SAN FRANCISCO DINING GUIDE

San Francisco Dining Guide
The Shifting Tastes of San Francisco

You probably already know that San Francisco is one of the world's top dining cities. In a poll released by the San Francisco Convention and Visitor's Bureau late in 1999, the majority of self-described "foodies" (53.2 percent) named San Francisco the world's best restaurant city — beating New York by a single, yet significant, percentage point (New York got 53.1 percent). We're still gloating.

From a simple plate of french fries (at Venture Frogs, dusted with Chinese five-spice powder) to the inspired, geometrically designed delectables at the hip, new location of Citizen Cake, the chefs here like to experiment with new tastes and combinations because they know they'll always find a willing audience. And thanks to the dough being generated by the new economy, that audience is ever more willing to fork over large amounts of cash to stay on the vanguard of good eating.

So obsessed are San Franciscans with the comings and goings of their favorite chefs that the San Francisco Chronicle even runs a regular column, The Inside Scoop, by local food expert GraceAnn Walden, detailing every movement of the city's food celebrities with attention that would make a Hollywood star jealous.

The fickle tastes of diners, combined with the city's wealth of culinary talent, mean that San Francisco's hot spot is always shifting. This month, a celeb-owned Vietnamese bistro (Don Johnson's Ana Mandara) may be packing them in for basa, a type of flounder specially flown in from the Mekong Delta and served with a spicy lemon sauce — while next month, diners may flock to the big, new South of Market spot Dine for chef Julia McClaskey's Tuscan bread and mussel stew, or roasted chicken with an orzo-parmesan stuffing.

If you want to play it safe, there are always chain restaurants, such as San Francisco's own Pasta Pomodoro (citywide), which serves a creative — yet affordable — range of contemporary Italian items; the original Stinking Rose (North Beach), a temple for the worship of garlic; try the giant portions served amidst trumpeting elephants and jungle greenery at the Rain Forest Café (Fisherman's Wharf); or some rich, creamy clam chowder in a San Francisco sourdough bread bowl (Boudin Sourdough Bakery, citywide).

While you're in San Francisco, loosen your belt a notch and come on in. We promise you won't go home hungry.

-- Lisa Tsering