The November Hit List: Penny Roma, Chisai Sushi Club, Rintaro, and More

The Flour+Water Restaurant group has transformed Central Kitchen into the more casual Penny Roma and created a tight menu of crudi, antipasti, pastas (you’ll want to order as many as possible), and secondis/mains.  Grab a glass or a bottle, stay a while, there’s no rush.

A former Ichi chef, Erik Aplin, has taken over that shuttered Outer Mission spot and created Chisai Sushi Club, bringing back the omakase in three approachable formats: a 13-course tasting menu, a 17-course tasting menu, and a 12-course vegetarian tasting menu. Sushi lives on.

The Morris is always a solid option, but there’s something about the smoked and roasted duck served with root vegetables that screams “so fall” to us. Pair with anything somm/owner Paul Einbund recommends.

Here’s the thing about Breadbelly, the contemporary Asian-inspired café and bakery in the Richmond: Every time we visit, there’s a brand new thing that just manages to be our new favorite thing to eat. Our latest obsession is their egg salad sandwich with crispy red kuri squash kakiage on a soft, seasoned bunwich. So. Good.

You can get pizza everywhere — but less common is its lighter, airier flatbread cousin the pinsa. Montesacro is the spot. The namesake dish is topped with potato puree, artichokes, lamb sausage, buffalo mozzarella, and chile oil.

The 42-year-old seafood-centric grill from the legendary and illustrious Patty Unterman is back in action. Expect green carpets, wooden walls, and an array of sea creatures gently grilled over mesquite served with side sauces of your choosing — the place is an institution.

Call 415-863-5545 for reservations.

Down-home soul food comes in the form of macaroni and cheese, collard greens, blackened catfish, and of course the excellent fried chicken at Tanya Holland’s Brown Sugar Kitchen in Oakland.

The menu at Rintaro, the small little Mission izakaya, has something for everyone: sashimi, small dressed vegetable dishes, fried things like karaage and tonkatsu, grilled yakitori, and larger mains like hand-made udon carbonara — pick a thing from each section and you’ve got a balanced (and delicious) dinner.

Fine-dining chef Rogelio Garcia, who has cooked under Traci Des Jardins and also was at The French Laundry and Spruce, is now in at Luce, where he’s doing a tasting menu featuring an array of perfectly cooked protein and produce with his own style and flair. Aged tuna with avocado and melon might be the prettiest aguachile you’ll ever eat.

Call 415-616-6566 for reservations.

The vibey Berkeley yakitori spot might have a wait, but if you show up 15 minutes before opening you’ll likely get seated in the first turn. And if not, just hang out at the bar and grab snacks and sample all the shochu in sight. Or try your hand at reservations at 510-655-1969.

Your friendly neighborhood Korean superette has started lunch service with a few indoor dining tables. There are things like haemul buchu jeon (seafood pancake with garlic chives and squash) and suyuk (boiled pork) with kimchi. Pair with their excellent selection of natural wines and you’re in for a good time.