Here are just a few restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area I visited in April. A mind-blowing Korean steak and banchan experience, a notable neighborhood newcomer for the Inner Sunset, whiskey doughnuts in Union Square, Squid ink casarecce in Marin, and more…
San Francisco Restaurants
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- Steak tartare at Ab Steak
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- halibut crudo at Fifty Vara
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- Potato pavé at Starlite
In San Francisco’s Union Square, AB Steak, a hot spot for Korean steak, blew my son Niki’s socks off. The parade of steak – Australian, American and Japanese – was truly astounding. The banchan were enough to make a meal but I especially liked the presentation and flavor of the (far left image) steak tartare (all those inclusions!) and the daikon radish salad (how did they make the daikon creamy?). After courses of banchan, tartare, three kinds of steak, soup and fried rice, even my teenage son was full. I never thought I’d see the day…
I was unfamiliar with the restaurant scene on Noriega in the Inner Sunset when I walked into San Francisco’s Fifty Vara. Owner Brian Reccow, who came up in operations for the Adriano Paganini universe of restaurants (Wild Seed, Beretta, A Mano, etc.) does his own thing here. One part beer hall, one part casual neighborhood joint, it’s a place to pop in for a pint and a burger, a plate of pasta, or a pizza, with or without the kids. I especially liked the halibut crudo (center left image) and wished I could eat the crab fritters. Alas, gluten. =(
My dear friend, Wendy, celebrated a BIG BIRTHDAY in April. We headed to Liholiho Yacht Club for dinner. It is impossible to pick a favorite dish of the night but I’m going with the shrimp with longanisa, forbidden rice and chili crisp.
For drinks and bites beforehand, we reserved a table at Starlite atop the Beacon Grand Hotel. The weather was blustery so limited views, but who cares? Our server was a delight and my Boulevardier was just right. We wanted something to eat with our cocktails but caviar and burgers or grilled cheese and seafood were not quite where we wanted to go. We landed on a whiskey doughnut and a potato pavé (above, right), a dish I’m seeing on more menus lately. Layers of crispy potato were lined with brava sauce and another sauce of black garlic. It was presented on a fun plate which felt in harmony with the view and the vibes. And, there was just enough for everyone in the group to try it. Perfect. It was a great reason to dress up.
North Bay Restaurants
In Sausalito, Ditas, the fine dining restaurant above The Trident, is officially transitioning to Eria Cafe. Though still an all-day cafe with breakfast, lunch and in-between fare, the team paused traditional dinner service to make room for more events. When one-Michelin Auro visited, I had the privilege of dining there. Chef Rogelio García switched up his service approach so his New American-slash-Mexican cuisine was served family-style. Large, shareable plates of Flannery Rib Eye with mole negro and Rancho Gordo Ayacote Beans with grilled zucchini were highlights. The pint-sized coconut and chocolate paletas were a memorable finish.
Over in Marshall, Chef Stuart Brioza kicked off the Tony & Friends dinner series at Tony’s Seafood. I took great pleasure in a local anchovy filleted and served with tomato sugo. I never thought I’d call an anchovy “creamy,” but here I am! Chef also subbed in crispy nuggets of rice pasta for the squid ink casarecce and clams. Tender clams, chewy pasta (loved the texture) all brought together with an umami sugo bath. Out of this world.
squid ink casarecce with clams at Tony’s Seafood
