Deals in Davis

As the air in San Francisco gets a little crisper, the fog starts rolling in a bit thicker and the lights of the Embarcadero buildings begin to twinkle as evening approaches, you know the holidays are on their way. And there is nothing like the approach of the holiday season to make one nostalgic. It is the perfect time to get retro with some of the city's time-honored classics, after all, these dishes are classics for a reason. If you are constantly on the look out for the latest and greatest but are beginning to have FOMO (fear of missing out) fatigue, check out some of San Francisco's tried and true culinary delights which have all stood the test of time. (Find even more restaurants in San Francisco.) Cioppino at Tadich Grill A classic dish at a classic restaurant. Tadich Grill, located in the Financial District, is the oldest continuously running restaurant in San Francisco and they have been serving cioppino since the restaurant opened in 1849. The dish itself was created in the 1800's by a North Beach Italian who used the leftovers from the fishing boats with a few Dungeness crabs thrown in. The signature dish at Tadich includes clams, prawns, scallops, bay shrimp, mussels and fresh white fish along with crab in a tomato-based broth. You will eat every bite of the fresh seafood and sop up any remaining broth with garlic toast that is provided.  If you save room for one more dish or can convince someone to share, don't miss ordering the sand dabs as well, they are another local specialty.  You'll be served San Franciscan classically prepared dishes by white-jacketed waiters  in a gorgeous art deco environment in the same way it has been for more than 160 years.  Tip: Plan ahead as the restaurant does not take reservations. Clam Chowder (and oysters) at Swan Oyster Depot If you can hack the long line to grab one of the 20 bar stools in this legendary spot on Polk Street then you will be warmly greeted and made to feel like family.  Serving seafood classics since 1912, Swan Oyster Depot has a limited menu that includes fresh Dungeness crab, shrimp, oysters, clam cocktails, a few types of smoked fish (get the salmon!), and clam chowder.  Most regulars grab a bowl of chowder, a few oysters and a beer and then dash out; they are cognizant of the hoards of people trying to get in.  The best times to go are 11 (they open the stools at 10:30) or after 4:30.  Tip: Bring a coat, it can get cold, especially if you are sitting near the door. Prime Rib at House of Prime Rib If you are a red meat kind of person then look no further than House of Prime Rib, or HOPR for short.   It is the quintessential beef restaurant. There is no other spot in the city that measures up when it comes to ambiance, service or food. Your only decision is how big do you want your slice of heaven.  The beef is so tender you can cut it with a fork and it does melt in your mouth.  Tip: Skip the salad and save room for the creamed spinach and mashed potatoes. Irish Coffee at Buena Vista Cafe This is a date night classic.  Or likely your parents or grandparents date night classic. Doesn't matter, there is something distinctly cool in a retro kind of way about getting an Irish coffee here.  It took awhile for the owner of the Buena Vista Cafe to get the recipe for this signature elixir right, but with the help of various partners in crime, the Buena Vista Irish coffee was born in 1952 and the recipe which includes Irish whiskey and coffee with frothed cream aged for 48 hours remains unchanged.  The restaurant originally served as a meeting place for fishermen and handlers who worked for the nearby Sardine Cannery and has always been a spot of friends and strangers alike to get to know each other over a warm drink. Tip: Just go for the drink, don't eat there. So there you have it. Four San Francisco classics to check out. Whether it is alone or with friends you'll quickly see why these spots have been fan favorites for decades.  While these locations are great all year round if you have family in town for the holidays you'll earn brownie points with all the generations if you take them to any one of these. Photos by: Leslie Wong, Shalbs, Jun Seita, and Julie Blaustein respectively. 

With a major craft fair every couple of weeks or so, San Francisco’s creative types appear to constitute a majority of the population, selling designer handmade bits and baubles that bring joy to bedroom walls and living room shelves everywhere. Some people are born with the innate ability to open an Etsy store, while others must learn. Fortunately, there are several exceptional spots to get your craft on throughout the city. The Museum of Craft and Design actually does partner with Etsy, the online home for DIY craft-sellers worldwide. Whether it’s needle felting, embossing, fashioning wire-wrapped mini mobiles or building robots with the kids on the weekends, the Dogpatch-neighborhood institution can have participants go from clueless bumbler to running a booth at the Renegade Craft Fair in no time. Anyone who’s taken a class at Workshop knows that this Western Addition DIY powerhouse is the real deal. If it’s the hands-on team sharing their knowledge of cheese-making or leading a master class in the art of letterpress, the guidance at Workshop is judgment-free, the music is loud and there’s always cold beer in the fridge. For a casual atmosphere that promotes community, creativity and fun, Workshop’s simple classes offer expert advice that can be applied at home immediately. As the community space that’s more or less the philanthropic wing of the burgeoning Bi-Rite food empire, 18 Reasons hosts its fair share of wine tastings and cookbook signings. Here, members and non-members alike can learn the ins-and-outs of making chocolate, gingerbread houses and even pasta. Those with an eagerness to get their hands dirty can even sign up for a twelve-session urban gardening school. Finally, online magazine-slash-startup incubator The Bold Italic throws a lot of themed parties across the city, but its crafty calendar emphasis extends to workshops on the cerebral world of 3-D printing. There’s no end to the cutting-edge technological possibilities being offered by The Bold Italic, which stands in stark contrast to some of the more crafty, old-school classes available across town. No matter where your interests lie, there’s sure to be a seminar or breakout session in San Francisco that helps explain it all.

The San Francisco Peninsula and South Bay, with their strong Japanese populations, have long had a multitude of sushi and izakaya (small plates) restaurants; but the last two years have brought even more Japanese eateries to San Francisco.  Many serve traditional Japanese plates such as edamame, kushiyaki (skewered grilled items), karaage (marinated fried chicken) and udon or ramen soups along with sushi and sashimi. The Mission already has its share: Minako, Blowfish, Cha-Ya (vegetarian), Nihon Whiskey Lounge, Ken Ken Ramen and Nombe, to name a few. But the three newcomers below have made this neighborhood a destination for an authentic Japanese dining experience.  Is the Mission turning Japanese?  We really think so. Maruya (2931 16th Street) Opened last October, Maruya is the newest fine dining Japanese establishment in the Mission.  Chef/Owner Masa-san (Masaki Sasaki) and Executive Chef Hide-san (Hidebumi Sueyoshi) hold court behind the case-less cypress bar that centers the tranquil, wood-paneled restaurant.  Both chefs have extensive experience with stints in Tokyo, New York, Las Vegas and San Francisco, garnering four-star reviews along the way. Top quality pristine ingredients are featured in the raw fish and cooked items, many with minimalist Japanese sensibilities of showcasing the primary component in a beautiful presentation. Do yourself a favor and let the chefs guide you through the experience. Sit back, relax and enjoy the Omakase (chef’s choice) menu by Masa-san, which includes a mixture of cooked and sushi items (including an amazing dashi-poached tomato).  Or, go with Hide-san’s sushi-centric menu where each piece is properly seasoned and served one piece at a time on top of a ti leaf (no soy sauce necessary here). With seating for only 25, it would be wise to make reservations in advance. Izakaya Yuzuki (598 Guerrero Street) Upon being seated you will notice that there are no soy sauce bottles to be found anywhere on the tables. That is because Chef Takashi Saito makes sure that each dish has enough umami flavor by preparing most of the food using “koji,” made from fermented cultured grain or soybean generally used to make sake, miso and soy sauce.  Open since 2011, Saito-san may have started the koji trend since it is now a common ingredient at many restaurants across the US, including nearby Bar Tartine.  There are many plates to choose from, including otsumami (snack), grilled and crispy items. Each one of the dishes is carefully prepared, flavorful and beautifully presented. Ramen Izakaya Goku (3232 16th Street) San Mateo’s Shabuway team is on a tear moving northward and invading the City. They have exclusive rights to operate US outposts of Men-Oh Ramen from Tokushima, Japan which is expanding outwards from the first one opened in the Inner Richmond, right next door to Shabuway.  They also opened Waraku Ramen in Japantown. They could have brought Men-Oh or Waraku to the Mission, but they opened Goku instead.  The ramen offering between the three are all distinctly different, and Goku’s is a selection of five types, including an interesting clam and garlic version. Several izakaya tapas-style small plates such as wasabi fries, grilled squid or fried shrimp with chili sauce are also available.  With no reservations taken, there can be a wait on busy evenings for their reasonably priced Japanese fare, but take note that they are open for lunch on weekends.