Frommer's San Francisco 2012 - Matthew Poole [67]
San Francisco also attracts some of the world’s most talented chefs, drawn not only to the creative freedom that has always defined San Francisco’s culinary scene, but also to the year-round access to Northern California’s unparalleled abundance of organic produce, seafood, free-range meats, and wine.
Afghan, Cajun, Burmese, Moroccan, Persian, Cambodian, Basque, vegan—whatever you’re in the mood for, this town has it covered, which is why more San Franciscans eat out than any other city’s residents in the U.S. All you need to join America’s largest dinner party is an adventurous palate, because half the fun of visiting San Francisco is sampling a dish you’ve never heard of, from a country you’ve never been to—and then doing it all over again.
THE BEST RESTAURANT BETS
• Best Hotel Restaurant: Ame, 689 Mission St. ( 415/284-4040), located in the swank St. Regis Hotel, means “rain” in Japanese. But the only drops you’ll see coming down here are tears of joy from local foodies who no longer have to drive to St. Helena to enjoy a meal by Hiro Sone, James Beard Award winner and master of Japanese, French, and Italian cuisine.
• Best for Impressing Clients: Show your business associates you’ve got class—and know what’s hip with the foodies these days—by reserving a table at the Financial District’s Wayfare Tavern, 558 Sacramento St. ( 415/772-9060).
E-Reservations
Want to book your reservations online? Go to www.opentable.com, where you can save seats at restaurants in San Francisco and the rest of the Bay Area in real time.
• Best Romantic Spot: Anyone who loves classic French cooking will be seduced at Fleur de Lys, 777 Sutter St. ( 415/673-7779), under the rich burgundy-tented canopy that swathes the elegant room in romance. There’s lots of question-popping here, too.
• Best for a Celebration: Great food, a full bar, and a lively atmosphere are the key ingredients that make Boulevard, 1 Mission St. ( 415/543-6084), the place to celebrate. Or celebrate Latino style with pitchers of sangria at Haight-Ashbury’s Cha Cha Cha, 1801 Haight St. ( 415/386-7670).
• Best Decor: Celeb restaurant designer Pat Kuleto spent a week sketching sea life at the Monterey Bay Aquarium before applying his genius to whimsical Farallon, 450 Post St. ( 415/956-6969). A glass “caviar” chandelier sets the tone for Kuleto’s equally spectacular Waterbar, 399 Embarcadero ( 415/284-9922), and at Grand Café, 501 Geary St. ( 415/292-0101), he marries old-world European elegance with Art Nouveau glamour.
• Best Dim Sum: Downtown and Chinatown dim sum restaurants may be more centrally located, but that’s all they’ve got on Ton Kiang, 5821 Geary Blvd. ( 415/387-8273), where carts bring the best Chinese dumplings and other dim sum delicacies to your table.
• Best Thai: This locals’ favorite is a total dive hidden in the gritty Tenderloin district. But the dishes at Bang San Thai, 505 Jones St. ( 415/440-2610), are filling and authentic, and it’s a great starting—or ending—point for a bar-crawl of the area.
• Best Vegetarian Food: For excellent farm-fresh food and an equally stunning view of the Golden Gate, go to Greens Restaurant, Building A, Fort Mason Center ( 415/771-6222). Also check out Millennium, 580 Geary St. ( 415/345-3900), which makes vegan seem positively decadent.
• Best Cafe: If you want to know what life was like before Starbucks, spend some time at North Beach’s beloved Mario’s Bohemian Cigar Store, 566 Columbus Ave. ( 415/362-0536), and Caffe Trieste, 601 Vallejo St. ( 415/392-6739).
Fine dining on the sidewalk. Sample this cart and nearly 30 others Friday nights at Off the Grid, Fort Maison Center.
• Best Food Truck Sampling: Food truck fans, we have found your Utopia, and it is called Off the Grid, a daily roving food court of trucks. Go to http://offthegridsf.com for locations and participants. Fridays sample nearly 30 vendors, 5 to 10pm at Fort Maison Center.
Price Categories
The restaurants listed below are classified first by area, then by price, using the following categories: Very Expensive,