yes to el farolito. yes to clam chowder.
more food:
may's sandwich shop. near market and church. best pastrami west of katz's deli.
pj's oyster bar. 9th/irving area. favorite seafood in sf.
hard knocks soul food. 3rd st/20th, near ballpark. mmmm.
hukilau. hawaiian food. geary/masonic, right across from wallenberg.
greens. vegetarian place on the water at ft mason.
stinking rose. italian food, heavy on the garlic. in north beach, think it's on columbus. go check out city lights books right nearby.
non-food:
walk along the embarcadero. if you have a car, go up to twin peaks and get the 360 view of the city. walk across the golden gate, or at least half and back. cable cars are kinda fun.
and yes, you can come to high speed, or at least to SLAP, but there isn't much to see...