The Resy Hit List: Where In San Francisco You’ll Want to Eat Right Now
There’s no question we hear more often: Where should I go eat? And while we at Resy know it’s an honor to be the friend who everyone asks for restaurant advice, we also know it’s a complicated task. That’s where the Resy Hit List comes in.
We’ve designed it to be your essential resource for dining in San Francisco and around the Bay Area: a monthly-updated (and expanded!) guide to the restaurants that you won’t want to miss — tonight or any night.
Four Things In the Bay Area Not to Miss This Month
- Outdoor Dining Szn: San Franciscans know that October tends to be the most pleasant-weathered and beautiful month in San Francisco. The air starts to get a little bit cooler and the days just a touch slighter, but it’s still bright, sunny, and warm enough to enjoy a good meal outside. A Chamorro feast on picnic tables in Prubechu’s enclosed parking lot? Perfect. Pizza in Del Popolo’s backyard oasis? Wonderful. Pasta in Piccino’s Dogpatch cul-de-sac? Yes please. See this handy-dandy guide for many more awesome options.
- Khao Soi Pop-Up at Nari: For the uninitiated, khao soi is a delicious, spicy coconut curry noodle soup brought to northern Thailand by Burmese immigrants. You can find an bonkers version on the lunch menu at Kin Khao, and now Friday-Saturday from 12 to 2:30 p.m. you can also find it upstairs at Nari’s mezzanine. Look for two styles: one with coconut curry broth, and another style called maesai — that’s the name of the village where owner Pim Techamuanvivit comes from and features a pork broth sans coconut; it’s a little bit lighter and infused with tomato and pork relish and served with cracklings as well. For extra heat, you can add chile oil to spice it up, plus a pared-down list of cocktails to help cool you down.
- Pizza Pizza: If there’s a more perfect food than pizza, we’d like to know. This is the one thing we can eat every single day and never tire of. And in The Bay Area, there’s just so much of it. Whether you’re slamming Sicilian or Detroit squares at Pizzeria da Laura or pounding pet-nats with your pepperoni pies in the Berkeley backyard garden at Rose’s, there’s a limitless supply, it feels. Check this list for more pizza inspiration. And if you get a chance, know that Craig Murli’s beloved June’s Pizza is finally back with a shiny new brick-and-mortar in Oakland.
- I Scream, You Scream: We all scream for Bad Walter’s Ice Cream. Sydney Arkin’s cult pandemic ice cream pop-up has finally found itself a brick-and-mortar — it’s located in Rockridge and is wonderfully ’90s themed. Its loud yellow walls give “Nickelodeon” while the multicolored ceiling feels very Lisa Frank. And then there’s the ice cream, of course with fun flavors like Slumber Party, which features a Ritz cracker frozen custard base with Reese’s Pieces, Nutter Butters, and fudge swirls. Can’t decide? Get a flight of six scoops and call it a day — a very, very good day, that is. And yes, of course we have more ice cream suggestions.
New to the Hit List (Oct. 2024)
Izakaya Rintaro, The Morris, Popoca, Routier.
1. 1601 Bar & Kitchen Soma
You could say 1601 is a restaurant specializing in Californian cuisine with Sri Lankan influences. But you just as well could call it a Sri Lankan restaurant with Californian influences (Contemporary Sri Lankan would also be appropriate). No matter what words and which order you choose, know that the chef’s tasting menu at 1601 by the talented chef Brian Fernando is epic. Fernando sources produce from farmers markets in the city (the Californian part) and uses them throughout the seasonal changing menu: egg hopper and coconut sambol. Tomato chutney ice with finger limes that pop. Chicken curry with sweet Brentwood corn. And hopefully anchovy season is still in full force you read this. (You’ll see what we mean.)
2. Popoca Oakland
Chef Anthony Salguero’s hearth-powered Salvadoran-meets-Californian restaurant is on fire right now (pun is very much intended): it was just listed in Bon Appetit’s Best New Restaurants list, and soon after received a glowing review from The Chronicle. Salguero grew up in The Bay and has cooked at fine-dining restaurants over the years like Commonwealth (RIP) and the Michelin-starred Saison; Popoca is a very personal project for the chef, who often visited his family in El Salvador. The pupusas here are a must: they’re made from masa made in-house, nixtamal and all, and stuffed with things like Jimmy nardello peppers and cheese. To best experience the restaurant, go with Estilo Popoca, which is their closest thing to a tasting menu served family-style.
3. Azalina’s Tenderloin
Azalina Eusope is a fifth-generation street food vendor from Penang who moved to S.F. to realize her dream and pursue her own food business. She was a La Cocina participant before opening her first restaurant, and in her latest space, she’s doing a one-of-a-kind, ever-changing tasting menu. There’s a two-course and a four-course to choose from, but more is merrier here, and it’s a lesson in Malaysian cuisine and culture: Cool down with bright and zippy ling cod umai, a Malaysian ceviche of sorts, and keep things spicy with grilled ribeye with fermented chiles and broad beans (a dish inspired by Malaysian Chinese culture). There are vegan options that will equally satisfy, like yuba sheets with a medlexy of mixed mushrooms, but know that by the time you read this, the menu will have refreshed.
4. Del Popolo Nob Hill
Del Popolo isn’t just your ordinary pizzeria. Sure, there are pies, and they’re wonderful. Naturally leavened and prominently sour. Wood-fired until beautifully blistered and leopard spotted. Minimally topped and adorned with the best of the Bay’s bounty. (Pro tip: Get a pizza a person.) But the artfully composed, seasonally changing vegetable-forward small plates and salads are anything but afterthoughts — and very worth starting with. And there’s so much more besides the food that makes this spot special: the dark and dim-lit dining room at night (it’s a vibe, as the kids say). The green-tiled pizza counter and seats in front of it (the best in the house, in our opinion). And don’t forget about the hidden back patio that feels like an oasis—the perfect place to throw your next pizza party.
5. Bar Jabroni Lower Haight
From the folks that brought you hoagie heaven aka Palm City, is this tiny, intimate restaurant disguised as a wine bar. Co-owner and wine professional Dennis Cantwell was the former wine director at Nopa, and he’s put together a nice list of by the glass and by the bottle offerings, everything from grower Champagne to nice natty (hello Matassa). To pair, chef Robert Hernandez (former chef de cuisine at Octavia) has created a menu that allows you to pop in for a few bites or stay a while and make a meal out of it all. Start light with oysters or crudos before moving to pastas made in-house like gnudi and fettuccine, and meaty mains — it’s always changing, and it’s always delicious.
6. Heirloom Cafe Mission District
The charming Heirloom, located deep in the Mission off 21st and Folsom, just celebrated its 14th birthday, so it might be nice to dip in for a dinner and help them celebrate. The three-course seasonally changing menu with wine pairings is how to go if you want to not make any choices, and drink exceptionally well. But you could just as well go à la carte and grab a bottle. Panzanella salad with juicy Early Girl tomatoes and Josey Baker croutons. Monterey Bay Calamari with fresh shelling beans and lemon aioli. The bacon and onion tart, of course. And so much more. Ask sommelier-owner Stephen Hallenback what to drink and he’ll ask you what you like. Whether you’re a novice or an expert, he’ll have something for you, and more often than not, have something to teach you.
7. Prubechu Mission District
Your friends Shawn Naputi and Shawn Camacho, aka The Shawns, just celebrated their restaurant’s 10-year anniversary last month. If you’ve never had their soulful, singular fare, now is a good time. There’s nowhere in the greater Bay Area offering a glimpse into Guamanian cuisine with such a chef-driven and creative approach. Gulf Shrimp kelaguen. Coconut titiyas. Tinaktak and golai hagon suni. Chamorro BBQ. If you’re unfamiliar with the aforementioned, there’s only one way to learn and explore: eat. (Also, read this nice Q&A we did with them a couple years ago.) Go with a few friends and get the Fiesta Table, which will give you a nice tasting of all the things on the menu and then some. Sit outside in the outdoor patio in the parklet, soak in the sun, pair with a fun bottles of natural wines and you’re in good shape.
8. Izakaya Rintaro The Mission
Chef Sylvan Mishima Brackett’s always-excellent Rintaro never misses. It’s such a special spot: the perfect marriage of Japanese izakaya fare and the best of Northern California’s beautiful bounty of produce and product. You could sit in the courtyard at night — it’s absolutely stunning. But our favorite seats are at the wooden counter near the yakitori station where you watch the chefs expertly twist and turn smoky charred chicken skewers. You’ll want to order a few of those of course (pro tip: ask for some of their off-menu cuts); but before we get there, start with a Sen Ten Mori, a giant gorgeous sashimi platter. Follow that with a dressed dish and either housemade silken tofu or gyoza (or both!), then crispy chicken katsu stuffed with wagon wheel cheese. If you still have room, finish with the excellent and chewy hand-rolled udon.
9. Restaurant Chez Panisse Berkeley
If you haven’t visited the legendary 53-year-old farm-to-table champion and institution that is Chez Panisse in a minute, now would be a very good time. Our favorite time of the year there is that magical moment when spring becomes summer — the produce gets just so special, and you get the best of both worlds: all the asparagus, favas, and other green things, morel mushrooms (the superlative shroom in our humble opinion), with corn and tomatoes slowly trickling in. Seeing what the cooks and chefs whip up at the temple of produce is certainly a great way to see (and eat) the seasons.
10. Friends and Family Uptown Oakland
Friends and Family in Oakland has always been one of our favorite bars — it’s always such a good time, the drinks hit hard, and the place has that special color and character; it’s a place where everyone is welcome. But now, we’ve got even more of a reason to love the cocktail bar: they recently brought on the talented chef Gaby Maeda, a Food & Wine Best New Chef class of 2021 and former State Bird Provisions chef. She’s created a creative, exciting, and eclectic menu: eggs marinated in shoyu topped with yuzu kosho and pearls of smoky trout roe, albacore crudo swimming in a tomatillo aguachile, sardine banh mi toast (!), and so much more.
11. Binu Bonu West Portal
From Massimiliano Conti and Lorella Degan, the wonderful duo that brought you the beloved La Ciccia in Noe Valley, comes a new wine bar in West Portal. Eating and drinking there is as fun as the name is to say. On the food front, there’s a small menu of snacky items—salumi and cheeses, and little small plates like marinated baby octopus and burrata covered with shaved tuna bottarga. On the wine front, expect primarily Italian wines that come from small-scale producers who employ would-be sustainable farming methods by the glass or the bottle. So nab some Lambrusco to go with your prosciutto, and and while you’re at it, have them pick out a special bottle to take away to enjoy at the comfort of your own couch.
No reservations. More info here.
12. Besharam Dogpatch
The menu at chef Heena Patel’s Besharam is massive: you’ll find regional Indian fare inspired by her upbringing in Gujarat as well as her travels throughout the country. In order to try a bit of everything, it’s best to go with the tasting menu — at $75, it’s one of the best deals in town, and you’ll go rolling home. The food is served in waves and is meant to be shared. And if you need lunch plans, she offers more fun and snacky items — chaats and pav vadas and masala burgers and such. Ras malai French toast? Yes please. A fun bonus: the menu is all vegetarian and is vegan-friendly, but after a meal here, you wouldn’t even know it — her cooking is that soulful and satisfying.
13. Lunette Embarcadero
We’re so excited for the opening of Lunette in the Ferry Building. We’ve been a long time fan of La Cocina alum chef Nite Yun — we loved her soulful Cambodian cooking at Nyum Bai, and we’re stoked we can find her fare once again right here in San Francisco. Big brothy bowls of K.T.P.P (Kuy Teave Phenom Penh),a garlicky rice noodle soup with plenty of pork, shrimp, and a steaming eight-hour pork broth is sure to warm you up on a cold foggy San Francisco summer in July. Add a side of KFC (Khmer fried chicken) with kampot peppers along with a funky cabbage salad and you’re in very good shape.
Find more info here.
14. Rose Pizzeria Berkeley
We’re going to go out on a limb and say oysters are the perfect food. They go well as a bite before literally every meal, whether it’s a single shucked bivalve on a tasting menu, or a dozen before you get into the steak and frites at your favorite bistro. These beautiful bivalves even pair well with pizza. At Rose, they come with a Lambrusco mignonette, which just so happens to pair well with — you guessed it — a bottle of Lambrusco, which conveniently happens to pair superbly with pizza. So many winning combinations here, and we haven’t even got to the pizza part: thin and charred, crispy and chewy, Rose’s pies hit all the notes.
15. mijoté Mission District
If there’s one restaurant we wish we could have a standing reservation at, this is it — the closest thing you can get to eating at the new-wave bistronomy restaurants in Paris without having to leave San Francisco. That might be because chef Kosuke Tada spent years in France cooking at some of the finest restaurants in the capital. At his Mission restaurant, which is housed in an old Victorian that was previously home to a sushi spot, Tada and co offer a weekly changing French meets California pre-fixe menu. They thankfully kept the wooden sushi counter, which are the best seats, of course. Watch as chefs carefully cut meat and fish, sauce plates, and assemble salads—there’s nothing quite like it in town. Save room for all the supplements—they’re always changing and always worth it.
16. Penny Roma Mission District
The pasta tasting menu at Flour + Water is heaven on earth, but it’s also an event. For when you just need to dip in for a quicker, casual low-key bowl of pasta, Penny Roma has you. The tonnarelli cacio e pepe will save you a trip to Rome, while agnolotti dal plin is of the same quality as its sibling down the street. But you’d be remiss to miss the pesci crudi — halibut with pluots and shiso is refreshing, while albacore tartare with tomatoes and Calabrian chile and a heaping pile of pistachios never leave the menu (one bite and you’ll understand why). If you’re feeling hungry, add on a meaty main: grilled pork chop with peaches, hanger steak with salsa verde, or a crispy-skinned half chicken with shishitos and charred lemon are all fire. Metaphorically, that is.
17. Routier Pacific Heights
Routier remains its intimate, charming, “French-ish” self, thanks to the outstanding work of chef John Paul Carmona, award-winning pastry chef Belinda Leong, and brilliant bread baker Michel Suas. And yes, it’s still the perfect date night spot. The ever-changing three course prix-fixe Formule Routier is a smart way to go. Or order à la carte and share: crispy potato pavés with lemon cream and caviar are a fun splurge, while the ethereally smooth chicken liver mousse with onion and red currant compote might be the best version of this dish that exists. Save room for all the desserts, of course — Leong also runs b. patisserie, so you know you’re in for a treat.
18. Zeitgeist Misson
We couldn’t think of a better way to spend a rare sunny day in The Mission than in the beer garden in the back of Zeitgeist. Grab a few friends and share an ice-cold pitcher (they have 60-plus beers on tap — one of the largest and best selections in the city). Sure, there’s a crispy, lacy, cheesy smashburger, of course, but so much other fun pub grub, like Nashville-hot fried chicken sandwiches, chips and queso, Buffalo wings, and pizza rolls! (Their exclamation;ours too.) They make this nostalgic snack in-house, filled with crowd-pleasing pepperoni and melty stretchy mozzarella, ideal to pair with a glassful.
Find more info here.
19. Zuni Café Hayes Valley
Often imitated, never duplicated, Zuni is timeless, a San Franciscan institution. We could eat at Zuni every single day and be perfectly happy — its current chef, Anne Alvero, makes multiple runs to the farmers market and changes the menu daily with specials, which are nice to have while you wait for your iconic chicken to be roasted to order. (Yes, even if you think you’re not going to get the chicken, you’ll do so anyway.) Add some crispy shoestring French fries, some oysters, and a bottle of Burgundy, and take your time.
Find more info here.
20. The Morris The Mission
Certain dishes just taste better during the fall. One of those is the delicious duck at The Morris, the oh-so-charming eight-year-old restaurant from sommelier/owner Paul Einbund. But beyond the signature dish, there are so many other reasons to visit The Morris: an astounding wine list, Chartreuse slushies, excellent housemade charcuterie, and special fun events like special Saturday poulet frites lunches. Keep an eye on their Instagram to see what’s happening, and when.
