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Michelin may have a soft spot for San Francisco — we all do. But the East and South Bays have some incredible restaurants that run the full gamut, from starry spots to off-the-beaten-path bistros. We’ve noshed and sipped our way through hundreds of them, seeking out the very best — and now we’re ready to proclaim the Bay Area’s top 50.
We’re rolling out our restaurant critics and food writers’ top picks this week, starting with Nos. 41-50 on Monday, Nos. 31-40 Tuesday and Nos. 21-30 yesterday. Today, we’re revealing the next batch.
So let’s get started — because when you’re craving Portuguese, Burmese or seasonal farm-to-fork fare, you want to get right on that.
Rasa, Burlingame: When you want Indian food — with a twist
Don’t be surprised by the mix of customers here. Rasa was a neighborhood go-to before attracting Michelin’s eye, which means owner Ajay Walia and chef Vijay Kumar still cater to both families with kids and date-night foodies. Their contemporary focus marries south Indian classics with seasonal, organic California ingredients: Sustainably caught Halibut Pollichathu, for example, comes perfectly cooked in a banana leaf with shallots and ginger and served with a bright side of green beans foogath. Appalam crackers adorn the Stone-Fruit Salad. And Spicy Corn Chaat is made with fresh Brentwood nuggets.
Order: Bombay Sliders with spiced potato fritters, Cardamom Brulee, Apricot Velvet
Details: 209 Park Road, Burlingame; www.rasaindian.com; $-$$
Homestead, Oakland: When you want housemade everything, including hand-churned butter
That’s pretty much all you need to know about Fred and Elizabeth Sassen’s attention to detail. They make their own butter, their own bread and their own bold-flavored everything from scratch, right down to the house-cured anchovies on the tomato carpaccio. Meats are grilled or wood-fired, and there’s always a vegetarian-friendly option on the small, but beautifully curated menu, whether it’s shakshuka, curried butternut squash or a ratatouille gratin. It’s all unfussy perfection.
Order: Wood-fired anything, especially pork. Save room for dessert.
Details: 4029 Piedmont Ave., http://homesteadoakland.com; $$
Gochi Japanese Fusion Tapas, Cupertino: When you need to scratch that salmon itch
Fans line up at Cupertino’s Gochi (and its sister restaurant in Mountain View) for chef Masa Takei’s take on casual but elegant small plates, including sashimi, tataki — briefly seared, marinated and sliced albacore, mackerel or bonito — and hiyayakko, a cold tofu appetizer. The owner of one of the best palates we know tells us that if he had only one more meal to eat in a South Bay restaurant, it would be Gochi’s Sake Oyako Meshi, the clay pot rice dish with grilled salmon and salmon roe.
Order: Doh, the Sake Oyako Meshi! Plus hamachi or another starter from the carpaccio menu
Details: 19980 Homestead Road, plus a Mountain View location; www.gochifusiontapas.com; $
Bull Valley Roadhouse, Port Costa: When you want cocktails with a side of magic
This tiny riverside town emerges at the end of a long country lane like a twinkle-lit mirage, crowned by this retro-rustic marvel. The Roadhouse combines Victorian decor, pre-Prohibition cocktails and reinvented American fare, all courtesy of a crew that includes Slanted Door alums. Belly up to the long Victorian bar for 19th-century cocktails — hello, Bee’s Knees — and modern twists. Tiki Thursdays bring Singapore Slings and rum punches, too, served in amazing handcrafted tiki mugs made by the Roadhouse bartender.
Order: Slow-roasted Llano Seco pork stew served over polenta
Details: 14 Canyon Lake Drive, www.bullvalleyroadhouse.com; $$-$$$
Camper, Menlo Park: When you’d like a few surprises (and some smoke) with your meal
Chef-partner Greg Kuzia-Carmel (Quince, Cotogna, Per Se) and his team use the element of surprise to elevate the Camper menu. Skillet cornbread comes with lightly smoked honey butter. Hasselback eggplant accompanies the flat-iron steak. The addictive ketchup is a Catalan-spiced version. A drizzle of peach pit caramel tops the cobbler. No matter the season, this farm-to-table menu offers the unexpected.
Order: Piedmontese-style filled agnolotti pasta, any of the desserts.
Details: 898 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park; www.campermp.com; $$-$$$
Comal, Berkeley: When you’re all about mezcal flights
Best not wear a white shirt to this lively restaurant in Berkeley’s arts district. Whether it’s a trio of street tacos, roasted duck enchiladas or shareable Platos Fuertas, executive chef Matt Gandin’s regional Mexican menu showcases bright, bold flavors — and the deep crimson sauce on those must-have albondigas is going to get everywhere. The tortillas are made in-house, as are all the salsas and sauces. The cocktails are sensational. And clever acoustic engineering means you can actually hear your date or bestie.
Order: Those albondigas, of course, the enchiladas, and a tequila or mezcal flight.
Details: 2020 Shattuck Ave., https://comalberkeley.com; $$
Nick’s Next Door, Los Gatos: When you want to see Nick — and have dinner
With apologies to “Casablanca,” everybody comes to Nick’s. That’s Nick’s Next Door, the restaurant owned and run by homegrown chef Nick Difu, whose long local résumé includes Nick’s on Main, 180, the Wine Cellar and Cafe Marcella. Devoted customers rave about the welcoming atmosphere — Nick is always there, cooking, greeting, making the rounds. And then there’s the super-consistent quality of the dishes, including the popular Salmon with Lemon Risotto, Duck Confit and Pan-Roasted Ribeye (with bone marrow and truffle fries) and Veal Chop (with butter beans and fried baby kale).
Order: Nani’s Meatloaf, a rich tribute to his Sicilian grandmother
Details: 11 College Ave., Los Gatos; www.nicksnextdoor.com; $$
Belotti Ristorante, Oakland: When you want world-class Italian fare in a jewel box setting
Silky handmade pasta, deep complex sauces — and tiramisu, too? This tiny gem makes best-of lists all the time — and deservedly so. The vibe is all dark wood and deep, romantic hues. And Italian native and chef-owner Michele Belotti pours love and passion into his cooking, from the antipasto to the pillow-soft gnocchi alla Bolognese, spaghetti pomodoro with burrata and the five-hour Brasato, a braised flatiron steak served with polenta and hen of the woods mushrooms. Hello, date night.
Order: Tagliatelle with grappa and sangiovese-marinated wild boar sugo. And that tiramisu.
Details: 5403 College Ave., https://belottirb.com; $-$$
But wait, there’s more!
These are Nos. 11-20 on our best 50 list. Find the Best 50: Restaurants 1-10, Restaurants 21-30, Restaurants 31-40 and Restaurants 41-50 here.
