San Francisco: the best of the best of its dishes

It's the hardest reservation to get in San Francisco!

Thanks, Dot Com Tribe. It's true that the bay's climate, orchards, pioneer farms and multi-cultural population have blessed the area with great food for decades, but in recent years the wealth generated by the boom technological has helped accelerate the development of San Francisco's culinary scene. As home prices have skyrocketed (the price per square foot is the highest in the US), new restaurants have sprung up offering innovative cuisine in casual tables —white tablecloths don't match sweatshirts mark zuckerberg and his minions. Add to that farmers markets, trendy bakeries, and the best Mexican food north of the border. So you'll understand why chefs from New York are heading to the West Coast and the conversation on the buses that transport techies from their own city of apartments to the barracks in Silicon Valley always has to do with what will be for dinner.

The Rich Table team pampering each dish

THE LITTLE LANTERN

In a predominantly Latino area since the 1940s, Mission now it's a hipster haven of cool bike shops, vintage clothing boutiques and coffee delicatessens, but it's still the place to go to have a taco or a burrito. Everyone has a favorite taqueria, whether it's a traditional joint or a newcomer like Tacolicious. I stay with an old school place , El Farolito, at the end of the still seedy Mission Street, with its palm trees and pawnshops. Order the perfectly balanced carnitas taco: steamy, juicy without being greasy and with just the right amount of herbs and spices _(2779 Mission Street; tel. +1 415 824 7877; about €12 for two) _.

RICH TABLE

Innovative food with occasional bites freshly picked It's the order of the day at this Hayes Valley restaurant. start with the dirty hippy (buttermilk mousse with wheat sprouts and seeds) and the sardine chips (fries perfectly entwined with sardines) before ordering the chicken lasagna, with lots of texture and depth thanks to the wheatgerm sauce and sorghum drizzled on top. Leave room for Termignon's Bleu cheese , about homemade bread, and be sure to have a chat with charming chef and co-owner Evan Rich—don't ask him where he picks, won't tell you — _(199 Gough Street; tel. +1 415 355 9085; around €100 for two people) _.

Beef tartare, artichokes and carrots at Rich Table

BLUE BOTTLE COFFEE CO.

The San Franciscans they love fresh food And the same goes for coffee. Here the grains have been roasted just 48 hours before preparation and each one is made individually. The disadvantage? A long wait . The first time I had to queue, I had to wait about 40 minutes; the truth is that the bunny they draw with the foam in each cup is not that it helps too much. Still, it was the creamiest, smoothest latte I've ever had. I have never tried . And I have to confess that I have never been disappointed since then **(1 Ferry Building) **.

The 'San Franciscan' coffee par excellence

STATE BIRD PROVISIONS

Reserve as far in advance as possible at this revolutionary restaurant, located just below Pacific Heights, well known for its trendy dim sum. It's the hardest reservation to get in town! The menu is brief and includes a highly recommended dish: the State Bird with Provisions ('state bird with supplies'), that is, fried California quail with lemon. Although your eyes will also go behind the rest of the dishes —exquisite guinea fowl dumplings with duck liver mousse and nori seaweed chips stuffed with hamachi **(amberjack)** —, skillfully carried by some lively waiters. Among all of them it is easy to distinguish the chef and co-owner, Stuart Brioza . Each dish is so tastefully presented that it's hard to refuse to try them all, which is why dinners tend to become a bite-by-bite celebration _(1529 Fillmore Street, between Geary and O'Farrell; tel. +1 415 795 1272 ; around €60 for two diners) _.

Central Kitchen: it's only been open a year and it's a hit!

KITCHEN HEADQUARTERS

It is not usual that a brunch provokes the whole table to take out their mobiles to take photos and upload them to Instagram, but that is what always happens when they serve the rabbit terrine . The team behind this local Inner Mission , which has only been open a year, is the same as Italian award-winner Flour + Water. With its creative food, a dining room with retractable roof , an attached deli shop — salumeria -, and a smiling and diverse staff , Central Kitchen represents quintessential Northern California. They even serve a local rosé by the glass _(3000 20th Street; tel. +1 415 826 7004; around €63 for two) _.

* This article is published in the May 74 Condé Nast Traveler magazine. This issue is available in its digital version for iPad in the iTunes AppStore, and in the digital version for PC, Mac, Smartphone and iPad in the virtual newsstand by Zinio (on Smartphone devices: Android, PC/Mac, Win8, WebOS, Rim, iPad) .

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