Chotto Matte. Photo by Virginia Miller. Brunch is one of the weekend’s most sacred rituals. Here are seven notable brunch experiences, from retro 1970s diner to modern Indian or Peruvian (my last brunch feature here). As always, I’ve personally vetted and visited each: Goldenette milkshake. Photo by Virginia Miller. Retro 70s-Style Diner: Goldenette, Nob HillSad as I was to see… Read more →
Reviewed in this article:
—Modern Indian Creativity from Veggies to Meat: Tiya
—At Five Years Ernest Remains One of SF’s Unsung Greats
—Two Michelin Magic: Saison
—Delicately Playful Dessert Tasting Menu: Nisei
—The U.S.’ Great Modern Guamanian Restaurant: Prubechu
—North African/Tunisian Treasure Turns 10: Barcha
—91-Year-Old Pizza & Pasta Legend: Tommaso’s
—Two Michelin Heights at 8-Year-Old Birdsong
—Asian Rooftop Delights: Good Good Culture Club
—Upscale Thai Offers a Steal of a Lunch: Hed11 Read more →
Jilli beef tartare. Photo by Virginia Miller. A Vietnamese classic reborn, hip Korean drinking den with food, modern British fare, Japan-worthy takeout-only sushi, healthy delivery and, yes, superb pizza… six standout new eateries plus four new takeout spots. As always, I’ve personally vetted and visited each: Vietnamese Classic Reborn: Crustacean, FiDiOpening in the Financial District in July 2025, Crustacean is… Read more →
Five are new-er, two are celebrating two or twenty years, from killer Laotian food or Italian comfort to Tatarstan Russian food. These seven are worth visiting. Last month’s standouts here. As always, I’ve personally vetted and visited each: Mattina canederli. Photo by Virginia Miller. Cal-Italian, All-Day Neighborhood Joys: Mattina, Pacific HeightsSince 2007, SPQR is one of the nation’s great pasta… Read more →
Opening May 3, 2024, in San Francisco’s Japantown, Hed 11 is a unique entré in a city rich with incredible tasting menus and a neighborhood rightly dominated by Japanese food. The exception a couple blocks away is Michelin-starred Nari, one of the nation’s great upscale Thai restaurants. Hed 11 is the refined sister to Hed Very Thai in the FiDi (Financial District), which I reviewed after Bangkok native and owner Naruephon “Billie” Wannajaro opened it in 2023. 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 →
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 ever vibrant city with top-notch food, as in every SF neighborhood. Yet due to the TL’s location next to tourist central Union Square and hotels, it gets outsized attention compared to much larger difficult neighborhoods in other U.S. cities. Read more →
Hed (Isaan for ‘to make’ in an authentic way) VeryThai just opened late January 2023 hidden in a downtown Financial District alley off Kearny Street, focused on Isaan Northeastern Thai cuisine. But unlike many in town serving dishes from that region, Hed VeryThai serves food in khao gaeng style. While that broadly translates to curry over rice, it’s a platter of mini-bowls of complementary dishes, playing off contrasting flavors and textures. Read more →
These newcomers or new menus cover the gamut, from Sebastopol (Sonoma County) treasures in Thai and pizza to SF gems in Creole/Cajun, Japanese and elevated bar food. Alongside this month’s full restaurant reviews of these exceptional spots, 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 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 →