San Francisco - Alison Bing [119]
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JACKSON SQUARE
KOKKARI Map Greek $$$
415-981-0983; www.kokkari.com; 200 Jackson St; lunch Mon-Fri, 5:30-10pm Mon-Thu, 5:30-11pm Fri, 5-11pm Sat; 41, 45, F;
This is one Greek restaurant where you’ll want to lick your plate instead of break it, with starters like grilled octopus with a zing of lemon and oregano, and a signature lamb, eggplant and yogurt moussaka as rich as the Pacific Stock Exchange. Reserve ahead to avoid waits, or make a meal of hearty Mediterranean apps at the bar.
BOCADILLOS Map Basque $
415-982-2622; www.bocasf.com; 710 Montgomery St; 7am-10pm Mon-Wed, 7am-10:30pm Thu & Fri, 5-10:30pm Sat; 15, 30, 41, 45
Meals so cute you’ll want to pinch them. Forget the suburban sprawl of multi-page menus and SUV-sized portions, and tuck into a North Beach studio–sized choice of two small sandwiches on dinner rolls served with a green salad for $7 to $9. The juicy lamb-burgers, snapper ceviche with Asian pears, and Catalan sausages are just-right Basque bites with wine by the glass.
PICKLES Map Burgers $
415-421-2540; 42 Columbus Ave; 11am-3pm Mon, to 10pm Tue-Thu, to 2:30am Fri & Sat; 15, 30, 41, 45
In a fancier joint, you could pay twice as much for a burger half as good as Pickles’ mighty half-pound slab of humanely raised, antibiotic-free chuck for $8 (or a 6oz version for $6). This spiffed-up fast-food place has a fireplace on the patio and some foodie nerve, too: who would’ve thought that fried Brussels sprouts would make such a welcome alternative to French fries?
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CIVIC CENTER & THE TENDERLOIN
This neighborhood’s blustery avenues and sketchy blocks weed out timid diners, leaving more pho (Vietnamese noodles), inventive seasonal dishes and succulent vegan morsels for everyone else. The proximity to the opera, symphony and theaters make local restaurants prime date destinations, and chefs bring plenty of drama and romance to the plate.
JARDINIèRE Map Californian $$$
415-861-5555; www.jardiniere.com; 300 Grove St; 5-10:30pm Tue-Sat, to 10pm Sun & Mon; 5, 21, 42, 47, 49
Iron Chef and James Beard Award–winner Traci Des Jardins has a way with organic vegetables, free-range meats and sustainably caught seafood that’s slightly naughty, topping succulent octopus with crispy pork belly, and drizzling Sonoma lavender honey over squash blossoms bursting with molten sheep’s cheese. Leave room for operatic desserts with simple, sensational ingredients: polenta-almond cake becomes a platform for blackberries to sing duets with brown-sugar ice cream. Go Mondays, when $45 scores three decadent courses with wine pairings. Downstairs in the mood-lit lounge, an affordable bar menu pairs well with adventurous, seasonal cocktails – the Summer of St George with local Hangar vodka, basil spirits, ginger liqueur and aromatic lemon is a drink that takes the heat off spicy harissa fries.
MILLENNIUM Map Vegetarian $$$
415-345-3900; www.millenniumrestaurant.com; 580 Geary St; 5:30-9:30pm Sun-Thu, 5-10pm Fri & Sat; 38; & Powell St; Powell-Hyde;
If all vegan food could be this satisfying and opulent, there could be cattle roaming the streets of SF and no one would give them a second glance. Seasonal first courses include grilled semolina flatbread topped with caramelized onions, wilted spinach and a flourish of almond romesco, followed by a peppery pastry roulade that opens with a fork’s touch to reveal a creamy center of golden potatoes and smoky achiote (chili) chard, and a saffron-scented rice pudding with mango sorbet. Book ahead for aphrodisiac dinners and vegetarian Thanksgiving.
FISH & FARM Map Californian $$
415-474-3474; www.fishandfarmsf.com; 339 Taylor St; 5-10pm Tue & Wed, to 11pm Thu-Sat; 38; Powell-Mason
Eco comfort food bound to improve your mood and the planet, featuring organic produce, sustainable seafood and humanely raised meats sourced within 100 miles of San Francisco. White Brentwood corn and organic sweet onions make a silky, sensational soup, while local cod gets soused on