| California Cuisine Articles |
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Bravo Coco! Coco500 recently reached its first anniversary. There are plenty of reasons to celebrate. The restaurant manages to balance top-notch food with a friendly, let’s-not-take-ourselves-too-seriously attitude. The interior is inviting, filled with warm earthy wood tones, contemporary paintings and minimalist light fixtures. The patrons are a portrait of San Francisco hipsters, from young to aging and a few in between. |
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Pushing the Flavor Envelope Daniel Patterson hails from the prominent kitchen of Elisabeth Daniel and a short-lived stay at Frisson, but was more recently known for penning the infamous New York Times article, yawning at many California peers for their boring approach to cooking. The food-obsessed world was in horror, but Patterson stood by his words as he stands by his food. |
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Quietly, Genuinely Italian Some restaurants strive to be the next big thing and are lucky to live up to the buzz, while others without such designs quietly go about gaining reputation and becoming favorite, under-the-radar dining spots. Claiming the latter distinction, Capannina is part of a quiet resurgence of shiny new restaurants on Union Street. |
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Country Boy in the City Jeanty at Jack's, a delicious big-city brasserie, is both bustling and romantic. Take a date after a long workday, or a client for lunch. Once you step inside, thoughts of deadlines and stock trades melt away like butter on a baguette. Request a table in the mezzanine, which puts you close to the graceful plasterwork, and provides just the right amount of privacy. |
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New Home, Same Soul The home of great, greasy fried chicken and fixings has moved to the lower Fillmore district (now renamed the Fillmore Jazz District) from its former haunt in Hayes Valley. I, for one, am excited to know the soul food spot is now mere blocks from my doorsteps. |
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Innovative Cuisine, Conservative Decor Chef Scott Howard, whose career sails caught wind while working under famed chef Norman Van Aken in Miami, hung the shingle with his moniker on the old 500 Jackson (formerly Cypress Club) in September. He got his start in the Bay Area at Fork in San Anselmo, where he honed his global menu for the adventurous Bay Area palate. |
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The Delicate Sound of Buzz When the owners of one of the city's most beloved bakeries open a full-fledged restaurant, expectations inevitably run high -- sometimes impossibly so. Like Tartine Bakery, Bar Tartine has no exterior sign, but the warm glow of the dim-but-not-too-dim lighting and the pleasant bustle within beckon passersby from off the street. The interior that owners Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson created is comfortable and classy, familiar without feeling stale. |
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New Chef, Same Hot Room Since its opening in 2004 in SF's historic district, Frisson has become a go-to spot for dinner or drinks in a swanky, mid-century modern setting. The warm orange interior, dominated by a giant domed ceiling paved in lights, calls to mind a trendy nightclub in the middle of a stylish Scandinavian airport. Never mind that I've never been to Scandinavia…What I have done is sample the relatively new menu of Executive Chef Sarah Schafer, installed in February 2005 to replace Daniel Patterson. |
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Haute Cuisine at Neighborhood Prices From the outside, the low-key, understated awning does not draw attention to Senses, a hot new Mission eatery located in the space formerly occupied by Watercress (and before that, Watergate). While friends have reported spotty service at Senses, many of the dishes here are on par with the haute cuisine of Restaurant Michael Mina, Frisson, and other super high-end restaurants -- but at a neighborhood price point. |
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A Neighborhood-Defining New Eatery The "North of the Panhandle" neighborhood, along with the adjacent stretch of Divisadero between Golden Gate and Fell, has always had a bit of an identity crisis. For a long time, the area was lumped into the sprawling Western Addition, while some even considered it an adjunct of Hayes Valley. A few local wags had dubbed it DMV Heights, as a nod to a time when the most significant landmark was the Department of Motor Vehicles. |
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Family-Style Dining in the Presidio On a late summer evening, a friend and I ventured into the Presidio with a cab driver who had no more idea where he was going than we did. In my almost four years in the city, it's a world I've only ventured into once before. On this typically foggy night, we were about to experience a not-so-typical dinner. |
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From Simmer to Sizzle, the Buzz is Electric Named after the apparatus that transforms raw ingredients, Range is the new Mission District restaurant firing up Valencia Street. If you're going out for a special night, Range has your back. It's a chill, comfortable place with pop elements like a sleek bar and elaborate flower arrangements, making the space sexy and classy at the same time. Plus the well-priced menu has a scope broad enough to satisfy both the meat-and-potatoes and the veggie-only diner. |
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Swank, in a Down-Home Way In 2002, RNM, which was carved out of an unkempt Victorian apartment building in the grimy and energetic Lower Haight, opened to much acclaim. Its pleasures have not diminished. With her bright seasonal cooking, chef Justine Miner continues to deliver cultivated food to discerning diners who descend from funky million dollar houses. |
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