1300 on Fillmore

”At his elegant place in the newly revived Fillmore Jazz District, David Lawrence serves Southern-inflected food, frying shrimp in a...”  More

1550 Hyde

”Guests who manage to wedge themselves into one of 1550 Hyde's 42 coveted seats find that what the spare, mostly...”  More

25 Degrees

”Tim Goodell, an F&W Best New Chef 2000, recently opened a burger joint, 25 Degrees, in Hollywood. He uses organic...”  More

3 Square Café

A16

”As the wine director and co-owner of A16, the standout Southern Italian restaurant in San Francisco, Shelley has built a...”  More

Absinthe

Academy Café

”At the café’s noodle station, visitors can try Phan’s signature Vietnamese dishes, like a ginger-infused lemongrass pork with vermicelli. The...”  More

Acme Chophouse

”At her spacious outpost in Pacific Bell Park stadium, Traci Des Jardins (an F&W Best New Chef 1995) uses only...”  More

À Coté

”For a zeitgeist, post-dot-com dining experience, À Côté, a cozy little den with sponged ocher walls and vaguely Belle Époque...”  More

Addison

”Addison’s wine director, Jesse Rodriguez, says his wine list is 'all about relationships,' referring both to his reunion with chef...”  More

Ad Hoc

”There’s a different four-course dinner menu for each night of the week; Monday’s buttermilk fried chicken is the overwhelming favorite....”  More

Ago

”Co-owned by Robert De Niro, Miramax honchos Harvey and Bob Weinstein, and Ridley Scott, Ago serves updated Tuscan fare, such...”  More

Akasha

”Chef to the stars Akasha Richmond has cooked holiday dinners for actor Billy Bob Thornton and catered parties for actor...”  More

Albion River Inn

”The Albion River Inn has the best local wine list....”  More

The Alembic

Algabar

Ame

”Ame, the wonderfully serene year-old restaurant in the St. Regis Hotel, combines Californian, European and especially Japanese ingredients and techniques....”  More

Andie's Cafe

”Jeff Smith, owner of Hourglass Vineyard, claims the best burge...”  More

Angèle

”...a 100-year-old white-and-blue-painted (former) boathouse...”  More

Angelini Osteria

Anzu

”You'll learn more about sake only by sampling different types. Here, a few of our favorite sources in the United...”  More

AOC

”A meal at A.O.C., in La Brea, is a must....”  More

The Apple Pan

Aqua Blu

”Though the Gaslamp Quarter's Fourth and Fifth Avenues are lined with many sidewalk restaurants, Aqua Blu, is a standout for...”  More

Arroyo Chop House

”The scotch-and-sirloin set flocks to the Parkway Grill for lobster-filled cocoa crêpes and to the wood-paneled Arroyo Chop House for...”  More

Arterra

”At Arterra, in the unfortunately sterile San Diego Marriott Del Mar, chef Bradley Ogden turns out smart, produce-driven (nearby Chino...”  More

A-ru Restaurant

”It's in a strip mall, the best sushi I've ever had in my life....”  More

A. R. Valentien

”The fish taco once represented the culinary apogee in San Diego, but a flurry of openings has put the city...”  More

Auberge du Soleil

”At the 21-year-old restaurant that became an inn and helped create Napa Valley's wine country cuisine, chef Richard Reddington continues...”  More

Avenue

”Christian Shaffer, chef and owner of Chloe in Playa del Ray, has a second restaurant, Avenue, in Manhattan Beach....”  More

Axe

”Playing Alvy Singer in 1977’s Annie Hall, Woody Allen famously described Los Angeles as a place whose only cultural advantage...”  More

Aziza

Azu

Bacar

”Pastry chef Cheryl Burr of San Francisco’s Bacar loves candy, as is obvious from her homage to the Almond Joy...”  More

Bacara Resort's Bistro

”Hey, squirt, how about some mac and mascarpone? It's on the kids' menu at the Bacara Resort's Bistro, along with...”  More

Balboa

”Unless you're a vegetarian, order the 40-day dry-aged Aurora Angus New York strip. Choose from among nine sauces—'housemade' Worcestershire, 'J.1.'...”  More

Ballard Inn

”Chef Budi Kazali at the Ballard Inn in Ballard, California, tops tuna carpaccio with peppery wasabi sprouts....”  More

Ballona Fish Market

”If you squint, you might think you were in a Cape Cod village. The chef himself constructed the faux facades...”  More

Baraka

”It's no surprise that a Moroccan-Spanish tapas restaurant would have a sultry vibe, but owner Jocelyn Bulow sets the mood...”  More

BarBersQ

Bar Jules

”The first restaurant for Jessica Bonecutter...”  More

Bar Lubitsch

”Bar Lubitsch has an army of vodkas 200-strong and a dance floor appropriately named Red Room. Co-owned by Sean MacPherson...”  More

Barndiva

”Light-flooded and tranquil by day, Barndiva (231 Center St.; 707/431-0100; dinner for two $70) roars to life at night, when...”  More

barVino

”The watering hole local oenophiles were waiting for...”  More

Bastide

”Thanks, though, to chef Alain Giraud's exquisite modern French cooking and co-owner Joe Pytka's insane infusion of cash, Bastide is...”  More

Beach House

”'I was having brunch on the rocks once with a friend, watching the dolphins go by, when a wave crashed...”  More

Beacon

”Chef Kazuto Matsusaka spent nearly a decade at Wolfgang Puck's influential Chinois on Main beginning in the '80s. Now he's...”  More

Belvedere

”Bracken's sense of whimsy shows on the plate—a welcome twist in a pretty-but-staid dining room. Bluefin tuna 'lollipops' consist of...”  More

Big Sur Bakery & Restaurant

Birriería Jalisco

Bistro 45

”Need a foie gras fix? Bistro 45 will fit the bill with stellar goose liver, escargots, and bouillabaisse in an...”  More

Bistro Ralph

”A Sonoma stalwart with a small but appealing wine list; it's been turning out solid bistro food for 11 years....”  More

Black Cat

Bleaux Magnolia

”Since this Creole restaurant opened in 2007, chef Matt Mermod’s...”  More

Blend

”Kathman makes a wonderful rabbit terrine with celery-root salad; his miso-and-sake salmon is an inspired take on the Nobu classic....”  More

Blue Bayou

Bluebird Cafe

”An unexpected perk along a lonely stretch of warehouses in Culver City, this bakery's shaded patio and turquoise window frames...”  More

Blue Bottle Café

”The Blue Bottle Café's halogen-powered Japanese coffee siphon is the only one of its kind in North America. ...”  More

Blue on Blue

”As settings go, it's hard to beat the Mid-Century Modern poolside patio at Blue on Blue in the Avalon Hotel...”  More

The Blvd

”The Blvd gets so packed, and the hotel has just upgraded its room-service menu, I eat in. I have a...”  More

Bocadillos

”Grilled meats and marinated seafood in Mini Me portions and rotund sandwiches known as bocadillos make for relaxed, elbows-on-the-table eating...”  More

Bondi

”San Diego’s 70 miles of coastline has always lured visitors, but in the past several years, the urban landscape has...”  More

BondSt

”A clone of a stylish Japanese restaurant in downtown Manhattan, housed in Beverly Hills’s trendy new Thompson Hotel....”  More

Boonville Hotel Restaurant

”The Boonville Hotel restaurant is a favorite of the valley's winemakers....”  More

Bottega Napa Valley

Bouchon Bakery

”For his latest project, slated to open this month, Thomas Keller, superstar chef-owner of the French Laundry and Bouchon, stole...”  More

Bouchon

”Young scenesters congregate at this bistro's raw bar nightly....”  More

Boule

”The silky cheesecake is made with fromage blanc...”  More

Boulette's Larder

”Located in the Ferry Building, Boulettes Larder is a terrific retailer of artisanal goods and...”  More

Boulevard

Breadbar

”Executive chef Rogelio Marhx and breadelier Daniela Galarza make a rich pumpkin-butternut squash soup and pumpkin tarts topped with vanilla...”  More

Breadbar

”Executive chef Rogelio Marhx and breadelier Daniela Galarza make a rich pumpkin-butternut squash soup and pumpkin tarts topped with vanilla...”  More

Brothers Restaurant at Mattei's Tavern

”Brothers Restaurant at Mattei's Tavern Jeff and Matt Nichols opened Mattei's Tavern two years ago, and it's still the hottest restaurant...”  More

Buon Appetito

”The stylish ristorante Buon Appetito is known for its grilled quail over lentils....”  More

Burma Superstar

Cafe Cerise

”Rustic European dishes such as broiled Bahia Falsa oysters and rabbit ravioli are among the offerings at Café Cerise, located...”  More

Cafe Chloe

”Steak frites and sole marinière are the prime plats at Café Chloe....”  More

Cafe Gratitude

”A small chain of restaurants specializing in raw vegan cuisine. ...”  More

Café Majestic

Café Rouge

Café Surfas

Caffè 817

”At lunchtime the closet-sized kitchen serves chic sandwiches on Acme baguettes and unimpeachable piatti di giorno, such as a super-Tuscan...”  More

Caffè Via d'Oro

”The inexpensive and Zin-expansive wine list make this worth a try....”  More

Camino

”Dishes from the hearth might include roast pork with sorrel gratin and grilled artichokes with wild greens...”  More

Campanile

Campton Place

”Raised in Gascony and apprenticed at Paris's Taillevent, chef Laurent Manrique makes the most of the Californian cornucopia in dishes...”  More

Canteen

”Leary appears happy to be cooking—not a leisured happiness but the happiness of rock climbers and chess players, the happiness...”  More

Carnitas Michoacán #3

Casablanca

Casanova

”The Italian restaurant features a large live tree inside. ...”  More

Catch

Cava

Chateau Marmont

”The ultimate Hollywood experience. The tables at this celeb-filled restaurant inside André Balazs’s famed hotel must be reserved well in...”  More

Cheeseboard Pizza Collective

”Each day employees make one kind of pizza and sell it until it runs out. The grassy but narrow median...”  More

Chez Panisse Café

”...using my campus-job earnings to splurge on dinn...”  More

Chez Papa Bistrot

”At Chez Papa Bistrot, Swede Ola Fendert cooks stellar Provençal seafood....”  More

Chez Spencer

”An art-filled loft space in an industrial alley is the site of one of the city's most daring new bistros....”  More

Chez TJ

Chichén Itz

Chilango's Mexico City Grill

”The regional dishes, carefully prepared according to the recipes of the owner's mother, are a welcome change from the standard...”  More

Chung King

”The house specialty—fried chicken with toasted chiles—arrived radiating an aroma of smoky capsicum that reminded us of Mexican mole....”  More

Cielo

”The enchiladas at Cielo, at Ventana Inn & Spa in Big Sur, with perfectly smoky mole sauce and just-made guacamole...”  More

Cinch

”Fire-breathing statues are no competition for the creative Australia-inspired cuisine at Santa Monica's trendiest restaurant....”  More

Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen

”Haute-comfort food maven Cindy Pawlcyn's most personal restaurant yet....”  More

Citizen Cake

”Half-restaurant, half-pâtisserie, Citizen Cake is the perfect spot to refuel: try a crisp Cuban sandwich or a chocolate cream-filled cookies...”  More

Clifton's Brookdale Cafeteria

”Playing Alvy Singer in 1977’s Annie Hall, Woody Allen famously described Los Angeles as a place whose only cultural advantage...”  More

Cobras and Matadors

”Conveniently located next to a liquor store, this BYOB tapas place stays open past midnight. On the walls: sepia photographs...”  More

Coco500

”Chef Loretta Keller's beloved Bizou has been transformed into this snazzy new spot....”  More

Coi

”Coi's chef (and F&W Best New Chef 1997) Daniel Patterson combines his passions for local ingredients and avant-garde experimentation. With...”  More

Comme Ça

”David Myer's (of Sona fame) channels the Left Bank at his new brasserie. The menu has all the classics, including...”  More

Conduit

Confidential

”Bachelor star Andrew Firestone has created a buzz with his sexy-chic Confidential, serving inventive tapas such as Indian lamb sliders...”  More

Cook Here and Now

”This two-year-old culinary experiment in communal dining brings hungry...”  More

Cook

”The Cal-Med menu changes frequently but has some signatures: calamari with grilled lemons; eggplant Parmesan in creamy béchamel sauce; and...”  More

Cora's Coffee Shoppe

”A camera-ready greasy spoon with only a few counter stools. A tented patio has enough room for surfboards, a feature...”  More

Cottage of Sweets

”The old-time candy shop is a sweet-lover's inspiration. ...”  More

The Counter

”Design-your-own organic burgers....”  More

Cowgirl Creamery

Craft Los Angeles

”Power lunchers adore this outpost of New York celebrity chef (and Top Chef host) Tom Colicchio, whose daily-changing menus are...”  More

CUT

”Steak lovers should check out Wolfgang Puck's Cut for the Japanese Wagyu rib eye and the prime filet mignon carpaccio...”  More

Cyrus

”And the perfect complement to a vineyard-hopping day? Dinner at newcomer...”  More

Dainties Cupcakes

”Caterers Bill Dertouzo and partner Susan McAlindon sell cupcakes in striped boxes with inner rings to hold the confections in...”  More

Dakota

Deco

”At Deco, restaurateur Norbert Furnee has created his own cuisine, a marriage of French and SoCal styles that he calls...”  More

Delfina

DELICA rf1

”Japanese entrepreneur Kozo Iwata opened Delica RF-1, his sleek Tokyo-style delicatessen, to pay homage to his idol, Alice Waters, and...”  More

The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton

”As the Ritz-Carlton finishes its $12 million renovation, chef Ron Siegel continues to serve his excellent modern French food, which...”  More

Dining Room

”Not many Angelenos know him by name, but Craig Strong, the young and unassuming chef-de-cuisine of the Dining Room is...”  More

Din Tai Fung

”We watched through plate glass as a crew of chefs composed the golf ball–sized dumplings in a spotless kitchen, rolling...”  More

Dolce Forno Bakery

Doña Tomás

”Doña Tomás offers something else altogether: dutifully researched regional recipes, elevated by terrific ingredients. Pescado Veracruzana, where you'd normally expect...”  More

Dottie's True Blue Café

”While in town, Haggis enjoys both, from hole-in-the-wall joints such as Dottie's True Blue Café to the haute cuisine of...”  More

Drago Centro

”For the past 18 years, Celestino Drago (an F&W Best New Chef 1993) has opened great restaurants...”  More

Drago Ristorante

Dry Creek Kitchen

”At Dry Creek Kitchen, chef Palmer serves only Sonoma County wines—650 of them—and spotlights regional purveyors in dishes like chestnut-glazed...”  More

Dynamo Donut & Coffee

”This place should be crowned the new queen of the ...”  More

Eclipse Chocolat

”At Eclipse Chocolat in University Heights, sculptor-turned-chocolatier Will Gustwiller uses some of the most unexpected ingredients to make his quirky...”  More

El Agave Tequileria

”This restaurant near the Mexican border serves an impressive 875 tequilas, and more than 500 are 100 percent agave. Chef-owner...”  More

El Borrego de Oro #2

El Carmen

”There are cool pictures of Mexican wrestlers along the wall, an empty booth in the corner and music we don’t...”  More

El Cuervo Taco Shop

”Hillcrest's best-kept secret: amazing tacos in an unassuming storefront....”  More

El Dorado Kitchen

”Sonoma's sleepy town square has a sophisticated new bistro, where Ryan Fancher, a former French laundry sous chef, prepares straightforward...”  More

El Taurino

”For an even later Mexican food fix, taco aficionados, including Jar's Suzanne Tracht, hit the no-frills El Taurino, which is...”  More

Emporio Rulli Gran Caffe

”Pastry chef Gary Rullispecializes in crisp biscotti and almond paste rolled in pine nuts at Emporio Rulli Gran Caffè....”  More

Empress Pavilion

”On weekend mornings you might wait two hours for a table, watching through floor-to-ceiling windows as an army of waiters...”  More

Enoteca Drago

Epic Roasthouse

Erna's Elderberry House

”Chef Robert Riescher's dream résumé (he's worked for Gray Kunz and Ferran Adria) leads to creative tinkering: white bean soup...”  More

Essencia

”Try the lomo saltado (steak with yucca fries)....”  More

Étoile

”The newest incarnation of the pioneering 30-year-old restaurant at Domaine Chandon is Étoile. Executive chef Christopher Manning cooks with a...”  More

Everett & Jones

”Grab soulful barbecued ribs and juicy links at this meeting place for Oakland's African-American community....”  More

Farm at the Carneros Inn

”Under exposed wooden beams that mimic the shape of a barn roof, Jake sends out dishes like a delicate tuna...”  More

Farmerbrown

”Brian Barneclo (www.brianbarneclo.com) has literally painted his town red—and black and yellow and blue. The 34-year-old San Francisco...”  More

Father's Office

”For great burgers and beyond; more outposts are opening....”  More

Fifth Floor

”Laurent Manrique—the chef at nearby Aqua—has created a menu of dishes inspired by his native Gascony, like crispy duck confit....”  More

Filling Station

”Ben Ford is launching the Filling Station in Culver City....”  More

Firefly Bistro

”I'm trying to stay healthy, so I've become addicted to the Italian chopped salad at Wild Thyme Café & Bakery...”  More

Fleur de Lys

F.O.

”Last spring Yoon opened a second outpost...”  More

Foreign Cinema

”Indeed, when I ask the Ospitals over dinner to tell me everything they love about their hometown, their enthusiasm is...”  More

The Foundry on Melrose

Fraîche

”Fraîche owner and general manager Thierry Perez came away from stints at Daniel and Bouley Bakery in New York City...”  More

Fraîche Yogurt

”They puree it into a sweet-tart salad dressing with figs to toss with mixed greens, bake it into surprisingly moist...”  More

French Laundry

”He may be one of the most sophisticated cooks in America, but Thomas Keller has a very simple passion—eggs. 'They...”  More

Fresh

”Fresh lives up to its name with a creative seafood menu (try the ahi carpaccio with wasabi cream)....”  More