Most over-done dishes

These dishes just won’t go away, but we wish they would. Last year we joked that tartare had become so prevalent on menus that McDonald’s would soon have a McTartare – well, it’s back. So are seared diver scallops, which received an honorable mention last year, and the true Chicken of the Sea, salmon – baked, grilled, broiled, or sous vide, it’s only good when it’s in season (June through September). If it’s not wild Pacific salmon in season, it’s most likely farmed or frozen. We’d also like to see a few other sustainable fish make it on the dance card. New winners include nearly always under-seasoned braised short ribs, créme brulée trios (green tea, ginger, and mango, anyone?), miso-glazed black cod, crab cakes, and warm chocolate lava cake. We’d also like to see more restraint used with truffle oil – it can be a wonderful touch in small doses, but dousing dishes with it just overpowers the main ingredient.

Best tasting menu

The Dining Room
600 Stockton St. (at California in The Ritz-Carlton), 415-296-7465, www.ritzcarlton.com/hotels/san_francisco
With his gravelly rock star voice, longish brown hair and moustache, Ron Siegel seems more likely to be stepping out of a stock car than stepping out from behind a stove. Siegel is about as down to earth as you can get; however, his cooking is anything but – refined, elegant, and quietly dazzling. The 2006 Zagat survey aptly noted that Siegel’s Japanese-inflected modern French menu “added the final ingredient to this heaven on Nob Hill.”

Best prix fixe menu

Florio Café & Bar
1915 Fillmore St. (at Pine), 415-775-4300, www.floriosf.com
This charming little bistro on Fillmore Street serves a rustic Mediterranean menu that changes daily and features an exceptionally chosen wine list. The three-course prix fixe menu, priced from $27 to $30 – is one of the best deals in town.

Best al fresco

Americano
Mission St. (at Embarcadero in Hotel Vitale), 415-278-3700, www.hotelvitale.com
One of our favorite restaurants, Americano, now has one of the coolest spots to chill – a spacious patio that looks out on the Embarcadero and the Bay, replete with cozy sofas, chairs, and communal benches. And if it gets a little too cool, there are heaters to warm away the chill.

Best Hunks of Meat

Best steak – Bobo’s bone-in filet
1450 Lombard St. (at Van Ness), 415-441-8880, www.boboquivaris.com
While the better steakhouses dry-age their beef up to 21 days, Bobo’s has its certified Prime dry-aged four to six weeks for a steak that cuts like butter and is melt-in-your-mouth good. Pan-searing with a hint of garlic and rosemary creates a crispy caramelized exterior that keeps the juices, and the flavor, locked inside. The bone-in filet mignon, arrives at the table thick, sizzling hot, and perfectly medium rare. A cut rarely seen in restaurants, the bone adds immense flavor to the filet that sets it apart from its boneless brethren.

Best steakhouse with a linen napkin

Harris’ Restaurant
2100 Van Ness Ave. (at Pacific), 415-673-1888, www.harrisrestaurant.com
A real old-school charmer, Harris’ warm interior boasts a mahogany bar from the turn of the last century, big, cushy booths, and brass chandeliers. Kick back with a perfect martini and sample some of the best meat in town.

Best burger

Burgermeister
759 Columbus Ave. (at Filbert), 415-296-9907, www.burgermeistersf.com
For the second year in a row, Burgermeister takes home the best burger award. The lean-but-not-too-lean eight-ounce Niman Ranch patty is hand-formed and flame-grilled to medium-rare perfection – there’s just enough fat to keep it juicy, but not enough to leave your face feeling like an oil slick. It arrives like a true classic – alongside a pile of French fries and on a soft sesame seed bun with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and red onion on the side. You can’t beat the lunch special, either – a quarter-pound cheeseburger with fries and a soda for $7.25.

Most over-rated hunk of meat

Izzy’s Steak and Chop House
3345 Steiner St. (at Chestnut), 415-563-0487, www.izzyssteaksandchops.com
Last year’s winner, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, is still over-rated and mostly caters to tourists; this year, a local’s favorite takes the steak. The sides are tasty, but you’ll get a more satisfying hunk or meat at Harris’, Bobo’s, or El Raigon.

Best hunk of nonmeat

Garden burger at Lettus
3352 Steiner St. (Chestnut), 415-931-2777, www.lettusorganic.com
This one was unanimous – Lettus serves the best garden burger in town. The patty (a house special recipe of lentils, mushrooms, beets, cashews, and bulgur wheat) has a brown, crunchy crust and a moist inside that will make you forget the last sawdust burger you had. Tip: Get it on toasted sourdough and add some cheddar or goat cheese for a little extra tang.

Best Ways to Start a Meal

Eggs, bacon, and toast – Silks
222 Sansome St. (at Pine in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel), 415-986-2020, www.mandarinoriental.com
Joel Huff, Northside Rising Star Chef of 2006, is a star in the making and this dish – his signature – is one of our favorite things we had all year. Huff fries a tempura-battered fresh duck egg until it’s golden brown – cut it open and the warm yoke oozes around the accompanying square of succulent Hobbs pork that has been pressed, slow braised, and pressed again before crisping the top. The brioche toast is perfect for sopping up every drop of egg yoke and pork juice, and, truth be told, we’d be happy eating this for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Seared Hudson Valley foie gras – Frisson244
Jackson St. (at Sansome), 415-956-3004, www.frissonsf.com
Frisson is more than just a sleek, sexy lounge – up-and-coming executive chef, Sarah Schafer, has fun with her food in creative signature dishes like this very grown-up peanut butter and jelly sandwich: toasted brioche topped with seared foie gras, caramelized peanut paste, and marmalade made of seasonal fruit and sauternes.

Boudin blanc and crispy onions – Terzo
3011 Steiner St. (at Union), 415-441-3200, www.terzosf.com
Executive Chef Mark Gordon’s menu changes often, but when you see the boudin blanc, order it. Gordon’s wife, Lori, cures all the meat and makes all the sausage. Her boudin blanc (a delicate, creamy white sausage) arrives hot off the grill with a nice brown crust. The addictive crispy onions – a pile of fresh, piping hot onion strings – are always on the menu, which is a very good thing.

Smoked trout with truffled egg salad – Scott Howard
500 Jackson St. (at Montgomery), 415-956-7040, www.scotthoward.com
When Scott Howard left his popular San Anselmo restaurant, Fork, to open his eponymous restaurant in San Francisco, foodies throughout The City rejoiced. His menu is full of homey favorites like the wonderful smoked trout served over fluffy truffled egg salad on crisp crostini.

Smelts and taramosalata – Kokkari
200 Jackson St. (at Front), 415-981-0983, www.kokkari.com
With two southern Italian girls on the panel, we were bound to see some little fried fish – or as Marcia “Tablehopper” Gagliardi likes to call them, “fries with eyes.” Kokkari piles a plate full of crispy smelts and adds a side of skordalia (potato and garlic dip) for $6.50 – add a squeeze of lemon and you’re good to go. Follow the smelts with the terrific taramosalata, another thick, creamy dip made with fish roe, bread, white wine vinegar, and a blend of canola and olive oil.

Edamame dip – Hime
2353 Lombard St. (at Scott), 415-931-7900, www.himerestaurant.com
Hime is the latest addition to the Marina’s growing crop of destination restaurants. You’ll find fresh fish from Japan, as well as some from California, and rainbow and dragon rolls for lovers of Americanized sushi. More adventurous diners will also find traditional Japanese dishes such as bonito stomach with squid and “Japanese Garden,” an assortment of pickled vegetables. Executive chef Kunihiro Kinda also creates some specialties of his own, like a cool, creamy, light edamame-tofu dip served with crispy sweet potato and renkon chips that make perfect scoops. We took some of the dip home and had it the next morning for breakfast with fruit instead of our usual Yoplait.

Best late night eats

Café Maritime
2417 Lombard St. (at Scott), 415-885-2530, www.cafemaritimesf.com
Café Maritime’s food has changed quite a bit since opening chef Mike Selvera left to open Bar Crudo, but we like Eduardo Martinez’s simple California take on New England staples like seafood chowder, lobster rolls, and an old classic rarely seen on West Coast menus, lobster thermidor. Maritime caters to night crawlers and industry folks with a menu that includes $3.50 beers, a dozen oysters for $13, and daily blue plate specials served from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Best use of chickeneggs in a dish

Chupacabra at Canteen
817 Sutter St. (at Jones), 415-928-8870, www.jdvhospitality.com/dining
Chef Dennis Leary used to work the big room at Rubicon, but now he has a small place of his own at the bottom of Nob Hill. His “Chupacabra” (named for the mythical half-man half-beast “goat sucker”) is as perfect a breakfast we’ve found – exceptionally soft scrambled eggs rest on a mound of black beans, grilled peppers, and spicy housemade chorizo, topped off with a fresh tomatillo-avocado salsa.

Best-kept secret

Ryoko’s late night sushi
619 Taylor St. (at Post), 415-775-1028
There aren’t many places to find good food at 2 a.m., never mind good sushi, but you’ll find it at Ryoko’s. A rock-and-roll chef prepares fresh fish flown in from Japan while a DJ spins in the background at this basement favorite of clubbers in the know.

Truly Hidden Gems

When we say hidden, we mean it.

The Brazen Head Restaurant
3166 Buchanan St. (at Greenwich), 415-921-7600, www.brazenheadsf.com
There’s no sign out front, just twinkling white lights strewn through some trees, but The Brazen Head is definitely worth finding, and they serve food until 1 a.m. Try the French onion soup with bubbling Gruyere cheese or the tender filet mignon that comes with rich, creamy scalloped potatoes. The ambiance feels like the cottage of a forest gnome, and dark wood, candlelight, and fresh flowers add to the charm.

Kappa
1700 Post St. (at Buchanan), 415-673-6004, www.kapparestaurant.com
Situated above Denny’s in Japantown, Kappa has room for only 10 people at the bar and four more in a private room. There is little English spoken here, and the diners around you will likely be Japanese. The seven-course tasting menu is a great way to sample the koryori-style cuisine, composed of small plates that highlight the flavor, smell, and texture of each ingredient.

Sociale
3665 Sacramento St. (at Locust), 415-921-3200, www.caffesociale.com
While dining at Sociale, we once heard a woman tell her dining companion, “I lived right by here for four years and never knew about it.…” That’s how truly hidden this little gem is. Slip down a narrow alleyway to find a lovely courtyard with tables and heat lamps. The dining room inside has warm butter yellow walls and a tiny bar. Service is elegant, and the Italian American cuisine is sublime. (Be sure to end with the honey doughnuts.)

Kiss Sushi
1700 Laguna St. (at Sutter), 415-474-2866
Another little jewel box with no sign on the door, Kiss Sushi has been around since the late 1990’s and you’ve probably walked past it a dozen times. Because the restaurant seats only 12, the chef prepares everything himself including two omikase (“chef’s choice”) meals featuring 10 or so dishes ranging from sushi to chawan mushi (traditional Japanese custard). You won’t find rolls full of cream cheese named after mythical creatures here – this is the real deal.

Maki1
825 Post St. (Kinokuniya Bldg. in Japantown Mall), 415-921-5215
There are no frills at this little hole-in-the-wall, and the exterior is so unremarkable that you wouldn’t know that what awaits you inside is some of the most authentic Japanese food in The City. Packed with mostly Japanese diners, Maki is one of the few restaurants in the U.S. to serve wappa meshi – seasoned rice, seasonal vegetables, and meat or fish steamed in an old-fashioned wooden lunch box. Try the sansai wappa (Japanese mountain vegetables), and don’t miss the wonderful chawan mushi appetizer.

Ugly Ducklings

They don’t look like much from the outside – or from the inside, for that matter – but the food speaks for itself:

Piccadilly Fish & Chips
1345 Polk St. (at Pine), 415-771-6477
Piccadilly closed for a while due to a fire during the past year, but it’s back, and other than repairs and a new coat of paint, it looks exactly the same. They still use the old metal manual cash register and a calculator to tally your bill, and they still serve the best fish ‘n chips in town at rock bottom prices. The flaky white cod is cooked to order – dipped and batter-fried in front of your eyes – and the thick-cut chips are double fried (partially cooked and then dipped in oil to brown just before serving) just like in jolly ole England. Two pieces of fish with chips, a drink, and some supercreamy homemade slaw will set you back less than a ten spot.

Cordon Bleu Vietnamese Restaurant
1574 California St. (at Polk), 415-673-5637
Get the number 5: a generous piece of five spice roast chicken, an imperial roll, a shish kebab, country salad, and meat sauce over rice – all for $8.25. The menu boasts they serve “possibly the best chicken you will ever have outside of Vietnam,” and they may be right – it’s definitely one of the best Vietnamese five spice chicken dishes we’ve found.

Mediterranean Spirit
1303 Polk St. (at Bush), 415-673-4900
Middle Eastern friends turned us on to Mediterranean Spirit, which opened about nine months ago in Polk Gulch, and we’re glad they did. Try the big, moist falafel with lots of homemade tahini sauce (made the way we like it with lots of Italian parsley and lemon) on a warm, pillowy pita toasted on the grill. The vegetarian special is an excellent way to sample the cuisine: two falafel, two dolmas, baba ghanoush, tabouleh, and some of the best hummus we’ve ever had, for just $7.95.

Best dumplings

Shanghai pork dumplings at Yank Sing
Two locations: 101 Spear St. (at Mission in Rincon Center), 415-957-9300; 49 Stevenson St. (at First), 415-541-4949, www.yanksing.com
It’s impossible to mention great dim sum in San Francisco and not hear about Yank Sing. Founded by Alice Chan in 1958, son Henry started wrapping dumplings at age 9 and moved the business to 49 Stevenson in 1974 where it became an instant financial district favorite. Today, a third generation of Chans continues the family tradition, creating nearly 100 items each day to roll out on the trolleys. One of the best things about Yank Sing is the vast array of both traditional and modern dim sum known as the “creative collection.” Try Grandma Alice’s famous chicken and mushroom dumpling dotted with garlic, water chestnut, and cilantro. The classic shu mai are the best in town – the translucent fluted skins hold a treasure of fresh shrimp and pork. But the signature Shanghai dumpling is the main attraction – it’s the stuff epicurean dreams are made of … when you bite into the paper-thin dumpling filled with seasoned ground Berkshire pork, you also get a surprising burst of rich, hot broth.

Best bathroom

Bushi Tei
1638 Post St. (at Laguna), 415-440-4959, www.bushi-tei.com
Okay, we’re going to give away the secret: Bushi-Tei has a robo-toilet. Made by TOTO, the largest plumbing products manufacturer in the world, this is the most exhilarating bathroom experience you’re likely to find. The heated seat rises and lowers automatically (so guys don’t have to remember) and if you think toilet paper does the job, you won’t after experiencing the bidet feature – choose from front and rear wash (complete with cycling action) and warm air for drying. Temperature and flow are controllable via the remote LCD panel.

Best place to get a latte, a glass of wine, and a cupcake with your cut and color

Mercer Street
3012 Fillmore St. (at Union), 415-674-4444
Head over to Mercer Street salon and let Ashlee pick the perfect color, and then move on to Sid for the perfect cut to go with it. Clear your schedule and plan a day of pampering – in the morning one of the stylists who doubles as a barista will whip up a frothy latte; in the afternoon, move on to a glass of wine, and top it all off with a selection of minicupcakes.

Best gourmet shop

Cheese Plus
2001 Polk St. (at Pacific), 415-921-2001, www.cheeseplus.com
When Ray Bair took over Cheese Plus earlier this year, he wanted to keep the same neighborhood feel, but bring in even more wonderful cheeses, meats, and gourmet foods from around the world. Mission accomplished. Every time we walk into this place, time slips by like water through a sieve – burrata straight from Italy, Paul Bertolli’s handcrafted salumi, honey from Hawaii, an array of olives, Greek yogurt – it’s all here. Spend some time at the counter tasting the cheeses and chatting with the knowledgeable staff and then, after making your selection, cross the street to The Cheese School of San Francisco (1555 Pacific St.) and sign up for a class to learn about all things fromage.

Most improved

The Franciscan Crab Restaurant
Pier 43½ at Fisherman’s Wharf, 415-362-7733, www.franciscanrestaurant.com
Sometimes change at an old joint is actually a good thing, and in the case of The New Franciscan, it’s a very good thing. Situated in one of the Wharf’s most prime locations, the Franciscan restaurant languished for years with an uninspired menu and interior. Now, the team behind the Stinking Rose, Bobo’s, The Crab House, and Calzone’s has done a multimillion-dollar remodel to match the panoramic views. Executive Chef Andrea Froncillo brings his world famous whole roasted Dungeness crab and other specialties to the party. The Crab Feast – six succulent pounds, each individual crab weighing in at a meaty two pounds or more – is perfect for a group, and the messy garlic butter sauce is chin-dribbling good and plenty addictive. For meat eaters, the Franciscan has four cuts of slow-roasted prime rib (we saw a man order the King Cut and it was twice the size of his head), and a prime rib dip sandwich that beats out last year’s winner in the French dip category at Houston’s restaurant. There’s also a salumi bar that produces translucent cold cuts and artisanal burrata, a soft Italian cheese that has an outer shell of solid mozzarella and an inside of both mozzarella curd and cream.

Best Lunches Under $10

The Helmand lunch buffet
430 Broadway St. (at Montgomery), 415-362-0641, www.helmandrestaurantsanfrancisco.com
The only Afghani restaurant in The City, The Helmand adds a much-needed touch of class to this gaudy strip club-littered block of Broadway. The distinctive cuisine has elements reminiscent of Indian and Middle Eastern food and features aromatic dishes like mantwo (dumplings filled with sautéed onions and beef topped with carrot sauce and yellow split peas) and the house specialty, kaddo borawni (baby pumpkin, deep fried, baked, and served with a pleasantly pungent yogurt-garlic sauce). Lunch is the perfect time to sample the menu with The Helmand’s $10 all-you-can-eat buffet.

Taste of the Himalayas lunch buffet
2420 Lombard St. (at Scott), 415-674-9898
An actual Sherpa is one of the partners at this Zen hideaway on busy Lombard Street in the Marina. The Nepalese cuisine – an artful blend of Indian, Chinese, and Tibetan flavors and aromas – is wonderful, prepared by the father of one of the owners who cooked in Nepal for many years. The all-you-can-eat lunch buffet is top-notch – fresh, great variety, and superior to any of the similar Indian buffets you’ll find. Try the dahl baat, the Nepalese staple dish of lentils and basmati rice. A basket of fresh, warm naan comes with the buffet and, even with a refreshing mango lassi, you’re still under ten bucks.

Myth Café bag lunch
470 Pacific Ave. (at Montgomery), 415-677-8986, www.mythsf.com
Check the board for the daily bag lunch – half a sandwich, a salad, and a dessert for around $6.95. The sandwich might be Black Forest ham and cheese, truffled egg, or even a chicken Caesar wrap, and salads range from potato to bean to green. The dessert is often a cookie, but sometimes there’s an extra special sweet treat, like the housemade Twinkie filled with real whipped cream. Heck, we’d pay $6.95 for the Twinkie alone! Add a bag of housemade potato chips and you’ll still get change back from that ten.

Best place for a fried chicken lover to live

Fillmore Center Apartments
1475 Fillmore St. (at Geary), 415- 921-1969
Walk downstairs and within a four-block radius you’ll find four places to get fried chicken, and there’s more to come with the advent of the revitalized jazz district and plans for a couple of new soul food restaurants. If you’re in a hurry or want the familiar, head across the street to KFC (Steiner and Geary) or go to Popeyes (O’Farrell and Fillmore). The recently opened Louisiana Fried Chicken (Fillmore and Eddy) spices things up a bit, but if you want the real deal, take a seat at Powell’s Place (Eddy and Fillmore), a 30-year institution in Hayes Valley that’s come to roost in the Fillmore District. The fried chicken is still some of the best in the Bay Area. Puny chickens need not apply – Powell’s uses only large, plump birds. They dredge each fresh piece in seasoned flour, classic Southern style, and fry it until the outside is golden brown and every crunchy bite releases the steam and juices from the hot, succulent meat inside.