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’s first guest chef at the White House), who manages to divide his time between here and his operation in Las Vegas, while simultaneously writing cookbooks and starring in PBS television shows. Three-, four-, and five-course tasting menus allow diners to sample a variety of items. Best bet is to start with the “Symphony” appetizer, a culinary medley with bite-size samplings of roasted beet and anchovies, pistachio-crusted foie gras, Maine lobster tartare, and butternut squash vichyssoise. Other sure things include radicchio-wrapped salmon with cannellini beans and Banyuls vinegar and olive oil; and lamb loin with roasted potato stew, whole-grain mustard, and honey and red-wine reduction. The selection of some 700 French, California, and Northwestern wines is also impressive.

777 Sutter St. (at Jones St.). 415/673-7779. www.fleurdelyssf.com. Reservations required. 3-course menu $70; 4-course $77; 5-course $88; vegetarian tasting menu $68. Vegan option available with advance notice. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon–Thurs 6–9:30pm; Fri 5:30–10:30pm; Sat 5–10:30pm. Valet parking $13. Bus: 2, 3, 4, 27, or 38.

Expensive

Grand Café ★ FRENCH If you aren’t interested in exploring restaurants beyond those in Union Square and want a huge dose of atmosphere with your seared salmon, Grand Café is your best bet. Its claims to fame? The grandest dining room in San Francisco, an enormous 156-seat, turn-of-the-20th-century ballroomlike dining oasis that’s sensibility combines whimsical Art Nouveau with a Parisian train station. To match the surroundings, the menu features such extravagant French-inspired California dishes as carre d’agneau á la forestiere (Sonoma rack of lamb crusted with herbed mixed vegetable tian, in wild mushroom and pearl onion sauce) or cassolette de la mer (lobster tail, prawns, sea bass, mussels, little neck clams, and savoy cabbage in tomato Pastis lobster broth). You can also drop by for a lighter meal or an après-theater drink in the more casual bar, which offers similar dishes for about half the price. There’s also a wonderful selection of small-batch American whiskeys and single-malt Scotches.

501 Geary St. (at Taylor St., adjacent to the Hotel Monaco). 415/292-0101. www.grandcafe-sf.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses $18–$33. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Mon–Fri 7–10:30am and 11:30am–2:30pm; Sat–Sun 8am–2:30pm; Fri–Sat 5–11pm; Sun–Thurs 5–10pm. Valet parking free at brunch, $15 for 3 hr. at dinner, $3 each additional half-hour. Bus: 2, 3, 4, 27, or 38.

Le Colonial ★ VIETNAMESE Viet-chic environs and quality French Vietnamese food make this an excellent choice for folks who want to nosh at one of the sexiest restaurants in town. Picture slowly spinning ceiling fans, tropical plants, rattan furniture, and French colonial decor. The upstairs lounge (which opens at 4:30pm) is where romance reigns, with cozy couches, seductive surroundings, and a well-dressed cocktail crowd of post-work professionals who nosh on coconut-crusted crab cakes and Vietnamese spring rolls. In the tiled downstairs dining room and along the stunning heated front patio, guests savor the vibrant flavors of coconut curry with black tiger prawns, mangos, eggplant, and Asian basil and tender wok-seared beef tenderloin with watercress onion salad.

20 Cosmo Place (off Taylor St., btw. Post and Sutter sts.). 415/931-3600. www.lecolonialsf.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses $20–$38. AE, DC, MC, V. Sun–Wed 5:30–10pm; Thurs–Sat 5:30–11pm; brunch Sat–Sun 11:30am–2:30pm. Public valet parking $10 1st 3 hr., $2 each additional half-hour. Bus: 2, 3, 4, or 27.

Perbacco ★★ ITALIAN Stockholm native Staffan Terje makes some of the best Italian food in town, and he’s not afraid to push the limits for what cuts of meat he puts on his outstanding, oft-changing menu. You’ll find better known traditional items such as braised beef short ribs, whole-roasted rabbit and a variety of well-prepared seafood, but the more adventurous can explore poached veal tongue, blood sausage, and sweetbreads. (Terje is committed to using the whole animal.) The menu is wide and