There have been a fair number of great restaurant openings in the past couple of years, and they are worthy of attention and affection. Also, as these things tend to go, some of the restaurants I've previously admired have failed to keep up the quality standard they set in the past.
The defining criterion for ranking remains "best food per dollar" -- the trait that in my view separates San Francisco from nearly all other great food cities, thanks to the bounty that surrounds us here in California and the demand for quality from those of us who eat here. A few years ago, I would say that genuinely no restaurant in New York or Paris could compete on food quality per dollar with San Francisco's best, or even the average of the best, although both have gained some ground thanks to the proliferation of the farm-to-table movement and the general demand for simple quality rather than over-sauced, over-complicated constructions.
As many of you know, my motto is "Never waste a meal." You do not need to ever just eat to live in San Francisco; in fact, it would be a real shame to do so, as you'd miss out on artistry and freshness and absolute delight that's probably just next door and likely even requires less of your wallet. So, try not to just eat; eat from this list (prior ranking in parentheses):
1. Cotogna www.cotognasf.com -- Financial District
Unfortunately, this is the toughest table in town, but it's for good reason. I would call this the perfect menu. And nothing on the menu misses the mark; they genuinely do everything right here: great atmosphere, real cocktails, phenomenal wine list (every bottle is $40!), pleasant and attentive service, super ingredients and, of course, the preparations. It's the casual sister restaurant to fancy, Michelin-revered, Quince, and that means pizza, classic Italian roasted and grilled meats, amazingly delicate and tasty pastas, selections of salumi and cheese. Oh, and the country paté! And if you work downtown, or you find yourself there some day during lunchtime, go grab their brown bag lunch special.
2. Locanda www.locandasf.com -- Mission
It was really hard not ranking Locanda #1, because it's my go-to restaurant in SF bar none. I take every visitor there first, and Craig and Annie Stoll essentially defined my "food quality per dollar" criterion with their first restaurant, Delfina. This place adds a great cocktail list and a focus on Roman cuisine which just makes me smile. Plus, the lamb scottadito is my single favorite dish in San Francisco, period. Don't miss the Roman Jewish Style Artichoke or the classic Cacio e Pepe (cheese and pepper -- basically the Italian version of mac n' cheese, but better). You get a great vibe at this place, and the people who work there are all fantastic.
3. Dopo www.dopoadesso.com/dopo/ -- Oakland
Dopo remains the best neighborhood restaurant you could possibly imagine and, as such, the envy of every neighborhood but the one around Piedmont Avenue in Oakland that actually can claim it. Chef and owner John Smulewitz is one of the nicest guys on the planet in addition to being a rockstar chef, and all the people there (Graham, David, Jimmy) really love being there, which shines in their service and their recommendations. Dopo's salumi platter (all made by hand, all cured just behind the restaurant, all available at sister restaurant Adesso 100 yards away) is the best in the Bay Area, and the original lasagna napoletana is my favorite lasagna I've ever had. They also do a great job with the fish crudos, a very approachable and affordable wine list, and the pizzas are always fantastic with some of my favorite crust around. Dopo is the only restaurant on this list that has been in the Top Ten in every single ranking.
4. Park Tavern www.parktavernsf.com -- North Beach
The space just feels great at this place, occupying what used to be Moose's on Washington Square Park. This is probably the second toughest table in town, and they have a lot of capacity, which certainly says something. The bar is great, but even better are the brussels sprout chips, one of the best burgers in town, and even simple things like the crudités with green goddess dip sparkle. Great place to start a lively weekend night, or to be the entire weekend night, even.
5. The Bar at Redd www.reddnapavalley.com -- Yountville
Distinct from the fancy restaurant that hosts this small bar area, the bar menu is the perfect size: a limited collection of fantastically prepared casual dishes that have all the quality of the Michelin starred restaurant sharing the same chefs, ingredients and kitchen, with none of the pomp nor the price. Everything's $15 or less, and the tuna tartare is the best I've had. The fish tacos are impossible to skip, too, and you really can't miss with any of the offerings. It's just a shame that there are only 3 tables in the bar, and only one of them is a 4-top.
6. Gary Danko www.garydanko.com -- Ghirardelli Square
The only "fine dining" restaurant in the top ten, it doesn't quite get to the level of affordability that The Ranker demands, but they do such haute cuisine at still-affordable prices, they deserve a slot. A three course meal -- mind you, one of the best meals you will ever have in your life, for sure -- is not too pricey at $65. What I love as much as anything is that you can have three mains, or you can have three desserts, or you can follow a more traditional route through starter, main, dessert; it's up to you, and it's the same price. If you want to experience the best food San Francisco can offer, the best food anyone can offer, try going to Gary Danko; it is indeed one special treat.
7. Una Pizza Napoletana www.unapizza.com -- SOMA
By far the most limited menu on this list, you can get pizza margherita and basically only pizza margherita at this place (yes, they do a pizza bianca and 3 versions of a margherita, but you aren't getting any pepperoni, no mushrooms, no anything). And yes, that means that pizza margherita is THAT GOOD. Tony Mangieri is a fanatic; he makes every single pizza served from start to finish. He runs out of dough and that's the end of the night. The guy brought his oven from NYC with him, and let me tell you, San Francisco won. Be careful, they're not open but just a few nights per week (Wed-Sat) and sometimes they'll even surprise you by not being open those nights, so call ahead!
8. Il Cane Rosso www.canerossosf.com -- Embarcadero
This fantastic spot in the Ferry Building is probably the least well known dinner option among the restaurants I'm mentioning. The three-course prix fixe dinner menu is only $30, and you can get a carafe of wine for another $9. The food is always fantastic; it's how Daniel Patterson (of Coi and Plum fame) experiments with whatever's fresh from the farmers that day, and I haven't yet seen an experiment fail. This is a really fun way to spend a weekday evening, especially one of those warm weekdays where you can sit and stare at Angel Island from their tables on the patio.
9. Mission Chinese www.missionchinesefood.com -- Mission
Ensuring we have a representative from the super-trendy "pop-up" restaurant craze, this one certainly deserves to be on the list. It also competes with Cotogna and Park Tavern for being among the toughest tables in town, but unlike those other two, these guys don't take reservations, so you're stuck waiting in line for what seems to be forever on most nights. It's worth the wait, or it's worth checking out of work a bit early to beat the crowd, but not if you don't like spice. This place will flame your mouth, but man, the "evolved Chinese" food is awesome.
10. Delfina www.delfinasf.com -- Mission
Behind only Dopo for most Top Ten rankings, Delfina has been amongst the best restaurants in SF since it opened. If they had cocktails, I'd probably move it up. The Hay & Straw, or Delfina's version of a pasta carbonara, is my favorite dish here, and I can never pass up the fresh-stretched mozzarella. You cannot go wrong going to Delfina. A famous (and clearly irreverent) chef once told me, "Instead of coming here to my restaurant [where you'll have to pay $200/person], just go down the street to Craig and Annie Stoll's place, and you'll get food that's just as good but that anyone can afford." 'Nuff said.
The restaurants that just missed and it pains me to not mention among a "top ten" list in SF:
- Ad Hoc -- best fried chicken
- Zuni Cafe -- best roast chicken, awesome gnocchi, and a great oyster bar
- Range -- great cocktails, consistently fantastic
- Nopa -- lively atmosphere, great cocktails, one of the best burgers in town
- Magnolia Pub -- best gastropub in SF
- Tony's Pizza Napoletana -- second-best pizza in SF with a much bigger and more diverse menu than Una; also a fun bar
- Camino -- perfect in almost every way
- Marlowe -- sister restaurant to Park Tavern, just a more limited menu and smaller space
- Healdsburg Bar & Grill -- definitely one of the best burgers, probably the best fries, and all around great stuff in the cutest town in California
Others I love, and you will, too:
- Adesso (Oakland -- best salumi)
- Chairman Bao gourmet food truck at Off the Grid
- Parallel 37
- Plum Bar
- Zushi Puzzle (only at the sushi bar)
- Hog Island Oyster Bar (don't miss the grilled cheese)
- The Bar at Spruce (especially the burger)
- Sushi Ran
- Zero Zero
- Morimoto
- La Taqueria (24th & Mission)
- Una Pizza Napoletana
- Ton Kiang (best dim sum)
- Birch Street (best restaurant on the Peninsula)
Comments, criticisms, and praise always welcome. So, where do you want to eat tonight?
No comments:
Post a Comment