If you’re wondering where you should be wining and dining in San Francisco, these must-visit restaurants and events should be on your radar. From the city’s only Vietnamese-inspired wine bar by Bay Area native and Top Chef alum Chef Tu David Phu to an innovative Japanese-Italian all-day restaurant at the iconic Transamerica Pyramid, plus the debut of San Francisco’s first Argentinian-Italian eatery and one of the best dinners in celebration of Black History Month, here’s what’s making waves in the city’s ever-evolving food scene right now.
Ricotta Mousse Toast
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Cafe Sebastian
Located at San Francisco’s iconic Transamerica Pyramid (specifically Three Transamerica in the Transamerica Redwood Park) Café Sebastian is the first San Francisco restaurant from acclaimed Chef Bradley Kilgore. This is the first of three new openings from Chef Kilgore since he relocated from Miami to San Francisco earlier this year. The neighborhood bistro is open seven days a week offering breakfast, an all-day menu, and a curated dinner menu making way for a versatile dining destination throughout the day.
A notable feature of Café Sebastian is the extensive in-house pastry program that spans a wide array of offerings, from seasonal babka and danishes to cookies and cinnamon rolls with Japanese brown sugar. All bread used at the restaurant is also baked in-house.
“My vision for Cafe Sebastian is to have a go-to neighborhood bistro that will fulfill your craving at any time in your week. We are chef driven, so of course we are inspired by the seasons,” explains Chef Kilgore. “This gives us so much to work with considering all of the incredible produce grown around the Bay Area. At lunch it is important that our guests know they can get a high quality experience in a short amount of time. We have designed our lunch menu to be bistro level cuisine but in an expedited experience.”
“Dinner service is where we want our guests and diners to slow down a bit and enjoy themselves. The dishes on the menu are a bit more creative and fun and are worthy of crossing town to come and check them out.”
The innovative all-day and dinner menu features a selection of diverse dishes created with a Japanese-Italian flare with stand outs like the Short Rib Bourguignon with cippolini onion, coconut sour cream, toasted shallot, butterball potatoes and Asian herbs; Gently Cooked Local Trout with champagne shallot beurre blanc, dill and nasturtium; Nduja Stuffed Medjool Dates with a peppercorn Gastrique, blue cheese, pepita butter and the Cacio Pepe Tortellini with fontina fonduta and lemon peel.
“At Cafe Sebastian there is a rooted classic inspiration to most dishes, something I like to call ’recognizable but new,’ sort of classic dishes or recipes that have a new touch on them which makes them new and exciting,” continues Chef Kilgore.
“We get a little playful with some of the creations like french toast with chicken liver parfait or using a honey jar to drizzle the lemon pepper honey on the house made ricotta mousse toast, both of which are great to share. Now that it is winter, we have leaned into a fall off the bone braised lamb shank with tzatziki and locally sourced cordycep mushrooms or our beef bourguignon over local golden potatoes and coconut sour cream.”
Wagyu Dog
GiGi’s Wine Lounge
GiGi’s Wine Lounge
Gigi’s is the latest venture from the talented Chef Tu David Phu. The Top Chef alum and Bay Area native created a menu inspired by both growing up in the Bay Area and his Vietnamese heritage. Far from typical, this cozy, welcoming Vietnamese-influenced wine bar features a robust wine list from Advanced Somm Justin Chin, with bottles available to-go from GiGi’s retail shop conveniently located next door.
Meanwhile, the playful menu offers a selection of raw items like the ceviche with Ora King salmon, pineapple, niyog and coconut vinegar and blue fin tuna tartare with fish sauce and herbs; and Asian-inspired salads like the Vietnamese Caesar served with grilled rice paper and Gado Gado, an Indonesian salad made with roasted tofu, cabbage, shedded vegetables and peanut sauce.
Entrees include the Wagyu Dog which is gloriously topped with egg, bacon, scallions, pork floss and furikake; the numbing mapo tofu noodles; and a pineapple glazed salmon with yau choy, ginger, scallion and fish sauce.
Morella interiors
Patricia Chang
Morella
Spearheaded by executive chef and co-owner Jesus Dominguez, Morella is San Francisco’s first Argentinian-Italian restaurant. Breathing new life into the former Dorian space, the Marina District’s newest addition features an Instagrammable design offering a bold, maximalist celebration of Argentina’s immigrant culture. Think: vibrant jewel tones, earthy mushroom motifs, ornate chandeliers, lush foliage throughout the space and more.
The menu is a tribute to the culinary traditions of European immigrants, particularly from Spain and Italy, and the influence they had on Argentinian cuisine in the decades following the mass migrations at the turn of the 20th century. Blending asados, empanadas, wood-smoked meats, and house-made pastas, the menu features stand outs like the Argentinian Picanha Steak with herb butter and the Braised Short Rib served with truffle beef sauce and fresh horseradish.
Other favorites include the Arancini, Morella’s signature risotto croquettes with porcini mushrooms, parmesan cheese, and herbs served with pesto marsala sauce; Crab Ricotta Ravioli with squid ink ravioli stuffed with Dungeness crab and ricotta; Pan Seared Scallops served with cherry tomatoes, Morel mushrooms, caper white wine sauce; and the Chicken Milanesa with Mary’s chicken breast breaded and fry, smoked ham, mozzarella cheese, marinara sauce and fried shallot.
Cheese wheel pasta
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Il Parco
The historic Presidio Tunnel Tops’ Il Parco, an upscale Italian-inspired café and pizzeria known for its freshly baked focaccia, has unveiled a new lineup of seasonal dishes. Renowned for using its signature focaccia as the foundation for both pan pizzas and sandwiches, Il Parco continues to elevate its menu with specials like the Cheese Wheel Pasta: spaghetti tossed inside a Parmigiano Reggiano wheel which can be topped with mushrooms or bacon.
Other new items include a selection of spritzes and piadinas—thin, round flatbreads— which come in a variety of options like the Porchetta with Fra’Mani porchetta, arugula and basil pesto; Funghi with wild mushrooms, homemade mozzarella and oregano; and Salami Rosa with Fra’Mani salami rosa, homemade mozzarella, Parmesan, basil and pesto.
Arroz de Cangrejo
La Mar Cocina Peruana
La Mar Cocina Peruana
San Francisco’s Peruvian fine dining destination situated on the Embarcadero waterfront, La Mar Cocina Peruana, recently launched its Dungeness Crab specials, just in time for the long-anticipated season in the Bay Area.
La Mar’s Executive Chef Victoriano Lopez sources fresh Dungeness Crab locally and has curated seasonal dishes highlighting the flavors of crab. The curated selection includes the Arroz con Cangrejo with arborio rice cooked in Pacific Dungeness crab broth with aji panca, aji amarillo, white wine, and topped with crab meat, avocado chalaca, and rocoto leche de tigre; the Cangrejo La Mar Tacos made with yellow corn tortillas, avocado, chalaca, radish, and Peruvian sauce topped with Dungeness crab; and the Tiradito de Crangrejo featuring a whole steamed shell less Pacific Dungeness crab in aji Amarillo and sunchoke leche de tigre, avocado, cancha and chalaca.
Beyond the Plate Dinner with Chefs Mark Dommen & Nelson German
One Market
Beyond the Plate: A Collaboration Dinner with Chef Mark Dommen and Chef Nelson German
One Market Restaurant’s annual celebration of Black History Month runs from Monday, February 24th to Friday, February 28th and is kicking off with a special collaboration dinner featuring dishes crafted by Chef Dommen of One Market and Chef German of alaMar and Sobre Mesa, renowned for his dedication to honoring African American culinary traditions.
The menu will be paired with wines from Mac McDonald of Vision Cellars, a trailblazing African American winemaker who is retiring after a illustrious career. Tonya Pitts, James Beard Award semifinalist and Sommelier and Wine Director at One Market Restaurant, will expertly pair each dish with Mac McDonald’s wines, showcasing their depth and complexity.
The menu highlights include Chef Mark Dommen’s Apple Wood Smoked Bacon Wrapped Monkfish with braised red cabbage, black trumpet mushrooms, and green peppercorn jus, paired with Vision Cellars Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands 2021. Chef Nelson German’s Piri Piri Braised Angus Oxtail with candied “yam” mousseline, mustard greens, plantain furikake, and oxtail jus, paired with Vision Cellars Red Wine, Napa County 2018.
The menu will also feature selections from other African American wineries, further celebrating the impact and artistry of Black winemakers. Select wines will be available all month long at One Market in honor of Black History Month. Ten percent of the sales from this special menu will benefit the Museum of the African Diaspora. Reservations are available here.
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