Flour + Water
What’s all the buzz about… still? After all, Flour + Water has been open since 2009 and yet it’s more impossible than ever to get a prime-time reservation at this Mission eatery nearly four years later. As the restaurant’s name suggests, the fuss is what happens when you combine flour and water — Pasta & Pizza, that is. From the humble and laidback neighborhood setting to the menu items, this is a prime case of undersell and overdeliver. Just sink your teeth into one of their beautifully bubbly Neopolitan pies delivered from the wood-burning oven. There’s plenty of innovative options, like the Bianco Verde, a finely charred pizza paved with Asparagus, Nettles, Green Garlic and a bright hit of lemon that teases the vibrant vegetal quality out of all of the market fresh ingredients. While it’s mostly...
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Rich Table
This cozy corner spot in the Hayes Valley part of town looks more like your local neighborhood bistro than a destination restaurant, but as we all know, looks can be deceiving. In fact, Rich Table was nominated for a James Beard Award for best new restaurant. While the setting, with its open kitchen, long communal tables, and buzzy bar, may seem laidback, the food is innovative and pedigreed. Owners and husband-and-wife team, Evan and Sarah Rich, have worked at Bouley, Coi and several other praised eateries. While the cooking here is much more casual, it’s still exciting. Just sample the Sardine Chips, listed under “Bites,” a homemade potato chip skewered with a perfectly fried sardine, served with a spunky horseradish cream. Don’t see snacks like that these days. Or how about a Dried Porcini Doughnut, a warm puff of...
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The Slanted Door
Some may say this modern Vietnamese eatery, which opened in 1995 and relocated to the Ferry Building in 2004, has become too mainstream and lost some of its authenticity. Well, I’m glad I didn’t let any of the naysayers deter me from revisiting The Slanted Door because James Beard Best Chef Winner, Charles Phan, is still making magic in the kitchen. Sure, the drinks are undeniably trendy and the kitchen often takes a Westernized approach, but the food with its exotic Vietnamese flavors is as exciting as ever. Not to mention the amazing view of the bay (via floor-to-ceiling windows) from just about every table in the restaurant. While Slanted Door is technically not a seafood restaurant, they happen to have a terrific raw bar with locally plucked, California Yellowtail Sashimi and a beautiful dish of wondrously fresh Wild California...
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Whiskey Stones from Broadway Panhandler
Any true liquor connoisseur will tell you that the worst thing you could do to a glass of Chivas Regal is water it down with a fistful of melting ice cubes, making these Whiskey Stones the perfect gift for anyone that insists on ordering their spirits on the rocks. Just pop them in the freezer and drop them in your drink – it will stay well chilled (and undiluted) for 30 minutes or more. We’ll raise a glass to...
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