Out for dinner last night in North Beach, my wife and i were amazed at how quiet the restaurants were for a saturday. Even Coi, a place we’ve been wanting to try, had seats at the bar. Today SFGate discusses how Bay Area restaurants are seeing 9/11 level lulls in their business [hat tip to jeff nolan].

In times of economic downturns how you spend your money is especially important – many businesses are going to lay off staff or go under. Your dollars are a vote for their continued existance. So vote with your wallet and vote wisely. Perhaps it’s not the time to visit a new restaurant a few neighboroods over but to double down on eating at your local spot.