The January Hit List: Routier, Nari, Rich Table, and More

The shiny new 7 Adams from husband-and-wife duo David and Serena Chow Fisher is your next spot for an intimate date night — or any other night. In their new space, they continue to offer the same quality and caliber fare that earned them a Michelin-star at Marlena,  in the form of a an approachable seasonally changing tasting-menu format. You get five courses, with choices for most. The move is to come here with your beloved, or any willing dining partner, and order the entire thing, supplements and all.

Here’s the thing about Nari, Pim Techamuanvivit’s Michelin-starred love letter to Thai cuisine: you won’t ever have a bad meal. You can pop into the bar for a couple cocktails and few bites upstairs, or you could have a full meal up in the space that overlooks the kitchen and dining room.  And you have options — à la carte or Nari’s version of a chef’s-choice omakase. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch Pim there, and if you do, have her pair a bottle (or three) of her favorite Rieslings with the impeccable complex and fiery fare.

From your friends who brought you Nob Hill’s Cal-Ital charmer AltoVino comes Barberio Osteria, now almost three months old on Valencia St. Chef Nick Kelly is keeping things fresh, changing the regional focus of the menu with the seasons while using the finest products and produce possible. From pastas made in house to big 35-ounce bistecca alla Fiorentina, there’s likely to be something for everyone.

We couldn’t imagine a better time than taking our time on a Saturday evening at Snail Bar over a bottle or two of something interesting. Natural? Yes, as it were. But more importantly, something highly enjoyable, something to pair with the unreasonably delicious and unique fare coming from the tiny kitchen. Of course you’ll get the requisite snails with cashew butter miso, and maybe some pristine crudité to start, but the chalkboard menu changes daily. Come with a crew and order it all.

The counter closest to the kitchen at Rich Table is one of our favorite places in the world. Watching the cooks dance in the open kitchen, boiling fresh noodles for inventive pasta dishes and tossing-and-turning smoky pieces of beef before plating up is endless fun. Watch in awe as chef and owner Evan Rich and his talented chef de cuisine Gizela Ho take turns on expo, and just let the kitchen cook for you. Porcini doughnuts and sardine chips are two of S.F.’s forever iconic dishes.

It’s always nice to treat yourself every once in a while, and why not start the year off with a banger at the three Michelin-starred Benu? Each and every single one of the 15-plus dishes on the tasting menu from Corey Lee and his talented team hit hard; the food is precise but not precious, intricate and technique driven, while managing to be powerfully delicious. There are Korean influences of course, but you’ll find inspiration from regional China, Japan, and more. The wine pairing weaves in sake and beer and ties the entire experience together.

Call 415-685-4860 for more info.

Come for chef John Paul Carmona’s “French-ish” fare with flair: ethereally creamy chicken liver mousse, and pork rilettes with prunes and hen of the woods mushrooms au poivre. And you’ll stay for Belinda Leong’s insane desserts—sweet but not too sweet dark chocolate mousse with coffee crumbles and Greek yogurt panna cotta are just the start. The three course prix fixe menu continues to be one of the best deals in the city.

The energetic Lolo might be the most fun restaurant in San Francisco. Why? The eclectic art that lines the walls from partner Lorena Zertuche. The fun fare from her husband, chef Jorge Martinez (fried avocado tacos is all you need to hear). The hospitality of partner Juan Carlos. The incredible cocktails from Leon Vazquez. We like to go late in the evening and sit at the bar, maybe throw in a little mezcal into the mix, and see where the night goes.

Yokai is chef Marc Zimmerman’s followup to his meat mecca wagyu tasting menu restaurant Gozu. Whereas his first restaurant specializes in tasting menu, the second restaurant is a bit more approachable and accessible, featuring an a la carte menu centered around skewered meats cooked over smokey binchotan. He’s not just featuring the usual charred chicken suspects, as you’ll find all sorts of goodies here like Wolf Ranch Quail with shoyu and sweet Hokkaido scallops with yuzu kosho. But don’t snooze on the small snacks, either—we could eat a plateful of the wagyu gyoza.

Call 415-658-7654 for more info.

Since 2002 El Gallo Giro has been serving up deliciousness in the form of tacos, burritos, quesadillas and more out of a tiny taco truck in a parking lot in the middle of The Mission District. Get whatever you’re in the mood for and it’ll be made with love, but  please do not miss the carnitas taco. It’s finished on the plancha so that the meat crisps up on the outside, while the centers remain juicy and succulent. It’s ridiculously delicious.

More info here.