Frances, Castro / Noe
My friend Katie Christ, food stylist/ do-gooder extraordinaire (hello! She built a school in Mali…) wrote about Frances on her blog and if Katie writes about it, it’s got to be good. Chef Melissa Perello brings a California sensibility and uses only the freshest of ingredients from local markets and farms. It can be dang [...]
The Redwood Room, Downtown
How fabulous is the Redwood Room? Historically, the bar in the Clift Hotel has always been grand and nostalgic, and it continues to be so. Everyone freaked out when Phillip Stark was given the commission to give the place a face lift in 2001. The San Francisco locals felt that our Redwood Room needed to [...]
Bar Tartine, Mission
No one knows this, but the chef, Nicolaus Balla, is almost Hungarian. Born in Michigan, spending his (quite influential) high school years in Budapest, then and travelling the globe, Balla brings his amazing down home cooking with an European flair. I’ve had many wonderful meals here, but my all time fave has to be the goat meatballs, [...]
Foreign Cinema, Mission
A San Francisco classic that is always good and the California cuisine is always served up with fantastic flavors. The atmosphere is grand and continues to feel modern, though the restaurant opened in 1999. The indoor/ outdoor vibe of the restaurant and bar with warm lighting makes it feel cozy yet grandly open. In the [...]
Cotogna, Jackson Square
Yes, it is almost impossible to get a reservation. The new sister restaurant to Quince, by Chef Michael Tusk brings a democratic approach to the art of Italian eating. We happened to find ourselves in the neighborhood one sunny, Saturday afternoon. We wanted to pop into a fave bookstore, William Stout, before they closed and [...]
Wilson and Wilson, Downtown
A tiny little hole in the wall, really. And almost impossible to get into, because the bar has limited seating. So, you have to make an appointment. And they won’t let any Jack, Fred or Harry just walk in. After a knock on the door and with the proper password, you get shushed in [...]
Twenty Five Lusk, SOMA
What more do you need other than: Groovy, Fabulous, Hip and Cozy? Downstairs, the bar has cozy fireplaces makes it a snazzy place to have cocktails after work with friends. Upstairs: fine dining. The menu is California cuisine at its finest. It’s fresh, seasonal and offers interesting flavor juxtapositions. The incredibly designed display kitchen is like [...]
Zero Zero, SOMA
The pizza war in my heart continues… I keep discovering new Neapolitan style pizza and I keep coming back to Zero Zero. I love the casual atmosphere and the easy simple menu. The Margherita Extra seems to keep coming up as a leading contender. I describe it as a fight in my heart, [...]
The Elite Café, Pacific Heights
I lived in Pac Heights for many many years and walked by this restaurant a hundred million times. I always thought to myself that I should try it some time. It took 20 years and clients coming in from out of town to get me to finally make a reservation. The Art Deco style [...]
Piccino, Dogpatch
Pizza war continued. If you didn’t know this already, I have my own personal quest to discover the bestest pizza in San Francisco. Piccino may just be it. Great pizza, great wine, great service. The host happily puts a glass of wine in your hand while you are waiting for your table. The atmosphere [...]
La Ciccia, Noe Valley
I was shooting with Robyn Valarik recently for Sunset Magazine and we got on to the subject of our favorite restaurants. She mentioned a fabulous little neighborhood place, La Ciccia, featuring the food from the Sardinia Region of Italy. She mentioned that it was casual, romantic and right in Noe Valley, San Francisco and it’s [...]
