Five Pencils (Instead of stars, has to be original since I'm a writer!)
1. Sebo-BEST SUSHI I'VE EVER HAD, BAR NONE!!!
2. Boulevard- Classic food, classy place, great atmosphere and service.
3. Swan Oyster Depot- An absolute lunch staple. Fresh seafood, great family staff. Remember though, cash only.
4. Bar Crudo- Haven't been to the new location on Divisadero, but the place is great for raw seafood. Underrated selection of great beers and wines too.
5. Waterbar- Probably a controversial selection, but we really liked this place. Terrific views, service was excellent and the food was outstanding. A little pricey, but what isn't in SF!
6. Good Luck Dim Sum- One of my friends advised me on this gem. Inexpensive, but very filling. You can feed an army on $30.
7. Petite Deli- Awesome, wonderful, tiny sandwich shop in North Beach. If you blink, you might miss it. Great sandwiches and not too expensive.
8. Ikes' Place- Another great sandwich shop. Has kind of a cult following on Yelp. Nice little flower stand down the street too.
9. Delica rf-1- Best place in the Ferry Building. Great Japanese food. Especially love the wasabi potato salad. Yummy.
10. Opaque Dining in the Dark- Have to experience it to believe it. Yes, you do eat in the dark!!
Four Pencils
1. Ame- I was sick for this dinner, but they have great food, drinks and a really nice decor and atmosphere.
2. Foreign Cinema- I love this place! Would like to go here again, could definitely see it move up in the rankings. What could be better than dinner with a movie?
3. Aziza- Moroccan restaurant with great food and drinks. Really cool interior as well. Kind of dark and mysterious.
4. La Ciccia- Have been twice and loved it both times. Authentic Sardinian food and the owners are really friendly.
5. Limon- Peruvian almost tapas style menu. They just reopened after a fire kept them closed for over a year. Grilled octopus is to die for!! Good sangria too.
6. A16- Good food and atmosphere. Don't think the restaurant will change much, but it will be interesting to see what comes next since their executive chef left for NY.
7. Bushi Tei- Have only been for Dine About Town, but the lunch was amazing. Really cool french/fusion restaurant with a nice atmosphere in Japantown.
8. Incanto- Great restaurant. The executive chef, Chris Cosentino is a really cool guy; he talked to us about the place while we were eating and gave us a free dessert.
9. E Tutto Qua- It's hard to differentiate between the Italian restaurants in North Beach, but this is a great one. Really good food and nice wine selection as well.
10. AsiaSF- Hmmmm...how to describe this place. It is definitely a spot for a party or fun get together. The food is actually pretty good. The entertainment is hilarious. There are incriminating pictures of me...I won't go any further!
11. New Eritrea Restaurant- Have you ever tried Ethiopian food? Well it is terrific, inexpensive and very tasty. And the Tej wine is really good as well.
12. Supper Club- Really interesting experience. Food was a little off, but environment/atmosphere was cool. Who knew you could sleep on a bed and eat in public. Definitely for those who like to people watch.
Three Pencils
1. Slanted Door- Very good food, but I don't think it's worth the hype, long wait and high prices. But what do I know, every time I pass the place, it's packed.
2. One Market- I am holding judgement on this one. We had dinner here after a long day and I think I ordered the wrong item. I was not a big fan. The wine list is huge and very expensive. Definitely bring your own bottle.
3. La Mar Cebicheria- Great Peruvian food and a wonderful setting on the pier. The drinks are awesome as well, great sangria and pisco sours. The service really lacked as it was slow, slow and slower. But really love this place.
4. Tadich Grill- The staple of San Francisco and a really cool place to eat. Have to go there once just to say you did.
5. Absinthe- Another Dine About Town lunch. Great, stiff drinks they will knock you on your butt. Good food as well. I just there's too much fuss since the Executive Chef was on Top Chef. But a nice restaurant.
6. Ozumo- Have been to both in Oakland and San Francisco. Really fresh fish, nice modern environment. Very cool design in both. Just a little off from what Sebo offers.
7. Roy's- Hawaiian-Asian Fusion cuisine. Really liked the appetizers and sushi; was less impressed with the main fish dishes.
I've been to a ton of other places both good, okay and bad. The great thing about dining in San Francisco is the fact that you can try a new place and get a great experience. It might be a hole in the wall a Michelin Award winning restaurant or a food stand. But the options are endless. I hope to try more places out in the near future!!
