Frommer's San Francisco 2012 - Matthew Poole [76]
Wayfare Tavern ★★ AMERICAN One of three new restaurants to open in the Bay Area in the past year courtesy of Food Network celebrity chef Tyler Florence, Wayfare Tavern was the most buzzed about dining spot to open in 2010. With upscale pub grub in a hunting lodge–like environment—animal heads adorn the walls, the color palette sticks to hues of khaki and black—this intimate experience added some much-needed juice to the Financial District’s somewhat tired food scene.
Florence puts his own creative spin on classic comfort foods like mac and cheese, pot roast, and grits. The Wayfare Burger “Le Grand” may very well be the most popular item on the menu: a hunk of grass-fed proprietary grind, with local Mt. Tam cheese, roasted onion, and smoked bacon on brioche (with the option to add a Petaluma egg, sunny side up). More inventive fare like chicken liver mousse with pomelo marmalade and toasted brioche, or poutine (that Canadian favorite of french fries with mozzarella curd), braised short rib, and truffle gravy, round out the menu. The portion sizes are pretty generous; you’ll best understand what Wayfare Tavern is all about if you order a combination of dishes for the table to share.
558 Sacramento St. (at Leidesdorff Alley). 415/772-9060. www.wayfaretavern.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses $22–$28. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Mon–Fri 11am–11pm; Sat–Sun 5–11pm. Bus: 1, 10, 12, 30X, 41, or 82X.
Moderate
Hog Island Oyster Co. ★ SEAFOOD Fans of fresh, local oysters will be in slurping nirvana at this smart little seafood spot inside the Ferry Plaza Marketplace. Belly up to the bar overlooking the ferry dock for a dozen Sweetwaters or Kumamotos from Hog Island’s Tomales Bay farm, or branch out with baked oysters casino, oyster stew, or a steaming bowl of clam chowder. Prices are a tad steep, but on weekdays there’s a happy hour featuring $1 oysters and $3.50 pints of beer. Even if you’re not a big oyster fan, it’s worth a stop just to watch the expert shuckers strut their stuff.
Ferry Building Marketplace, 1 Ferry Building no. 11-1 (at Embarcadero and Market St.). 415/391-7117. www.hogislandoysters.com. Reservations not accepted. Oysters $12–$17 for half-dozen; other items $6–$14. AE, MC, V. Mon–Fri 11:30am–8pm; Sat–Sun 11am–6pm. Bus: All Market St. buses. Streetcar: F or N-Judah line.
Sam’s Grill & Seafood Restaurant ★ SEAFOOD Power-lunching at Sam’s is a San Francisco tradition, and Sam’s has done a brisk business with Financial District suits since—get this—1867. Even if you’re not carrying a briefcase, this is the place to come for time-capsule dining at its most classically San Francisco. Pass the crowded entrance and small bar to get to the main dining room—packed with virtually all men—kick back and bask in yesteryear. (Or conversely, slide into a curtained booth and see nothing but your dining companion.) Tuxedo-clad waiters race around, doling out big crusty cuts of sourdough bread and distributing salads overflowing with fresh crab and Roquefort vinaigrette, towering plates of seafood pasta with marinara, charbroiled fish, roasted chicken, and old-school standbys like calves’ liver with bacon and onions or Salisbury steak. Don’t worry—they didn’t forget classic creamed spinach. The restaurant’s mildly salty service and good old-fashioned character make everything on the menu taste that much better.
374 Bush St. (btw. Montgomery and Kearny sts.). 415/421-0594. www.belden-place.com/samsgrill. Reservations recommended for dinner and for 6 or more at lunch. Main courses $12–$29. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Mon–Fri 11am–9pm. Bus: 15, 45, or 76.
THE sun on your face AT BELDEN PLACE
San Francisco has always been woefully lacking in the alfresco dining department, which may or may not have something to do with the Arctic summer fog. But Belden Place—an adorable little brick alley in the heart of the Financial District—defies that convention. A skinny walkway open only to foot traffic, it’s a little bit of Paris just off Pine Street. Restaurants line the alley sporting big umbrellas, tables,