The Hall

The foodie world collectively freaked out when Chef Stuart Brioza and his wife/partner Nicole Krasinski opened dim-sum-focused SBP back in 2012, which quickly became loved for its carts of gourmet dumplings and savory pancakes and a separate menu where you'll find the quail dish that gave the restaurant its name. Three years and two James Beard awards later, getting a table here is as difficult as ever. Luckily, they save a good portion of seats for walk-ins. But still, get here early.

If you're looking for world class Chinese food in the heart of San Francisco's Chinatown, Mr. Jiu's is it. Chef Brandon Jew takes a modern approach to traditional Chinese food, putting his own twist on classic dishes such as pork buns and black sesame cake, already earning him a Michelin star in his first year. The wood paneled floors give the space Old World charm, but the views over the financial district let you know that you're at the heart of the city. They also have a wonderful bar with drinks such as “Harmony” and "Clarity", again blending Western spirits with traditional Chinese flavors like green tea, ginger, and lime.

The slick interior and miles-deep wine list make this is a great place for a dressed-up celebratory dinner. The food spans a variety of cuisines but the emphasis remains on local and organic fare. We're partial to the Sunday brunch (get the beignets) and the burger any night of the week. They have three elegant rooms for private parties—the events team is particularly skilled at florals.

A16’s sister restaurant, SPQR focuses on traditional Italian dishes which include fresh, house-made pastas and follows the same selective attitude toward Italian wine. Go with a small group of friends (they only allow tables of four people max) so you can try more of their small plates.

Though the southern Italian cuisine here is delicious, the highlight is definitely the wine. The owner and sommelier, Shelley Lindgren, finds little-known wines to pair with, among other things, the wood-fired thin-crust pizza, which is not to be missed. Be sure to pick up the A16 cookbook by Nate Appleman and stop by sister restaurant SPQR.

This family owned business has been open for almost a century, serving up fresh oysters, clams, crab, and a very famous clam chowder. Go for the Dungeness Crab Louie and the incredibly fresh oysters, which you order at the counter, preferably with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc. There is only bar seating and it’s hard to get a seat, so expect a line.

The menu at this classic French-slash-Italian restaurant changes daily but the delicious food remains a constant. The specialties are the whole roast chicken (it's made-to-order so expect to wait a bit), and the bread salad—both dishes were developed by Judy Rodgers who's been running the kitchen since 1987. Sadly, Judy passed away in 2013, but her incredible recipes live on.

This historic kitchen (the space has been around for over a century) churns out the kind of no-frills, endlessly satisfying Italian food we all love. After a two-year closure, Tosca is back with new ownership and a refreshed interior courtesy of Ken Fulk. Settle into their comfy parklet for a morning cappuccino, or commit to the full prixe-fixe menu of Italian classics for dinner.

What makes this Michelin-starred spot stand out is that there's no set menu. Instead, the team comes up with a multicourse meal nightly, depending on the day's fresh catch and produce bounty. This also means that the bill can skyrocket to hundreds of dollars per person. That said, those who’ve been lucky enough to go swear you get what you pay for.

While this sits in a somewhat sketchy part of town, the fish here is so good that not only will you venture out, you'll happily wait in line to get inside. In fact, so legendary is the Omakase offering and a la carte menu, that local chefs come here for dinner after putting in shifts at their own restaurants. Inside, the vibe is relaxed with blasting hip-hop, a great sake assortment, and prices that won't break the bank.

We love Chef Melissa Perello's on-the-low fancy restaurant just as much for the location—it sits on a beautiful corner in the Castro—as for the consistently delicious food. Like so many establishments around these parts, the focus is mainly on giving the abundant fresh ingredients the spotlight. Here, that means there's a roasted fennel chowder, mushroom risotto, and a kale salad that's unlike anything you've ever tasted.

Set up in a stark and understated space that looks more like a garage than a restaurant, the décor begins and ends with a hanging disco ball found in the attic during renovation. The food is serious, particularly the innovative approach to seafood and veggies: sea urchin with horseradish tofu, fried anchovies, fresh shelling beans with chanterelles. Chef Jason Fox put together a pretty substantial six-course tasting menu ($75, $10 of which does to charity), which somehow feels healthy and light. The a la carte selection doesn't disappoint.

Borrowing liberally from Indian, Chinese, and Thai cuisine, Burmese dishes are rich, flavorful, and inventive, and no one does them better than Burma Superstar. A California standby since 1992, this family-operated institution has grown to include three locations (including one in Alameda and one in Inner Richmond). While every outpost has its own specialty, each menu is guaranteed to include insane noodles, soups, and tons of veggie options. Portions are massive, so order accordingly.

Michael Tusk's Quince has fast become the standard for fine dining, so it's no surprise that his catering business, Tusk Events, is booming. They can handle events of any size, but it's good to remember that Quince's family-style tables can also be reserved for large parties—a nice option if you're looking to host a gathering with minimal-effort. The various tasting menus, aided by a miles-long wine list, make for a pretty perfect weekend date night or decadent catch-up session with pals.

Russel Moore has been running this lively, industrial-looking spot with his wife Allison Hopelain since 2008. The massive wood-fire oven is the focal point, both aesthetically and practically, as the majority of the dishes (oysters with absinthe, grilled king trumpet mushrooms, shellbean gratin) on the pared-down, constantly evolving menu pass through it. Check back often, as they sometimes do special edition culinary events. September, for example, brings with it Paella Mondays.

We love that the Oaxacan region of Mexico serves as Chef Matt Gandin’s muse at this Arts District favorite. The result? A menu of ceviches, tamales, tacos, and insane shared dishes that stays true to tradition while bringing something innovative to the table. It's a pretty awesome space, too, with an exposed-brick dining room, plus a massive outdoor area with fire pit and beer garden. If you've got a group of 20 or more, ask about their private room in the back, where they serve those crazy-good sharing plates family style around one long table.

The folks at Pizzaiolo value their suppliers as much as they value their customers—an obsession Chef Charlie Hallowell picked up during his tenure in the kitchen at Chez Panisse. And it's this belief in good ingredients (organic flour, responsibly raised wild stock from local ranchers) that manifests itself in some of the best casual food in Oakland: veggie-centric antipasti, incredible proteins, and pretty epic thin-crust pizza. Oh, and the breakfast is not to be missed.

This was one of the buzziest openings in the city last year (it's from the people behind State Bird Provisions), and the hype hasn't died down. The dreamy, all-wood, bi-level space has a lot to do with it, and the food changes daily, so there's no getting bored. While State Bird is about tiny plates of dim sum, here it's a unique take family-style: for $65 per person, the table chooses six big dishes from a checklist to share. Thankfully, everyone gets their own dessert.

In a nutshell, this is the place for incredibly authentic Sardinian food with an Italian-only wine list to match. Massimiliano Conti and Lorella Degan, the husband and wife team responsible for the magic, are particularly well-versed in seafood which explains why the braised octopus is some of the best we've had. On the pasta front, the bottariga spaghetti is no joke.

So at three doors strong, Lers Ros is technically a chain, but don't let that stop you from giving their simple, authentic Thai food a shot. Menu items vary slightly from location to location and everything is consistently perfectly prepared and delicious. There's also a location in Tenderloin and Hayes Valley.

Commis holds the title for being the first and only Michelin-starred restaurant in Oakland. And honestly, once you try Chef James Syhabout's multi-curse tasting menu (at a little over a hundred bucks a pop, they’re a fairly reasonable treat), the accolades totally make sense. Stellar food aside, it's the kind of place you want to dress up for, making the sleek, minimal dining room ideal for celebrations.

Alice Waters has been doing the whole organic, sustainably sourced "California cuisine" thing since 1972, long before it was all the rage. She even founded The Edible Schoolyard Project to empower littles to make healthful, environment-friendly food decisions. Chez Panisse, her much-respected bistro in Berkeley, is an institution and the impeccably prepared, seasonal fare (on a prix-fixe menu basis only) has landed this place on countless best-of lists. Upstairs at the unassuming little Arts and Crafts building where the restaurant is housed there's also The Café. Here, you’ll find a more casual a la carte selection; just like its older sibling, the menu changes daily.

Before adding a bricks-and-mortar location last year, the guys at Del Popolo were slinging pies out of their now-famous mobile pizzeria. Why famous? Other than the killer Neapolitan-style pizzas, which range from classic Margherita to a honey-spiked potato pie, it’s the ingenious use of a converted shipping container fastened onto a Freightliner truck in place of a standard food truck that got people talking. And lucky for us all, even with the free-standing restaurant (they tacked on some antipasti dishes and a pretty badass wine list to the restaurant menu), they’re still serving pies on the go all over the city out of the mobile pizzeria that started it all.

Mamahuhu is a newish spot from Brandon Jew (of Mister Jiu’s fame), where the food revolves around the Chinese American dishes we all grew up loving and still crave. Sweet-and-sour chicken sourced from local farms, cold sesame noodles, and silky, spicy mapo tofu are all standouts. Plus, a section of the menu is devoted to frozen items like potstickers and comforting hot-and-sour soup. The Mamahuhu gang is all about sustainability and transparency—even the takeout containers are fully reusable because they know you’ll come back for more.

If anyone’s mastered the art of malty, bubbly sourdough pizza, it’s David Nayfield, who’s a household name in San Francisco for the magic he makes at Che Fico. If you’re open to fruit on pizza, the pineapple is sliced so thin it almost disappears. It’s so good. Then, go for handmade tagliatelle in glossy ragu, tender lamb loin, and fried, breaded balls of risotto. At Saturday or Sunday brunch, go for San Marzano Bloody Marys, Sightglass coffee, and the same famously good pizza with a fried egg on it.

Going to San Francisco and not getting a buttery, cinnamon-scented morning bun at Tartine is like going to Venice and not seeing a canal. The lines at the original flagship are legendary, but thankfully a new SF location opened in the Inner Sunset neighborhood. Liz Prueitt and Chad Robertson’s bread is iconic—and yes, we realize we just called bread iconic, but we stand by it. (The secret sauce is in the heritage grains and fermentation...we think.) And so breakfast of smoked salmon, pickled onions, and cream cheese smeared on a slice of crisp toast is only logical. Fill a paper bag with Tartine’s outrageously chewy chocolate cookies, flaky croissants, and light-as-air muffins for later. You won’t be sorry.

Nari means “women” in Thai, which feels apt because women take center stage at this Japantown restaurant. Women lead the kitchen, the wine on the list is made by women, even the spirits stocked come from women-owned brands. The level of detail that touches everything here is off the charts, right down to diagrams of the glass shape your cocktail will arrive in. (Anyone else love a short tumbler and loathe a tall glass?) The food can only be described by a word we rarely use, because it’s so rarely applicable: authentic. These are the bold, spicy, sharp flavors we associate with trips to Bangkok. Chef Pim Techamuanvivit isn’t pandering to western expectations of what Thai food should be, instead, her shareable dishes are complex, powerfully flavorful, and impossible to forget. If you dine anywhere in San Francisco this year, make it Nari.

A true mid-century American icon, Heath has been producing beautiful modern and minimal tableware (with a brief break) and tiles since 1948. In fact, it's part of the permanent collections in New York's MoMA—and graces many a table across the Los Angeles restaurant scape. The store, like the products, is modern and minimal, with wooden shelves, concrete floors and a lot of space to browse. Besides the Heath line, they've selected a handful of designers to showcase. There are multiple locations in the SF area, including an outpost in the Ferry Building—the factory store in Sausalito offers seconds (i.e., subtly imperfect plates and bowls) at big discounts.

MARCH may just be the best kitchen and tabletop store in the country. (In fact, we love it so much, we collaborated with them and Alice Waters on a dinner to raise funds for The Edible Schoolyard.) No, this is not the place to buy a Kitchen Aid, or a Silpat, but instead to discover a beautiful, hand-made mortar and pestle, Michael Verheyden candlesticks, or Billy Cotton glass and dinnerware. We were overjoyed when they finally went online last year.

You can totally tell Sue Fisher King loves what she does as soon as you approach the just-cluttered-enough store. She's been at it for close to 40 years, giving her ample time to nail a product assortment that really speaks to her clientele: Evidently it's Italian linens, fine china, intricate chandeliers, and enough fancy candles to light up all of San Francisco. The rainbow tile wall (you can place custom orders for lava-stone stables from Southern France) is Instagram gold.

This gorgeous building right on the Embarcadero houses some of San Francisco's most notable food merchants including Hog Island Oyster Company, Cowgirl Creamery's Artisan Cheese Shop, and Blue Bottle Coffee. It's the ideal place to bum around on rainy day and the outdoor farmers market (they set up on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays) is not to be missed.

As soon as they realized that San Francisco was in dire need of a dedicated spice shop, John Beaver and Erica Perez got to work scouting spaces and planning. The result is a treasure trove of all the cupboard basics and every obscure extract and spice you could possibly want. What's more, the knowledgeable staff loves turning customers onto their newest discoveries.

Cowgirl Creamery is the brainchild of Sue Conley and Peggy Smith, ex-hippie chicks with a passion for good food (collectively, they've worked at Chez Panisse and Bette's Oceanview Diner). What's cool about CC's Ferry Building cheese shop is that they spread the love, stocking the best selection of local and international cheeses alongside their own varieties. Their triple cream Mt. Tam is the most famous of the bunch and it's delicious.

The only thing more surprising than a fully functioning chocolate factory smack dab in the middle of San Francisco is the fact that it's one of the few in the world that actually makes chocolate from scratch. They're kind of chocolate purists in that they don't do fancy flavors but rather rely on really good bean varieties and just a smidge of sugar (every bar has 70% chocolate to 30% sugar). Buy all sorts of fresh-baked, chocolate-spiked pastries and sample all the house varieties at the on-site café. Call ahead to request a guided tour of the factory.

The name kind of says it all—house-cured meats are the main draw. The minimalist (and mini) space serves as an artisanal grocery store and Italian-themed lunch counter where the food selection, while on the skimpy side, totally hits the spot when a sad store-bought salad won't do. The oversized sandwiches are stuffed with gourmet meats (get the Salumi sandwich to get a good idea of their offering) and organic veggies while the salads are sprinkled with fancy add-ons. Needles to say, the charcuterie boards are the real deal. There's another location in the Mission.

Josey Baker (yes, that's his real name) and his staff make the most incredible, old-world breads—crunchy crust on the outside, soft and mushy on the inside—using the highest-quality wheat, grains, and seeds. And that's not all: the house-brewed Four Barrel coffee is an excellent accompaniment to the sweet stuff in the pastry case and the small but mighty selection of home goods is great for scratching that shopping itch without spending a ton. Monday is Pizza night.

The legend of the Wise Sons goes something like this: Pals Evan Bloom and Leo Beckerman were unhappy with the state of NorCal's Jewish deli situation (i.e. there wasn't one) and started hand-smoking pastrami in their backyard. After a series of successful pop-ups and a stint slinging sandwiches at Ferry Plaza, they opened their freestanding shop, inside the Contemporary Jewish Museum no less. From the double-baked rye to the matzo ball soup to the smoked trout salad and the smoked pastrami, everything is handmade and delicious. Half a sandwich, soup, and a side of coleslaw or potato salad at $12 might just be the best lunch deal in town.

At its core, Craftsman and Wolves is a really inventive, beautifully appointed bakery on a particularly attractive stretch of Valencia Street. You can easily make a meal of Chef William Werner's pastries (strawberry-rhubarb muffins, peach-verbena twinkie, Japanese-style milk bread) though there’s lots of savory stuff, too, like egg frittatas and a hot dog garnished with beet chips.

This is an exceptionally well-stocked wine shop specializing in hard-to-find local and international spirits across all price points. Being that its something of a local secret, not many people are aware of the magical community garden out back, where you can drink any wine from the shop by the glass for a small corkage fee. There’s also a sweet little café right next door where you can snag a quick soup-and-salad lunch or pick up a to-go order.

We love Four Barrel not just for excellent espressos, almond milk lattes, and Americanos, but for their very genuine commitment to community, both local and global. Putting their massive warehouse space to good use, they host regular workshops (pickling classes with Bar Tartine's Cortney Burns sounds especially fun) and make it a point to only source beans from small family farmers all over the world. In a pretty brilliant move, the café doesn't have wifi, so people are forced to converse face-to-face rather than hide behind laptops. There's also a location in Alamo Square and the Mission.

This is hands down the best pizza in San Francisco—high praise considering there are only a handful of very basic whole-pie options on the Neapolitan-inspired menu (Margherita, Blanca, Filetti...). Lifelong pizza obsessive Anthony Mangieri cut his teeth slinging pies on the Jersey shore before opening a spot in NYC and then San Francisco. The set-up here is very bare bones, just tables and a big, beautiful pizza oven; pizza is served until they run out of dough.

Many credit Ritual with being the first truly gourmet coffee shop in the city. Now, 10 years and four bustling S.F. locations later, they still brew arguably the best cup in town. Because people have been known to get hooked on their meticulously sourced blends, a coffee club was launched to make sure out-of-towners can get their hands on the good stuff.

Quite possibly the most popular wedding venue in all of San Francisco, the Fairmont is kind of an essential stop, even if it's just to take in the lobby in all its candy-colored, chintzy glory. The massive 592-room hotel sits at the top of Nob Hill and is home to a wonderful fancy restaurant, a great afternoon tea service, and honeybee hives in the herb garden. Then there's the gloriously kitschy Tonga Room and Hurricane Bar. A Tiki bar, complete with a lagoon and spontaneous indoor thunderstorms, may be the last thing you'd expect to see inside a Fairmont but it kind of works.

This is the kind of place you book on your second or third trip to San Francisco as there's nothing touristy about it, especially the off-the-beaten-path Japantown location—some of Fillmore Street's best shopping and food is just a stone's throw away. This is one of Kimpton's newer properties so it has that great new-hotel smell in addition to chic, understated décor and some of the most comfortable guest rooms in the city.

With long and star-studded resumés (Walter Manzke has worked at El Bulli, for one, while his wife, Margarita, worked at Melisse), nobody expected this ambitious duo’s LA venture to be anything less than extraordinary. Occupying the former home of Campanile (i.e., Charlie Chaplin’s film studio back in the ’20s), the focus here is on French-inflected staples, like duck confit, oysters, and tartes flambées. The uni toast is insane, the baguettes are absurd (Margarita is a pastry chef), and the space has been reworked beautifully: The heavy floor tiles and mahogany tables were all imported from The Philippines, where Margarita was born. (Should you ever find yourself in Manila, the Manzkes also have a small chain of successful cafés there called Wildflour.)

Only in LA would the bar inside a vegan restaurant be a major scene (it's kind of the best place to sit for a full meal, too). While vegan food rarely seems to get the upscale touch, it certainly does at Tal Ronnen’s dimly lit, luxurious bistro. There’s no mention on the menu of the fact that every dish is plant-based: Hearts of palm masquerade as crab cakes and calamari, and almonds pretend they’re cheese. Without the clever naming conventions, the food would still stand on its own. In short: You won’t miss dairy or meat. There are also lots of workarounds for the gluten-intolerant as well.

The first thing to know about Scopa is that it’s massive. In addition to a sea of cafe tables there are shared banquettes, communal tables, and a stretch bar which is home to an extensive spirit offering (there’s a healthy wine list as well). They even have a private room upstairs, with a peek-a-boo window overlooking the main dining room. We suggest starting with one of the expertly curated Italian cold cut and cheeses plates before diving into the more substantial pastas and mains. The menu is packed with classic Italian dishes (lasagne, whole branzino) which Chef Antonia Lofaso (of Top Chef fame) executes flawlessly. This is also one of the few non-Italian bakery spots in town where you can get a decent cannoli. Plus, unlike many L.A. eateries, this one serves food until midnight on most evenings.

Many would argue that Milo + Olive has some of the best pizza on the West Side, if not all of LA. We have to agree. This is the third restaurant from culinary power couple Josh Loeb and Zoe Nathan, and much like Huckleberry and Rustic Canyon, the menu is completely ingredient driven. Breakfast and weekend brunch is devoted to classic egg dishes (a totally decadent creamy polenta with poached eggs wins) and baked treats. For dinner, a pizza-salad-pasta combo is the ideal order for two. They take reservations—or, come early to snag a spot at the bar, which offers uninterrupted views of the open kitchen.

A collaborative effort between big-time restauranteur Paul Hibler (Suberba Snack Bar) and chefs John Cao and Cloe Tran, East Borough’s relaxed setup—tiled floors, shared tables stocked with industrial-size bottles of hot sauce, old-school booths—gels really well with the Hanoi street food-inflected menu. Here, the house specialty is tweaked Vietnamese/French standbys. The pho baguette, for example, is the sandwich version of the traditional noodle soup dish and comes with beef brisket and hoisin sriracha aioli.And definitely leave room for the dungeness crab and shiitake mushroom Vietnamese crepe. The weekend brunch menu (steamed Bao, grapefruit lemongrass salad) is a nice change of pace from the expected eggs Benedict.

You’d never guess that The Tasting Kitchen sits on one of Venice’s busiest thoroughfares: It’s partly because of the fortress-like entrance, and partly because the loft-y, two-floor space revolves around a small grove of transporting olive trees. The food—modern Italian by Portland transplant Casey Lane—is excellent, made even better by the comfortable, leather wrapped Eames chairs, welcoming bar area, and always kind and attentive service. While it's one of the city's major culinary destinations—and gets really booked—if you walk in at 6, you can generally always get a table, and there are two big communal tables in the bar. If you have at least 20 people, you can book their elegant private space upstairs.

Styled to look like an East Coast clam shack (buoys, taxidermied fish, and life belts line the wood-paneled walls), Son of a Gun is one of those spots that could probably routinely fill a space five times its size. While you might have to wait for a seat, the linguine and clams, peel-and-eat shrimp, insane sashimis, shrimp toast, smoked trout with crackers, and mini lobster rolls fully justify the time spent. Though one of their biggest hits, the fried chicken sandwich, has nothing to do with the sea.

Steven Arroyo (of Escuela Taqueria and Potato Chip fame) and Max Marder transformed the former House Cafe into Marvin—a French-inflected bistro that’s picked up a few design tricks from Arroyo (aluminum cans line the ceiling, to pretty stunning effect, and simple plates dot the walls). The wine list is great, and the menu is packed with classics, from fried egg topped asparagus to a perfect roast chicken. The best part? It’s open until midnight (a rarity in Los Angeles) and you can usually get a seat at the bar with minimum wait time.

What’s really special about this Taiwanese-Chinese food spot is that for the most part, the ingredients come from Chef Vivian Ku family’s Asian produce farm. The pared-down menu is pretty heavy on the noodles (the wanton noodle soup is hearty and delicious) as well as traditional small plates like potstickers and dumplings. They also make a mean three-cup chicken and serve it in an individual pot with lots of garlic and ginger. The space is small and cheerful, with cement walls, two-tops, and communal tables—these tend to fill up fast, but it’s a quick turnaround, so stick it out. The tea menu is really impressive, too, with several kinds of oolong and milk teas (boba optional).

Jeff Cerciello (former Thomas Keller culinary director) perfects the bakery-cum-larder-cum-restaurant concept in this sunny space with all-day dining at rustic communal tables, including a wonderful family-style dinner with a market-driven menu. Ingredients here are top-notch, and Cerciello knows what to do with them, keeping the food exciting and tasty without over-complicating. The Roast Jidori Chicken is a standout, along with any of the fresh seafood or excellent produce-based dishes. There's an attached mini-grocery store with an excellent cheese selection, pastries, and prepared salads and sandwiches.

According to High Five Ramen, a good bowl of ramen boils down to the broth. Their version is creamy and miso-y with a nice kick. Thanks to generous helpings of chiles and pepper—as the warning on the menu suggests—the restaurant’s signature namesake dish is guaranteed to set your mouth on fire. If you like your noodles a little less intense, try the no-spice version or the “Special” ramen. Though there are only sixteen seats, the wait is reasonable and the cavernous feel of the space is romantic. The alcohol offering is pretty skimpy, but the spiked coconut painkiller slushy is really all you’ll need.

A working jukebox, padded stools, and counter seating...aesthetically speaking, everything about this smallish Wicker Park restaurant screams retro luncheonette. The menu, on the other hand, is the farthest thing from greasy diner food. Chef Ryan Piotrowski turns out an impressive selection of Southern-inspired Mexican comfort food (red chile enchiladas, grits, and a bunch of yummy chicken dishes) and a tequila-heavy drink menu to match. The seating situation is a tad unconventional and doesn't really accommodate large groups comfortably. That said, it’s ideal for a low-key one-on-one.

Avec is one of Chicago's enduring food destinations. It boasts a sleek all-wood interior, and rows of communal tables that aren't exactly comfortable, but do the job (particularly because long lines dictate that you shouldn't exactly linger). It’s technically a wine bar, so there’s an extensive wine list in addition to a selection of beers and cocktails. Food-wise, the menu is broken up into shareable plates that range from charred octopus to stuffed dates, and large plates like confit chicken paella and whole roasted fish.

Exposed brick, leather banquettes, and mood lighting make this the ideal date spot—whether it’s of the romantic or friendly variety. They don’t take reservations, so we suggest cozying up at the bar for a classic burger (many say it’s the best in town) and a cold beer (there are tons of domestic and international options). The brunch shouldn’t be missed—the fried house-made bologna sandwich with a side of hashbrowns is the restaurant’s most popular order.

Just like the NYC outpost, and the dozen or so locations all over Italy (as well as recent offshoots in Japan, Dubai, and Istanbul)—Eataly Chicago is a foodie wonderland. The sprawling space is packed with imported sauces, beers, sweets, and so much more. There’s even a selection of housewares and books. Stalls offering house-made breads, pastas, and cheeses are scattered throughout—we recommend doing a lap to get the lay of the land first before committing to any one spot. For more formal dining there are several restaurants that are pretty efficient about taking walk-ins. No big surprise, but they have great gelato.

For years, the Lower East Side has played host to the New York dumpling craze, of which we were avid participants from the start. We loved when Mimi Cheng’s came along and began serving up delectable Taiwanese-style dumplings made with antibiotic-free, local meat and fresh veggies. And, their hole in the wall is beautiful, whitewashed and dotted with bright yellow stools.

You can go to this tiny, charmingly spare Williamsburg storefront for ramen in the evenings, but the best thing is their Japanese breakfast: Incredible fish and vegetables, beautifully prepared and presented. Make a reservation or get there extra early—waiting outside on the tree-lined street is actually its own lovely experience.

People are crazy for this Thai via Portland import: Andy Ricker’s fresh takes on Thai classics are seriously good (and run on the hot side), from the signature charcoal roasted hen with lemongrass to the sweet, spicy salads. There’s also an awesome Thai-inspired cocktail menu (the Pok Pok Bloody Mary with Thai chilies is a serious kick in the ass) which you can explore on depth from the comfort of a seat at the bar.

The specialty here is Neapolitan-style pizza—look closely, and you’ll see the counter is made of pizza peels. Decor-wise, this is the essential pizza joint, except there’s also a full-functioning bar serving up killer cocktails and over 40 Italian beers. The menu is split into two sections: Classica (Napoletana with organic tomatoes and anchovies) and Nuova (sea urchin and pecorino-topped Urcina). All are fired inside a custom-built Stradivarius oven, resulting in perfect pies every time. There’s also a selection of imported pastas, cheeses, salumi, and a deep Italian wine list.

Roberta’s has been warmly flourishing for years. Camouflaged by an industrial, kind of uninviting exterior, this gem of a spot offers a succinct menu includes a few wonderful pizzas, plus seasonal veggies and pasta dishes. There’s an indoor, primarily communal seating area where you can watch the pizza-making go down in the open kitchen. The vibe is casual and the ambiance always lively, as it routinely draws big crowds. While you can expect to wait, it’s a good place to have a drink.

Operating out of a renovated 1920s train car, this quirky little spot from Andrew Tarlow has served Williamsburg since the late 90s. In the past few decades, it’s lost none of its appeal—thanks to a menu of American classics, from one of the best burgers in Brooklyn to a solid roast chicken. The atmosphere gets downright rowdy the later it gets; people roll up for late-night dinner to a soundtrack of old-school hip-hop. Come with some time before your reservation to drop by Marlow & Sons—it's just next door–for a glass of wine.

There is nothing fancy or gimmicky about chef Alex Stupak’s third south-of-the-border-inspired restaurant. What separates Al Pastor from the other restaurants are the modest prices and super approachable vibe—everything is served on paper plates, the seating is first-come, first-served, and tacos start at $6. The taco al pastor is stuffed with spit-roasted, chili-spiced pork and pineapple, and the guacamole is really good, too. Plus, there’s a giant mural on the ceiling that’s essentially the East Village equivalent of the Sistine Chapel—a must-see if you’re into gigantic llamas.

It's really easy to miss the stairs to the downtown space at Peasant. While the main dining room at this Nolita mainstay has a subtly fancy vibe, the basement is decidedly more cozy and relaxed. Rickety communal tables, rustic details, and candles are a little romantic, sure, but it's not at all cheesy. You still have access to the full menu—don't miss the seasonal pastas—as well as the standout wine selection.

If you don’t know what to expect, Gunshow might just be the most surprising dining experience in Atlanta. Here, there’s no such thing as ordering from a menu; plates of food come out of the kitchen as soon as they’re ready, then get carted around to diners, dim-sum style. Rather than stick to a set repertoire, chef/owner Kevin Gillespie and his team get together weekly to brainstorm and divvy up a menu of dishes they’re into at the moment. There’s no affiliation to any one style or cuisine, so you might get braised beef short ribs one day, and Mexican-style peanut-crusted snapper the next. The challenge is not getting attached to any one dish—odds are, you won’t see it again the next time you come back. Also of note: The bustling open kitchen is within eyeshot of almost every table.

Star Provisions is one of our favorite places to shop in Atlanta: There's really good home and kitchen goods, takeout counters (the peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich is a hit), plus all sorts of prepared and packaged foods. Bacchanalia, accessible through the back of the store, is one of Atlanta's best restaurants. It's the perfect solution if you're looking for a sit-down meal: The bar is gigantic and deep, where you can feast on items like crab fritters and celery root ravioli a la carte. Otherwise, it’s a five-course prix-fixe situation.

The menu at this Chinese/Korean hybrid runs the gamut of Asian delicacies. There’s Korean tacos and steamed bao for lunch, ramen and braised mahi mahi for dinner, and a dim sum brunch on the weekends. Ingredients are sourced from local farmers who focus on quality and sustainability. The portions are large enough to encourage sharing and go perfectly with the restaurant’s communal vibe—massive tables, a well-stocked bar, and outdoor picnic tables.

This recent addition to the Atlanta food scene has a beautiful bar area—complete with a killer cocktail menu and wine list—in addition to a more formal dining room. Go here for sharable pintxos (small tapas served on pieces of toast) and meat and fish mains prepared in the traditional Basque coast style over an open-fire grill. As far as desserts go, there’s a marshmallow-topped cake made out of Fruity Pebbles—sugary to say the least, but weirdly compelling.

Nopa is one of few restaurants around that's open late—dinner is served until 1am—which is unheard of in SF. This is a definite good thing considering it can be challenging to land one of the communal tables or booths on a super busy night, but if you’re lucky you can snag a seat at the bar. In a city full of Italian restaurants, this is the place to go for fresh pasta that changes regularly according to what’s in season. So good is the selection of the house-made pastas, burgers, salads, and sides that local chefs go here on their nights off. The wine list is the stuff of legend.

Fresh off a major expansion, which doubled capacity and added outdoor seating, this Ferry Building mainstay draws a consistently big crowd for its oysters. The cooked food menu is pretty enticing as well: The clam chowder is creamy but doesn’t weigh you down after just a few bites and the shrimp and grits is the ideal share plate. But back to the oysters. There are three different variations of grilled oysters in addition to an oyster po’ boy that actually rivals the original.