The Bay Area Restaurants We Loved in June

When I saw that the team behind…

… Il Casaro opened up Casaro Osteria on Union, I was ready to lock in. Here’s what you need to do: start with a bottle of wine between friends, and go heavy on the appetizers — the polpette, burrata, and arancini are must orders. Now, I could go on about Neapolitan pizza, the light thin undercarriage, the fluffy crust … It’s just the best, and San Francisco has many heavy hitters (shoutout Del Popolo and Flour + Water!), but the Casaro team knocked it out of the park with their fresh ingredients. As a creature of habit, I’ve surprisingly switched it up and have loved the diavola, funghi, mortadella, and prosciutto pizzas. All in all, make sure you’re hungry.

— Catt Flanagan, Regional Manager, West Coast

This was the month that my family evolved to…

… double-order status for the Dutch pancakes at Outerlands. One order no longer sufficed. It was a big threshold and a big Sunset District moment, to have the kids fully indoctrinated into the love of Outerlands pancakes that has defined so much of this city already. I was a proud parent.

— Paolo Lucchesi, Resy Editorial Director

It’s difficult to add to what’s already been said…

… about Chez Panisse. But truly, what an amazing experience, from start to finish. The clam risotto stood out as my personal favorite in the lineup, and the service continues to be simultaneously classic and cool.

— John Long, Product Manager

Being a big fan of…

… Liholiho Yacht Club, I had big expectations for their sister restaurant, Good Good Culture Club. And I’m happy to report that every expectation was met. The night we dined, they were offering a kind of “chef’s pick” tasting, which included nine dishes from the current menu. This was a no-brainer, and the next thing we knew, we were hit with a barrage of small plates that kept on getting better and better. The highlight was the grilled chicken thigh with yellow curry and the charred cabbage and serrano vinaigrette — a perfect mix of textures and flavors. But what really stood out was the warm hospitality of the staff: they were there whenever we needed something but never made it feel overwhelming. Bravo!

— Daniel Stephan, Implementation Specialist

Every course on the tasting menu was delicious…

… at The French Laundry. It’s hard to narrow down which dish was my favorite (they were all fantastic in their own way), but I loved that each one included fresh vegetables from the restaurant’s garden, located right across the street. The service was also outstanding and even though this is a more luxurious experience, it always felt down to earth and approachable.

— Angela Ashby, Hospitality Manager

For a super delicious and unique tasting menu…

… head to Chīsai Sushi Club. They put their own twist on the omakase experience, adding sauces and garnishes that give each piece a unique feel. My favorite pieces were the chu-toro and the fluke.

— Nick Kwan, Performance Marketing Manager

More Bay Area staff picks, right this way.