starters/ travel
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san fran
bites back
San Franciscans still smart
over “Fig-Gate”—the
bicoastal war of words
ignited by Manhattan chef
David Chang’s griping
at a food conference in
late 2009 that “f---ing
every restaurant in San
Francisco is serving figs
on a plate with nothing
on it.” Translation: Bay
Area chefs can’t stop
worshipping at the Alice
Waters altar, eternally
showcasing local produce
without interference—or,
sadly, innovation—from
the kitchen. Chang had
a point. San Franciscans
knew it, and lamented that
New York had become the
center of the American
Kitchen prep at Saison; food universe. Well, that is
the Bay Bridge; just so 2009, because the
squid and pork belly
at Commonwealth; 12 months after Chang’s
Bar Agricole’s black crack saw the greatest
cod croquettes.
explosion of San Francisco
restaurant openings in
modern memory, with a
single message trumpeted
by all those ambitious new
menus: The future of Bay
Area fine dining has arrived.
daniel duane
Eat
1/ commonwealth
On a downscale urban block
in the hip, multiethnic
Mission District, virtuoso
chef Jason Fox harmonizes a
M ap I llu strat Ion b y olIvIer Ku gler
dizzying array of international
ingredients. Standouts include
sea urchin with sweet potato
tempura, chrysanthemum leaf,
shiso, scallion, and yuzu kosho;
and squid and pork belly with
jidori egg salad, potato croutons,
and herb vinaigrette. 2224
Mission Street; 415-355-1500;
commonwealthsf.com
photographs by aya brackett
Cotogna warms up the
Financial District; Matt
McNamara and Teague
Moriarty, co-chefs at
Sons & Daughters.
2/ saison (SoMa) neighborhood spot 5/ heirloom café 8/ cotogna
Featuring an eight-course offers sophisticated tipples This charming bistro has The copper bar glows near the
prix fixe in a casually like the Moonraker Cocktail, high ceilings, old wood floors, wood-burning pizza oven; the
elegant setting, Saison is combining brandy, peach and a bar overlooking the aroma of spit-roasting pork
tucked behind a café on whiskey, Cocchi Americano, open kitchen, which serves fills the rustic dining room;
San Francisco’s unlikely and absinthe. Smoked black new takes on simple fare like and pastas include a raviolo
new “Avenue of the Great cod croquettes pack a wallop marinated-beet salad. But filled with ricotta and an egg
Restaurants”: deserted Folsom under their crust, and the the best dish isn’t on the yolk that breaks under your
Street. The open wood fire chopped liver on toast is a menu: Ask for the Heirloom knife to bleed into a brown-
allows chef Joshua Skenes to delight. 355 11th Street; 415-355- burger, which has Époisses butter sauce. 490 Pacific Avenue;
create a distinctive cuisine, 9400; baragricole.com cheese worked into the ground 415-775-8508; cotognasf.com
conjuring deep, soothing sirloin. 2500 Folsom Street; 415-
umami from a bowl of bonito 4/ sons & daughters 821-2500; heirloom-sf.com 9/ benu
dashi with toasted grains New American Cuisine with a Corey Lee, former chef de
and greens, followed by a big touch of molecular gastronomy 6/ prospect cuisine under Thomas Keller at
slab of roasted beet and bone is showcased here, with four A dazzling SoMa space with The French Laundry, swings
marrow. 2124 Folsom Street; 415- courses going for a reasonable floor-to-ceiling windows and a for the Michelin-starred
828-7990; saisonsf.com $54. Just up Nob Hill from brilliantly complex menu. Rich, fences with profoundly
Union Square shopping, crispy pig’s-trotter croquettes original eastward-looking
3/ bar agricole the cozy room serves a fine pair with luscious pig’s-head dishes. Mock shark’s fin soup
Sourcing small-label spirits squab breast with squab leg salumi and bright chile-lime with Dungeness crabmeat and
with the same fervor as local confit, squab pâté, pear, and vinaigrette; seared calamari black truffle custard is set
meats and produce, this hazelnuts. 708 Bush Street; 415- and octopus bring char-grilled inside a pork stock made from
big, splashy South of Market 391-8311; sonsanddaughterssf.com notes to spicy chorizo and a rare Chinese prosciutto.
clams. 300 Spear Street; 415-247- 22 Hawthorne Street; 415-685-
7770; prospectsf.com 4860; benusf.com
7/ wayfare tavern Stay
Tyler Florence’s faux 19th- 10/ intercontinental
century hunting lodge san francisco
8 with 1906-earthquake This 32-story tower is walking
7 memorabilia is plopped distance from downtown
M ap I llu strat Ion b y olIvIer Ku gler
4 6 among the Financial and from the great Saturday
10 District’s office towers. It Ferry Plaza farmers’ market.
9 serves nostalgic menu items Rooms from $229; 888 Howard
3
like abalone, Dungeness Street; 415-616-6500;
2 crab, and the Gold-Rush-era intercontinentalsanfrancisco.com
1 Hangtown Fry, blending
5
local eggs and bacon with
fried oysters. 558 Sacramento find more travel guides to
Street; 415-772-9060; delicious destinations at
wayfaretavern.com boNappetit.com/go/travel
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