And these people — as well as those of us who plan ahead and book a reservation — will be well-rewarded. Even though I’ve dined here dozens of times, there’s always something fresh/new on the menu that impresses me. During my most recent visit, I loved the manila clams and the abalone appetizers.

And perhaps the restaurant’s most popular dish, the shaking beef, is a must-order. The lamb rack is also delicious. And the claypot chicken and caramelized shrimp remind me of my mom’s Vietnamese cooking, so I recommend these entrees as well. (Psst … There are a good number of tasty, veggie options if you’re not big on meat.)

With everything served family-style, that means you get to sample plenty of dishes. But do save room for dessert. I usually favor the ice cream or sorbet trios; they were recently offering mint, ginger and chocolate scoops of ice cream and peach, mango and strawberry sorbets. If you do fill up on other menu items, you can still order a pot of Blue Bottle coffee or — my personal preference — a Vietnamese iced coffee. Then sit back and enjoy the view of the bay, with the sailboats and ferries passing by.

The Slanted Door
1 Ferry Building, #3
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 861-8032

The third, and most important thing: Farmer Brown is fantastic. I recently visited the restaurant with three dining companions — and not a single one of us had a negative thing to say after our meal here. I cannot give enough praise to the fried chicken, which came with a side of mac’n'cheese. The chicken managed to be deliciously crispy on the outside, yet moist and juicy on the inside. The mac’n'cheese, made with Tillamook cheddar, was such creamy, slightly tangy goodness.

Aside from the comfort-food menu and dish towel napkins, there isn’t much that screams country about the restaurant. There’s a DJ spinning in the front of the dining room; a bar that is almost always crowded; and metal tables that there is surely a long wait for … Unless you heed my first point: Call for a reservation.

Farmer Brown
25 Mason Street
San Francisco, CA 94112
(415) 409-FARM (3276)

Absolutely.

Previously a laundromat and before that a Bank of America (the wine is stored in an old bank vault), the NOPA space is beautiful. Large windows, high ceilings, polished concrete floors, and who could forget the fantastic Brian Barneclo murals. I instantly liked this place before I even had a bite to eat. But don’t worry, the food ended up being phenomenal as well.

Since there was not a bad dish at our table, I’ll just give you a rundown of what was ordered:

• Small Plates - braised lamb riblets (my favorite of our starters); flatbread of bacon, carmelized onions, radicchio and gruyere; thick-cut French fries with harissa aioli (it’s a large portion); little dumpling squash and sage (delicious but not quite what I envisioned since the squash wasn’t wrapped in any kind of dough — more like wedges of squash pan-fried with sage).
• Entrees - pork chop with sweet cabbage, treviso and apples; London broil with potato gratin (such creamy goodness!) and red-wine butter.
• Dessert - warm doughnut holes with rum caramel; apple-walnut crisp and creme fraiche ice cream.

We were lucky that we had an upstairs table — overlooking the very busy kitchen — so the noise level wasn’t too bad for trying to have a conversation. We watched the downstairs dining room get more and more crowded throughout the evening. Be sure to call for a table, or else you may be one of the many hopefuls we saw lingering by the bar for a while, just waiting for an opening.

Tip: If you’re unable to get a reservation, the restaurant offers a rather large bar area and a communal table for walk-ins.

NOPA
560 Divisadero Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 864-8643

With its dark wood floors, marble-topped bar and walnut tables, Bar Tartine has a stylish yet comfortable feel. Like the bakery, the restaurant has a large communal table in the front. Upon checking in with the hostess, we were led to a corner banquette in the back of the dining room — the perfect spot for spying on the open kitchen as well as taking in the very busy bar scene.

There were four of us at the table. Rather than ordering one starter and entree each, we opted for sharing various dishes. This decision was largely based on the fact that there was a plethora of small plates on the menu, but only four entrees.

We sampled the butternut squash soup; asparagus salad with a sunny-side-up egg; arugula salad; manila clams with grilled bread; house-smoked sable with creme fraiche and caviar, served on top of potato salad; serrano ham with dates and almonds; lamb with creamy polenta; and the guinea hen. Although we finished off every single item, the soup (I loved the bacon and chestnut in it), sable and lamb were my favorites.

Given the restaurant’s pedigree, desserts were a must here. The sticky date cake was hands-down my top choice of the evening’s selections. (An Australian diner at my table said it reminded him of the sticky date pudding that is so popular in his homeland.) The vanilla pot de creme with lemon curd was also quite tasty.

The service was good throughout our meal; our waitress was friendly and knowledgeable. The complimentary bite-size meringues that arrived with the check were a nice, sweet ending to a wonderful dinner.

TIP: The restaurant has no exterior signs boasting its name. Look for the antler chandelier in the window, and a sign for the Curtis Hotel is just above the entry to Bar Tartine.

Bar Tartine
561 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 487-1600

The rebuilt de Young totals 293,000 square feet. The emphasis here is on American art from the 17th through the 20th centuries, as well as art of the native Americas, Africa and the Pacific.

In addition to art galleries, the museum includes an educational area, a store, a cafe, an auditorium and — possibly my favorite part of the place — an observation floor. Outdoors, you’ll find a sculpture garden and children’s garden.

TIP: Who said you can’t get anything for free? Admission to the tower observation floor is free. Nine stories up, it offers spectacular panoramic views of the city. The outdoor spaces are also free. And the entire museum is free on the first Tuesday of every month.

de Young
Golden Gate Park
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 863-3330

The fusion restaurant, located in the new St. Regis, is from the acclaimed husband-and-wife team of Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani (who also own Terra in St. Helena). With its dark wood floors, white linen tablecloths, zebrawood walls, striped floor-to-ceiling drapery and beautiful paintings, the setting is stylish and sophisticated — with a menu to match.

On a recent visit, my husband and I started with the “tuna five” (which is, as the name implies, tuna prepared five ways) and the poke (chopped tuna wrapped up neatly in seaweed). Both were incredible. I was pleasantly surprised by the crunchiness of the poke (thanks to the lightly fried seaweed), and thought the tartare was the best of the tuna five presentations.

For our main courses, he ordered the restaurant’s signature dish of broiled Alaskan black cod served with shrimp dumplings in a broth that was bursting with flavor. I opted for the matelote eel and foie gras on matsutake risotto, which was exceptional. We closely guarded our respective plates, not wanting to share too much.

We were wise to save room for dessert. We split the Valrhona hot chocolate and churros, as well as the pear crisp with gingersnap ice cream. They were both so good, I can’t pick a favorite. (Hmmm … Okay, since the churros are fried, they probably get my vote.)

The entire meal, from start to finish, was a real culinary treat. And the service, from the hostess to the waitstaff, was friendly and attentive. We even lucked out and scored a free parking spot just outside the St. Regis’ doors. That’s extra money that can be put to good use — in the form of another ginger pomegranate cosmopolitan!

TIP: Wondering how to pronounce the name of the restaurant? It’s “ah-may,” and means either rain or hard candy in Japanese.

Ame (in the St. Regis Hotel)
689 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 284-4040

Free live entertainment. Good food and drink. Artwork from some of the city’s best emerging artists. Sound good? Then get to this cafe/gallery, located across the street from Golden Gate Park.

The multi-functioning space features couches and tables on the left; artwork on the right. In the center of Canvas is a bar/food prep area that churns out all of the usual cafe fare … and more. During breakfast hours, you can’t go wrong with one of the fritattas, served with potatoes and toast. If you’re there for lunch or dinner, it may be tough to decide between the soups, salads, paninis, pizzas and pasta dishes. I tend to go with a salad — they are large enough to be a meal — and try to save room for dessert.

Not hungry? Sip on a sake cocktail while browsing the sculptures and paintings. Or order a hot cocoa to enjoy on the street-side patio. (The indoor seats are often snatched up by people with laptops who are taking advantage of the free wi-fi.)

Open mics and live music are typical evening entertainment here. On the last Thursday of every month, Canvas usually hosts a new art show opening. And Feria Urbana, an indoor market featuring mostly local designers, is a regular event. There always seems to be something happening here, so be sure to check the calendar on Canvas’ web site before you make the trip over.

Tip: There’s a free, but small, parking lot in the back. Enter on Lincoln between Eighth and Ninth Avenues.

The Canvas Gallery
1200 9th Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94112
(415) 504-0060

The menu is American comfort cuisine — with Italian, Asian and French influences. Luna Park’s signature starters are the ahi tuna poke served with fried wonton chips, and a goat-cheese fondue served with thinly sliced apples and grilled chunks of bread. (The latter is my favorite appetizer.)

Although entree-deliberation can be tough, my all-time favorite dish here is the breaded pork cutlet, stuffed with gruyere and mushrooms. It comes with a side of mashed potatoes, string beans and apple-cranberry sauce. Yum. (At $16.50, it’s at the high end of the menu.)

Be sure to save room for dessert, all of which are generous enough to share. And they’re as fun as they are delicious: s’mores that you create yourself, caramel apples that you dip in the sauce and roll in toasted almonds. If you’re not in the mood for a DIY dessert, try the seasonal fruit crisp or chocolate cake.

If you walk in without a dinner reservation, there will likely be a wait. Bide your time at the bar, where you can order up a “You’re a Pepper Too” — a cocktail that consists of an individual bottle of Dr. Pepper accompanied by Absolut Vanilla, organic vanilla syrup, and Dr. Pepper Jelly Bellys. You mix the potions to create your perfect drink.

TIP: Given its popularity, the restaurant can be a bit loud. If you plan to make a reservation, ask about the more secluded booths in the back.

Luna Park
694 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA
(415) 553-8584

When the Castillo family opened their Peruvian restaurant in 2002, it was the size of a large walk-in closet. Clearly, the packed eatery — easily detected by the crowds gathered outside of its doors — needed more space. And in late 2004, they moved into bigger and much more stylish digs on Valencia.

Thankfully, the food is just as good as it always has been. (They also retained the chartreuse and tangerine color scheme.) Start off with a couple of tapas, or small plates. Although it’s hard to pick favorites, mine are the hongos (sauteed mushrooms) and tartara de atun (ahi). I haven’t had a bad dish here, so for the entree, it really just depends on whether you’re in the mood for meat, poultry, seafood or a plate of veggies. But whatever you do, during some point in the meal, order one of the ceviches. And, of course, some sangria.

Finish off the meal in true Peruvian style with the tres leches de coco, a coconut cake served with coconut rum sauce, pineapple compote and toasted coconut shavings.

Reservations for dinner are highly recommended here. Even though the new space seats more than double the old, it still fills up. At least now, rather than shivering out on the street, there’s a sleek and comfy lounge to hang out in if you have to wait for a table. You can take in the hipster scene before you take in a fabulous meal.

Limon
524 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 252-0918