San Francisco

Outtake of the Week

2008-10-03T20:56:00Z

Food is awesomely average.

The Best Dim Sum in the Bay Area

2008-10-03T16:14:00Z

Dim Sum

Photo: Courtesy of Yank Sing

While you can always find reliable Chinese specialities in the city's Chinatown (purportedly one of North America's oldest and largest), votes in the 2009 San Francisco Bay Area Restaurants guide indicate that great dim sum can be found all over the Bay. For your next brunch outing, instead of sticking to your usual bacon-and-eggs routine, try one of these Top Dim Sum restaurants:

Yank Sing

49 Stevenson St.; 415-541-4949

101 Spear St.; 415-957-9300

“Bring on the carts, baby!” sing veterans and “virgins” of this Chinese duo of lunch-only “white-tablecloth” Downtown and SoMa “dim sum meccas” “reminiscent of Hong Kong”, where a “whirlwind” of “smiling ladies” roll trolleys “laden with a dazzling variety of choices” including “amazing” “broth-filled dumplings”; “prices aren’t Chinatown” and some “swear they must work on commission”, but the place keeps packing in everyone from “expense-accounters” to “tourists.”

Ton Kiang

5821 Geary Blvd.; 415-387-8273

“Bring a posse, because you’ll need help” sampling the “bounty” of “succulent” dumplings “constantly passing by” at this Outer Richmond all-day “dim sum heaven” where you’re practically “guaranteed” to “wait in the cold” on weekends (but are rewarded with “instant food gratification as soon as you’re seated”); “it costs a pretty penny” and the space is “long overdo for redecorating”, but the consensus is it’s well “worth the schlep.”

Koi Palace

365 Gellert Blvd., Daly City; 650-992-9000

“Divine” dim sum awaits devotees at this “busy Hong Kong–style” eatery in Daly City – even if they have to “set their alarm clocks on weekends” to beat the “Disneyland-during-spring-break crowds”; a “waiting area as crowded as the fish tanks” “filled with the day’s meal” (including “exotic seafood” that “gets expensive”) is part of the deal, as are “abrupt” service and “noise”, but for most “it’s still one of the best [of its kind] in the area.”

Mayflower

6255 Geary Blvd.; 415-387-8338

Expect “all the classics” at this “lively” Hong Kong–style seafooder in the Richmond where the “kitschy decor” and “hustle bustle add to the fun”, but don’t overlook the “wildly interesting dim sum” “not regularly found elsewhere”; “it isn’t your average Chinese” chime madams and misters who sail over for “delicious” dishes “prepared expertly” and crustaceans plucked “straight out of their fish tanks”, declaring we’d “certainly come back.”

Restaurant Peony

388 Ninth St., Oakland; 510-286-8866

“It’s sometimes hard to understand what they are offering” at this “behemoth Hong Kong–style dim-sum palace” in Oakland, but “all you need to know is that everything is great” say devotees who praise the “generously filled” dumplings, “fresh seafood from the tanks” and some of the “best Peking duck outside China”; a “brusque staff” and “extremely noisy” dining room are no deterrent to fans who are willing to “take a number and wait” on weekends when it’s “a zoo.”

To see more Bay Area Top Lists, click here.

Underground Dining Don Goes Legit With Laffite

2008-10-02T20:07:00Z

Underground supper-club impresario Russell Jackson, aka "The Dissident Chef," plans to go above ground and legit with Laffite, his first permanent restaurant in San Francisco (he ran LA's now-shuttered Russell’s). The upscale Calfornian, planned to open by the end of the year, will offer patio seating overlooking the Bay from its Pier 5 setting. Jackson plans to change the menu daily, and true to his subculture roots, we’re told he’ll also feature a secret, unpublished menu, available to cognoscenti in the know.

Breaking Bread With Its Preeminent Scholar

2008-10-01T17:15:00Z

Steven Kaplan in France, where he investigated collective bread poisoning for his latest book

Photo: courtesy of Steven Kaplan

Good bread can be hard to find. At least it is if you've got the lofty standards of leading bread historian Steven Laurence Kaplan, who reveals that he tends to BYOB (bring your own bread) even at fancy restaurants. Kaplan, a Cornell professor, has written Good Bread Is Back and, more recently, Le Pain Maudit (Cursed Bread), about a collective bread poisoning that occurred in a small town near Avignon. He recently spoke at Breadbar in LA, and the Buzz caught up with him to glean further crumbs of knowledge. The man sure knows his baguettes, but the wonder is he knows his Wonder Bread as well.

ZB: The press release for your appearance at the Breadbar describes you as "the world's leading expert on French bread" and "the world's preeminent bread scholar." Not to be too irreverent – but are there others contending for those titles?

SK: Irreverence is an excellent posture for an interviewer. Let's call it skepticism, to be more elegant or neutral. I have worked with and on bread for 40 years. It is unlikely that there is anyone else on the planet – unless he or she lives in a cave or operates clandestinely – who has combined the practical experience in the bake-room with the infinite investment in archival research, who has articulated the practices of the artisan and the intellectual. Were you to query experts in France, I think they would concur with the Breadbar's ostensibly hyperbolic appreciation.

ZB: Did you grow up eating Wonder Bread?

SK: Yes, alas. Yuck. Powerful memories of the crystallization of a robust aversion.

ZB: Is Wonder Bread properly bread?

SK: To the extent that it incorporates flour, water, some salt and a fermenting agent, yes. To the extent that it combines all sorts of supplementary additives, technological auxiliaries, improvers, and myriad other chemicals, fortifiers, preservers, etc., and that it is manufactured in hyper-industrial conditions, to call it bread requires a magnanimous generosity of spirit.

ZB: What drew you to bread?

SK: On the sensual plane, the accident of an encounter in a Paris bakery the first day I set foot in Paris 45 years ago drew me to it. Intellectually, it was the search of a doctoral thesis "problem" or framing theme that touched on all aspects of the human experience from politics and social relations to economic growth and state construction; from religion and collective psychology to culture and agriculture, etc. The one nourished the other. The hedonic spurred the scholarly appetite. The two have operated in fruitful complement for many decades. I am convinced that truly exalting pleasure cannot be mindless. Even if one is not preoccupied with origins, influences and evolutions, bread must be good to think before it is good to eat, to paraphrase the great French anthropologist [Claude] Lévi-Strauss.

ZB: Do you nibble on bread the way others might smoke a cigarette?

SK: No. I respect bread too much to nibble on it mechanically or casually. Yet I cannot avoid tasting it and assessing it whenever I encounter it. When I buy a baguette, for example, if it is truly enthralling, I risk devouring half before I reach home.

ZB: Is there a hidden aesthetic to bread?

SK: Good bread is predicated on an aesthetic of rigor and truth that yields beauty and pleasure. It is anything but hidden. It is the mark or test of artisanal creation and realization.

ZB: If a meal without wine is like a day without sunshine, what is a meal without bread?

SK: A meal without bread is very much in the same idiomatic relation of necessity that your aphorism describes. It is more than a mere complement. It opens a whole organoleptic front. It enriches and delights.

ZB: Which restaurants have the best breads?

SK: You know, I have been spending much more time in France than in the U.S. over the past few years. Even in France, I often bring my own bread to fine restaurants. Restaurants there propose sumptuous dishes and engaging wine lists, but are often indifferent to or disdainful of bread. I take this as a personal affront. I try to shame them into obtaining better bread. Making bread is a separate craft from cooking, and is rarely done well by chefs – who are busy doing other things.

Beyond Breadbar, in the USA, I have never tasted acceptable restaurant bread.

ZB: Well, then, what are your favorite breads at LA's Breadbar?

SK: My favorite Breadbar breads are the baguette (Tour de France), the canonic measure of excellence in classical baking, and the sumptuous Millstone (or Tourte).

– Merrill Shindler

Dining News Elsewhere: Colicchio Cooks Again, Newman's Organic Impact

2008-10-01T17:12:00Z

– Tom Colicchio is coming back into the kitchen. But only on Tuesdays. [Diner's Journal]
– Marco Pierre White thinks it is a great time to invest in a restaurant. [LAT]
– Paul Newman's legacy in the world of organic food should not be underestimated. [NYT]

– A Manhattan judge has ruled that "Partially Popped Popcorn Is ‘Part and Parcel of the Popcorn Popping Process." [Daily Intel]
– More and more restaurants are doing their own butchering. [NYT]
– Did a "superhot" chile kill a British chef? [Telegraph]
– Jean-Georges Vongerichten may have a new restaurant up his sleeve. [Page Six]
– How I Met Your Mother went after New York's burger culture this week. [AHT]
– Hackers may have it out for Mario Batali. [Gothamist]
– Sarah Palin does at least know how to order a cheese steak. [Grub Street]
– Want to date a New York chef? [TONY]

La Toque Goes Down Valley

2008-09-30T15:21:00Z

Ken Frank's famed French restaurant La Toque has flung open the doors at its new location in the recently opened Westin Verasa Napa, a luxury condo-hotel located on the Napa River. The third incarnation of Frank's signature restaurant, it now features an expanded choice of two-, three- and four-course dinner menus ($49, $68 and $88 respectively) but retains the same wine list (and sommelier Scott Tracy). The brown-toned, 60-seat dining room designed by San Francisco architect Cass Calder Smith shares many characteristics with its Up Valley predecessor, including a window that peeks into the kitchen and a large outdoor dining area (1314 McKinstry St.; 707-257-5157).

Paul Newman's Legacy

2008-09-29T19:22:00Z

Legendary actor Paul Newman passed away over the weekend. Although best known as a movie star, he was also renowned as an entrepreneur/philanthropist thanks to his Newman’s Own brand of food products, which began as a line of salad dressing and grew to encompass everything from popcorn to lemonade to spaghetti sauce. All profits from this enterprise were donated to various charities, allowing him to harness his global fame for the common good. Not incidentally, he was also a racecar driver and even a restaurateur (Dressing Room in Westport, CT).

Ultimately, his legacy lies in his movies. As a tribute to his wide-ranging body of work, here is a list of 20 notable Newman films, rated and reviewed by our voters. It is excerpted from the 2009 Zagat Movie Guide.

Key to Zagat Ratings

Absence of Malice

1981 | Directed by Sydney Pollack | With Paul Newman, Sally Field, Bob Balaban | 116 minutes | Rated PG

Overall	Acting	Story	Prod.
21	25	21	20

"Newman and Field ignite the screen" in this "textured" "hard-hitting" courtroom drama demonstrating how "guilt by association" causes a "newspaper to ruin a man's career"; most say that the "irresponsible press" is a topic made for the movies, but some feel this "slight" effort "should have been better" – starting with the "not-believable ending."

Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid

1969 | Directed by George Roy Hill | With Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross | 110 minutes | Rated PG

Overall	Acting	Story	Prod.
26	26	25	25

"Compulsive charmers" Newman and Redford play a pair of wisecracking, "magnetic" "antiheroes" trying to stay ahead of the law in this "outstanding" Western "buddy movie", loaded with "adventure and humor"; it fuses a "snappy" script, Burt Bacharach soundtrack and "too many classic scenes to count" into a "sentimental favorite" that's "never boring" from start to "unforgettable" finish.

Cars

2006 | Directed by John Lasseter, Joe Ranft | Animated | 116 minutes | Rated G

Overall	Acting	Story	Prod.
24	-	23	27

Disney/Pixar's "well-oiled" animation outfit rigs a "familiar fish-out-of- water story" ("Doc Hollywood", anyone?) to "talking cars" and rolls out this "delightful" joyride featuring "exceptional" renderings and "adorable" vocal characterizations by Owen Wilson, Paul Newman and comic Larry The Cable Guy; parents appreciate the "great" soundtrack and "offbeat" cultural references – real lifesavers when the young 'uns "watch it for the 30th time."

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

1958 | Directed by Richard Brooks | With Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Burl Ives | 108 minutes | Not Rated

Overall	Acting	Story	Prod.
25	27	24	23

"Man, these people have problems": "steamy Liz" "in that white slip" and a "dynamite" Newman "couldn't possibly look better" as they "burn up the screen" in this "sex-soaked" Tennessee Williams drama of "love, rejection" and "Southern family politics"; the "towering" Ives presides as the ragin' Big Daddy, adding an "incredibly interesting" Lear-like thread to all that "eye candy."

Color of Money, The

1986 | Directed by Martin Scorsese | With Paul Newman, Tom Cruise, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio | 119 minutes | Rated R

Overall	Acting	Story	Prod.
16	21	16	17

Something different from Martin Scorsese, this "generation-later" "follow-up to The Hustler" details how a washed-up billiards baron molds an up-and-comer into his protégé; though somewhat "predictable", "excellent acting" from the "powerhouse Cruise" and the "finely tuned", Oscar-winning Newman "saves it."

Cool Hand Luke

1967 | Directed by Stuart Rosenberg | With Paul Newman, George Kennedy, Strother Martin | 126 minutes | Not Rated

Overall	Acting	Story	Prod.
26	27	24	22

"One of the best movie lines ever" ('what we have here is a failure to communicate') and that "famous hard-boiled egg scene" make this "damn great" Deep South prison drama memorable – not to mention the efforts of "consummate pro" Newman playing one cool con on a "chain gang", abetted by a "strong" Kennedy, who grabbed an Oscar for his supporting work.

Exodus

1960 | Directed by Otto Preminger | With Paul Newman, Eva Marie Saint, Sal Mineo | 210 minutes | Not Rated

Overall	Acting	Story	Prod.
23	23	26	25

An "all-star cast" drives this story of the "founding of modern Israel", a "stunning", "satisfying" Preminger epic "faithfully" adapted from Leon Uris' best-seller; fans single out the star turn from a "too-gorgeous-for-words" Newman "in his prime", and if the plot has some "bathos" mixed into its "high drama", it's ultimately a "moving" moving picture.

Fort Apache, The Bronx

1981 | Directed by Daniel Petrie | With Paul Newman, Ken Wahl, Rachel Ticotin, Ed Asner | 125 minutes | Rated R

Overall	Acting	Story	Prod.
21	23	21	20

Considered "shocking in its day", this "gritty" snapshot of a "city overtaken by crime" set a "new standard for cop dramas" with its "tell-it- like-it-is" depiction of hookers, junkies and the NYPD; "not-bad-on-the- eyes" Newman is "at his acting best" as the veteran "good guy" on the force, with strong backup from a "wonderful ensemble."

Harper

1966 | Directed by Jack Smight | With Paul Newman, Lauren Bacall, Julie Harris, Arthur Hill, Janet Leigh, Pamela Tiffin, Robert Wagner, Shelley Winters | 121 minutes | Not Rated

Overall	Acting	Story	Prod.
21	23	20	21

Renowned for its all-star, scenery-shredding cast, this "fun" private *** flick features a "vintage Paul" hot on the trail of a missing husband; if the "plot is entirely predictable", "none of the actors are", with special kudos to an "entertaining" Bacall as a witchy wife and a "classic" Winters as a blousy, boozy starlet.

Hud

1963 | Directed by Martin Ritt | With Paul Newman, Melvyn Douglas, Patricia Neal, Brandon De Wilde | 112 minutes | Not Rated

Overall	Acting	Story	Prod.
26	28	24	24

"Stud muffin" Newman is at his "bad boy best" playing an "alienated", "black-hearted" cowboy in this "truly adult" "modern Western" about a "struggle between a father and son"; sure, "Neal got the Oscar" (as did "heartbreaker Douglas" and that "gorgeous black-and-white cinematography"), but in the end, Paul's "heartbreakingly cool" anti-hero gets the most reaction.

Hudsucker Proxy, The

1994 | Directed by Joel Coen | With Tim Robbins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Paul Newman | 111 minutes | Rated PG

Overall	Acting	Story	Prod.
22	22	21	23

"Big business" and the "bootstrappy American dream" are satirized in this "sly satire" via the Coen brothers about a "plucky mailroom clerk" who "invents the hula hoop" ("ya know, for kids") and becomes president of the company; despite a "refreshingly cynical" script peppered with "dialogue so crisp you can hear the gum smacking", a few find it a bit "odd", though it's certainly "never dull."

Hustler, The

1961 | Directed by Robert Rossen | With Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie | 134 minutes | Not Rated

Overall	Acting	Story	Prod.
25	26	24	22

"Dark, tense and beautifully delivered", this "ultimate movie about winning" is also a "love poem to the game of pool", featuring "Newman on a roll" opposite Gleason in a rare dramatic turn that nearly "steals the picture"; it's "convincing", "gripping" stuff, and though Paul reprised the character of Eddie Felson in The Color of Money, connoisseurs claim this first take is so "much better."

Road to Perdition

2002 | Directed by Sam Mendes | With Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Daniel Craig, Jude Law | 117 minutes | Rated R

Overall	Acting	Story	Prod.
23	26	22	25

"Hanks proves his versatility" in this "evocative period piece", playing a "cold-blooded hit man" for the Irish mafia during the Depression; the "intense journey" is "impeccably done", with Newman in "stellar form", Oscar-winning cinematography that will "take your breath away" (notably that "tommy gun scene in the rain") and "top-notch screenwriting" that "stays true to the novel."

Silent Movie

1976 | Directed by Mel Brooks | With Mel Brooks, Marty Feldman, Dom DeLuise, Sid Caesar | 87 minutes | Rated PG

Overall	Acting	Story	Prod.
20	20	19	20

"Kudos" to Brooks for ditching dialogue and scoring "audience roars" with "clever" sight gags in this "entertaining" send-up of silent films; expect a parade of "star" cameos (Burt Reynolds, Liza Minnelli, Paul Newman), though the "best moment" belongs to mime Marcel Marceau, who utters the picture's "only spoken word."

Slap Shot

1977 | Directed by George Roy Hill | With Paul Newman, Michael Ontkean, Strother Martin | 122 minutes | Rated R

Overall	Acting	Story	Prod.
22	18	19	17

Right up there with the "funniest sports flicks", this puckish comedy finds "Newman on skates" as the "foul-mouthed coach" of a "dark horse" minor-league hockey team with a "strange way" of turning every face-off into a riot on ice; it "epitomizes the goonery" of the high-sticking '70s, resulting in "crazy", "profane" and "fairly violent" fare that hardcore fans "cannot live without."

Sting, The

1973 | Directed by George Roy Hill | With Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw | 129 minutes | Rated PG

Overall	Acting	Story	Prod.
27	26	27	26

"Deftly" charming its way to Best Picture honors, this "classy" comedy "caper" "succeeds in spades" as a "likable", "fast-paced" vehicle for Newman and Redford, radiating "great rapport" as a pair of grifters playing a gangster for a sucker in Depression-era Chicago; a "funny, intriguing" "period piece" set to "elegant" Joplin rags, it raises the "suspense" stakes with "masterful" plotting and a final "zinger" that saves the sharpest sting for last.

Sweet Bird of Youth

1962 | Directed by Richard Brooks | With Paul Newman, Geraldine Page, Ed Begley, Shirley Knight | 120 minutes | Not Rated

Overall	Acting	Story	Prod.
24	28	24	23

A "young, gorgeous" Newman and "brilliant" Page ("what a combo!") reprise their stage roles in this cinematic adaptation of Tennessee Williams' play about a wannabe actor/gigolo and a faded, Sunset Boulevard–esque movie queen; sure, the story has been somewhat sanitized for the big screen, but most birdies still tweet "how sweet it is . . ."

Torn Curtain

1966 | Directed by Alfred Hitchcock | With Paul Newman, Julie Andrews, Lila Kedrova, Wolfgang Kieling | 128 minutes | Rated PG

Overall	Acting	Story	Prod.
23	24	23	22

This "compelling" Cold War spy thriller via Alfred Hitchcock concerns an American physicist who defects to East Germany, bent on espionage; while it "isn't the greatest Newman or Andrews" effort, it still "has is moments", notably the 'silent murder' sequence and Lila Kedrova's "compelling" supporting role as a down-and-out countess.

Towering Inferno, The

1974 | Directed by John Guillermin, Irwin Allen | With Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, William Holden | 165 minutes | Rated PG

Overall	Acting	Story	Prod.
18	17	18	22

"Make sure you know where all the exits are" before settling into this "big, bad '70s disaster" flick starring a skyscraper, a fire and a "rogues' gallery of great actors"; although the "passable" "special effects were top-drawer for its time", cynical sorts snort it's more of a "made-for- TV movie" by modern standards.

Verdict, The

1982 | Directed by Sidney Lumet | With Paul Newman, Charlotte Rampling, Jack Warden | 129 minutes | Rated R

Overall	Acting	Story	Prod.
23	25	23	20

A "David-vs.-Goliath" legal struggle is the underpinning of this "underrated" courtroom drama about a "burned-out lawyer trying one last case to keep from going under"; Newman's "intense", "tour-de-force" turn is one of his "greatest" roles (leaving many "stunned" that the Oscar eluded him), while the "mesmerizing" Rampling "excels" as the love interest.

Fill Up at FallFest 2009

2008-09-29T18:33:00Z

Those looking for a chance to sample many of the Bay Area's restaurants – without actually going to them – need look no further than the annual outdoor FallFest from SF Magazine. On October 11th, Justin Herman Plaza will be morphed into a European-style marketplace filled to the brim with demos, tastings and panel discussions by a myriad of artisan food and winemakers celebrating all things local. SF food editor Jan Newberry and Miss Pearl's Jam House chef/TV personality Joey Altman will host the event, which will offer fare from a slew of restaurants including Anchor & Hope, Asia de Cuba, Foreign Cinema, Ponzu, Sens, Spruce and more; proceeds benefit Meals on Wheels (noon–4 PM; $95 per person includes all access, tasting and a complimentary Riedel glass; 1 Market St., Embarcadero Pl.; to purchase tickets, click here).

Dining News Elsewhere: Sustainable Sushi, Bocuse d'Or

2008-09-29T17:03:00Z

– Sustainable seafood cards have come to sushi. [LAT]
– A French Laundry sous chef will represent the U.S. in the Bocuse d'Or. [Diner's Journal]
– Forget about a food shortage. The world has a potable water shortage. [Economist]

– Jaques Pépin still represents old-school TV chefs. [Men's Vogue]
– The cool, wet summer means we are facing one of the lowest pumpkin yields on record. [Boston Globe]
– Souring economy or no, David Bouley is moving forward with his massive expansions. [WSJ]
– Robert Parker is against restaurants jacking up their wine prices. [Page Six]
– The Curbed/Eater empire is expanding to Chicago. [TOC]
– A tour of Mad Men's New York. [Washington Post]
– In the past month, Americans have searched for "cupcakes" more than "financial crisis." [Valleywag]

Outtake of the Week

2008-09-26T22:00:00Z

I asked the waitress what was on the cheese plate and she replied 'cheese.'

Last Chance for Great American Dine-Out

2008-09-26T21:27:00Z

There are just a few days left to participate in the Great American Dine-Out, a fund-raising effort that helps feed hungry children. More than a dozen area restaurants, including PlumpJack Cafe, Piperade and Le Charm, will donate a portion of your check to Share Our Strength – it’s a chance to feel good about treating yourself to that special meal (ends Sunday, September 28; view a full list of participating restaurants).

Balboa Burger: Sure Beats Cookies 'n' Juice

2008-09-26T16:09:00Z

Giving blood is one of those things that everyone (who can) should do. So kudos to the Balboa Cafe, which is teaming up with the Blood Centers of the Pacific for a"Burgers for a Pint" promotion. Though you won't get one of their famed Bloody Marys, anyone who donates plasma during the restaurant's annual blood drive will be eligible for a free Balboa burger. Seems like a good deal to us (September 30, 3–7 PM; San Francisco branch only; to schedule an appointment, log in at www.bloodheroes.com and scroll to September 30th).

Dining News Elsewhere: Tainted Milk, McDonald's Ageless Patties

2008-09-26T16:01:00Z

– China's tainted milk scandal is spreading to Europe. [NYT]
– While working on the bailout plan last night, the House ordered pizza and the Senate got Thai. [NYT]
– A 12-year-old McDonald's burger looks about the same as a 12-hour-old one. [AHT]

– But what ever their burgers look like, McDonald's shareholders should be happy. [LAT]
– Hemp oil is the new olive oil? [Guardian]
– Really, you aren't eating enough animal fat. [Salon]
– Restaurateur extraordinaire Danny Meyer gives some tips for running a restaurant in a bad economy. [epilog]
– Ceviche, a hip Nuevo Latino in DC, has an interesting new spin on pouring. [Grinder]
– You (yes you!) could be the next Food Network star. [Serious Eats]

The Best Italian in the Bay Area

2008-09-25T19:35:00Z

Quince

photo: Quince

The 2009 San Francisco Bay Area Restaurants guide is out, and 8,755 avid diners like you have spoken. With 23% of those surveyed listing it as their favorite, Italian is easily the most popular cuisine – distantly trailed by Japanese (15%). With over 200 Zagat-Rated Italian spots to choose from, the Bay certainly isn't lacking in options. But where to go when only the best will do? Here are the five Top Italian restaurants in the Bay Area.

Quince

1701 Octavia St.; 415-775-8500

“A tough table to get” and even “tougher to leave” swoon “true foodies” over this “sublime” “craftmanlike” New French–Italian Pacific Heights “jewel”; it’s fast “gaining status” thanks to a menu of “glorious”, daily changing fare that includes “pasta as you have never experienced it before” proffered by an “über-attentive staff” in an “intimate” setting that’s “just shy of stuffy”; the “only drawback” is a “lack of space” – though an eventual move is planned.

Acquerello

1722 Sacramento St.; 415-567-5432

When you want to be “pampered and catered to, to your heart’s content” take thee to this “saintly” “special-occasion” Italian set in a “charming old church” in Polk Gulch; “soft lights”, a “hushed”, “old-world atmosphere”, namesake watercolors on the walls and “tuxedoed waiters” that proffer “exemplary” service and decant “perfect wine pairings” to complement “sublime” prix fixe menus (featuring “ephemeral pastas”) prompt “society-page” types to “count their blessings”; but a devilish few quip that the “somewhat fussy” setting “might feel more comfortable if I were in my 60s.”

Delfina

3621 18th St.; 415-552-4055

“There are two kinds of people: those of us lucky enough” to score “rezzies” for Craig and Annie Stoll’s “jam-packed” Mission trattoria that dishes up “simple”-yet-“edgy” “undeniably right-on” Italian food and the “adoring hordes” at the bar; “it’s a neighborhood joint at heart” “abuzz with happy people” and staffed by “foxy” but “friendly” servers that “just get it”; “bring your earplugs” to handle the “din”, though the “always fantasic” chow “at prices that make [the competition] look crazy” is “worth every decibel.”

Picco

320 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur; 415-924-0300

At his “grown-up, stylish” eatery in “laid-back” Larkspur, chef-owner Bruce Hill displays his “sense of humor” and “creativity” with his “amazing”, “eclectic” Italian cuisine that emphasizes “seasonal”, “locally grown” ingredients, and cognoscenti caution “it’s really easy to go overboard” with the “small plates” and wind up with a “large bill”; a “stellar” wine list and “professional” service add to the “memorable” experience; P.S. some bargain-hunters find Pizzeria Picco next door to be an even “better deal.”

Pizzaiolo

5008 Telegraph Ave., Oakland; 510-652-4888

“Toques off” to Chez Panisse alum Charlie Hallowell for bringing “killer”, “creative thin-crust pizzas” and “absolutely fantastic” Southern Italian fare to the “hip” “new Temescal gourmet ghetto” in Oakland; the “well-trained staff” provides service that “varies from good to excellent”, but some warn the “rustic, noisy” space “tends to get packed and stay packed”, so “make reservations” or prepare for an “interminable” wait.

To see more Bay Area Top Lists, click here.

French Laundry Reigns Again

2008-09-24T15:00:00Z

We may have to wait until November to learn the results of this nail-biting presidential election, but the winner for Top Food in the just-released 2009 San Francisco Bay Area Restaurants guide has been revealed, with French Laundry claiming the top spot for the first time since 2002. The victor of the past five years, Gary Danko, finished third this year, while last year’s bronze-holder, Cyrus, inched up to second place. Danko shouldn’t feel too bad, though, as his restaurant held on to the crown of Most Popular and earned the Top Food score within the city of San Francisco. But what about the Obamas of the restaurant scene, the Top Newcomers? Yoshi’s San Francisco was voted the favorite new kid on the block, followed by Flora and SPQR.