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Restaurants
SF Station's Best of
Another tremendous year for San Francisco restaurants, 2007 saw a huge upsurge in artisanal pizza and boutique Italian (Nua, Chiaroscuro, Gialina, Ducca, Perbacco, Bar Bambino, E' Tutto Qua) as well as hot restaurant spinoffs (S.P.Q.R., Serpentine) and sustainable cuisine (Fish and Farm, Local Kitchen and Wine Merchant, Conduit, Weird Fish). Upscale Asian seems to be hitting a new stride (Namu, Unicorn, Metro Kathmandu, Sudachi, Umami, Sebo), and fancy burgers are more available than ever (NOPA, Spruce, Two, Horizon, and the disappointingly sterile Custom Burger/Lounge). More
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Restaurants
Fusion Korean Cuisine That Makes for a Happy Belly
Starting with a food cart business in Golden Gate Park last year, Dennis Lee and his brothers Dan and David have already expanded their empire with Namu, a largely undiscovered, chef's-night-out secret spot. This Inner Richmond family-run restaurant offers a modern twist on classic Korean and Japanese dishes in a sleek, minimalist 40-seat dining room. The décor features local art for sale and a wooden tree, crafted out of a fallen cypress that the brothers found in GGP. In fact, the name Namu, which means “wood” in Korean, was inspired by this tree. More
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Restaurants
A Groovy Feast
A little piece of Brazil lives in a sweet SOMA spot called Bossa Nova. Easy to miss from the industrial, boxy façade of the exterior, the only thing distinguishing the restaurant/bar in any way is a small sticker of the Brazilian flag on the door. If you’re lucky enough to notice it and walk in between Tuesday and Thursday, you’ll be treated to a live bossa nova band. If you're looking for a cozy corner in which to dine, however, the glam scene and party vibe that often permeates the space could be overwhelming. More
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Restaurants
Model T-Luxe Dining
Though actually found on Sacramento near Spruce (“Sacramento” wouldn’t have sounded nearly as herby and inviting), Spruce is the long-awaited newest addition to the Bacchus Management Group of restaurants. And with this association, Spruce culls from Bacchus’ legion of fans -- particularly those who enjoy the burgers at The Village Pub in Woodside. With Niman Ranch meat and a private farm where all their fruits and veggies are grown especially for their restaurants, Bacchus’ Spruce is an immediate hot ticket in its Presidio Heights neighborhood. More
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Restaurants
Rustic and Refined Meet on Union Street
Cow Hollow has been reinvigorating its restaurant scene with the likes of Umami, Jovino, and Osha Thai. The newest addition is Palmetto, which replaces Home on Union (and Cafe de Paris L'Entrecote before that). While Home leaned more towards the casual with comfort food like mac and cheese, Palmetto goes for elegant metropolitan, serving arancini and smoked sablefish with caviar. More
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Restaurants
Tasty Creole in the Tenderloin
Chef Brenda Buenviaje, a native of New Orleans and formerly of Sumi, Café Claude and Delessio’s Market and Bakery, has opened a small, friendly eatery with a menu that boasts crave-worthy items from Creole cooking’s famous lexicon. With a background in painting and art, Buenviaje’s artistic touch can be found within each tasteful breakfast and lunch item served to those Tenderloin locals with a yen for the flavors of the Crescent City. More
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Restaurants
Modern Japanese with Sizzle
First came the new bars; now restaurants follow suit in Polk Gulch. One of these bold new additions to the neighborhood is Sudachi, which tempts the palate with creative riffs on sushi and beckons the ear with its promise of live music on the weekends. More
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Restaurants
Old-Fashioned Seafood in North Beach
For a City by the Bay, we really don't have as many old-fashioned seafood joints as you might expect. There are the venerable stalwarts like Tadich Grill and Swan Oyster Depot and some places at Fisherman's Wharf that tourists are more likely to visit than locals. But now North Beach has a terrific seafood bar, called Sotto Mare, Italian for "under the sea." More
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Restaurants
Upscale Venetian in the New Westin Hotel
Ducca is a new addition to the San Francisco dining scene, and while yes, it is located adjacent to the new Westin Hotel on Third, having a bed upstairs isn’t the only reason to visit. Ducca’s 28-year-old executive chef Richard J. Corbo (Mecca, Gary Danko) has crafted a pleasing Venetian menu stocked with trendy paisano treats like salumi and cichetti -- rustic bar snacks similar to petite salami sandwiches, marinated sardines, arancini, olives, and grilled vegetables. Despite a few hitches, the cuisine at Ducca should appeal to most foodies. More
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Restaurants
A San Francisco Institution, Perched in the Past
Roosted cliffside on Telegraph Hill below Coit Tower, Julius’ Castle is all about panoramic eye candy. With unmatched bay views to the north and east, no other restaurant can rival the landmark vistas, including the Bay Bridge, Treasure Island, and Alcatraz. While the food might be considered good by small-town U.S.A. standards, it won’t entice the discerning San Francisco crowd. On our visit, we did see fellow San Franciscans sitting at a few of the tables, but on the whole, the diners were not from the city. More
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