Castro

• Chilango - Is it the dawn of Taqueria 2.0? With the growing number of places in San Francisco serving more than burritos and the same old taco line-up, and a commitment to using sustainable and quality ingredients, it’s a good thing to...

Downtown

• RN74 - At last, a restaurant that doesn’t look like it’s from here (thank you AvroKO for giving us something chic and train station sexy, choo choo). And let’s say hellllllo wine list. Michael Mina and Raj Parr had a definite vision...

Embarcadero

• Il Cane Rosso - This rustic-casual outpost at the Ferry Building has a laundry list of lovable qualities (farmers’ market fresh ingredients, meaty items off the rotisserie, seasonal vegetables, Straus Dairy soft-serve ice cream) but the absolute star in my culinary galaxy is the...

Financial District

• Barbacco - Did Brian Eno open a restaurant in San Francisco? Nope, the “eno trattoria” next to the Barbacco name (in a zippy, Vespa-esque font) on the building’s exterior is short for enoteca, a term originally used to signify a local wine...
• RN74 - At last, a restaurant that doesn’t look like it’s from here (thank you AvroKO for giving us something chic and train station sexy, choo choo). And let’s say hellllllo wine list. Michael Mina and Raj Parr had a definite vision...

Marina

• Tacolicious - Restaurant reinventions are interesting: there are things you may long for from the previous place (I really did enjoy the food at the Spanish Laïola), but I’m happy for the success owner Joe Hargrave and co-owner Sara Deseran have found...

Mission

• Nombe - What would I consider a fine quality in a restaurant? Well, for starters, chicken skin on the menu is most certainly an eye-catching item. Oh, and what I’d call “chef chicken wings,” juicy and meaty numbers sporting a crispy and...
• Gracias Madre - Almost anyone who lives in San Francisco has an opinion on Café Gratitude, and when I heard their vegan-organic-Mexican offshoot, Gracias Madre, was opening on Mission Street, I think my brain had already selected flash cards that went something like...
• Bruno's - The Southern-inspired cooking from the "Gypsy Kitchen" duo of Ryan Ostler and Katharine Zacher is homey, hearty, and made by people who know what's up. On the menu: some of my favorite pulled pork and Buffalo wings in SF, meaty pork ribs, a dark chicken and sausage gumbo, and don't forget to order the cheesy spicy grits on the side. Stellar baked items, like the biscuits and bacon palmiers, plus other special dessert-y surprises.
• Mission Burger - This is such a sick and wrong chef burger. I could only eat half in one sitting, and I still felt really terrible about myself. Anthony Myint (of Mission Street Food) and Danny Bowien have created a fully fat-loaded burger:...

NOPA/Western Addition

• Nopalito - NOPA’s casual Mexican offshoot rocks the house, with regional dishes made with excellent local/organic ingredients. The juicy carnitas are a hands-down favorite (especially when I’m eating any leftovers the next day with some eggs), and it’s the perfect season for...
• Matching Half - I am a slave to good coffee (very few people in this town aren’t), and when a place is this cute, one block from my house, on a sunny corner, using beans from Verve Coffee Roasters, rockin’ a Slayer, and...

North Beach

• Tony's Pizza Napoletana - At last, something fun returns to the La Felce space on Washington Square Park. This joint has not one but four pizza ovens. The 900-degree wood-fired oven cranks out a world champion pizza margherita (pictured here); and when I say...

Pacific Heights

• Out The Door - As my friend and I were inhaling—truly, with our noses, and not (yet) scarfing—the winter melon soup at the latest Out the Door on Bush Street, I realized I had found an equally strong contender for “the dish I want...
• Baker & Banker - A cozy and comfortable New American neighborhood restaurant in Pac Heights from husband and wife Lori Baker and Jeff Banker. The innovative and upscale market-driven menu includes delicious salads, and the duck is a standout entrée--there's also a tasting menu. Save room for dessert; even the sorbets are notable.

Potrero Hill

• Pizza Nostra - Delicious Italian-style pizzas are the highlight, plus there are antipasti and pastas to round out your meal (eggplant involtini are tasty). Get the spicy pili-pili oil and a glass of chilled Bonarda with your pizza. Casual and easygoing; plentiful outdoor seating.

Richmond (Inner)

• Prime Rib Shabu - When I hear the words “all you can eat,” I usually turn the other way and get to steppin’ in my high heels. What can I say, I’m not in my twenties anymore. But when I spoke with owner Luke...

SoMa

• RN74 - At last, a restaurant that doesn’t look like it’s from here (thank you AvroKO for giving us something chic and train station sexy, choo choo). And let’s say hellllllo wine list. Michael Mina and Raj Parr had a definite vision...

Tenderloin

• Show Dogs - I’m all about budget gourmet action right now. I’m also about the delicious handmade corndogs here, hot diggity! The menu is packed with gourmet dogs (many made by local folks), with all kinds of savory toppings, like remoulade, garlic confit,...

Union Square

• Show Dogs - I’m all about budget gourmet action right now. I’m also about the delicious handmade corndogs here, hot diggity! The menu is packed with gourmet dogs (many made by local folks), with all kinds of savory toppings, like remoulade, garlic confit,...