Over the years I’ve been to San Francisco 50+ times.
The early days were to see the Giants and eat at Chez Panisse. The middle years were to visit wineries and eat at the French Laundry before it was famous. The last visits were to see the Zags and find the best Fish Tacos. This post is about those visits as they come to mind — not necessarily in order. I’ve found when you have a lot of things to say trying to get bogged down by chronology is both tasking and irrelevant. It’s the story that matters!
The first trip four of us piled into a volkswagon beetle and headed out. We drove day and night, stopping for gas and an occasional roadside eatery. I still see the diners as I go along I-5, they are still crowded and I can’t help but think of the pain they will soon be suffering as the oil coagulates in their veins with hash browns tinsel and ornamental strips of bacon hanging down. It was the 1970’s and lattes was just a misspelling of late and the coffee came in large percolators and no matter how many days the vessel had been plugged in you always had to tip to get the last drop before a new cauldron was brewed.
Burma Superstar on Clement Street: www.burmasuperstar.com
Delicious Burmese food. Be sure to get the fermented tea leaf salad and Sumusa Soup (to share). They do not accept reservations. There is always a line, unless you get there right when it opens. More traditional than B Star.
B Star, also on Clement: www.bstarbar.com/
Josh likes this place a lot. Same owners as Burma Star, a couple of blocks down the street. They opened to accommodate overflow–Burma star is always crowded. The menu is Burmese, along with CA fusion. Very good as well, and you can get the fermented tea leaf salad and Sumusa Soup, although sometimes it tastes different to me here. They accept reservations.
You could do both of the above without feeling that you ate at the same place twice, as their menu is different enough.
Some other good restaurants that come to mind–a bit further away from USF, but still not too far. These are good, but if you asked me what I’d recommend if you could choose only one place, Id steer you to one of the two above–they’re my go-to favorites, and close to USF.
Sociale: www.caffesociale.com 3665 Sacramento St,
–delicious food–Italian. Higher price point, small restaurant. A secret gem.
Bar Crudo: barcrudo.com 655 Divisadero St,
Haven’t tried the new location since they moved, but I loved them at their old location. Higher price point,
Nopa: nopasf.com 560 Hayes St
Very popular restaurant, open late night, the resturaunt a lot of chefs go to after they’re done working (they’re open late). Higher price point,
La Taqeria: 2889 Mission St,
You probably know about this one in the Mission, It’s the go-to taqeria of many.
La Oaxaqueña: 2128 Mission St,
See 2009 review at http://articles.sfgate.com/
Joey and I went there every week when it first opened–was always good, and food= cheap. Since then we’ve been there a couple of times and it wasn’t always good as the first times, but still good (never bad). Our experience is that it is always good when the owner Harry, (bald guy) is there. When he’s not there, it’s still good, jut not always as good as when he is there. Get the mole in some form! Also try the tlayuda.
Jennifer Bader
415.265.2906
GAMINE
2223 Union Street @ Fillmore
San Francisco, Ca 94123
415.771.7771
Quince1701 Octavia St.
415-775-8500 $100/person
Utopia Café141 Waverly Place 415-956-2902
To eat truly well in Chinatown, you must travel off the beaten path: in the case of Utopia Café, that entails traipsing down a side alley after which one of the characters in The Joy Luck Club was named. For the most part, the food here is familiar. Beef on a tangle of pan-fried noodles. Shrimp-filled wontons in noodle soup with slices of sweet barbecued pork. But there’s a precision and clarity of flavor that belies their ubiquity. And everyone knows that an order of salt-and-pepper fish sprinkled with garlic and chopped chilies is essential. More adventurous diners order one of the Hong Kong–style clay pots, where the rice is cooked in the pot, creating an irresistible crust that’s like finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow
http://www.epicurious.com/
Mifune Kintetsu Building
1737 Post St.
415-922-0337
Located in one of Japantown’s quirky malls, Mifune draws crowds not for its decor—red and black Formica tables are about the extent of it—but for its immensely satisfying noodles at rock-bottom prices. Lacquered trays arrive bearing steaming bowls of ramen and udon featuring soothing, deliciously porky broth enriched with miso. There are also soba noodles (hot or cold) served with Japanese pickles and full-flavored dashi-based dipping sauce. It’s hard to go wrong, since all the noodles achieve that perfect al dente bite of freshly made pasta.
A16 2355 Chestnut St.
415-771-2216
www.a16sf.com
This beloved spot in the trendy Marina District has it all: great food, an extensive, well-chosen wine list, and a foosball table. The sleek, dark space, all concrete floors and cork walls, is home to a hopping singles scene. And chef Nate Appleman’s Southern Italian specialties—chewy-crusted pizzas baked in a wood-burning oven, razor clams with marinated cauliflower, butter bean and octopus soup—score every time
Canteen 817 Sutter St.
415-928-8870
Former Rubicon chef Dennis Leary took a worn-out Tenderloin coffee shop and turned it into this finer diner. Behind a bright-green counter and beneath the glow of a neon “Eat Here” sign, he churns out an ever-changing menu of French-inspired California cooking. The food is delightful and sometimes surprising: Leary sparks asparagus and fennel salad with verjus sorbet and a scattering of sweet peas, and tops grilled salmon with stewed leeks and caraway vinaigrette. Watching him work in a whirlwind, aided only by one line cook, his face an animated mix of ecstasy and stress, is alone worth the price of dinner
SPQR 1911 Fillmore St.
415-771-7779
www.spqrsf.com
An even more casual offshoot of the Southern-Italian-focused A16, SPQR is modeled after a Roman osteria. The name is an acronym for the ancient government of the Roman republic, but the restaurant’s cooking style and unpretentious vibe are undeniably San Francisco. Reservations are not accepted, and, as SPQR has been lauded in the press, waits for a table can be interminable. Is it worth the fuss? Absolutely. In typically Roman fashion, the menu is heavy on antipasti, divided into hot, cold, and fried selections. From the deep-fried chicken livers to the celery and tuna conserva salad, it’s impossible to find a bad dish. Pastas are made in house and are as rustic (think carbonara or pecorino and black pepper) as they are irresistible
Town Hall 342 Howard St.
415-908-3900
www.townhallsf.com
The menu here is a lively mix of Southern classic and California cooking from chefs Mitchell and Steven Rosenthal, the brothers behind the stoves at Postrio. Dishes like warm Bakewell cream biscuits with Smithfield ham and pepper jam, and roasted duck with toasted wild rice and gingersnap gravy keep this renovated 1907 warehouse on the fringe of SoMa packed for lunch and dinner, down to the last seats at the bar and communal table
Delfina 3621 18th St.
415-552-4055
www.delfinasf.com
Later this year, Delfina celebrates its ten-year anniversary, but there’s nothing dated about this Mission standby. The decor is hip without trying too hard (think aluminum tables with flickering votives), and the service casual yet professional. Craig Stoll cooks Italian food through the lens of the Bay Area: hyperseasonal, locally sourced, and as primally satisfying as the home cooking of a Tuscan nonna. The wood-oven-roasted calamari salad with white beans and olives is deservedly famous, as is the legendary buttermilk panna cotta. But so too are the pastas and the main courses. When a restaurant serves food this consistently delicious, it’s no wonder it made it to the decade mark.
Range 842 Valencia St.
415-282-8283
www.rangesf.com
First things first: Do not, under any circumstances, miss out on a cocktail at this laid-back neighborhood restaurant. The impeccably prepared libations change frequently, and the talented bartenders set the tone for chef Phil West’s accessible New American cooking. His food, like split pea soup with sour cream and chives and coffee-rubbed pork with hominy and greens, is simple but suffused with flavor and changes with the seasons. Desserts, somehow both homey and sophisticated, are some of the best in the city
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1346 Martin Luther King Jr. Way (Rose St.)
Berkeley
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415-558-9560
Dim Sum
Kay’s is cheaper and very good; Yank Sing I’ve been going to for 40 years — now in upscale bldg near Embarcadero and expensive ($30 plus if you have to try everything except the chicken feet like me) but amazing quality consistency. All they do is dim sum.
Kay Cheung 615 Jackson St | Btwn Kearny St & Grant Ave {maybe Montgomery BART)
Yank Sing 49 Stevenson St | Btwn 1st & 2nd S (Embarcadero BART)
Oriental favorites:
Slanted Door at Ferry Bldg (I first went to this place in the mission district, now several moves to
a beautiful site) (Embarcadero BART)
House of Nanking on Kearney (if there isn’t a line we’re not open used to be there motto). No frills,
great food, good prices. {maybe Montgomery BART)
Burma Superstar on Clement Street: www.burmasuperstar.com
Delicious Burmese food. Be sure to get the fermented tea leaf salad and Sumusa Soup (to share). They do not accept reservations. There is always a line, unless you get there right when it opens.
Mexican: (mission 16th ave BART)
La Taqueria 2889 Mission St San Francisco, CA 94110
(just a good,cheap place — can always stop and get two while you contemplate where to go)
La Oaxaqueña: 2128 Mission St, (very good, better when owner is there)
El Metate 2406 Bryant St San Francisco, CA 94110
(harder to find, more residential in mission district, amazing veggie taco, fish taco and posole)
Indian:
Naan n Curry is cheap and good, great breads, no atmosphere (I do go here
for quick lunch–fresh and cheap–several locations)
Mehfil Indian Cuisine 600 Folsom St, San Francisco (and on Filmore)
I had one great meal here, the last time was good but they didn’t make my six star out of 5
very hot more like a one star. Good quality
AMBER INDIA 2290 El Camino Real (near Rengstorff), Mountain View; I’ve heard good things about
this restaurant but never been.
Italian
A16 2355 Chestnut St. is lively and great food/eclectic Italian wine list.
Sociale: www.caffesociale.com 3665 Sacramento St,
–delicious food–Italian. Higher price point, small restaurant. A secret gem.
Other:
Nopa: nopasf.com 560 Hayes St
Very popular restaurant, open late night, the restaurant a lot of chefs go to after they’re done working (they’re open late). Higher price point
Chez Claude
French Bistro in alley couple blocks from union square
BETELNUT 2030 Union St. (at Buchanan), San Francisco; This one of favorites and the cold smoked
sea bass is the best!! Asian fusion cuisine — very lively on weekends
LIMON 3316 17th St. (between Mission and Valencia) Peruvian Good quality, yams, corn,
beef
Schroeders is a Czech owned bar with schnitzel, sausages and good beer on tap. 240 Front Street, San Francisco, CA
embarcadero on bart. This place was started in 19th century, couple of location changes (that damn 1906 earthquake
did havoc with original bldg)
East Bay:
After Chez Panisse
O CHAME 1830 Fourth St. (near Hearst), Berkeley Japanese nice informal place with great udon
OLIVETO 5655 College Ave. (at Shafter), Oakland; (Rockridge on BART) tapas, fun market to visit
downstairs, rotisserie entrees, easy to get to via subway
Corso Trattoria 1788 Shattuck Ave. (near Delaware)Berkeley
Va de Vi 1511 Mt. Diablo Blvd. (near Main Street)Walnut Creek
Cesar 1515 Shattuck Ave. (near Cedar), Berkeley — This used to be a
decent tapas bar — haven’t been in five years so don’t know if it is open.en’t been in five years so don’t know if it is open.
Café des Amis on Union — French Bistro