KQED's Forum: Restaurant Roundup

Listen to KQED's Forum: Restaurant Roundup
Original Broadcast: Thu, Jan 10, 2013 -- 10:00 AM

From grass-fed shaking beef to locally sourced golden chanterelles to salt-roasted pear sorbet, San Francisco has long been a hub of dining innovation. What new restaurants or old standbys are your favorites? KQED's Forum get the latest from dining critics on the best cuisine and dining trends in the Bay Area.

Host: Michael Krasny

Guests:

• Carolyn Jung, dining blogger at FoodGal.com and former food writer and editor for the San Jose Mercury News
• Jonathan Kauffman, San Francisco editor for TastingTable.com and former restaurant critic for the East Bay Express, the Seattle Weekly and the SF Weekly
• Michael Bauer, executive food and wine editor and restaurant critic for The San Francisco Chronicle and member of the James Beard Foundation Restaurant Awards Committee

More info:
• Bay Area Bites
• Food Gal
• Tasting Table
• Is New York Losing the Restaurant War to the Bay Area? (The Awl)

Restaurants Recommended by Food Critics and Bloggers

SAN FRANCISCO

Marlowe
Pläj
Benu (chef Corey Lee)
Park Tavern
Aziza
Bar Tartine
Quince
Sandbox Bakery (opened by former chef at Slanted Door)
Deli Board
Outerlands
Commonwealth
Kokkari
Craftsman and Wolves
Lai Hong Lounge in Chinatown (branch of Kong Kong Lounge)
M.Y. China in Westfield Mall
Hakkasan
Mandalay
Charles Phan's Hard Water (not yet opened)

EAST BAY

Miss Ollie's in Oakland
Flora Restaurant and Bar in Oakland
Hopscotch Restaurant and Bar in Oakland
Duende in Oakland
Cosecha in Oakland
Ippuku in Berkeley (chef Christian Geideman)
Cafe Gratitude in Berkeley
Beauty's Bagel Shop in Oakland
Authentic Bagel Company in Oakland
Bartavelle Coffee and Wine Bar in Berkeley
Chez Panisse in Berkeley
Slow Hand BBQ in Pleasant Hill
Comal in Berkeley (former chef at Delfina's)
Tamarindo Antojeria Mexicana in Oakland
Gather in Berkeley
Saul's Restaurant and Delicatessen in Berkeley
A16 (currently in San Francisco. Set to open another location in the East Bay)

PENINSULA AND SOUTH BAY

Chez TJ in Mountain View
Alexander's Steakhouse in San Francisco and Silicon Valley
The Sea in Palo Alto
Attic in San Mateo
Manresa in Los Gatos
All Spice in San Mateo

NORTH BAY

Mill Valley Beerworks in Mill Valley
Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael (founding owner of member Grateful Dead)
The Tavern at Lark Creek in Larkspur
Picco in Larkspur

Restaurants Recommended by Callers

SAN FRANCISCO

Halu in the Inner Richmond
Dixie
Arang Korean Restaurant
Ayulta in the Mission
Saha
El Nopalito
Original Joe's Italian
The Slanted Door
Zuni Café
Goat Hill Pizza

EAST BAY

Hot Basil Café in Concord
The Compass Star in Martinez
Artisan Bistro in Lafayette
Taqueria El Farolito in Oakland
La Costa in Oakland
Fentons Creamery in Oakland
Champa Garden in Oakland
Disco Volante in Oakland
Brown Sugar Kitchen in Oakland

PENINSULA AND SOUTH BAY

31st Union in San Mateo
CasCal in Mountain View
Buda Thai in Mountain View
Heavenly Cafe in Scotts Valley

NORTH BAY

Yanni's Sausage Grill of Penngrove
Rosso Pizzeria and Mozzarella Bar (good gluten-free crust)
Hole in the Wall Restaurant in Sebastopol
The Spinster Sisters in Santa Rosa
Backyard in Forestville
The Thomas and Fagiani's Bar at The Thomas in Napa
Goose and Gander in Saint Helena
Scopa in Healdsburg
Spoonbar in Healdsburg

Google Map of Forum's Restaurant Roundup
Blue markers indicate restaurants that were recommended by show guests: Michael Bauer of The San Francisco Chronicle, Carolyn Jung of FoodGal.com, and Jonathan Kauffman of TastingTable.com. Yellow markers represent restaurants recommended by Forum listeners and Facebook fans.

View KQED Forum's Bay Area Restaurant Roundup in a larger map