GQ’s Alan Richman Declares a New Culinary Leader: San Francisco
Even though I’m a woman, GQ happens to be one of my favorite magazines. Not only do they consistently craft sharp cultural pieces, but also some of the best, most approachable food and drink content around.
I was thrilled to see this month’s cover article touting San Francisco’s dining scene as the hottest and most innovative scene in the country. (Take that NYC.) Bear in mind GQ’s food critic Alan Richman once famously had this to say of the Bay, “Alice Waters and sourdough bread aside, the Bay Area has contributed surprisingly little to the culinary ripening of America.” Looks like somebody is literally and figuratively eating their words.
Since the article is currently only available in print, I thought I’d share a few highlights from this praising piece:
On just how hot SF’s food scene currently is:
“At each moment in history, there’s a city or region that chefs have to visit to learn what’s going on in American cooking. Usually it’s New York, but I’ve known it to be Chicago, southern Florida, Texas, and Los Angeles. Right now it’s San Francisco, where restaurants of ambition and imagination are opening.”
On SF leading the country:
“I’m not certain there is a better casual Italian restaurant in America than Flour + Water. At first glance the menu appears ordinary—appetizers, pastas, pizza, entrees. Yet thoughtfulness and masterful technique are abundant. Eat there and you might wonder why Italian restaurants aren’t normally this vigilant and ambitious.”
Richman’s pick for the current all-star:
“The most innovative, cerebral, and ambitious of the new restaurants is Benu . . . The combinations are exotic and original, few of them seen before, at least not to me . . .”
Richman’s favorite Bay Area spots:
Mission Chinese: 2234 Mission St., 415-863-2800
Atelier Crenn: 3127 Fillmore St.; 415-440-0460
Benu: 22 Hawthorne St.; 415-685-4860
Commis: 3859 Piedmont Ave., Oakland; 510-653-3902
Plate Shop: 39 Caledonia St., Sausalito, 415-887-9047
Commonwealth: 2224 Mission St.; 415-355-1500
Flour + Water: 2401 Harrison St.; 415-826-7000
Check out this must-try list of Alan Richman’s 10 favorite San Francisco eats.
Looks like we just earned even more bragging rights.
Photo credit: Flour + Water
