The new Bar Sprezzatura — opening November 2022 — is in an easy parking post-6pm area, quiet at night. In fact, the restaurant is only open lunch and dinner, Monday through Friday, so it’s ideal for workday meetings, European-esque long lunches and evening gatherings, from bites and drinks to a full meal. Visiting twice now, once for lunch, once for dinner, I had to name it one of the top 14 new restaurant openings of 2022. Read more →
What a difference nearly 25 years makes! Closed since March 2020, Mission District longtimer Delfina just reopened October 26, 2022, completely remodeled, refreshed, and, I’d say, reborn. I know I’ve dubbed some restaurants as “better than ever before,” and in Delfina’s case, it’s truly true. Read more →
When Roma native Gianluca Legrottaglie opened Montesacro in SoMa in 2015, it was the first proper Roman pinseria in the nation, complete with pinsaiolis (akin to a pizzaiolo) from Rome. Not familiar with pinsa? It’s an ancient Roman-style pizza, oval-shaped, happily crispy and airy simultaneously and made from a more easily digestible fermented soy, rice and wheat flour blend. Montesacro’s thoughtfully-made recipe remains the best I’ve had anywhere.
… in June 2022, San Francisco gained their second Montesacro in the Marina. Read more →
These newcomers or new menus cover the gamut, from Greek mezé to dim sum. Alongside this month’s full restaurant reviews, these seven are also worth visiting, with last month’s standouts here (as always, I’ve vetted, visited or ordered from each place reviewed): Read more →
These five newcomers (or new menus) cover the gamut, from Korean hot pot to Roman-style pizza. Here is what is standing out at each, alongside this month’s full restaurant reviews. And for the kids (and kid in you), hit up brand new Ghirardelli Chocolate Experience Store, tributing Ghirardelli’s 170th anniversary with much more seating options (read: no lines for locals) and chocolate-making viewing, in-house sundaes, ice cream and chocolate drinks (as always, I’ve vetted, visited or ordered from each place reviewed): Read more →
We weren’t exactly short on Italian restaurants serving Neapolitan pizzas and housemade pastas. But chef Kaitlynn Bauman’s Norcina, which opened in August 2021, is a sunny, tiny slice of Marina real estate that doesn’t feel like other countless restaurants serving similar food. In the same neighborhood, there is already popular local chain Delarosa focused on Neapolitan pizza and antipasti, a similar pizza focus at new Napizza, intimate, old school, pasta-centric Roma Antica, and, of course, pioneering A16. And that’s just within the same couple of blocks.
Review here: Read more →
From 2009 to today, chefs/partners Thomas McNaughton & Ryan Pollnow’s beloved Flour+Water just reopened, remodeled and reborn with new space and menus. And it’s on a whole new level. Read more →
Relaxed yet excellent Italian goodness from the two Michelin star team behind Acquerello… enter, Sorella. Read more →
Published December 31, 2021, in my The Bold Italic column and weekly restaurant reviews: These five notable newcomers cover the gamut, from fine dining pop-ups to Peninsula food halls housing Michelin-starred chefs:
Published November 5, 2021, in my The Bold Italic column and weekly restaurant reviews, my review of Flour+Water’s brand new Italian dining destination featuring regional influences from around Italy, Penny Roma: