Paul K Restaurant, San Francisco

Led by executive chef [Shawn Bayless](http://www.paulkrestaurant.com/chef.htm), the culinary savants at at [_Michelin--recommended](http://www.paulkrestaurant.com/michelin-image.htm) and [_Zagat_-praised](http://www.paulkrestaurant.com/zagat-image.htm) Paul K modernize Mediterranean dishes in a warmly elegant setting. Servers whisk complimentary black-and-white hummus and cucumber-infused water to white-draped tables as guests scan the [dinner menu](http://www.paulkrestaurant.com/menu-dinner.htm). A diverse selection of small plates—ideal for sharing or sating a single Lilliputian—includes potato gnocchi, house fries with harissa ketchup, and pomegranate-braised lamb riblets with garlic yogurt. Entrees weave together Greek, Middle Eastern, and European flavors, as well as Armenian touches from owner [Paul Kavoksorian's](http://www.paulkrestaurant.com/paul.htm) heritage. Meats are pan-seared, grilled, and wine-braised, and mezza platters feature the traditional tastes of kebabs and baba gannouj, as well as unique flourishes such as carrot-mint yogurt. Selections from an import-heavy [wine list](http://www.paulkrestaurant.com/menu-wine.htm)—with descriptive headings such as "Bottles Full of Bubbles" and "Rich, White Wines Showing Appropriate Restraint"—fill glasses as diners linger, admiring abstract artwork against a slate gray wall in a dining room with red and yellow accents. On Saturday and Sunday mornings, the [brunch menu](http://www.paulkrestaurant.com/menu-brunch.htm) proffers sophisticated takes on breakfast dishes—in the form of orange pancakes topped with toasted walnuts and a hash of confit duck and onion salsa— as well as lunch sandwiches, soups, and greens. Sipping a mimosa or maple-bacon-infused bloody mary awakens taste buds, and downing a latte made with espresso or green tea gives diners a morning jolt akin to mistaking the muzzle of a pet tiger for an alarm clock.