These newcomers or new menus cover the gamut, from heartwarming Jamaican food to another worthy Italian seafood haven in North Beach. Alongside this month’s full restaurant reviews — Copra coastal Indian, pop-up turned molecular neighborhood destination Anomaly, new chef at Michelin-starred Sons & Daughters, 30 and 15 years at One Market & Luce respectively — these five are also worth visiting. Last month’s standouts are here, and as always, I’ve personally vetted, visited or ordered from each place reviewed:
(Reborn) Neighborhood Joint Where Most Entrees Run Under $20: Luna
After a bit of a lackluster reopening of Luna in 2021 in the old Luna Park space (a regular spot in my early SF days after moving here in 2001), I’m not surprised Luna was reborn again January 2023 from owner Tony Marcell. I dig the red walls and banquettes, recalling the OG Luna Park. Interior designer Jon de la Cruz brought back the red contrasted with patterned wallpaper and vintage paintings of women, each marked with a small, round mirror where their face is.
I was especially glad to see chef Michelle Mathews helming the kitchen, more recently of Kaiyo in SF, but with some serious fine dining experience at NYC Michelin-starred legends like Eleven Madison Park, La Grenouille, Restaurant Daniel.
But the new Luna is far from fine dining. This is neighborhood fare for all. Impressively, given costs of food and labor these days, almost all entrees are under $20 — and with Mathews’ skill, well-made. While wild caught scallop crudo in prickly pear-passionfruit leche de tigre recalls her Kaiyo days, her Korean American heritage is tributed in Korean koji double fried chicken, savory-sweet in gochujang (laced with honey and pear), scallions and sesame. I’ve tasted hundreds of KFCs over the years with many excellent versions in town, from Ilcha to Dak Chicken. But Mathews’ version is now among my favorite and is the standout dish at Luna.
What reads ubiquitous (read: boring), like Knoll Farms shredded kale caesar salad, is actually way better than average kale salads, nicely dressed and textural with pomegranate seeds, parmesan and breadcrumbs. Local king salmon is heavily doused in sweet potato agrodolce but recalls elements of Spain and my Sicilian heritage, laden with peppers, olive tapenade, basil, golden raisins and pine nuts. A solid reuben smartly layers kimchi, aged Swiss cheese, thousand island dressing and crunchy slaw with the brisket, though I longed for more heft from the brisket and a bit more kimchi and dressing to keep the sandwich from being overpowered by the bread.
The other standout dish after the fried chicken was a roasted whole fish which changes regularly, boldly covered in orange segments, pistachios and herbs, accompanied by chili oil and a killer lime salsa verde I wish I could have on supply at home.
Jenna Medina is the bar manager, with a short but solid wine list and simple cocktails that unexpectedly are more interesting than they read, thanks to Medina’s sense of balance. Case in point: Welcome to the Jungle is served up in a coupe glass, its white rum base partnered with a gentle, not overpowering dose of passionfruit, allowing ginger, lemongrass and subtle sriracha to peek out by turns.
// 694 Valencia Street, www.lunasf.com
Soulful Jamaican Food in SF: Peaches Patties at the Ferry Plaza Building
With a catering flagship in SoMa, Peaches Patties thankfully opened a stall at the Ferry Plaza Building on January 20, 2023, with a takeout window and a few tables outside. Named after chef-owner Shani Jones’ mother, Peaches, the food is also inspired by her mom’s cooking and signature patties (kind of like a Jamaican empanada). There are a greater number of Jamaican restaurants across the Bay Bridge in Oakland (like Kingston11) — or my longtime top Bay Area Jamaican spot, Back a Yard in Menlo Park and San Jose — than in SF.
But Jones grew up in San Francisco, and, blessedly stays committed to bringing superb Jamaican food here through her catering company since 2013. Impressively, she moved from running it in her parents home, launched more broadly via the ever-amazing La Cocina’s incubator program in 2014… and now this delightful eat-in or takeout spot.
After one in-person meal and one delivery meal, I’ve tried most of the menu of patties and the jerk chicken meal, a generous serving of jerk chicken, fried plantains, rice and peas and a side of vegetables, as well as the housemade sorrel (hibiscus juice) and nicely spiced (if a little too sweet for me, though I love uncarbonated fresh Jamaican versions) ginger beer. The golden patties are dreamy. I struggle to determine if my favorite is the irie lentil or uber-comforting Jamaican curry chicken. Sadly, traditional scotch bonnet peppers are tough to get, so for now the patties come with a side of classic Frank’s red hot sauce instead of a housemade scotch bonnet sauce.
The menu is short and sweet, including vegan Rastafarian stew. I long to see more of the goodness on her catering menu here eventually. This is excellent, nurturing Jamaican food and I’m thrilled it has arrived in the Ferry Building.
// 1 Ferry Building, Suite 50; www.peachespatties.com
SF Neighborhoods Tributed in Artful Cocktails at the Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco
I was sad to see The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco chef Michael Rotondo leave for Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa (at least it’s still a short drive), writing about his inspired dishes sourcing local ingredients since he came on board in 2013. But in the Ritz’ lofty hotel Lounge, chef Patrick O’Sullivan is turning out elevated bar fare better than its standard read on the menu. Think a ring or wreath-shape of tuna tartare dotted with watermelon radish, ginger soy and nori oil, or lightly fried, colorful cauliflower graced with black sesame and a citrus gremolata, including mandarin wedges and lemon zest.
But the draw since February 14, 2023, is The Lounge’s new cocktail menu inspired by the Louis Vuitton Guide of global cities. The hand-sketched menu of cocktails are named after SF neighborhoods, artfully drawn and lovingly tributed by the kind Ritz-Carlton team, including F&B manager Daniel Delgado and bartender Jennifer Fairholm. Fairholm has given great service my two visits since pandemic and really cares about cocktails (she also demoed their nineteenth-century-inspired, green Imperial Shaker as I tried the shaken martini).
Smoked tableside is their North Beach tribute, the Negroni Sevillano, with Tanqueray Sevilla Orange Gin, Campari and Spanish vermut (vermouth) in a Riedel Rocks glass. Served in a Vampire cup, Good Fortune represents neighboring Chinatown and is a combo of Tanqueray Rangpur Lime Gin, kumquat ginger syrup, ginger liqueur and lime, garnished with a pink fortune cookie, nodding to the cookie’s San Francisco roots. I appreciated the delicate homage to Japantown: the Honshin, mixing Glenmorangie X, Sayuri Sake, yuzu citrus, seasonal blossom syrup, Peychaud’s Bitters and vegan aquafaba foam in a Riedel coupe glass. The artistic drawings for each neighborhood feel timeless, making this lounge in a luxury hotel chain feel a bit more personal.
// 600 Stockton Street, www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/california/san-francisco
Weekend Barbecue Platters with Bay Views: EPIC Steak
Last year’s visit to EPIC Steak was my first in years, though I’ve loved its killer setting and views beneath the Bay Bridge over numerous meals since it opened in 2008. Chef de cuisine Colton Hays joined exec chef Parke Ulrich last year, and I had my best meal there since opening, with gracious wine director Grace Newport’s wine list.
I returned this March for the kickoff of chef Hays’ weekend barbecue platter, an ideal brunch feast, Fridays through Sundays (11:30am-3pm or until sold out) all spring and summer. Chef Hays and team spent weeks honing their BBQ recipes and any of you who know me know my 17 year run of road trips in the Deep South (Carolinas, Tennessee, Georgia, etc.) plus Missouri and Texas, studying my BBQ styles. And my long bemoaning of lack of “real deal” ‘que outside the South, but for a few exceptions, like Matt Horn’s as-good-as-it-gets Horn BBQ in Oakland.
While this isn’t Horn BBQ, EPIC’s barbecue is a deal at $28 for a single or $52 for a double order of the barbecue platter. A single order includes ¼ rack of St. Louis spareribs, 7 oz. cut of smoked brisket, ½ house-made hot link, coleslaw, Texas toast, house pickles and house BBQ sauce (S. Carolina mustard, Kansas City sweet). While the two-day-marinated, smoked-for-eight-hours spareribs are the standout, I’m partial to the juicy hot links, and the brisket is smoked for 14 hours, crusted in the right amount black peppercorn dry rub char. Savoring this platter over brunch/lunch with Bay views and a Spritz of Mommenpop Kumquat, ginger and sparkling wine or a glass of wine, like the winning female winemaker list Newport created for Women’s Day last month, is one happy meal.
Add on sides of dreamy cream biscuits, Julia Child’s rich scalloped potatoes with Gruyere cheese or a unique shrimp and grits take highlighting plump, giant shrimp over a smear of Anson Mills grits, lush in Cognac and garlic butter. I value EPIC Steak’s sustainable and organic sourcing, including Rancho Llano Seco in Chico (for the ribs) and Flannery Beef in San Rafael (the brisket). Read my dinner review here.
// 369 The Embarcadero; www.epicsteak.com
SF Italian Seafood That Feels Decades-Old: California Fish Market Restaurant
Open July 2020 in North Beach by Pete Fazio and restaurateur Francesco Covucci of nearby Il Casaro (with a second Castro location) and Barbara Pinseria, California Fish Market Restaurant is one of a few Italian seafood havens along Green Street and in the neighborhood in general. Next door, the ever-special Sotto Mare did, in fact, become mobbed since the chill days I used to dine there back when it opened in 2007. But CA Fish Market — like Sotto Mare — is easy to snag a table at when it first opening at 11:30am. Sidewalk seating is the most fun, immersed in North Beach’s sunny buzz, especially on weekends.
CA Fish Market thankfully sources sustainable seafood that has been farmed or wild-caught. In addition to all the crab Louie, fish and chips, cioppino and lobster rolls classics, there’s a welcome Italian range of seafood pastas, crudo, frittura mista (fried seafood) and whole roasted or grilled fish like branzino, with fish of the day displayed on ice in the restaurant is also for purchase to take home along with fresh pasta.
Pasta is one of the highlights. It’s not the most delicate, dissolve-in-your-mouth, ultimate Italy perfection common around SF from Flour+Water to SPQR. But it does taste like “real deal” neighborhood restaurants in Italia with a welcome 12 different pasta dishes. Bucatini sea urchin is lush in Calabrian chile oil, cream and, of course, uni/urchin. Ravioli con aragosta of lobster-prawn-stuffed ravioli in tomato cream brandy sauce is a highlight, reminding me of East Coast days. Ditto their silky crudo Calabrese — I tried the combo of raw halibut, scallops and salmon with capers and chili but you can order each individually (scallops were my fave), reminding me of the Sicilian sashimi at my beloved, the one-and-only Swan Oyster Depot.
// 550 Green Street, www.cafishmarketrestaurant.com
