Welcome to Eat Like a Local! From late-night burgers in Nashville to a life-changing date shake in Palm Springs, we traveled across the U.S. to find the spots that are really hitting home.
Like Paris, San Francisco is one of those food cities that’s worth returning to over and over—not just for the classics but for new energy, ideas, and memorable meals. With all due respect to New York, L.A., and, well, everywhere else in America, SF is winning right now in all sorts of (delicious) categories, from coffee to fine dining.
Gastro girl power is in full effect these days (we heart Cherry Bombe), but female chefs have been killing it in SF for decades. These days, Dominique Crenn of Michelin-starred Atelier Crenn is showing the boys how it’s done. Her recently opened Petit Crenn is an elegantly cozy dinner party, where the lush seafood and vegetable menu is served family-style.
Also try: Octavia (Melissa Perello), The Commissary (Traci Des Jardins), Bar Tartine (Cortney Burns), Bouli Bar (Amaryll Schwertner)
In a town where the most powerful people wear hoodies at all times, restaurants had to figure out a way to optimize the fine dining experience, too. That means combining some of the world’s most creatively superior food in an atmosphere that can roll with those jeans-wearing billionaires. So while the floors at chic Scando-style newcomer Lord Stanley might be bare concrete, what’s on the plate is brilliantly dressed, like onion petals filled with rich, creamy onion soubise and garnished with vivid marigold petals.
SF has always been ahead of the do-gooder curve; now restaurants have gotten in on sustainability and social responsibility. The Perennial, opened by Mission Chinese Food alums, is determined to keep its “foodprint” low. That means radical ideas like an aquaponic greenhouse and carbon farming (an agricultural system that reduces emissions with zero preaching). And the food? It’s doing good deliciously too.
Also try: Little Gem, Mission Heirloom
Vive La Tarte serves incredible baked goods and has one of the most inventive designs to boot—yes, that wood-paneled room out front is where you’re supposed to Instagram your za’atar-almond croissant and egg-topped breakfast pizza. And we can’t wait for Tartine Manufactory, an all-day bakery/restaurant/ice cream shop from Tartine Bakery, opening in the Heath Ceramics building (call it the SF dream team).
Also try: Craftsman and Wolves, b. Patisserie
There’s a reason so many coffee obsessives consider SF home of the country’s most advanced scene. Yes, Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters is in the normcore Cow Hollow neighborhood, but the owners bring so much experience to roasting and brewing that it’s become a pilgrimage site. Park yourself at the brew bar and learn by watching (and chatting with) the masters.
Also try: Sightglass Coffee, Ritual Coffee Roasters, Four Barrel, Saint Frank Coffee
Chefs love to reinterpret their native cuisines using the region’s incredible produce (that’s what we like to call the best of both worlds). Gabriela Cámara has one of the top restaurants in Mexico City, Contramar, and her newcomer, Cala, shows why. Here, her food has a NorCal vibe, like a crisp trout tostada with avocado and smoky chipotle. (Take note: On weekdays, the Tacos Cala stand in the alley out back serves amazing $3.50 tacos.)
Also try: Liholiho Yacht Club (Hawaiian), Rintaro (Japanese), FOB Kitchen pop-up (Filipino), Kin Khao (Thai)
The smart concoctions created by the Bon Vivants mixology group are poured at some of our favorite bars and restaurants (Trick Dog forever!). Their latest project is Café du Nord, a Prohibition-era speakeasy turned bar, restaurant, and concert space where a good-looking crowd sips so-crazy-they-work combos. Apprehensive about the oyster shell–infused vermouth in the house martini? Don’t be. You’ll end up ordering a second.
Also try: Trick Dog, Maven, Whitechapel
It's not only about the new in SF. The Mission's La Taqueria has been cranking out life-changing burritos for decades—something about their riceless status and those boiled-then-fried pinto beans puts them over the top. You'll have time to think about your order as you stand in line, but really, you just want a carnitas burrito served dorado-style, which means the bundle is griddled to crisp, golden perfection. (Don't forget to put in a special request for some salsa roja on the side.)