Making a List of Best New Restaurants

I go out to eat a lot, I’m not going to lie.  And while I have my favorite restaurants that I visit more often than others, I also try to get to as many new spots as I can every year.  It’s habit, I want to see what’s new out there, what all the buzz is about.  So how do I choose the best of the best?

There is only one question I ask myself when judging at year's end - how often would I come back to this restaurant?  It seems simplistic, but is a good barometer for me in making my selections.  Going on a third year of selecting new spots, my selections in the past haven’t let me down to this day - I still go back to them time-and-time again and know I’ll have a great meal.  I have a feeling it’s the same for this year’s crop.  They (all six) are places I have already visited on multiple occasions.  Some were showstoppers from the beginning, others have slowly improved with each visit.  They aren’t the fanciest spots, but there is one word that stands out in describing this year’s best: soul.  There is a certain comfort in each space, a certain down-home feel, like you’re eating in the kitchen of the chef.  Their food might bring you a better understanding of where they grew up, a food passion, or their evolution as a chef.  Many will agree, many will disagree, but that’s the great thing about writing about food; we all have our opinions, one way or another, and these are my opinions, not those of anyone else.

Before we get to the list of six, I’ll lead with a few comments about places I visited that I enjoyed, many of which I just didn’t have the time to visit more than once.  There were plenty of interesting restaurant openings in 2013 for sure.

-A16 Rockridge: The second Bay Area location touched down in Oakland's Rockridge neighborhood, with some similarities to the original, but plenty of unique menu items as well.  Seafood plays a prevalent role on the menu and there are an array of cocktails as well.  Don't worry, there is pizza and pasta too.

-Box & Bells: I’m not sure if I can give a fair judgment, as I ate a full meal at Commis before heading to Chef James Syhabout’s newest spot on opening night.  But having done a preview dinner as well, I think it’s fair to say, the restaurant is a stark contrast to Commis and Hawker Fare, which is great.  Plenty of creativity to the menu and terrific cocktails.
-Coqueta: Probably the biggest differing of opinions about Michael Chiarello’s waterfront restaurant this year among food writers in the Bay Area and around the country.  It has been lauded by many, criticized by others.  My personal opinion – great special occasion restaurant, terrific service, interesting menu, but it can be a bit on the pricey side.

-Duende: Oakland had a damn good food year.  And one of the spots that led the way was Duende, in the Uptown neighborhood.  I have had really good experiences here, and one really poor experience.  I liked the food, just didn’t fall in love with it.  I liked the drinks too, and think it's a great spot to grab a cocktail before a show at the Fox. I love the space and music aspect, just something has been missing for me.
-Fog City: Enjoyed my visit to the remodeled space and most of the dishes were really spot-on, especially the Wood-Oven Chicken.  It is a terrific remodel of a classic space, from cocktails to appetizers and entrees.
-Iyasare: Lots of sadness when O Chame closed, but Chef Sho Kamio has a winner on his hands with the opening of Iyasare.  One of the real intriguing menus for me this year - I love Japanese food and I’m not sure there is another place like this in the Bay Area.  Great flavor profiles with each dish and a beautiful space.

-Maruya: When Sebo closed, it saddened me because it was one less great sushi place in the Bay Area.  But Maruya comes pretty close.  As I have said many times, it’s all about the sushi rice and Chef Sasaki gets it. Nice presentation too.
-Roka Akor: This restaurant is on my to-do list for the new year.  I have been to media events here, but haven’t gotten the chance to actually sit down and enjoy a “regular meal.”  The concept and idea are appealing, an upscale Japanese-inspired steakhouse with a huge robata grill.  The space is beautiful, both upstairs and downstairs in the Roka Bar.
-Stones Throw: I enjoyed my meal at Stones Throw, the new restaurant in San Francisco’s Russian Hill neighborhood, but while everything was good, nothing blew me away.  Nice menu and wine list, great service from start to finish, just nothing said wow to me.  Would love to try it again though.
-TBD: Lots of mixed opinions, but I really enjoyed this restaurant.  To me, it’s nice to see a chef want to do something different and creative and not just go for the “static” restaurant formula.  Great concept and really enjoyed the food.

-Tosca Cafe: Probably the one restaurant where I have a hugely differing opinion from the majority.  Even though it is right around the corner from my office, I’m not sure how often I would visit the new Tosca.  I think the new menu from Chef April Bloomfield is terrific.  The cocktail and wine list are both first rate.  But it has quickly become “that spot” that is overly crowded, with an impossible waiting list.  I just don’t want to deal with that hassle, unless it’s a non-peak time.

There were plenty of other restaurants that I enjoyed in 2013. Overall, it was really good year for restaurants and proved to be a lot of fun trying all the new places out.