it's crunch & astringency the more I think about it the more it disturbs me. Renzata's pilaf or salad ideas would be much more palatable. I'm still kind of wondering where you're getting the pom? Anyway, good luck it never hurts to try. I'm rooting for you, dude!

Actually, Renzata, Gratin Dauphinois is a traditional dish from the French Alps and they love their gruyere, so cheese is included in the dish but I do agree with you about the yukon golds. They would be yummy in the dish; so would yellow finn & you probably wouldn't need to peel them cuz they're so thin skinned. Yaay! One less step.

I'm so sorry. I completely misunderstood your time frame. I thought you were arriving in three days, now I see you're going to be here a total of three days.

Totally different ballgame. It would be helpful to know your food preferences, where you've eaten before, the # of people in your party, what your budget is etc. Not knowing those details makes a good recommendation more difficult but here we go:

If you're a frequent traveler to the S.F. Bay Area, you've probably already eaten at Aqua, Gary Danko, Boulevard, Zuni, etc.

Coi opened up not quite two years ago here & it was slow going for Daniel Patterson's restaurant at first. His Elisabeth Daniel restaurant (venture with his now ex-wife) was well-reviewed & wonderful but failed. It used to be easy to get a res. at Coi or eat at the bar but the word finally got out & now it's a tough place to get into but do try. Their winelist is strong & their sommelier used to be at George Morrone's Tartare before it closed . He is a riot but knows his tokajis from his tokays. You've probably already heard about Frank Bruni's experience in his recent review of the 10 best restaurants outside of NY. It's really a unique experience: the aromatherapy of haute cuisine. If you are food obsessed & can get past the slightly precious service, you've got to go, if you can get in. The neighborhood is in our pathetic excuse for a redlight district but don't let that deter you. Reserve now.

Michael Mina, if you haven't already been there, lives up to the hype; but don't have the tasting menu, unlike French Laundry where the tasting menu is the best experience, the a la carte dishes at Michael Mina definitely shine more & because of their intricate, mutli-tiered preparation. Each dish (except the lobster pot pie) has one protein prepared three or more ways, it becomes a de facto tasting menu. The wine list is stellar with all the usual suspects and the head sommelier & wine director, Raj, is considered by most in his field, the man with the greatest palate in the country. Gorgeous room, great service in the Westin St. Francis so you can easily get a cab afterward.

There have been a lot of new openings here. The best of the bunch are these:

Orson, Elizabeth Falkner owner & pastry chef extraordinaire of Citizen Cake new baby, has generated a lot of buzz & controversy here. The food is amazing but has embraced both the sweet & the savory (think chocolate covered foie gras truffle as a mignardise) and "molecular gastronomy" completely & unapologetically. Believe or not, people are ridiculously reactionary when it comes to their dining experiences here (which is why it too Coi so long to get popular). But go, it's in SOMA which now houses the luxury hotels like St. Regis & The Four Seasons as well as the newly-renovated Jewish Museum, SF MOMA, Yerba Buena Center, etc. Very hot neighborhood, though still full of homeless people on 5th & 6th St.
(Orson is on 4th). It's new, it's hip, the food is haute, the atmosphere is casual: crazy-good as a friend puts it.

Perbacco, Acquerello, Quince & Incanto are the four best Regional Italian in the city. All very different in style, in different neighborhoods. Can't go wrong with any of them. All four are $$$ but worth it.
SPQR, a very casual tiny Roman-style trattoria that accepts no reservations, is has good solid food, offering plenty of cicchetti & some large plates. I like it much better than A-16 which is terribly over-rated even though they share the same ownership, executive chef and wine director. The focus on the food is stronger here; probably because it's their latest greatest venture. It happens.

If you're renting a car & willing to drive to the wine country, go to Cyrus in Healdsburg (Sonoma not Napa). You can & should stay at the hotel that houses it overnight or the Healdsburg Inn.
It is worth the trip. The food is ambrosial. This time the Michelin people got it right (Two Stars). How the vibe can be so relaxed with servers that serve you synchronously like so many SF Ballet dancers is beyond me but they do. Get the tasting menu here, you won't be sorry. Now getting a reservation is really hard unless you go at 5 or 9:30, but who knows you may get lucky.

French Laundry is beyond words but unless you can start dialing their number, two months before the day you want; forget it. Open table takes reservations for them still but I have yet to get in that way. the only times I've gotten in is when a friend of the hubby who is a wine distributor has invited us there (once a year). He goes once a month. What a job! Bouchon is not worth the overnight trip. Ubuntu might be but I haven't eaten there yet.

Any way, have fun wherever you go.

Here's what Wikipedia has to say about the difference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scalloped_potatoes

Scalloped potatoes just require thinly sliced & peeled low moisture potatoes like Russetts, that you layer like a lasagna in a baking dish with cheese (parmigiano & gruyere, definitely recommended),
a little sea salt & pepper,
thinly sliced shallots or garlic,
a little fresh thyme (skip the thyme if you can't get fresh),
you can also add cooked bacon or mushrooms as a layer:

alternate the layers until you finish with a layer of the cheeses;
then pour a combination of heavy cream & chicken stock until you fill the pan with them
finish with a layer of breadcrumbs & butter.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for an hour.
Make you sure you place the baking dish on a foil lined baking pan to catch any overflow of liquid.
If the top is browning to quickly for you, cover lightly with aluminum foil.

The following Food Network recipe called Baked Mashed Potatoes with Parmesan Cheese & Bread Crumbs has mozzarella; developed by Giada De Laurentis, it's not a scalloped potato dish per se; but it definitely qualifies as a gratin except the potatoes are mashed then combined with cheese and topped with parmesan & bread crumbs to give them a gratin crust. It's very rich, unique & yummy:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_32174_PRINT-RECIPE-FULL-PAGE,00.html

Wow, with only three days it's going to be impossible to get into any top tier restaurant unless you're willing to eat at one of their crowded bars; even if you're willing, you may not be able to. This is prime real estate & the market is high. But, I'd go on opentable .com and see what I could book, if I were you. If you're willing to eat at 5pm or 9pm, you may get lucky. Coi, Gary Danko, Michael Mina, Aqcuerello, La Folie, Jardiniere, Boulevard, Zuni Cafe, Slanted Door, Perbacco, Incanto, Spruce, Waterbar, Ame, Aqua, Farallon, Fifth Floor, Zuni Cafe, Quince, Epic RoastHouse

In the meantime, here are some fun casual restaurants that either don't take reservations or are so large they can probably accommodate you; but realize this: you will not be enjoying the best of what San Francisco has to offer.
Reservations usually required but you may be able to walk in. Try to reserve first. Not the best restaurants but solid:
Mamacita
Orson
Fish and Farm
Bistro Jeanty
Bar Crudo
Piperade
Bix
Yoshi's (in San Francisco not Oakland)
Pres a Vis
Garibaldi's
Hime
Terzo
Umami
Clementine
Presidio Social Club
Delfina
Dosa
Antica Trattoria
Canteen
Campton Place
Sociale
Rubicon
Ducca
Lulu's
Le Club (res. required even for drinks)
One Market (for lunch)
Blowfish Sushi to Die For
All the restaurants on Belden Place (Plouf, B-44, etc.)
All the restaurants except Slanted Door at the San Francisco Ferry Building , if you like Farmer's Markets go Tuesday, late morning early afternoon; Thursday, late afternoon; Saturday & Sunday, early mornings

No reservations accepted:
SPQR
Laoila
Ebisu
Burma Superstar
La Taqueria
Bocadillos
Ella's (for breakfast or lunch)
The Grove (for breakfast or lunch)
La Boulange (on Polk or Union St. for breakfast or lunch)
Rigolo (for breakfast or lunch)
Yank Sing (for dim sum)

Delis/markets
Lucca's Deli
Cheese Plus Deli & Market
Bryan's Quality Meats
San Francisco Ferry Building
Bristol Farms Market in Westfield San Francisco Centre
Kara's Cupcakes
Mollie Stone's
Whole Food's on Franklin St.
K&L Wine Merchants
The Wine Club San Francisco
Bi-Rite Supermarket & Creamery

Whew.... I'm pooped. Gotta stop & make dinner. There's a good start for you. Have fun & good luck!

Depends on the dish. It's cow vs. sheep.

When I need a sweet nutty addition to an egg, cream, bolognese or bechamel sauce, or I want a hard cheese that I can eat by itself with wine, it's Parmigiano all the way.

When I want some salty zip & tang to roasted vegetables or vegetarian tomato sauces, Pecorino fits the bill.
In a risotto, as well as a minestrone, I like both.

Paella is best eaten when cooked by your grandmother at a family get together; barring that, use your chorizo, chicken & yes even seafood if you like & make a black bean stew with it.

It's easy, satisfying & unctuous.

You start with the black beans until they're fully cooked (get high quality canned beans if you can't find the dried,) then in a separate pan, saute your aromatics (onions, garlic, peppers, etc.) in a generous amount of olive oil; then add your chorizo, add a little cumin, oregano.

Brown your additional proteins in the same pan as the aromatics adding more olive oil as you need it, season, deglaze with some jerez sherry vinegar, when the vinegar evaporates; add the cooked black beans, mashing some of them for a more stew-like texture; taste for seasoning and adjust to your liking.

If it seems dry add a little stock, stir in & cook down a bit. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro, lime & minced sweet red onions or green onions. Since you like rice, make a side of perfectly fluffy white basmati or jasmine rice and some sliced avocado.

It doesn't solve your paella problem but it makes the most of the ingredients you have on hand and, frankly, tastes better. This is coming from a Newyorican (transplanted to the west coast) whose grandmother was born in Spain & cooked paella (as well as everything else) beautifully. Paella is like French bouillabaise & cassoulet (many people will vociferously disagree with me)....... i.e. it sounds romantic and delicious, but the fantasy is better than the reality! Buena suerte in all your cooking endeavors!!!

If you heat the buffalo mozzarella, you kill the flavor & the texture. Believe me, this cheese is great at room temperature but very ordinary & watery if you melt it.

Heat up your bread instead. Slice up a few cherry tomatoes. Get a nice ciabatta or other rustic Italian bread, slice it, toast in the toaster or grill until golden brown & slightly crusty, drizzle it with really good olive oil & a clove of garlic that you slice in half & rub allover the bread, add a little arugula to the bread, top with slices of the buffalo mozzarella, & cherry tomato slices, a grinding of pepper & sea salt & a little extra drizzle of olive oil & you're done. Easy, simple, yummy!
But whatever you do, eat that buffalo mozzarella today. It goes off really quickly!

For those who are anchovy-averse because of the texture, try adding Thai fish sauce instead. It's made from pressed anchovies, has all the great anchovy umami without the hairy texture (or the bother of crushing the anchovies into a paste, I'm way lazy!!!) plus no one will ever know. I agree with you, the anchovy essence is what makes the Caesar dressing so yummy!
Worcestershire sauce is a poor runner-up to the Thai fish sauce, flavorwise. Don't use it.