Reviewed in this article:
—Modern Afghani Gamechanger: Jaji, Oakland
—Next-Level Sports Bar (and I’m Not into sports): Splash
—Ferry Building’s Latest Delights: Lunette, El Porteno, Ocean Malasadas
—Honduran-Yucatecan Heartwarmer: Catrachita Yucateca
—Glitzy Korean Steakhouse: AB Steak
—New Vegetarian Dishes Delight: Tiya
—14 & (Still) Fabulous: State Bird Provisions
—Tiny Cajun & Creole Go-to on The Hill: Po’Boy’s Kitchen Read more →
Gary Danko branzini. Photo Credit: Virginia Miller. Portlandia references may be old news, but I can’t help but hear the show’s Dream of the 90’s song in my head when I return to these two great restaurants that have been showing San Francisco how it’s done since the 1990s. Here’s multiple reasons why they’re still relevant. Gary Danko cheese cart. Photo… Read more →
The Wild sea urchin noodles. Photo Credit Virginia Miller. Change is hard, especially when a beloved restaurant, Gozu, morphs into something entirely new: The Wild, starting September 2024. Whether brown butter chawanmushi (savory Japanese custard) layered in fat-washed wagyu dashi or wagyu fat-laced salted chocolate chip cookies, chef Marc Zimmerman and entrepreneur Benjamin Jorgensen always wowed me at intimate-yet-lofty, chefs-counter-only Gozu… Read more →
Merchant Roots “Karl the Fog” blue course. Photo by Virginia Miller. Raving about Merchant Roots’ wildly-changing, eight-seat dinners since chef Ryan Shelton launched the first themed menu in January 2019, I’ve felt this magical team and concept should have a Michelin star and more, though they are Michelin-recommended, thankfully. But it’s a whole “new bag” for the clever restaurant as they’ve… Read more →
Causwells. Photo by Virginia Miller. These newcomers or new menus cover the gamut, from classic French to a neighborhood comfort food and cocktail classic that just turned ten. Alongside my latest restaurant reviews — TIYA (modern Indian), Hed11 (Thai), 10 top brunches, KoThai (modern Thai Korean), Alora (Mediterranean) — these five are also worth visiting, with last month’s standouts here. As always, I’ve personally vetted… Read more →
KAIYO Restaurant & Bar’s nigiri. Photo by Virginia Miller. These newcomers or new menus cover the gamut, from modern Colombian to an Italian tavola calda/osteria. Alongside my latest restaurant reviews — Alora (Mediterranean), Sonoma County eats, five fine dining standouts — these ten are also worth visiting, with last month’s standouts here. As always, I’ve personally vetted and visited each: Prospect’s whipped feta garlic dip.… Read more →
Reviewed in this article:
—Best Kept Secret & Daily Changing Menus: Camino Alto
—Taiwanese Bites & Asian-Influenced Cocktails: The Rabbit Hole
—Wine Bar & Bites Happiness: Cultivar
—Focaccia Pizza With a View: Il Parco
—Top-Notch Palestinian Falafel: Habibi Falafel
—Creative but “Real Deal” Hot Dogs: Hayz Dog
—A Unique, Arty Pop-Up: Sister, Mother, Crone
—Tunisian Hideaway: Gola Read more →
These newcomers or new menus cover the gamut, from dim sum to traditional Irish or Russian food. Alongside the latest full restaurant reviews — why SF is the U.S.’ best food city, The Halfway Club, Nick’s Cove, Movida/Bar Gemini/Stoa, Canela, Chotto Matte, 2023’s top new restaurants and bars — these seven are also worth visiting, with last month’s standouts here (as always, I’ve personally vetted and visited each one): Read more →
Movida Lounge’s prettiest cocktail, the Chilosa: green chile-infused gin, cilantro, lime, coconut, gol gav zaban borage blue flowers. Photo by Virginia Miller. San Francisco has long been rife with world’s best cocktail bars: it was one of three cities, alongside New York and New Orleans, that introduced the world to cocktails in the 1800s, after all. Then SF and NYC led… Read more →
Rise Over Run solarium and rooftop view. Photo by Virginia Miller. The Tenderloin’s (TL) roughly 7-by-5 blocks get a massive amount of bad press as the center of San Francisco’s worst drugs and homelessness. As it has everywhere, pandemic has made conditions worse as Tenderloin’s decades-old issues have expanded a few blocks. But the TL remains a tiny part of our… Read more →