Serpentine
A mongrel neighborhood of light industry and historic houses, Dogpatch has a new breed of resident—modern loft dwellers—and a new restaurant to meet their needs. Anyone who’s dined in a converted-warehouse district will recognize the trappings: Concrete walls, moody makeout lighting, and ceilings as high as an airplane hangar’s set a familiar stage for casually dressed California cuisine. A burger ground from organic beef and draped with pickled purple onions. Roasted chicken with artichokes and fennel. You’ve seen this plot before, but chef Chris Kronner, of the smart, hip Slow Club, adds enough twists to hold your interest, from savory bread pudding spiked with nettles to earthy parsley-root soup laced with a lively green-garlic purée. Though the service sags on busy nights, Serpentine retains an upbeat spirit suited to its urban-chic surroundings. In gentrifying Dogpatch, diners won’t encounter an earth-shattering restaurant, but they will find themselves on solid ground. By Josh Sens
2495 3rd St. (at 22nd St.), S.F., 415-252-2000 serpentinesf.com

Franklin Square Wine Bar
The guys who brought you the lively scene at Luka’s Taproom & Lounge have opened something a bit more subdued across the street—the sort of place that will probably be overlooked by anyone who doesn’t live or work near downtown Oakland. But if you do, next time you find yourself on this half-bereft, half-booming stretch of Broadway, keep an eye out for a small, blue neon sign that reads simply, WINE BAR. Inside, a single row of tables and a long bar sit below a high ceiling and speakers that blast music at party levels, even when the party is elsewhere. The place certainly encourages revelry, though: Everything on the globetrotting single-page wine list is available by the bottle, carafe, glass, or half glass—perfect if you feel like exploring new lands or finding the right pairing for lunch or dinner. A charcuterie or cheese plate, a grilled tartine of artichoke and gruyère, or duck rillettes and fig jam make friendly companions; as do some of the more elaborate dishes, like sautéed chanterelles with cannellini and spinach. A tip to keep in mind: As wines, normally ranging $7–15 a glass, rotate off the list, the remainders are poured for $5. That’s a welcome sight for anyone who winds up their workday in these parts. By Lisa Trottier
2212 Broadway (at Grand Ave.), Oakland, 510-251-0100 fswinebar.com

O Izakaya Lounge
Long exhausted by Spanish small plates, San Francisco restaurateurs have turned to izakaya, sake-centric menus featuring Japanese bar food—tapas by way of Tokyo. This latest purveyor, located off the lobby of the renovated Hotel Kabuki, attempts to take tradition for a modern spin. Instead of broiled mackerel—a salty, old-school standard—you get cured mackerel with beets, cucumbers, and wasabi. In lieu of simple squash tempura, O Izakaya offers squash tempura with shiso, scallions, ponzu, and green-tea salt, fattened in the middle with a lump of cream cheese. It’s not a bad idea. But limp execution, combined with something short of the freshest-tasting fish, leaves you nibbling forlornly at lifeless albacore in a mayonnaisey tonnato sauce, and blubbery pork belly in a swampy braise of kimchee and maitake mushrooms. The decor pays kitschy homage to Japanese baseball, and Lichtenstein-style artwork depicting players makes for an oddball atmosphere. The lounge has a nice sake list and a few safe westernized dishes to snack on. But how disappointing to travel to Japantown, only to discover that your best choice is a burger and fries. By Josh Sens
1625 Post St. (at Laguna St.), S.F., 415-614-5431