With return-to-office rates increasing and restaurant sales tax figures up in San Francisco, it finally feels like more restaurants are opening than closing.
Nearly every day over the last few months, there’s been news about restaurant expansions (Le Soleil at Stonestown), reboots (Sam Wo and Shuggie’s), and new locations for old favorites (Crustacean); at a few places, it’s nearly impossible to even score a reservation.
Whether you’re looking for a neighborhood joint or somewhere to celebrate, these eight new and notable spots should be on your radar.
The Happy Crane
(Jeremy Chiu)
Just one visit to The Happy Crane makes it abundantly clear that the hype for Chef James Yeun Leong Parry is justified. Parry has an impressive résumé, having worked at Michelin-starred restaurants in Tokyo as well as at Benu and Palette Teahouse. Now, at The Happy Crane, he is reimagining dim sum and Cantonese cuisine in marvelously inventive ways that feel both familiar and fresh.
The restaurant is staffed with consummate professionals who make dining a smooth and joyful experience. What to order? Standout dishes include the crispy firecracker shrimp, candy-like cha siu Iberico pork jowl, and the doupi tofu salad made with silky yuba and a roasted bell pepper sauce. Your best bet is the $120 “Happy as a Crane” menu, where you will be dazzled by five courses and about 12 dishes, all chosen by the chef.
// 451 Gough St. (Hayes Valley), thehappycranesf.com
Jules
(Amy Sherman)
It’s unclear what kind of voodoo was involved to create the perfect pizza crust at Jules, but it has a snap, crackle, and pop that would make Rice Krispies jealous. It’s at once puffy and burnished, crunchy and chewy, yet airy when you bite into it. The pizza toppings are bold. If you like salty capers and anchovies, by all means order the Hot Drunken Sailor, which, like the classic marinara pizza, has no cheese (trust us, you won’t miss it). The pizzas with cheese are creative and wonderful too, though, like the Miss Figgy featuring white balsamic cream, mozzarella, candy stripe figs, Purple Haze goat cheese, guanciale bacon bits, and apple mint. Unusual cheeses include hornkuhkäse, caciocavallo, pecorino siciliano, and Bulgarian feta, along with house-made mozzarella.
Seasonal small plates are worth ordering, like the tomato tonnato, which combines heirloom tomatoes, tonnato dressing, paper-thin sliced mortadella, pistachio castelvetrano shatta, and guindilla peppers. A crazy-sounding combination? Perhaps—but also genius, equally wild and wonderful—which describes a lot of the menu at Jules. The vibe is casual, with earnest servers and a sense that, despite their quest for pizza perfection, they don’t take themselves too seriously. Jules offers four different sauces if you like dipping your crust, including our top picks, the hot fermented garlic honey and the sunflower sesame chili crisp.
// 237 Fillmore St. (Lower Haight), julespizza.co
Maritime Boat Club
(Courtesy of Maritime Boat Club)
Chef Felix Santos may not be a familiar name yet, but he will be soon. After stints at State Bird Provisions, Quince, Atelier Crenn, and Sorrel—among others—he brings a wildly original seafood-focused menu to Maritime Boat Club. The space is tucked away behind the hopping Maritime Bar that overlooks Stockton Street in the Palihotel, just a block from Union Square.
The chef’s point of view comes through dishes that pop with fresh specialty ingredients you don’t typically see on menus. This summer, for example, that meant black radishes, xiao mi la peppers, and fairytale eggplants. Before you roll your eyes at the thought of yet another restaurant claiming to be seasonal and farm-to-table, this one truly delivers, with some dishes on the menu for as little as three days at a time. Beautifully balanced layers of tangy and sweet flavors, and alternating soft and crispy textures, make every dish sing. The beautiful plating shows off the chef’s fine-dining techniques, but above all, it’s the vibrant flavors and intense freshness of every dish that truly shines.
// 417 Stockton St. (Union Square), eatmaritime.com
Cheezy’s Artisan Pizza
(Charles Walter)
Is an award-winning chef with a culinary school background now slinging pies at Saluhall? Yes! David Jacobson has been a pizza fan since childhood and even did a stint delivering it in school before going on to work at a succession of spots including Pizzeria Delfina and Flour + Water Pizzeria. He cold ferments his dough for three days and utilizes the proofer left behind by the bakery that occupied the space before he moved in to make both round and grandma-style square pies.
While people may come for the ballyhooed, award-winning Gold Rush featuring mozzarella, provolone, fontina, jack, Mt. Tam, fingerling potatoes, pancetta, and parmesan, it’s likely they stick around for the Lamb Merguez, topped with a beguiling combination of mozzarella, pickled Fresno peppers, sweet walnut muhammara, halloumi, and spicy sausage. The mushroom is a popular choice too, as are seasonal pizzas with fresh produce from the farmers market. The massive slices are incredibly filling, and the sleeper hit on the menu might just be the Caesar salad made with tender little gems rather than bland romaine and topped with crumbly crouton crumbles, soft-boiled onsen-style egg, plentiful Spanish white anchovies, and a Calabrian chili-spiked Caesar dressing.
// 945 Market St. (Union Square), cheezysartisanpizza.com
Pacifico
(LemonAdMedia)
It’s easy to fall in love with Pacifico. The cuisine is at once comforting and exciting, reflecting the passion chef Morales Vallejo has for the cuisine of his home country of Colombia, combined with some Peruvian and Californian elements. His light touch is evident in the almost ethereal arepas with corn dough made from scratch and a vibrant heart of palm ceviche that balances acidity with fresh herbal notes thanks to a sprinkling of lemon verbena. The shrimp ceviche is cooked and less fiery than the raw ceviches from Peru, but equally compelling. Colombians love their soups, and the cazuela de mariscos—a seafood stew with shrimp, sea bass, clams, and mussels—comes with rice to absorb the creamy broth.
The space is industrial and somewhat bland, but the sunny cuisine and efficient, thoughtful service make it feel welcoming all the same. Because it’s adjoining SFJAZZ, it’s busy on performance nights but building its own audience when the theater is dark.
// 205 Franklin St. (Hayes Valley), pacificosf.com
Superprime Steakhouse
(Joseph Weaver)
Could it be that Marc Zimmerman’s Superprime is really a Japanese restaurant masquerading as a steakhouse? The high-end, hi-fi with turntables; the bar with more than 60 kinds of Japanese whisky; and a wide array of A5 wagyu beef—not to mention Godzilla wall art—might lead you to believe it is. Start with Japanese seafood like Hokkaido scallop skewers with yuzu kosho and scallion or a creative Dungeness crab salad served with pickled mustard seeds and greens, blanketed in a poofy jidori egg foam. Although the appetizer options are in flux, you’ll also find a few hits from one of his former restaurants, Yokai, such as uni toast with duck confit on milk bread.
The wine menu is extensive and impressive, and when it comes to the expertly wood-grilled meat, the restaurant also offers classic American-style prime steaks, including porterhouse, New York, filets, strip steaks, ribeye, and flatiron from several different ranches with which the chef has a relationship. Sides offer a twist on the standards, including decadent mashed potatoes with horseradish and wild mushrooms served with a jidori egg. The presentation matches the excellence of the food, and with its proximity to Moscone Center, it’s no wonder it’s already doing a bang-up business on weeknights. Weekend hours are coming soon.
// 545 Mission St. (SoMa), superprimesf.com
Precita Social
(Courtesy of Precita Social)
Chef Greg Lutes has built a solid following at 3rd Cousin, and his fans are already flocking to his new, more casual neighborhood bistro spot. On a recent night, a four-top enjoying a bountiful platter of oysters and Champagne sat next to a cozy couple splitting a burger and fries—and that’s the beauty of Precita Social, it’s ideal whether you’re celebrating or just need a place for a midweek catch-up with a friend.
Large-format rice and pasta dishes, and some entrées like the steak frites and black cod served with a luxurious red miso butter sauce invite sharing. Standout dishes include a salad of stracciatella with K & J nectarines, cherry tomatoes, and saba—a welcome twist on the classic caprese. No matter what you are in the mood for, don’t miss My Mom’s Parker House Rolls with cultured butter or the massive sundaes with soft-serve ice cream and thoughtful toppings like torched meringue, raspberries, and toasted peanuts.
// 300 Precita Ave. (Bernal Heights), precitasocial.com
Super Mensch
(Angela DeCenzo)
The owners of Causwells have pivoted the Chestnut Street space that was briefly a low-ABV bar into a new concept. It’s not a traditional deli, but it’s deli-inspired, which means comfort food for many who grew up with it. Even for those who didn’t, the giant chocolate cake slice is destined to be a favorite. A stunner, it’s three layers of devil’s food cake and thick chocolate buttercream, ganache pour-over, and a bit of chocolate crumble. Other top picks include pretty much anything with pastrami, but especially the Reuben, which uses house-made ingredients all in perfect proportion (and isn’t quite the belly buster that the pastrami sandwich is). The chicken liver mousse slants a little more French than deli but is delicious all the same.
The cocktail menu from beverage director Elmer Mejicanos features positively fanciful interpretations of Jewish and deli staples like borscht, matzah ball soup, and celery soda. A tiny spot with mostly counter and high-table seating and just three booths, it’s ideal for those who enjoy sharing a nosh while savoring top-notch cocktails.
// 2336 Chestnut St. (Marina), supermenschsf.com