Lonely Planet

TOP PICKSTOP PICKSPHOTOGRAPHS: 8INC/GUNDOLF PFOTENHAUER, HI NEIGHBOR HOSPITALITY GROUP, BRIAN SUMMERS/DESIGNPICS/GETTY, TOP PHOTO CORPORATION/ALAMY, DAISY- DAISY/ALAMY, ANDREW MONTGOMERYOctober 2017 Lonely Planet Traveller 125``````homemade), succulent cheeses,composed salads and knockoutsandwiches, plus 50 wines by theglass. Seating at shared tablesand the bar. No reservations.``````Venticello (venticello.com;1257 Taylor St)To enter Venticello’s two-storey-high dining room, you descendvia a staircase – which may bewhy so many of the Nob Hill reg-ulars dress up for this otherwisecasual neighbourhood Italianbistro: everyone sees you arrive.Standout menu items includespaghetti carbonara, risotto andpizzas from the wood-fired oven.Perfect for date night.``````Za (zapizzasf.com; 1919 Hyde St)You don’t get gourmet , corn-meal-dusted, thin-crust slices likethis every day. Pizza-lovers braveuphill climbs for pizza piled withfresh toppings, a pint of AnchorSteam and a cozy bar setting – allfor under $10.``````Zarzuela (00 1 415 346 0800;2000 Hyde St)One of Russian Hill’s longtimestars, Zarzuela’s real Spanishtapas include terrific paella andgarlic prawns, plus unusual disheslike braised quail and Madrid-style tripe. Ochre-washed wallsand terracotta tiles set a simplebackdrop for the dynamic cook-ing. No reservations: come earlyor put your name on the list andwander lovely Hyde St.Top 3food trendsDIM SUMSince one out of three SanFranciscans has Asian roots, SF’sgo-to comfort foods aren’t justburgers and pizza, but also kimchi,tandoori and dim sum. Dim Sumis Cantonese for small eats; somealso call it yum cha (drink tea).Traditionally, waitstaff roll cartspast your table with steamingbaskets of dumplings, but newereateries take this upscale.``````VEGETABLE-CENTRICDININGTo all you beleaguered vegetar-ians, used to eating out at placeswhere the only non-animal dish issoggy vegetarian lasagne: you’rein San Francisco now. With themost farmers’ markets of anymetropolitan area in the US (over30), you won’t run out of veggieoptions anytime soon. While finedining chefs elsewhere stake theirreputations on steak, California-grown fruit and vegetables are notside dishes to Bay Area chefs, buttasting-menu highlights.``````SUSTAINABLE SEAFOODThe Pacific offers a haul ofseafood to San Francisco diners,but some species are nearingextinction, throwing the localaquaculture off-balance. SF’s topchefs are taking action to avoidoverfishing, opting for line-caughtfish and locally farmed oystersand caviar. To help diners identifysustainable options, Monterey BayAquarium has started a dedicatedwebsite (seafoodwatch.org).``````Burger time atStones Throw``````Take in street viewsat Union Larder``````A vintage cable-carascends Nob Hill