March 07, 2010

San Francisco Bay Area's Ten Best Restaurants - 2010 Edition

Again, it's time to update the Top Ten list for the SF Bay Area restaurant scene. As always, I do not claim to have eaten everywhere possible, nor to even have a totally open mind. I know and love food, so here's my take on the best places to eat in the Bay Area. Again, the defining criterion is food quality per dollar, but I also incorporate qualities like service, atmosphere, ingredients, lack of overcomplication or over-gourmet-izing, etc. I'm a Californian, and I like "California Cuisine" -- fresh, local ingredients you don't spoil with too much effort, fat or sauce, you don't mix with other things that might sound good or trendy but just simply don't match, and you don't overpower with unnecessary complication. In short, I ask a restaurant to give me what nature gives it, just to make it harmonize in a way that most people can't.

At the end of the day, I tried to compile the list with the following new decision rule: I'm going out tonight, and I can eat anywhere - where do I want to go?

Some interesting results, including some major moves (down more than up), and some new leaders. Zuni drops out of the top ten, primarily because of some inconsistency I've experience recently, although I still love the place and it's still the "quintessential San Francisco restaurant" with great oysters and ambience. Zushi Puzzle drops way down from #3 to #10, also because of inconsistency, and both Hog Island and Pizzeria Delfina dropped out of the top ten in order to make room for some new leaders. There are also some notable new "honorable mentions" and they're listed with some "bests" in terms of cuisine.

As always, comments and controversy welcome and encouraged.
  1. Dopo (2) Oakland -- It gets better and better, and the wonderful people and service stay just as good. I have had the opportunity to enjoy lunches there more this year, and I'm grateful for it. Their paninis are amazing. For dinner, the lasagne remains the best I've ever had, the pesce crudos are melt-in-your-mouth good with tons of flavor and complexity, and Jon's salumi platters are second-to-none. I also contend the pizza there is as good as anywhere, and certainly better than any place that isn't explicitly a pizzeria. Plus, Jon, Kayta, David, Pete and the whole crew there are just so great - everyone's family. 
  2. Delfina (NR) SF - Mission -- Delfina defines the San Francisco restaurant scene for me. It so perfectly illustrates precisely why this is, bar none, the best eating city in the world -- if you, like I, use the criterion of food quality per dollar. One story tells it all with this place. I was taking a cooking class from famous chef Ron Siegel (now at Ritz Carlton, first non-Japanese to win a unanimous decision over the Japanese in the original Iron Chef), and someone asked what the meal he was teaching would cost as his then-restaurant, Masa's. Siegel, ever the irreverent and food-obsessed, said he didn't know, but someone in the class quickly stepped in, correctly asserting "Probably about $250 per person." Siegel retorted, "But you can just go down the street to Craig and Annie Stoll's place [Delfina] and get the same quality ingredients and even perhaps better preparation for $40!" 
  3. Camino (5) Oakland -- A new favorite, this place has a very small, daily-changing menu, and it's just a fantastic example of California cuisine. The chef/owner opened it after 20 years at the foundational Chez Panisse, and Camino surpasses Chez Panisse Cafe in all ways other than tradition.
  4. The Bar at Redd (1) Yountville -- I make the distinction from the main dining room this year, as I think the bar menu is just such an incredible value. I also think the food is more appealing, and most of you know I'd rather wear a t-shirt than a button-down and blazer, so the atmosphere of the bar is more appealing as well.
  5. Range (4) SF - Mission -- One of my good friends finds this place to over-season the food, specifically that almost all dishes are too salty. I love salt, so perhaps I am not as sensitive to it, but I don't find the place to be anything but fantastic and consistently so. The pastas are fantastic here, as are the salads, and the daily-changing mains always entice.  
  6. NOPA (6) SF - North Panhandle -- This place shows its founders Zuni heritage and even bests it in many ways, illustrated a higher ranking than its inspiration. Be sure to go for a cocktail before the meal, as their "mixology" is definitely one of their strengths. I love the vibrant atmosphere, but it doesn't mean more of a focus on fun than on the food. They nail both.
  7. SPQR (NR) SF - Pacific Heights -- The chef who put A16 on the map, and subsequently this place, Nate Appelman, has left to take advantage of his new fame, and this restaurant has benefited significantly. They revamped the menu, started taking reservations (on OpenTable only), and simply improved all the offerings. It's a great neighborhood Italian, slightly fancier than Dopo, commensurate with the neighborhood this one has around it. All the pasta is "fatta en casa" (made in house), and they do a great job keeping it simple but ensuring enormous flavor and smart, traditional Roman combinations.
  8. The Bar at Spruce (7) SF - Presidio Heights -- Again, I'm making the distinction between the bar and the restaurant. Frankly, I haven't even eaten at the restaurant, but I do know the bar has the best burger in the city, and anywhere that has the best burger in the city should be on this top ten list. The salumi and cheese platters are also great, as are the other small plates. Plus, like NOPA, they know how to make some drinks and create a comfortable, fun atmosphere without sacrificing on food quality.
  9. Beretta (NR) SF - Mission -- The closest thing to Dopo in the city San Francisco itself, this place is a great, casual Italian spot with top-notch, crispy thin-crust pizzas, great pasta dishes, an affordable and attractive wine list, and fantastic cocktails, too.
  10. Zushi Puzzle (3) SF - Marina -- Be sure to sit at the bar. It's an unfortunate reality, but sitting in the restaurant really means you don't get the same fish quality. Be sure to enjoy the variety of fresh options posted on the dry erase board, and you may want to beg Roger for the "Scott Special" -- he doesn't love to make it, as it's time consuming, and it's not on the menu. It is still the best sushi in the Bay Area, bar none, but it's not as consistent as it was a few years ago.

Honorable mention:
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