With restaurants all over the City filling up for Mother’s Day, you don’t need a special occasion to visit the following restaurants. Don’t fight the crowds, and don’t fight your desire to reserve a table.
Nombe – A relatively new addition to the Mission’s already stellar dining scene, Nombe proves that seasonal, sustainable, local, Japanese izakaya food has a place in this city. The menu offers a variety of small plates with distinct flavors that pack a punch, ranging from various meats on sticks (yakimono), to a plethora of fried options (agemono), to more robust, expertly-seasoned dishes like the grilled pork spare ribs or the pork belly. This is not a place where you’ll want to skip dessert; I’m convinced that if magic came in some sort of physical, edible form, it would taste exactly like Nombe’s light-as-air beignets, served with seasonal fruit and whipped crème fraiche. You’ll leave feeling as if Nombe filled a culinary void that you didn’t even know existed - one, which luckily, will never have to be empty again.
Bar Tartine – In a way, Bar Tartine seems a bit like the middle child that doesn’t get the attention it deserves because everyone’s focus is on its older, more established sibling: Tartine Bakery. Although there may be less hype swirling around its doors, Bar Tartine’s refined, contemporary menu is equally worthy of the praise and accolades bestowed upon the bakery itself. Menu favorites include the ever-so-healthy roasted marrow bones, pancake-like puffs of semolina gnocchi, and heaps of perfectly-crisp, heavily seasoned fries. If all of that isn’t enough to win you over, this restaurant comes equipped with a secret weapon: loaves of Tartine bread. And everyone knows, there is no defense in the face of Tartine’s freshly baked bread.
Quince – After having moved earlier this year from a quaint, romantic space in Pacific Heights, into a sprawling, elegant spread in the Financial District, the look and feel of Quince has been completely revamped. While Quince has always been known for being amongst San Francisco’s premier restaurants, the upgraded interior now emulates this reputation for excellence and gives the cuisine the appropriate stage on which to shine. Although the composition of many dishes changes to reflect the seasonality of the ingredients, an order of the veal sweetbread appetizer, or the masterfully-crafted triangoli pasta, is a sure bet to impress. Equally impressive: the cheese selection. With such a wide array of flavors and textures, every diner is sure to find an option that fits all of their cheesy needs and desires.
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