Friends and other birds of the same feather often ask me what the best places to eat in San Francisco are. In an alternate lifetime, I had enjoyed a brief stint as a ‘ghost’ food reviewer for a friend who was opening his own restaurant. That short but luxurious period had opened doors to me that I hadn’t known to be existent. I wined and dined and learnt so much first hand. It was a rather daunting prospect at first; after all, it was equivalent to a country bumpkin landing plumb spang in a place like NYC; but it was a wonderful journey every step of the way. No cooking class or book could have taught me that much.
Anyhow, to put a stopper on the horn, I would update the list every now and then even after my sojourn ended, just for my own records. The expat stint in Japan set me back, and it only got more complicated upon my return, as I found that restaurants in San Francisco have a crop up rate of about 1 every 30 min. So imagine the numbers in a span of two years.
I did begin to make a whole new list over this year, but that one got overwhelmingly long; so, in the end, I tried to limit the entries to the ones that are eternal in their perfection, and those I have visited this year and fallen for.
So, without further ado, here’re the most deserving culprits:
1. A16-An Italian gem with a fantastic appetizer selection and perhaps the best Ricotta Gnocchi I have ever had. Perfect place for an enjoyable evening with friends, particularly those visiting from places that think they know all about fancy and yet delicious Italian food.
2. Bocadillos-Best Spanish tapas ever. It is quite a relief, really, that one doesn’t have to fly out all the way to Barcelona to enjoy an authentic urban Spanish meal.
3. Burma Superstar-Now this is no fine dining. But it is a staunch attestation to the fact that good food is sometimes about, well, just good tasting food; and not much else. For proof, indulge in the Samosa soup, Tea leaf salad or Coconut curry noodles and wow your friends visiting from elsewhere. You’ll have them unleashing their green eyed monsters at their fiercest.
4. Chez Panisse-Ok, it’s technically in Berkeley. But you can’t mention best, San Francisco gourmet, slow food, or sustainable artisan cuisine without following up with Alice Waters’ wonder child. It’s amazing how simple daily fare can be made into such elaborate, wholesome cuisine.
5. Delfina-No foodie is complete without a visit to this amazing little Italian gem in the Mission. Best Panna Cotta ever. Equally delicious pastas and pizza. Luscious is the word that comes to mind when describing everything about this place-the decor, the flavors, the service.
6. Ella’s-For great brunch fare like fluffy buttermilk pancakes, scrambles with lemon-roasted carrots & Asiago cheese. While it does get crowded, it offers excellent sticky buns, home-made Granola and pot pies to take home.
7. Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack-Sometimes you want a steaming bowl of pasta but don’t want to step into the kitchen. Emmy’s come to the rescue with its back-to-basics spaghetti with a range of sauces, garlic bread and the like, just like Grandma used to make.
8. Kokkari Estiatorio-Fancy do that covers the diverse cuisine of the different regions of Greece. Spectacular mezedes, ouzo, lamb and coffee.
9. Liberty Cafe-In my own neighborhood, this little place makes the best Eggs Florentine of them all. Artisan, authentic, warm, cozy, etc. are all words that come to mind when desribing this place with their home-made Challah bread and their famous chicken/vegetable pot pies.
10. Nopa-You know you are going to the right place when you run into local chefs and diners with famously spoilt palettes at a restaurant. Nopa is one such. With creative approaches to everything from appetizers to dessert (Fries with Harissa); popularizing those ‘unknown cultural dailies’ (Pimentos de padron, for instance).
11. Scott Howard-We all know the magic connection between an immaculate dining experience and a restaurant named after its chef (Gary Danko comes to mind), and Scott’s namesake is no exception. A protege of Norman Van Aken, Scott combines a sophisticated and innovative a la carte menu with French, Spanish and Asian inspirations.
12. Sebo Sushi-Rumors abound, that Sebo flies its fish in from Japan everyday. I can’t vouch for that, but I do vouch for the immaculate, melt-in-the-mouth perfection of the sashimi, among others, that might have given way to such gossip.
13. Tartine Bakery-If the thing about Paris you miss most is the cornucopia of breads, pastries and other baked items, you might just be saved by a visit (or two or three) every so often to Tartine. Some of the best bread pudding, croque monsieur, pressed sandwiches (try the Idiazabal & Membrillo for a gustatory thrill) and plain and simple pain de campagne to ever pass a baker’s oven are from Tartine.
14. Zuni Cafe-One more San Francisco landmark; with its own complete culinary world-cookbook et al. Organic takes on French & Italian inspired ‘regular’ food like burgers, salads and potatoes. Apparently their oysters are laudable as well; but I take others’ word for that-being cursed with the dreaded shellfish allergy and all.
And the rest that make up another whole list:
I’ve been to nearly all (including the bottom list) but seven. I’ll have to try Sebo…I’ve never been able to find a good Japanese place in the city. Maybe this is the one!
By: miniplum on December 10, 2007
at 5:11 pm