La vida local

San Francisco offers riches in seasonal cuisine and cocktails. Here are some choices for your upcoming trip.

Written by Amanda Burden

Within a four-hour drive (depending on traffic) you can be in one of the most culturally rich destinations in the nation. The City by the Bay is filled with enchanting and historic architecture, neighborhoods with distinct vibes (from busy to tranquil), and a huge selection of restaurants and bars.

This is the land of local, farm to table, artisan, craft, and small batch. Fine food and drink are the norm. But with so many establishments, how do you choose? Edible Reno-Tahoe is here to guide you to great picks for lunch, dinner, cocktails, and accommodations. Here’s what we found on a recent gastronomic journey through the city.

Ayala

First up is Ayala. We started at this one-year-old Union Square restaurant next door to one-year-old Hotel G.

The Ayala martini (photo by Molly DeCourdreax)

Ayala, a partnership between Bill Montagne (Le Bernardin, Nico Osteria, and Snaggletooth) and executive chef Melissa Perfit (Bar Crudo and Top Chef), features a stylish dining room with a lofty ceiling, white plastered walls, pretty arches, and a stunning tile entry that leads to rustic wooden floors.

Glass block separates the dining room from the bar, which is an intimate space accented with modern lighting. You’ll find a well-vetted wine list and sophisticated cocktails crafted with ingredients from local farms, tinctures, infusions, misting sprays, and lots of love.

cherrystone clams at Ayala (photo by Molly DeCourdreaux)

Seafood is the highlight here, including a raw bar full of oysters dripping with briny goodness and chilled platters brimming with other ocean delights such as sea urchins, shrimp, and mussels. In addition to highlighting Coastal California seafood, the thoughtful menu includes wagyu steak, roasted half chicken, and brightly dressed vegetable dishes that change with the season. The decadent Dungeness crab, when in season, is fresh from the Bay. Another favorite is the delicate and delicious nori spaghettini. The open kitchen offers built-in entertainment — watch all the action, from shucking to sautéing.

Lord Stanley

Next we head to Lord Stanley, a cozy Michelin-starred restaurant in Russian Hill with a dramatically tall ceiling, giant windows, wooden tables, and concrete floors. I was excited to see that all of its globally sourced wines are organic and biodynamic, so I sipped generously from the vintage glassware. The sourdough bread was dense and delicious and accompanied by rich, house-made butter.

the outside of Lord Stanley (photo by Robin Stein)

A great restaurant pays careful attention to its vegetable dishes, and Lord Stanley’s were not an afterthought. For instance, one delectable entrée featured a perfectly prepared parsnip, and another main dish included a barbecued sweet potato with lobster mushrooms, fresh curds, and truffles. And for amazing snacks, there are shishito peppers stuffed with walnuts and goat cheese as well as chilled butter beans with pickled chanterelles and vegetable nage. Carnivores will be happy, too, with dishes such as roasted lamb rack and shoulder, wild salmon, and suckling pig with pickled ginger and other accoutrements.

a steak dish at Lord Stanley (photo by Aubrie Pick)

Another highlight was the knowledgeable and friendly wait staff, which is not always easy to find in San Francisco. And, finally, it was enlightening to discover that the restaurant’s owners and co-chefs, Rupert and Carrie Blease, partner with ZeroFoodprint to help reduce their carbon footprint and fight climate change in their use of various products, equipment, and methods.

Serpentine

Serpentine was our next stop. The 11-year-old restaurant is situated in a funky part of the city (called Dogpatch) away from the hustle and bustle. But before dinner, we stopped in at Dogpatch Saloon right across the street for a drink. This quirky sports bar of sorts is worth a trip. We enjoyed interesting music and surprisingly sublime cocktails in a space filled with local characters and their dogs (on our visit we saw a great dane, an Aussiedoodle, and several small mixed breeds).

Genepy spritz at Serpentine (photo by Kristen Loken)

Serpentine is well known for brunch (think rock shrimp Benedict, shrimp and grits, and brisket and egg), but we went for dinner. The restaurant’s industrial chic design features tall ceilings bedecked with fans, cozy booths, and ample counter seating. There are crave-worthy mixed drinks, fine spirits, and a nice selection of wine and beer at this popular spot. The sound of the cocktail shaker and hum of customers fills the busy room.

trout at Serpentine (photo by Michelle Min)

The restaurant’s chef/owner, Tommy Halvorson, presents elevated comfort food, including a killer burger, and, on our visit, buttermilk-fried chicken, pozole and pork chop, a rib eye, and trout. We slurped a dozen miyagi oysters to start and followed with some of the above entrées. The cauliflower and trumpet mushroom rice dish was flavorful and filling, as were the rib eye, pork chop, and a trout that featured a wonderful, light taste and rich mouth feel. The fragrant truffle fries was a perfect addition to our meals, but we had to save room for dessert.

Mochica

It’s easy to envelop oneself in the flavors of Peru at Mochica. The 17-year-old restaurant has been in its current space for three years and is part of a family-owned chain of six distinct Peruvian restaurants. But sitting in this quaint space in a quiet Portrero Hill neighborhood doesn’t feel like being in a chain. The restaurant is filled with character from the wall graphics and open kitchen surrounded by white subway tiles and an attentive staff.

scallops Carilitos at Mochico (photo by Aubrie Pick)

Seafood is king here. For one, the fish ceviche, in a tangy vinegar switchel, was delicious. I eagerly scooped it up with crisp yucca chips. The caramelized short ribs in a lightly sweet sauce were so flavorful, we picked them clean. Other selections included a comforting bouillabaisse, as well as ahi tuna and salmon dishes accented with Peruvian sauces and fine preparations. Organic Mary’s-brand chicken is on the list, as is a grass-fed New York steak and a delectable pork shoulder dish with Peruvian peppers.

mojito at Mochico (photo by Aubrie Pick)

Ordering a cocktail from the list is a must, as it features Peruvian classics (a selection of pisco cocktails and sangria, for example) as well as creations with fresh twists. Maria, one of the bartenders, is quite skilled and made us a basil-and-mint gin gimlet that was dangerously addictive. Also, she, or one of the other bartenders, will prepare a proper pisco sour, with pisco, egg white, and lime. It only takes one sip to be transported to the land of Amazon rainforests and Machu Picchu.

Finally, for a visit to this West Coast city, you’ll need a comfortable room. We recommend the following two spots.

A sitting area in a room at Hotel G (photo by Peter Medelik)

Hotel G

This recently rehabbed hotel is all dressed up with modern touches. Our corner room was big by San Francisco standards and featured chic concrete floors, a cozy bed, and fun and modern amenities. The hotel is a block from shopping central — Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, along with tons of high-end boutiques. And it’s a quick drive to ample food-and-drink adventures.

Riu Plaza Fisherman’s Wharf Hotel

This hotel is all about location, too. It’s an especially ideal spot for those wanting to be near the wharf area or close to tour buses and boats (to Alcatraz and sport fishing) or to tourist spots such as the Aquarium of the Bay, Pier 45 (see historic warships), Pier 39 (see the sea lions), Madame Tussauds wax museum, Ghirardelli Square (home of a historic confection and a Bay Area landmark since 1862), and Boudin Bakery (which put San Francisco sourdough on the map). The Buena Vista, a café famous for its Irish coffee that is also in the neighborhood, can’t be missed.

After a long day of exploring, we collapsed onto the Riu Plaza’s cushy bed and fluffy pillows. It was a perfect end to a fun exploration of this food-and-drink lover’s paradise.

RESOURCES

Hotelgsanfrancisco.com

Riu.com/en/hotel/usa/san-francisco/hotel-riu-plaza-fishermans-wharf

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Additional food-and-drink experiences to add to your list

Breakfast/Brunch

Dottie’s True Blue Café (breakfast in SoMa)
Dottiestruebluesf.com

Ella’s American Kitchen (brunch in Presidio Heights)
Ellassanfrancisco.com