Situated amongst the clusters of chic boutiques that dot this busy stretch of Fillmore Street in Pacific Heights, one could easily make the mistake of walking past this charming Italian restaurant with its unassuming black exterior and matching black awning. The name SPQR, which is an acronym for Senatus Populesque Romanus, and translates to “The People and Senate of Rome”, should explain its menu of rustic Italian dishes and great selection of Italian wines.

|Chef Matthew Accarrino| and his team have been hard at work, creating a diverse menu of dishes that change seasonally to showcase the best local ingredients. Much time and care goes into every dish, preparing everything including their pastas from scratch. Pretty impressive feat considering the staff can serve so many people every evening and still produce amazing food from its compact open kitchen. It’s often you’ll find owner |Shelley Lindgren| working the front of house as the wine director, and she is a great resource for wine paring recommendations. With friendly and professional service, coupled with delicious and sophisticated Italian fare, it’s no surprise this place is packed every night. Advanced reservations can be booked via their web site and are highly recommended, unless you are fine with possibility of eating at the bar/chef’s counter. |SPQR|

Hours of Operation:
Mon-Sat: 5:30pm – 10:30pm
Sun: 5:30pm – 10pm
Sat & Sun Brunch: 11am – 2:30pm

Named after the natural stimulant that is quite popular in Southeast Asia, Betelnut’s menu of contemporary Asian dishes and selection of crafted cocktails may evoke a similar reaction of mild hot sensations in the body and slightly heightened alertness to one’s surroundings. Located right along Union Street, the street facing windows are often opened up on warm days to encourage people watching while dining and drinking. The interior of this restaurant has one of the cooler Asian-inspired designs, similar in theme to a beer house found in places like Singapore. Design touches from the wooden Chinese paddles nailed to the wall, the sprinkler pipes painted to look like bamboo and the wall art posters all help transport diners far from its Cow Hollow locale.

Betelnut takes a contemporary approach to more traditional dishes from Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, and China. Their selection of appetizers go great with beer or their list of specialty cocktails. Personal favorites include the dishes pictured below along with the glazed pork short ribs, their noodle dishes, and the fried Red Snapper that is served whole.|Betelnut|

Open 7 days a week:
Mon-Thurs: 11:30am-11pm
Fri-Sat: 11am-12am
Sun: 11:30am-11pm

A fairly consistent barometer for delicious and authentic Dim Sum can often be surmised on the quality of the siumai. This Outer Sunset destination does not disappoint with their large-sized pork, shrimp, and shiitake mushroom dumplings, which are freshly prepared in-house and served piping hot. Unlike other establishments that have their menu items wheeled around the dining room on carts, the Dim Sum here arrives to the table directly from the kitchen, often needing a few moments to cool down.

Favorites here include the shrimp dumplings, stuffed rice noodles, minced pork dumplings stuffed in deep-fried glutinous rice, pork spare ribs, mixed sticky rice steamed in a lotus leaf, and the bell peppers stuffed with crab.

Hours of Operation:
Dim Sum: Mon-Fri: 10am – 2:30pm
Sat-Sun: 9am – 3pm
Dinner: Mon-Fri: 5pm – 9:30pm
Sat-Sun: 5pm – 10pm

From the owners of Beretta comes Delarosa, a modern Italian restaurant that’s conveniently located on Chestnut Street in the Marina district. Though the signage looks more at home on a stainless steel Italian espresso machine, the interior is warm and inviting, with its share of high top communal tables encouraging conversation amongst diners.

Chef Ruggero Gadaldi’s menu features a mix of antipasti, salads, pastas, and Roman style pizzas, all complimented by a large selection of draft beers, wines and cocktails. Best of all, Delarosa is open late until 1 am most nights and also has a weekend brunch perfect for some daytime drinks. |Delarosa|

Hours of Operation:
Mon-Sun: 11am – 1am
Sat & Sun Brunch: 11am – 4pm

One of my favorite restaurants in the Mission for its sleek and modern design, Farina’s ambiance is so inviting it just exudes cool. The curved curtain of glass that wraps around the frontage is beautiful yet functional, able to slide fully open to allow the breeze to circulate through. Skylights help keep the space bright with natural light, while the comfortable designer furniture helps to define the setting.

Chef Paolo Laboa relies on seasonal and fresh ingredients to bring out the best from his rustic yet elegant dishes influenced from his upbringing in Liguria, Italy. Freshly prepared pastas with their signature Genovese Pesto is a popular favorite here, as well as their Neapolitan pizzas. With so many delicious choices, it’s always fun to sample a bit of everything, just leave room for some of their amazing desserts. |Farina|

Hours of Operation:
Mon-Thurs: 5:30pm-10pm
Fri-Sat: 5pm-10pm
Sun: 9am-3pm, 5pm-10pm

If a night at the theater is in your plans, then so should drinks and dinner at Jardinière. Conveniently located across the street from both the War Memorial Opera house and the Davies Symphony Hall, it is a perfect place to come for a cocktail and a bite to eat before a show.

For my last visit, I found myself at the self-seating section called the J Lounge, prior to seeing the San Francisco Ballet’s production of Romeo & Juliet. The lounge is on the first floor of the restaurant, surrounding the beautifully ornamented bar, and offers a smaller version of the menu as well as an array of festive cocktails. There is also a curtained off area available for private events. The beautiful, curved staircase leads to the main dining room, which overlooks the lounge area. If you’re in the mood for a fun cocktail, be sure to try one of Jardinière’s original concoctions. For dessert, my favorite is the Bonne Bouche Platter, which comes with a variety of cookies, cakes and tarts. A bit of a warning though, dining here can get a bit pricey. |Jardiniere|

Open 7 days a week:
Sun-Mon: 5pm–10pm
Tues-Sat: 5pm-10:30pm

Italian for “by jove”, “wow”, or just sheer astonishment, Perbacco strives to pleasantly surprise the senses with their take on regional Italian cuisine from Piedmont and Liguria. Chef/Owner Staffan Terje utilizes seasonal, local ingredients to drive the diverse and well-balanced menu, enabling patrons to experience new dishes with every visit. With so many enticing choices on the menu, sharing is encouraged especially with the pasta tastings and cured meat platters served family-style. Perbacco is a perfect place for a fancy business lunch or a date to impress, the best seats in the house being the booth tables located upstairs. |Perbacco|

Hours of Operation:
Mon-Fri: 11:30am-10pm
Sat: 5:30pm-10pm
Sun: Closed

Freshly prepared dim sum can be hard to find in many districts outside of Chinatown, but when the plan calls for venturing out, it’s always worthwhile to stop in at Ton Kiang for some authentic Chinese cuisine. Located on busy Geary Street, this local favorite in the Richmond District is always popular, especially on the weekends when both levels of the dining room are packed with diners. Though at times dining here can require waiting in a line, dim sum is ideal for daytime meals because of its speed and efficiency, making a quick power lunch before heading back to the office possible.

It seems unnecessary to gaze at the menu upon sitting down, because servers immediately come by the table, carrying trays of steaming baskets filled with a variety of dim sum fresh from the kitchen. Being able to sample a variety of dishes is another advantage of dim sum, and while I do enjoy my staples like siu mai, stuffed dumplings, and steamed pork buns, it’s often worth while to add a few new dishes to the repertoire. |Ton Kiang|

Open 7 days a week:
Sun: 9am-9pm
Mon-Thurs: 10am-9pm
Fri: 10am-9:30pm
Sat: 9:30am-9:30pm

Being my birthday and all, lunch somewhere a little more fancy than the typical Thursday norm seemed in order. Some white wine at noon on a Thursday? Hmm, why not. The Rotunda is located at the top of Neiman Marcus and is one of the more notable spots in Union Square for that special brunch, lunch, or afternoon tea. Nearly every table gets a great view of the Beaux Arts stained-glass skylight, but seats facing the unobstructed views of Union Square are highly sought after and are usually reserved well in advance.

Once seated, a demitasse of chicken broth served with a small crunchy popover wets the appetite, followed by their signature freshly baked popovers served with raspberry butter. I usually find myself ordering the burger when I dine here, but since it was my birthday, something a little more decadent this time around seemed appropriate. The lobster gratin penne pasta had a rich sauce, the deep-fried lobster imperial rolls were crunchy and delicious, and the lobster club was a rich take on an American classic sandwich. For the finale, a banana bread pudding with candied pecans, banana chips, caramel and chocolate was a great end to a decadent weekday lunch.

Open 7 days a week:
Mon-Thurs: 11am-4pm
Fri-Sat: 11am-5pm
Sun: 12pm-4pm
Afternoon Tea:
Sun-Thurs: 2:30pm-4pm
Fri-Sat: 2:30pm-5pm

When wandering around the streets near Union Square, it’s easy to get distracted by the sea of retail and restaurants dotted along Powell Street. It’s best to push past the aggressive restaurant greeters indicative of tourist traps and instead, opt for a crowded seat or table at Bangkok Noodles. Judging by the hungry diners that often congregate outside during meal times, it’s no secret that this place is a local favorite for some of the best affordable and delicious Thai cuisine in the city.

Bangkok Noodles makes various curries and flat noodle dishes that are especially good, the Pad Ga-Prow (minced chicken or pork with thai basil, chili, and bell peppers) is also one of my favorites. Portions are a good value that won’t stretch the wallet that much, just remember to bring cash (no plastic accepted).

Open 7 days a week:
Mon-Sun: 11am-1am