Mezzé San Francisco, Oakland

The chefs at Mezzé’s careful use of bold spices and traditional recipes from across the Mediterranean earned their fragrantly seasoned cuisine a rating of "Very Good to Excellent" from Zagat. In addition to sourcing local, organic, and sustainably farmed ingredients whenever possible, they also keep their flavors close to home by stuffing spicy merguez, smoking Angus rib eyes, and pickling vegetables in house. Throughout their meal, diners can gaze directly into the open kitchen and watch the chefs at work, busily arranging the lamb-shank tagine or debating the relative merits of eating soup with a spoon versus a crazy straw.