starters/ travel NAVIGATOR san fran bites back San Franciscans still smart over “Fig-Gate”—the bicoastal war of words ignited by Manhattan chef David Chang’s griping at a food conference in late 2009 that “f---ing every restaurant in San Francisco is serving figs on a plate with nothing on it.” Translation: Bay Area chefs can’t stop worshipping at the Alice Waters altar, eternally showcasing local produce without interference—or, sadly, innovation—from the kitchen. Chang had a point. San Franciscans knew it, and lamented that New York had become the center of the American Kitchen prep at Saison; food universe. Well, that is the Bay Bridge; just so 2009, because the squid and pork belly at Commonwealth; 12 months after Chang’s Bar Agricole’s black crack saw the greatest cod croquettes. explosion of San Francisco restaurant openings in modern memory, with a single message trumpeted by all those ambitious new menus: The future of Bay Area fine dining has arrived. DANIEL DUANE EAT 1/ commonwealth On a downscale urban block in the hip, multiethnic Mission District, virtuoso chef Jason Fox harmonizes a dizzying array of international ingredients. Standouts include ER KUGLER I V I sea urchin with sweet potato L tempura, chrysanthemum leaf, O shiso, scallion, and yuzu kosho; ON BY and squid and pork belly with I jidori egg salad, potato croutons, and herb vinaigrette. 2224 Mission Street; 415-355-1500; commonwealthsf.com MAP ILLUSTRAT photographs by aya brackett Cotogna warms up the Financial District; Matt McNamara and Teague Moriarty, co-chefs at Sons & Daughters. 2/ saison (SoMa) neighborhood spot 5/ heirloom café 8/ cotogna Featuring an eight-course offers sophisticated tipples This charming bistro has The copper bar glows near the prix fixe in a casually like the Moonraker Cocktail, high ceilings, old wood floors, wood-burning pizza oven; the elegant setting, Saison is combining brandy, peach and a bar overlooking the aroma of spit-roasting pork tucked behind a café on whiskey, Cocchi Americano, open kitchen, which serves fills the rustic dining room; San Francisco’s unlikely and absinthe. Smoked black new takes on simple fare like and pastas include a raviolo new “Avenue of the Great cod croquettes pack a wallop marinated-beet salad. But filled with ricotta and an egg Restaurants”: deserted Folsom under their crust, and the the best dish isn’t on the yolk that breaks under your Street. The open wood fire chopped liver on toast is a menu: Ask for the Heirloom knife to bleed into a brown- allows chef Joshua Skenes to delight. 355 11th Street; 415-355- burger, which has Époisses butter sauce. 490 Pacific Avenue; create a distinctive cuisine, 9400; baragricole.com cheese worked into the ground 415-775-8508; cotognasf.com conjuring deep, soothing sirloin. 2500 Folsom Street; 415- umami from a bowl of bonito 4/ sons & daughters 821-2500; heirloom-sf.com 9/ benu dashi with toasted grains New American Cuisine with a Corey Lee, former chef de and greens, followed by a big touch of molecular gastronomy 6/ prospect cuisine under Thomas Keller at slab of roasted beet and bone is showcased here, with four A dazzling SoMa space with The French Laundry, swings marrow. 2124 Folsom Street; 415- courses going for a reasonable floor-to-ceiling windows and a for the Michelin-starred 828-7990; saisonsf.com $54. Just up Nob Hill from brilliantly complex menu. Rich, fences with profoundly Union Square shopping, crispy pig’s-trotter croquettes original eastward-looking 3/ bar agricole the cozy room serves a fine pair with luscious pig’s-head dishes. Mock shark’s fin soup Sourcing small-label spirits squab breast with squab leg salumi and bright chile-lime with Dungeness crabmeat and with the same fervor as local confit, squab pâté, pear, and vinaigrette; seared calamari black truffle custard is set meats and produce, this hazelnuts. 708 Bush Street; 415- and octopus bring char-grilled inside a pork stock made from big, splashy South of Market 391-8311; sonsanddaughterssf.com notes to spicy chorizo and a rare Chinese prosciutto. clams. 300 Spear Street; 415-247- 22 Hawthorne Street; 415-685- 7770; prospectsf.com 4860; benusf.com 7/ wayfare tavern STAY Tyler Florence’s faux 19th- 10/ intercontinental century hunting lodge san francisco 8 with 1906-earthquake This 32-story tower is walking 7 memorabilia is plopped distance from downtown 4 6 among the Financial and from the great Saturday ER KUGLER District’s office towers. It Ferry Plaza farmers’ market. I 10 V I L serves nostalgic menu items Rooms from $229; 888 Howard 3 9 O like abalone, Dungeness Street; 415-616-6500; 2 crab, and the Gold-Rush-era intercontinentalsanfrancisco.com ON BY I 1 Hangtown Fry, blending 5 local eggs and bacon with fried oysters. 558 Sacramento FIND MORE TRAVEL GUIDES TO Street; 415-772-9060; DELICIOUS DESTINATIONS AT MAP ILLUSTRAT wayfaretavern.com BONAPPETIT.COM/GO/TRAVEL APRIL 2011 /21.