SF Gate: Food & Dining

Urban Tavern in San Francisco has an accessible menu that focuses on simply prepared food with some Mediterranean influences. Its location - one block from the Geary and Curran theaters and just a few blocks from the Golden Gate and Orpheum - make it a good pre- and post-theater choice. With a 360-degree view.

What's New
		Nettie's Crab Shack opens in S.F. AKA, Pisco Latin Lounge open Grand Lake Farmers' Market report 'Organic Marin' cookbook

This Week's Recipes

Lamb Sirloin with Savory Pomegranate Sauce

Cardamom Syrup

Midtown Mule

Baked Fall Fruit Compote

Creme Anglaise

Nutty Oatmeal-Chocolate-Cherry Cookies

Cucumber Shiso Salad with Umeboshi Dressing

Spaghetti with Tonnato & Crispy Breadcrumbs

Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas, Walnuts & Fall Fruit

Honey-Poached Pears with Chocolate Drizzle

Tonnato Sauce with Crostini

more recipes

Food Archive
		The Diet Outlaw In her quest to balance passion for food with moderation, Roving Feast columnist Marlena Spieler develops her own rules.
The Breadmakers' Guru When it comes to dough, Michel Suas, the founder of the San Francisco Baking Institute, is the artisans' go-to guy.
Loving Lard Piggybacking on the whole hog trend, a much-maligned fat makes a comeback.

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Restaurant Reviews

Monk's Kettle
It's best to stick with pub fare and beer at this Mission District gastropub. - Amanda Gold

MacArthur Park
There's new life in the old Palo Alto building -- and that's a pleasure to see. - Miriam Morgan

Acquacotta
Chef/owner John Couacaud brings his interpretation of seasonal Italian-inspired food to Alameda's Webster Street neighborhood. With a 360-degree view. - Miriam Morgan

more reviews

Turkey Training Camp
The Four-Star Cook-Off
Want to judge whether Michael Mina or Douglas Keane makes a better Thanksgiving meal? Tell us why you should win!

Six Of A Kind
Bay Area Classics
Dozens of restaurants have informed the Bay Area dining scene for decades, but these six longtime favorites are as vibrant today as the day they opened.

Inside Scoop
Cafe Majestic Lands Cortez Chef
Louis Maldonado becomes the new chef; Cav's new value-conscious menu; and more news.

Column Archives
The Accidental Vegetarian, The Baker, Chef's Night In, Inside Scoop, South to North, Taster's Choice, The Working Cook

Blog
Michael Bauer: Between Meals
Talk food with The Chronicle's resident expert.

About Our Reviews
Get the facts on how and when The Chronicle Food section reviews restaurants.

Taster's Choice
Frozen Macaroni And Cheese
With the exception of one top product, these were nothing to write home about.

Food Conscious
Grocery To Farming
Bi-Rite has long been recognized for its commitment to local, seasonal produce, but it may be the first market to actually grow its own food.

The Baker
Quick Desserts
Working with simply delicious ingredients, you'll find that you are limited only by your imagination.

Debuts La Toque, Napa
SFGate Revisits Casa Orinda, Orinda Anzu, S.F. Presidio Social Club, S.F
Bargain Bites 2008 Cheap, tasty eats that won't break the bank. Our annual guide to the best of Bay Area bargain dining.
Top 100 Restaurants This year's of the best restaurants in the Bay Area features 19 new entries. Plus maps and 360-degree views.
Bargain Bites: Cafe M This breakfast/ lunch spot on Berkeley's Fourth Street shopping promenade puts a spin on classics like French toast.
Bar Bite: Pizzaiolo Relaxed, hip and sensuous, this Oakland spot features wood-fired pizzas and a nice wine list.

Resources	Newsletter	Cookbook
Top 100 Restaurants Top 100 Wines Food at 20 Bargain Bites Bay Area Farmers' Markets	Get the best of seasonal recipes, products and tips with our e-mail newsletter. Sign Up Today!	The Working Cook: Fast And Fresh Meals For Busy People by Tara Duggan Order Book
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Meet the Chronicle Food and Wine Writers

Chronicle Wine

more wine

Retooling An Icon
With a state-of-the-art winery and new approach, Beaulieu Vineyard embarks on a mission to take its flagship Cabernet, Georges de Latour Private Reserve, to new heights.

The Cheese Course
Italy's Lagrein cheese is steeped in wine.

Chronicle Wine Selections
Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon.

Chronicle Food Articles Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Pantry 101
.A version of this ran in The Chronicle in 1999, when the Working Cook column debuted, but we've added a few new things to it.) This list does not include Top 10 that ran in "Kitchen Essentials." Arom...

The Inside Scoop: Cafe Majestic lands former Cortez chef
.Things were looking promising for Cafe Majestic (1500 Sutter St.), which earned three stars when it reopened in 2006 after a four-year hiatus. Then, over the summer Chronicle Rising Star chef Ian Beg...

Food Conscious: S.F. grocery branches out into farming
Jane Tunks
.In spring, Simon Richard planted 700 seeds in his Bernal Heights garage. Within weeks, shoots and leaves of artisan edibles such as Romano beans, arugula and, of course, lots of heirloom tomatoes wer...

Kitchen Essentials: 10 versatile pantry items
Tara Duggan
.When shopping, many Bay Area cooks tend to focus on produce and other fresh foods. We make obsessive lists for milk and juice for the morning, meat for dinner, salad greens for workday lunches. In do...

So you think you're a food critic?
.That granddaddy of cooking days - Thanksgiving - is approaching. For years The Chronicle Food section has conducted Turkey Training Camp, where we've either taught desperate readers how to make a Tha...

East to West: Cucumber crop rewards a reluctant gardener
Linda Furiya
.This spring, my 5-year-old talked me into planting our own vegetable garden. Before I was coaxed into this project, I really didn't feel the desire to take on a new hobby. Fresh vegetables are a boon...

Taster's Choice: Frozen macaroni and cheese
Amanda Gold
.Whenever someone asks me for suggestions on which dishes freeze well, I always put macaroni and cheese in my top five. It's what I'll make for a friend who's sick or has just had a baby, when they're...

What's New: 'Organic Marin' cookbook
Audrey Sherman
.Veterans of the Bay Area's organic movement share their recipes and knowledge in the new cookbook, "Organic Marin: Recipes from Land to Table," by Tim Porter and Farina Wong Kingsley. Porter, a forme...

What's New: AKA, Pisco Latin Lounge open
.AKA. This bistro from Southern California restaurateur Robert Simon (Bistro 45 in Pasadena) opened Saturday in the former Keller Brothers Market in St. Helena. The menu by executive chef Chris Kenned...

What's New: Grand Lake Farmers' Market report
Deb Wandell
.Late summer's bounty is on its way out and fall produce is in at the Grand Lake Farmers' Market in Oakland. On Saturday, shoppers at the Twin Girls Farm stand could pick up pomegranates - their short...

What's New: Nettie's Crab Shack opens in S.F.
Tara Duggan
.Despite the Bay Area's proximity to the ocean, it can be hard to find casual seafood restaurants offering fish that hasn't been previously frozen and shipped from another coast. Annette Yang and chef...

Dining Out: Stick with pub fare at Monk's Kettle
Amanda Gold
.Driving through the heart of the Mission District, it's hard to tell the new neighbors from the old. A weathered funkiness pervades the crowded restaurants and bars that make up the long stretch of 1...

Dining Update: MacArthur Park back in the groove
Miriam Morgan
.Palo Alto's MacArthur Park has always been a distinctive restaurant, occupying a landmark 1918 building that originally served as a welcoming center for World War I servicemen and their families. In ...

Food & Wine Benefits
.Seafood festival Enjoy crab cakes and other seafood dishes at Spenger's Fresh Fish Grotto's eighth annual Crabby Chefs Seafood Festival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The festival includes an "Iro...

Quick dessert is no mere trifle
Flo Braker
.They say you can never go back, but they also say that everything old is new again. Thinking about that paradox led me to a delicious discovery from my past. A few weeks ago, I needed a quick dessert...