The Ten Most Underrated Restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area (2008)
In an earlier post, I grumped and harrumphed about the most overrated restaurants in the Bay Area. My sense of fairness (yes, I have one) compels me to admit that there are also restaurants that are underrated. These are my top 10 for this year.
Per usual, I should confine the list to places I’ve patronized in the last year. But I want to give props to some faves I haven’t visited for a while. Maybe next year…
1. Boboquivari's (aka, Bobo’s) flies totally under the radar. No Bauer review. The Zagat entry is user added. Little or no mention in the blogs. Why? The bizarre décor that freaked Mackie out the one time I got her to go there with me? The peculiar marriage of a steakhouse and a Lombard Street Travelodge? For whatever reason, what I consider to be the best steak in the City – Bobo’s filet – is largely ignored. And being a rib-eye guy, rating a filet as my fave is saying something. Bobo’s cooks their meat charred on the outside, juicy on the inside even at medium temperature, just the way I like it. Great onion rings too. If you go, be forewarned, at $39.00 for most of their steaks and $8.00 per for the sides, Bobo’s ain’t cheap. The complimentary valet parking takes some of the sting out of the bill.
2. Lean rib-eye sounds like an oxymoron but that’s exactly what El Raigón serves. Their center-cut rib-eye manages to be tender and tasty with little fat. The beef is grass-fed in the Argentinean style although my understanding is that the meat comes from the U.S. The steaks are complemented by a wide selection of Malbecs from Argentina, including three by the glass. The ones I’ve tried have been quite tasty. Every bit as good as any steakhouse in the city, El Raigón is a better value than most. Steaks range from $23.00 to $36.00, sides are $6.00 each. The wine list, however, is pricy – only one red bottle is available for less than $30.00. While El Raigón is largely ignored by local foodies – Michael Bauer didn’t see fit to give it a place in his Top 100 – Playboy gets it. They named El Raigón one of America’s 10 Best Steakhouses.
3. The Bell Tower's match books proclaim it “A Neighborhood Bar Serving Great Food from Noon to Midnight.” Rarely have I seen such a succinct, accurate statement describing any business, let alone a restaurant. The Bell Tower is like comfortable, well-worn pair of jeans – something you want to wear as often as possible though not for a truly formal occasion. The rib-eye is great, and at $21.50, including potatoes and creamed spinach, is a deal. Get the sauce and bleu cheese butter on the side – the meat’s so good they aren’t necessary. At lunch, try the carnitas or a burger. For weekend brunch, go with the huevos rancheros or the egg sandwich (I usually ask them to sub Canadian for regular bacon on the eggwich). If Barbie’s working the bar, order her signature Barbarita. If it’s Eric Dove, he makes one of the best lemon drops I’ve tasted. Largely unknown outside of the neighborhood and some industry types who frequent it, loyalists call The Bell Tower the best bar in San Francisco. I’ll drink to that.
4. If Ryan Scott were to spend a few days in the Flower Market Café's kitchen with chef Salvatore DiGrande, he’d know how to make great chicken picata, I guarantee it. FMC’s dinner menu also features excellent pasta, lamb, steaks and seafood. At lunch, try the chicken salad sandwich or a burger. For breakfast, the banana pancakes are a favorite but the waffles and French toast are also good (although I advise asking for them well-done because the kitchen sometimes undercooks these dishes). The place has a friendly, family vibe and free parking at dinner time. Why no one talks about it is beyond me.
5. Middle-Eastern food in general, and Persian in particular, deserves more recognition. It’s tasty and, for the most part, it’s healthy. We could do without the onions served so you can eat ‘em like apples but, otherwise, Mackie and I are big fans. Our favorite Persian joint in the city is the little-known Alborz. All the kababs we’ve tried – koobideh (seasoned ground beef), joojeh (marinated chicken breast) and barg (thinly sliced filet mignon) – have been excellent, as was the shashlik (rack of lamb). The kabob combination platters are generally big enough for two. For starters, Alborz makes great hummus. The Greek salad is also good but the dressing can be a bit vinegary. For dessert, try the baklava or crème caramel. One insider tip – if you ask for iced tea, it comes out of the soda dispenser but if you ask for Persian iced tea, they’ll fresh brew it for you.
6. Thanks to its inclusion in San Francisco guide books, L'Osteria Del Forno seems to be better known to tourists than to locals. A shame. Their pizza stands with the best in the City while their insalata Caprese, tweaked with the addition of capers and green olives, is among my favorite renditions of a favorite dish. For a change of pace, I like the insalata rustica, a mixture of tuna, white beans, celery, oregano, olive oil and balsamic. No reservations, so there can be a wait. Cash only.
7. There’s plenty of chatter about down and dirty Mexican joints. La Taqueria was a fixture in Michael Bauer’s Top 100 list until being dropped in 2008. Bloggers review taco trucks. There’s even blog dedicated solely to reviewing taquerias in San Francisco! Salvadoran cooking gets no such respect but it should. See my previous posts on Balompie Café’s mother ship in the Mission and its new outpost in SoMa.
8. It may seem odd to call a place with a 23 Zagat food rating and 2 ½ Bauer stars underrated but Maki has achieved radio silence in the press and blogsphere. Is it the miniscule operating hours (open for 38 hours per week for dinner and weekend lunch combined), the bizarre location (about half of the seating is in a Japantown Center hallway) or the oddball menu (the only place I’ve seen a wappa meshi served)? Whoever stole Maki’s buzz, return it now!
9. Is it my imagination or is Amber India resting on a reputation earned years ago (or perhaps entirely unearned)? The meal I had there was terrible! I nominate Masala to take its place in Michael Bauer’s Top 100. Every dish I’ve had from Masala has been excellent. Now, let’s give the place the props it’s earned.
10. My inclusion of Korean Village in the most underrated list is the mirror image of Brother’s being in the most overrated list. It seems that everyone in the City thinks that Brother’s is the go-to place for Korean barbeque in SF. I think that Korean Village deserves that mantle. Mackie too.
Boboquivari's
1450 Lombard Street
between Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
Map
Web site
Food inspection score: 92
Symbol of Excellence: Yes
El Raigón
510 Union Street
near Grant Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94133
415-291-0927
Web site
Food inspection score: 98
Symbol of Excellence: No
1900 Polk Street
at Jackson Street
San Francisco, CA 94118
No web site
Food inspection score: 88
Symbol of Excellence: No
Flower Market Café's
698 Brannan Street
at 6th Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
415-495-7162
Web site
Food inspection score: 94
Symbol of Excellence: Yes
NOTE: Dinner service currently limited to Friday and Saturday evenings
1245 Van Ness Avenue
at Sutter Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
415-440-4321
Map
No web site
Food inspection score: 92
Symbol of Excellence: No
L'Osteria Del Forno
519 Columbus Avenue
between Green Street and Union Street
San Francisco, CA 94133
415-982-1124
Web site
Food inspection score: 100
Symbol of Excellence: No
Balompié Café
3349 18th Street
at Capp Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415-648-9199
No web site
Food inspection score: 96
Symbol of Excellence: No
Maki
1825 Post Street
in Japantown Center
San Francisco, CA 94115
415-921-5215
Map
No web site
Food inspection score: 100
Symbol of Excellence: No
Masala
1220 9th Avenue
between Irving Street and Lincoln Way
San Francisco, CA 94122
415-566-6976
Map
Web site
Food inspection score: 90
Symbol of Excellence: Yes
Amber India
2290 West El Camino Real
between Rengstorff Avenue and San Antonio Road
in the Olive Tree Shopping Center
Mountain View, CA 94040
650-968-7511
Map
Web site
Food inspection score: Not located in San Francisco
Symbol of Excellence: N/A
Korean Village
near 10th Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94118
Food inspection score: 99
Symbol of Excellence: No
Brothers Korean Restaurant
between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94118
415-387-7991
Food inspection score: 96
Symbol of Excellence: Yes
Live close to the Bell Tower, and agree with you: love the food, love the bar...BUT...as a beer drinker I find it unconscionable that they (or anyone!) use the "cheater" pint glasses for their beer. You know, the ones that look like they hold 16 ounces, but the bottom is really thick and narrows very quickly. One finishes one's beer and thinks, "Gee that beer went fast." NO BAR should cheat customers like that.
Otherwise, great spot. Food consistently good, interesting mix of people.
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I deprecated my prior comment on this subject plus my post because I spoke to the owner of the Bell Tower and she told me that they don't serve pints -- their large glasses are 14.2 ounces. She was aghast that I'd managed to cram 16 ounces into one and then wrote about it. How I did that, I don't know...I wasn't working on level surfaces so maybe my measuring cup indicated more than was really in it.
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Great list of restaurants that frequently are overlooked. Have not hit them all but based on the ones that I have, I have a sneaking suspicion I'll like the rest, thanks for putting this one together.
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Let me know when you complete the circult...I'd love to compare notes.
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