The daytime temperatures have dropped, the nights have gotten longer, and your jacket is no longer cutting it against the chilly winter wind. What is the fix?

Warm yourself from the inside with a steaming bowl of soup. The city is bursting with hot spots for chowder, chili, pho, split pea, and so many more. Here are a few ideas to try:

For clam chowder, stick to the wharf. The Anchor Oyster Bar on 19th and Castro earned a Best of Citysearch for San Francisco Clam Chowder in 2005, but, oddly enough, the bowl seemed to have more celery and potatoes than clams. The place is charming enough, but you may be better off satisfying your under-the-sea craving with chowder from the Franciscan or Scoma's - at least from there you can actually see the water.

Pho, a Vietnamese noodle soup, may be found all over the city, particularly in the Inner Richmond district. Try Pho Clement at 3rd Street for a bowl of 'Pho Rau Cai Dau Hu,' which is essentially vegetables and tofu with white rice noodles simmering in a chicken broth for less than seven bucks. Be adventurous with your pho selection, but make sure you understand what is in the soup you are ordering - beef tendon is not a fancy name for something more appealing.

The menus at the two SoMa locations (Soup Freaks on New Montgomery and Mission St., and Split Pea Seduction on 6th and Minna) will knock your taste buds unconscious. Many of their local, organic offerings also change daily. For the ravenous, Soup Freaks' Beluga Lentil with Italian sausage is incredibly satisfying, as
is the chili made with - get this - Scharffenberger chocolate. Order a slice of the delicious, fresh baked bread for dipping. Seduction's signature split pea is aesthetically unappealing and it does not taste much like Mom's recipe, but the Cream of Potato with Fresh Rosemary is the stuff of legends. Enjoy a bowl on the go, as the spoons are biodegradable and the takeaway packaging is compostable.

Some of these soup establishments may let you taste samples before making your selection, so take advantage! [X]