-
1550 Hyde St
'Clang clang clang went the trolley, zing zing zing went my heartstrings…' That Judy Garland tune finally makes sense after an evening at this romantic hilltop restaurant, with dark wood, candles everywhere, and big Bay windows to watch the cable cars pass. The seasonal three-course dinner's a deal at around US$30 Sunday through Thursday, with an optional US$16 pairing option that would be foolish to pass up.
-
A16
The 'A' definitely stands for attitude in this Neapolitan pizzeria that requires reservations and then haughtily makes you wait in the foyer like a high-maintenance date. But when you do get in, the housemade mozarella burata, chewy-but-not-too-thick-crust pizza, and kicky calamari make it worth your while. Skip the gluey risotto and spotty desserts though.
-
Acme Chop House
Once again chef Traci des Jardins, of Jardinière fame, has hit one out of the park - specifically SBC Park, which is right next door. Acme keeps sports fans and environmentalists happy with a clubhouse atmosphere designed with green building principles in mind, from the recycled cork floors to certified sustainable mahogany tables buffed to a handsome bar finish with non-toxic wax. Unlike certain ballplayers, Acme's organic steaks and chops are strictly steroid-free.
-
Acquerello
A converted chapel is a fitting location for a meal that'll turn Italian culinary purists into true believers in Cal-Italian cuisine. 'Oh…my…god…' is the obvious reaction to Chef Suzette Gresham's generous pastas and ingenious seasonal meat dishes, including venison loin chops with caramelized chestnuts and sour cherry mustard sauce and devilish lobster panzerotti (stuffed dough pockets) in a spicy lobster broth.
-
Ame
Inside the coolly elegant St Regis Hotel, Ame (ah-may) has a spectacular (though pricey) sashimi bar, an impressive selection of sakes and a rich menu of perfectly executed dishes such as sake-marinated black cod with shrimp dumplings, and risotto with eel and foie gras. Service could be better at this price, but the food is incredible.
-
Aqua
Dinner here is a major investment, but the around US$35 three-course business lunch is a solid bet: tiny, jewel-like dishes so fresh and delicately handled, you can almost taste the sun in a cherry tomato, and that wild salmon's last smirk. Service is easygoing yet attentive and smart, so you can trust your server to recommend worthy wine pairings and give you an honest assessment of a dish.
-
Atlas Cafe
A bohemian magnet for local struggling artists of all media. Some of their works hang on the walls, and there's a bluegrass jam on Thursday ( to ). The menu sports exemplary coffees, full breakfasts, sandwiches, soups and small pizzas.
-
Axum Cafe
When you've got a hot date with a vegan, the hunger of an athlete, and/or the salary of an activist, Axum's vegetarian platter for two with spongy injera bread is your saving grace. Dig in with your bare hands, and try not to bogart the lip-tingling red lentils and mellow yellow chick peas.
-
Aziza
Mourad Lahlou's modern Middle Eastern makes the most of California's organic produce and free-range meats: quail gets the royal treatment with cumin-orange glaze and brandied currants, and the prawn tagine with Meyer lemons is pizzazz in a pot. Glitz and bellydancing are kept to a minimum, so as not to distract you from your pecan tartlet with sea salt caramel ice cream.
-
Balboa Café
Before Gavin Newsom won the mayor's race he won over San Francisco diners and drinkers with this classic but not too starchy American bistro, best enjoyed for a casual yet lucrative business lunch. Opened as a saloon in 1913, the beer is still kept cold in ancient wooden ice boxes, and at night the place jumps with the city's loudest, most stridently heterosexual singles scene.
-
Advertisement
-
Bar Crudo
Don't call it sushi: these choice morsels of local seafood are served raw Italian-style, with pan-Asian condiments and Belgian beers. Stick to the pilsners, paired with delicate raw Hawaiian ono served with a tangy yuzu-citrus sauce with chili, enoki mushrooms, and mint. Graduate to darker ales with the Artic char with both horseradish and wasabi for punch. Slurp up the seasonal raw bar menu with local oysters and Dungeness crab.
-
Be My Guest Thai Bistro
For cheerful mod orange and white décor, a full cocktail bar, and clever variations of Thai themes, there's only one thing to say: Be My Guest. The Volcano Chicken is served flaming and melts in your mouth with marinade, while the Mango Tango Prawns and Sea Bass Edamame bring surf to California turf with tangy, earthy flavors.
-
Benkyodo
Everything you really need in life is within reach of your stool at Benkyodo. The perfect retro lunch counter cheerfully serves an old-school egg salad sandwich for a paltry US$3 , or pastrami for around US$3 - unless you spring the whopping 25 cents extra for cheese. Across the aisle are glass cases of fresh-baked mochi (chewy Japanese cakes with savory/sweet fillings, including chocolate) and a primo selection of salty packaged Japanese junk food.
-
Bi-Rite
Nemesis of grocery shoppers on a budget and faithful ally of foodies whose cooking repertoire is limited to re-heating, Bi-Rite is the Tiffanys of groceries. The reasonably priced flowers out front are the lure that draws you toward the cases of jewel-cut ahi tuna and grass-fed steak, pre-portioned prepared dishes to dupe dates with your gourmet skills, and an array of outstanding local cheeses, chocolates, and wines that might inspire you to propose marriage to their makers.
-
Blue Bottle Coffee Company
Once this microroaster sold only to fancy restaurants - but when caffeine freaks got a whiff of premium organic beans being ground in this garage storefront, they lined up in the alley, twitching for a taste. Giant Steps is strong and Espresso Temescal will make your heart beat in solidarity with Chiapas coffee farmers. There's no indoor seating or bathroom, so think dry thoughts.
-
Blue Plate
Eccentric and contemporary, with laid-back service and reinvented comfort food that ranges from honestly good meatloaf to fried cornmeal balsamic oysters with braised bacon. On foggy nights, snuggle up to a heatlamp at outdoor tables or let the pork belly and soup of the day warm you from the inside out.
-
Bocadillos
Meals so cute you'll want to pinch them. Forget the suburban sprawl of multi-page menus and SUV-size portions, and tuck into a North Beach studio-sized choice of two small sandwiches on dinner rolls served with a green salad for around US$7 - the Serrano ham, lamb-burgers, BLTs, and Catalan sausage with melted Manchego are all sublime, and just the right amount of food for lunch.
-
Boulevard
The 1889 Belle-Epoque styling of the quake-survivor Audiffred Building is a fitting locale for Boulevard, which has survived many a seismic shift in tastes and two California recessions over the past 15 years, and still remains one of San Francisco's most consistently creative and widely respected restaurants.
-
Boxed Foods
Organic, seasonal ingredients make outrageously flavorful lunches, whether you choose the zesty strawberry salad with mixed greens, walnuts, and tart goat cheese, or the Boxed BLT with crunchy applewood smoked bacon. Get yours to go to the Transamerica Pyramid Redwood Grove, or grab one of the two-top tables in back.
-
Burgermeister
Personal ads may promise hot and beefy, but Burgermeister delivers with a half-pound free-range burger loaded with grilled onions, local blue cheese and organic mesclun greens. Skeptical Nebraskans and erstwhile vegetarians are among the regulars ordering the slippery house special with grilled onions, blue cheese and mesclun greens, best eaten two-handed.
-
Advertisement
-
Burma Superstar
Yes, there's a wait, but do you see anyone walking away? That's because the curries served here are creamy, rich and aromatic yet don't sting the tongue. La pat , a traditional Burmese green-tea salad is salted with dried shrimp, enriched with sesame and tarted up with lime. If you get impatient, ask the host to call you at the café across the street, where you can enjoy a glass of wine while you wait.
-
By The Bite Burmese
The basement stairway to this international food court is grungy, and the TVs in the dining area emit the depressing drone of CNN - but as adventurous Asian hole-in-the-wall aficionados know, that means you're paying for tasty foods, not atmosphere. Line up for your bowl of steaming rice noodles with all the fixings: toasted yellow lentils, chicken, chilies, and cilantro, all served in a broth with a hint of coconut milk.
-
Café Asia
Rest those museum legs on the sunny outdoor balcony, and let your tastebuds do the trekking. You might pause at the green tea soba noodle base camp, or head for the spicy Korean pork sandwich. Adventurous eaters attack the hearty Tibetan lamb and lentil stew, nibblers chill out with Thai green papaya salad, and dawdlers refresh with green tea and Pocky.
-
Cafe Bianco
Cafe Bianco's back patio is a suits' retreat from the Financial District hustle. They serve a top-notch cuppa in an honest-to-gosh cup and saucer (no paper-cup chintziness here). You can also nibble on decent sandwiches, pizzas and lasagna from a push-a-tray-and-point counter.
-
Café Flore
Not for the faint of heart, this all-glass corner venue maximizes opportunities to see and be seen, and judge and be judged. Repartee is so quick it seems scripted, and calls for a double cappuccino just to keep up. Tight tailored ensembles make salads seem prudent, but enjoy your carrot cake on the patio, and bask in covetous glances.
