Metroactive Dining

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Prices
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Fusion/Californian

Avenue 9
$$. A top-notch California bistro in the middle of the Sunset's Gourmet Gulch. Try the smoked salmon on a potato latke with créme fraiche or the duck breast and leg confit with chile pudding and wild mushrooms. 1243 Ninth Ave. above Lincoln (415/664-6999). Lunch, dinner 7 days, late lunch Sa-Su, late dining F-Sa. Beer and wine. (H.H.)
Backflip
$$$. The word for the food is "weird." In this retro-futuristic space, expect little tradition or logic. Come if you want to be on display. Tenderloin, 601 Eddy, (415/771-3547). (P.A.)
Betelnut
$$$. Dark, atmospheric (check out the fans), this pan-Asian spot serves robust fare in small portions. Bring friends, try everything. Marina, 2030 Union, (415/929-8855). (P.A.)
Cafe Akimbo
$$$. Understated sophistication, with some unusual touches, such as spring rolls with foie gras. Don't miss the Grand Marnier soufflé. Downtown, 116 Maiden Lane, (415/433-2288). (P.A.)
Cafe for All Seasons
$$. Drop in for dishes such as grilled rainbow trout with tarragon lemon-butter and chopped chives (at brunch); spaghetti with artichoke hearts, mushrooms, lemon and garlic; or pork scallops with a mustard-cream sauce and capers. 150 W. Portal Ave above Vicente (415/665-0900). Lunch M-Sa., dinner 7 days, brunch Sa-Su. Beer and wine. (H.H.)
Cassis Bistro
$$. A delightful, sunny neighborhood bistro with comfortable, rich food. I am not aware of any better tarte tatin available in the city. 2120 Greenwich in the Marina (415/292-0770). (P.A.)
Cha Cha Cha
$$. Bold pan-Latin. The flavors are simple and bright, in interesting combinations. Haight, 1801 Haight, (415/386-5758). (P.A.)
Flying Saucer
$$$. The decor looks sort of homemade, and the food combines the best aspects of Mom's expertise and some incorrigible kid's kitchen experiments, dramatically presented. 1000 Guerrero in Noe Valley (415/641-9955). (P.A.)
42 Degrees
$$$. The Mediterranean-inspired food here is about the best in the city. Lunch stand-outs: chicken apple sausage with bell pepper relish; shrimp empanada stuffed with seafood and basil-accented ricotta; grilled ham sandwich on a pumpkin-seed roll. 235 16th St. below Illinois and behind the Esprit Outlet (415/777-5558). Lunch M-F; dinner, late dining W-Sa. Cocktails, wine and beer. (H.H.)
Fringale
$$$. In a casual setting, at reasonable rates, Fringale provides creative Basque-tinged meals. Save room for the top-notch desserts. SoMa, 570 Fourth St, (415/543-0573).
Greens
$$. Not flashy, but the space, the view and especially the food are sublime. Bright, fresh, discrete flavors in cunning combinations: a pinnacle of vegetarian cuisine. Fort Mason, Building D in the Marina (415/771-6222). (P.A.)
Hawthorne Lane
$$$. Superb, fresh, creative food in one of the city's classier settings, at a pleasant remove from urban bustle. SoMa, 22 Hawthorne Lane. (415/777-9779). (P.A.)
House
$$. This pan-Asian grill serves fish with a texture that will melt you. A deeply satisfying experience. Sunset, 1269 Ninth Ave, (415/682-3898). North Beach, 1230 Grant, (415/986-8612). Lunch, dinner Tu-Su, late dining F-Sa. Beer and wine. (H.H.)
Joubert's
$$. In case you've forgotten, the draw here is twofold. One is an excellent menu of South African fusion cuisine from the Cape Malay area. The other is the excellent wines from South Africa. 4115 Judah St. above 46th (415/753-5448). Dinner W-Su. Cocktails. (H.H.)
Kathy's
$$. A friendly, lighthearted cafe with Cal-Asian dishes in a parlorlike ambiance. Try the red dumplings filled with pork and shrimp, or the tangerine beef with black mushrooms. 408 Dewey Blvd. at Laguna Honda (415/665-6888). Lunch M-F, dinner 7 days. Beer and wine. (H.H.)
Ma Tante Sumi
$$. French plus Japanese, creatively and tastefully blended. Some dishes may sound unusual; they're pretty much all winners. Castro, 4243 18th St, (415/626-7864). (P.A.)
Millennium
$$. The highly imaginative, highly flavorful dishes at this cheerful, comfortable restaurant contain no animal products, but that serves as more an inspiration than a hurdle. Desserts scintillate. 246 McAllister in the Tenderloin (415/487-9800). (P.A.)
Oberon Restaurant & Bar
$$$. A bit of Moroccan here, some Greek there, Algerian in the chicken breast, Italian in the pastas, of course. The net effect is like most combo plates: good and filling but not great and memorable. 1450 Lombard St. (415/885-6555). Sun. through Thu. 5:30pm-10:00pm (bar open until midnight), Fri. and Sat. 5:30pm-11:00pm (bar open until midnight). Reservations suggested. Major CCs. (S.B.)
Oritalia
$$$. Asian meets Italian, dramatically. The fusion here is aggressive and dish-by-dish. What's exciting, though, is not the concepts but the flavor--everything is delicious. Pacific Heights, 1915 Fillmore, (415/346-1333). (P.A.)
Prevot's
$$. Fine bistro dining west of Twin Peaks. White tablecloths, chimney-capped oil lamps and bottles of Perrier on the table. Classical music and a primo wine list boost the evening along. 400 Dewey Blvd. at Laguna Honda (415/661-9210). Lunch Tu-F, dinner Tu-Su. Beer and wine. (H.H.)
Rosmarino
$$$. Start with the grand antipasto platter. Move on to a salad of shaved fennel tossed with blood oranges, almonds and dates or roasted tomato soup with Parmesan croutons. For a main course, try the spaghetti with French butter, pecorino and black pepper. 3665 Sacramento St. above Locust (415/931-7710). Lunch, dinner Tu-Sa; brunch Su. Beer & wine. (H.H.)
Rumpus
$$$. It looks like a refitted chain "family restaurant," with floral-printed bouncy cushions and a divided main room, but the clientele is business/media types and the food is upscale SF standard. Nothing too special, but a decent $25 lunch, if that's what you're after. Downtown, 1 Tillman Lane. (415/421-2300). (P.A.)
Val 21
$$$. Val 21 The dramatic architecture can be distracting, but the dishes are equally carefully composed and often quite clever. Mission, 995 Valencia, (415/821-6622). (P.A.)

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