AQUITAINE, Financial District (175 Sutter St. between Lick Place & Kearny St., 415-402-5290) We lost San Francisco’s great, historic spirits shop, John Walker & Co. But the former storefront has been reinvented in what could have been just another wine bar. One-month-old newcomer, Aquitaine, is a stand-out wine bar and restaurant, transporting me straight to Europe. Opened by Michelin-starred chef extraordinaire, Laurent… Read more →
Incredible burgers in a bowling alley, SF’s deaf community gathering over Neopolitan pizzas, brothers serving food from their hometown of Nice in a tiny restaurant, dining around a U-shaped counter off a FiDi alley… each of these restaurants opened within the last 6 months providing a unique communal experience (and most importantly, fine food to go with) that makes one… Read more →
Our city is loaded with amazing cheap eats. Here’s three new places worth adding to your go-to list. CHUBBY NOODLE, North Beach (570 Green Street between Columbus & Jasper Place, 415-361-8850) Chubby Noodle easily counts as a best cheap eats opening of 2011. In the back of comfortably retro Amante bar, order at a kitchen window (illuminated in neon by… Read more →
Hayes Valley has gone through multiple rebirths, from its pre-’89 quake days under the shadow of freeway ramps, to its age as shoe and boutique shopping destination. The addition of Patricia’s Green in recent years brought a communal gathering place to the neighborhood, tying together north and south of Hayes Street in a cohesive strip of green. For years, Hayes… Read more →
Top Tastes, rather than a list of all-time favorites (another thing altogether), are among the best eats since my last newsletter, often from new openings. Many don’t make the cut, being a revisit previously written about or simply not as stand-out as dishes mentioned. I’ve started the new year eating a lot (how is this different from any other year?)… Read more →
301 Mission Street (at Beale) San Francisco, CA 94199 415-543-7474 www.michaelmina.net/rn74 RN74… Michael Mina’s latest project, named after a highway running through Burgundy. Much has been said since its April 24 opening, most of it raving about the unparalleled 3000+ wine selection, heavy on the French, with treasures at every turn (and every price range). Responses to the food have… Read more →