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Tracie Broom Managing Editor Food Editor at SF Station since 1999, Tracie Broom is a freelance writer, editor, copywriter and event planner in San Francisco. Catch her daily posts at SF Station's Bay Area food blog, The Yum Diary: http://www.yumdiary.com |
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 | Chic, Authentic Neapolitan Cuisine Chestnut Street's A16, named for Campania's main road, Autostrada 16, opened in February 2004, much to the delight of local fans of high-end food in a casual atmosphere. Sleek, unassuming and comfortable, the space that once housed Zinzino and Savoia has been renovated to house Chef Christophe Hille's gorgeous, easy-going regional Italian fare. After working under Laurent Manrique at Campton Place and in France, Hille became a certified pizzaiolo in Naples, and on our visit, he hand-tossed and wood-oven baked every single 12" Neapolitan treat in the restaurant.More |  | Geary Street shaped up in 2003. Just down the street from the glitzy CLIFT Hotel, enter the Hotel Adagio, yet another boutique hotel from the Joie de Vivre Hospitality Group. Within the Adagio is a camel-colored hall of drapes studded with comfortable tables and relatively well-heeled, multi-generational diners (capacity 120) sipping spot-on mango caipirinhas. Cortez is the latest restaurant venture from Pascal Rigo, owner of Bay Bread, Chez Nous, and La Table. The short verdict: Cortez is pretty great. We had a fabu time and thought the food was memorable. Go glam it up! Here's why.More |  | French bistro meets California cuisine ipping a chilled white Lillet on the rocks, resting against the back banquette at Clémentine (located where Alain Rondelli once delighted diners in the Richmond), we dreamed in secret that this spacious, homey French restaurant would be our new darling.More |  | Way down along the wind-blown coastline of San Mateo County lay the makings for an exquisite day trip, weekend, or lifestyle: the Maverick's for collecting shells and watching surfers, the nurseries and roadside stands for fresh flowers and produce, Costanoa for retreats, the Moss Beach Distillery for Bloody Marys, Duarte's Tavern in Pescadero for beers, Half Moon Bay Brewery for calamari, Barbara's Fish Trap for fried clams, and Canada Cove for daydreaming of owning a little trailer by the sea (in the shadow of the Ritz-Carlton, ironically enough).More |  | Believe the Hype Since opening on April Fools' Day 1989, Postrio has garnered more press, visits from luminaries, and rave reviews from foodies than should be legal in this country; these accolades automatically categorized the Theater District destination as "potentially bogus" in my book. Part of the Wolfgang Puck empire, which now includes canned soup and bottled coffee drinks (ouch), Postrio is one of a mere handful of fine dining restaurants in San Francisco to which administrative professionals will always return when booking fat cats for power dining, regardless of trends.More |  | In a town where a reasonably-priced drink, plate of food or event space can be hard to find, the Rickshaw Stop is welcome to an overwhelming degree- it provides all three, with an abundance of space and style and zero pretension.More |  | If the Slanted Door's posh opening party was any indicator, the permanent location of San Francisco's favorite modern Vietnamese destination is going to do incredibly well in its new bayfront space.More |  | Locals tend to avoid dining north of Bay Street unless they're hitting In and Out Burger for a fresh-fried fix or Gary Danko for a swanky dining odyssey (although those in the know hit Ana Mandara for their spicy cinnamon rum cocktails and super-rad Mekong Delta Basa fish). We've always heard mixed reviews about McCormick and Schmick's, the Ghirardelli Square seafood-with-a-view destination, but when they got a young new chef in January 2002, we decided it was time to check things out.More |  | While the usual crowd of elder locals still frequents restaurateur Sam Duvall's pet concept (Duvall channels Hemingway from top to bottom), a fresh crowd has poured in to sample the lush, wrought iron-laden environs, the quite delicious food, and the well-executed cocktails. Mid-twenties girls in stilettos fork into perfectly seasoned calamari ($9) fried with bay scallops, green beans and onions, while Pac Heights matrons in Ross Dress-For-Less prints gab over tuna, scallop and shrimp ceviches ($8-$9 each) that range from so-so to soulful.More |  | Sexy, Laid Back and A Little Bit Luxurious With a chilled tray of oysters on the half shell and sparkling wine in hand, one can't help but feel a part of San Francisco's dining dynasty when enjoying a simmering date or old friend's company at the Elite Café. Chef Lalo Valenzuela's take on the Elite's standard Creole menu affords the discerning diner with beautiful, simple salads and rich, hearty etouffee, famous ribs and the most incredible duck confit jambalaya we've ever had the pleasure of tasting.More |
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