The Slanted Door

EMBARCADERO

VIETNAMESE

Is it the hangar-sized room, the conversation-squelching din, or the pumped-up waitstaff in clingy black Ts that makes you wonder for a moment if you’ve stepped out of S.F. and into L.A.?

Updates: Cafe Kati, The Slanted Door

September 2006

EATS

Café KatiJAPANTOWNIt’s been over 15 years since Café Kati opened on a quiet block of Sutter, and the restaurant’s cuisine con­tinues to avoid the darker connotations of the f-word. Fusion preparations like the dragon roll, stuffed with tempura prawns and draped with avocado and smoked salmon, scream of Japanese food bent to the freewheeling will of California. But the...

Slanted Door

EMBARCADERO

VIETNAMESE

Charles Phan’s now legendary Vietnamese menu includes humble, street-food staples done up proud with Niman Ranch meats and cult-quality produce. Happiness awaits in a heap of light and slippery cellophane noodles with crab and scorching-hot sesame balls in kicky ginger sauce for dessert.

A Fresh Slant

July 2004

RESTAURANTS

Charles Phan makes a stylish splash at the Ferry Building.

Readers' Poll Winners 2005

August 2005

RESTAURANTS

You could safely say the Bay has an appetite for life. And, well, for food, too. But don’t take our word for it. This year’s request for your favorites yielded more than 8,000 responses. Oh sure, we could have called some of your choices, but in a few cases, you really kept us guessing—and getting hungry. Good thing you like to eat and tell.

Out of steam

January 2010

CRITIC'S TABLE

Charles Phan’s hot streak cools off at his new Out the Door.

Readers' Poll Winners 2007

August 2007

BEST OF THE BAY

For the 24th year, we’ve asked you—our restaurant-savvy readers—to tell us where you love to eat. You responded in droves (with 22,832 votes, to be exact), and this time, Southern Indian emerged victorious, a Mission Maverick rose in the ranks (again), and as far as you’re concerned, Danko still reigns supreme.

Best of Romance

July 2004

FEATURE

1 Movie Theater for Making Out There are exactly 16 back-row seats at the Clay Theatre in Pacific Heights, where independent, arty, critically acclaimed, and not-too-shocking are the loosely followed film-programming guidelines. Less blood-and-guts violence and more on-screen tête-à-têtes—along with seats reupholstered circa 1999—set the stage for hand-holding, kiss-...

The new prohibition

December 2005

FRONT BURNER

Why dome of the Bay Area's top restaurants just say no to California's high-alcohol wines.

Five great bloody marys

May 2006

FIVE GREAT

Few things make getting out of bed on a Sunday morning seem quite so worthwhile as a Bloody Mary waiting on the breakfast table. Of course, the drinks on this list would be equally welcome any day of the week.

The Feel-Great Guide (Part 3)

January 2004

FEATURE

NO. THREE: STAYING RELAXED AND LOOKING FABULOUS Wine Country Massage WE ASKED: Dione Carston, owner of St. Helena's chic Dione Carston Cosmetics Edited boutique HER PICK: Paul Vorland (707/963-4971) Carston has been to more than 30 "assembly line" masseurs at spas and hotels in the Napa Valley. "With most massage techniques, they say that three strokes are supposed to relax the...

The Michelin man never tires

5/30/08—Editorial intern Talia Salem manages to catch up with the man behind the most coveted star ratings in the world.

Cravings

September 2008

FIVE GREAT

How do you satisfy a craving? We asked five of the city’s top cooks to let us in on the foods they can’t stop thinking about—or eating.

Playlist

September 2006

PLAYLIST

1THE RETAIL FIXMarket growthWatch the city start brown bagging it when Bloomingdale’s opens its doors on September 28 at the renovated Westfield San Francisco Centre. You’ll also find new flagship and concept stores from local powerhouses—like BeBe’s just-launched accessory boutique, Neda, and Gap’s upscale line, Forth & Towne. And unlike that of its neighbor, the...

Is San Francisco killing its restaurants?

August 2007

FEATURE

Recent labor mandates cut dangerously close to the heart of their businesses, say many of San Francisco's most respected restaurateurs, and some are seriously questioning how much longer they can afford to cook here. Could this be the beginning of the end for one of the world’s great dining cities?

Deals on Meals

April 2004

FEATURE

Whether you've got a hot date, tickets to a show, or clients to impress-or even if you just need a drink-we've found 47 places to eat that even the pickiest cheapskate will love.

The Bay Area's 9 Top Takeout Spots

May 2005

FOOD

Forget about limp pizza and cold chow mein. You could be bringing home Moroccan lamb shanks and shaking beef. We searched high and low to find to-go feasts worth staying home for.

Get cracking

December 2005

THE INGREDIENT

Dungeness crab season is here and this year promises a hell of a catch.

Salute the Pegu

November 2007

DRINK THIS

A classic cocktail rises up through the ranks.

Reader's Poll Winners 2006

August 2006

FEATURE

You’ve heard what the critics think. Now it’s time for your voice to be heard�”36,015 votes were cast in this year’s poll. Here is your collective wisdom about what to eat and where.