After spending 4 days with fellow foodies from around the globe at the Winter Fancy Food Show, I was able to take a fresh look at my home city through a visitor’s eyes. In terms of originality and individuality, San Francisco is in the first rank of world cities. The topography, the architecture, the embrace of alternative lifestyles, San Francisco’s roster of unique qualities goes on and on. In the area of food and wine, however, San Francisco, and indeed the Bay Area as a whole, is more of a synthesis. While we look to France and Italy for cooking techniques, we look to the surrounding region for our raw ingredients. Our own spin on the old world’s classic cuisine is the addition of Asian influences and of course an (near) obsessive attention to local sourcing and organic and sustainable farming by many of the city’s restaurants.
At the center of life in San Francisco is a joyful pursuit of the creation and consumption of food, wine, coffee and spirits that is arguably unequaled by any other city in the United States. In terms of gastronomy, this is our American Paris. It is with that lens in mind that we share our favorite spots to eat. We tried to distill the list down to five, but it can’t be done in a city like this, so we will do this in periodic installments. Look for subsequent editions of this posting with even more culinary treasures.
- L’Ardoise (the Castro)– is little French bistro in a quiet neighborhood corner of the Castro. Well executed bistro fare with an edge served in an atmosphere heavily redolent of a Parisian arrondissment.
- Greens (Fort Mason) – reigns as the grand dame, or rather the “barefoot contessa” of SF’s vegetarian restaurants with beautifully presented, innovative vegetarian cuisine (you won’t miss the meat, trust us) and a killer view out to the Golden Gate. The combination of food, wine, décor and view result in strong sense of place lacking in s many other restaurants. The Spice Mogul’s never tire of taking visitors here.
- Delfina Pizzeria (the Mission) – makes single serving thin crust pizzas just like in the old country. Delfina, the mother restaurant next door, is just as awesome, but hard to book a table. Either one is worth the effort, and almost as much gastronomic fun (and much cheaper) than a trip to la bella Italia.
- Range (the Mission) – serves excellent nouvelle California cuisine with a great bar and lengthy list of cocktails. Not overly expensive, and a personal favorite for when we want to feel sophisticated and urbane.
- Salt House and Town Hall (SoMa) – both turn out variations of chic inventive nouvelle American classics. Salt House is for when you’re feeling a bit on the rebellious side, Town Hall for when a more sedate, traditional mood prevails. Choosing between these two is a no loose proposition.
