SPQR is an Italian osteria, located in Pacific Heights, that serves wine and more casual food than their popular sister restaurant A16 in the Marina district. According to Wikipedia, “SPQR is an initialism from a Latin phrase, Senatus Populusque Romanus (“The Senate and the People of Rome” or “The Senate and Roman People”), referring to the government of the ancient Roman Republic”. Executive Chef, Matthew Accarrino, prepares “sophisticated, yet soulful, Italian cuisine using the best local ingredients, traditional and modern cooking techniques delivered in a relaxed and fun atmosphere.” Our last visit was in the middle of 2013.

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Why did we dine here? – Keiko is a one Michelin Star restaurant at the ground floor of a posh apartment building a top San Francisco’s Nob Hill. The chef, Keiko Takahashi, previously cooked at places such as El Paseo before Tyler Florence took it over. This clubby restaurant makes you feel like you’ve entered a private club, one that feels like you are in New York City. Unlike most other high end restaurants in the City, Keiko lays almost under the radar.

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Fifth floor is a restaurant in the SF Downtown Hotel Palomar, and has been around for ages and seen many a top chef come and move on. (George Morrone, Melissa Perrello, etc) We haven’t been back in many years, so it was time to refresh our memory. Our last visit was in April 2013.

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Farmhouse is a One Michelin Star restaurant and Inn located in the heart of the Russian River Valley, Forestville. We have never ventured into this region and came here for dinner after a long day of playing in the River at Guerneville. This restaurant and inn are located on beautiful grounds full of plants and other vegetation.

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Why did we dine here? – Quadri is a popular restaurant that overlooks St. Marks Square in Venice, Italy. We chose this relatively new restaurant because of its convenient location and the fact that it had one Michelin star. This restaurant has stunning decor which blends Italian style with modern sensibility. With a view of St. Marks square, you can watch all the action while dining on some of the best food in Venice. Our focus was on seafood, as Venice is known for fresh food from the sea. Considering the amount of water around here… This restaurant was a major splurge! It was our only meal in Venice.

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One of the most underrated places in the San Francisco Bay Area. Located in the heard of the Napa wine country and specifically in foodie heaven aka Yountville, California. It earned One Michelin Star in 2012. We have dined here 3 times, with the last visit in the Summer of 2013. They also run sister Italian restaurant Redd Wood.

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Why did we dine here? – Plumed Horse is a long standing (1952) restaurant located in Saratoga, not far from the Montalvo winery. This location used to be a stable, hence the name. Peter Armellino (Aqua) is the chef. They have earned one Michelin star and have been on our radar for many years. We finally had an excuse to visit this fine restaurant. This restaurant was remodeled recently, giving us a good excuse to pay a visit. Their decor is definitely top-notch with a beautiful transparent 2000 bottle, three-story wine cellar and cool chefs table / room.

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One of the top restaurants in SF.. Quince is a high end restaurant in San Francisco’s Jackson Square area, near the Financial District run by chef-owner Michael Tusk. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, has cooked extensively in Europe, and used to work at Stars, Oliveto, and Chez Panisse.  They serve California cuisine with northern Italian influences as well as Alice Waters inspired freshness. This restaurant focuses on local, organic, seasonal ingredients and moved to the space vacated by Myth, after a six year stint at their cramped location on Pacific Heights. Parking is slightly easier at the new location. Quince received one Michelin star in 2012.

Quince SF has a more casual restaurant next door called Cotogna. Read the rest of this entry »

Why did we dine here? – Spruce is a popular American restaurant in San Francisco’s upper crust Laurel Heights neighborhood. This restaurant has one Michelin star and has been packed ever since it opened. This is our third visit, with our last meal here several years ago. The chef Mark Sullivan also oversees Village Pub in Woodside. We recently had one of the best duck dishes there, in a long time.

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Aziza is a one Michelin star restaurant in San Francisco’s sleepy Richmond district run by executive chef Mourad Lahlou. They focus on organic, local, and sustainable ingredients. His modern reinventions of traditional Moroccan dishes has garnered him much acclaim. Pastry chef Melissa Chou is also legendary.

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Sons and Daughters is a One Michelin star restaurant run by young chef/owners Matt McNamara and Teague Moriarty. (Gregoire) They have a 1 acre garden in Los Gatos that yields fresh produce and herbs.

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Atelier Crenn is a one Michelin star French restaurant from Dominique Crenn (Formerly of Luce) located in San Francisco’s Marina District. (Atelier means workshop in French.) As she puts it, “An expression of taste, scent, and vision.”  Seasonal and sustainable cuisine. We have been debating whether to dine here for a while. Our worries were whether this place was more style or substance. Some of the pictures of the dishes here looked too beautiful to eat!

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