Cotogna in San Francisco is Michael Tusk's casual Italian next to three-star Quince, with a wood oven turning out pizza and a Piedmontese pasta board.
Signature dishes: Wood-fired pizza, Tagliatelle bolognese, Roast chicken
Must order: The agnolotti dal plin with brown butter and sage, on the daily pasta list.
Tip: Walk in at 17:30 for the bar seats; the dining room books two weeks ahead.
Address: 490 Pacific Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94133
Fog Harbor Fish House in San Francisco is the Pier 39 upstairs room with strong clam chowder among the Wharf options, plus a long crab list in winter.
Signature: Sourdough clam chowder, Crab Louie, Sand dabs
Order: Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl with a view of the sea lions.
Tip: Book the 18:00 window seating for the sunset over Alcatraz; it is the room's whole selling point.
Tony's Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco is Tony Gemignani's North Beach room, with 13 ovens running 7 pizza styles and a long list of World Pizza Cup wins.
Signature: Margherita STG, Cal Italia, Detroit-style
Order: Margherita STG, limited to 73 a day and cooked at 900 degrees.
Tip: The Margherita STG is capped at 73 per day; arrive at 17:00 to lock one in or expect a sell-out by 19:30.
Delfina in San Francisco is Craig and Annie Stoll's Mission trattoria, open since 1998, with a Tuscan-leaning pasta board and a roast chicken benchmark.
Signature: Spaghetti with plum tomatoes, Roast chicken, Tripe alla fiorentina
Order: Spaghetti with plum tomatoes; the Annie Stoll pasta on the menu since 1998.
Tip: Pizzeria Delfina next door takes walk-ins and serves the same pizza dough; faster on a Friday.
Flour + Water in San Francisco is Thomas McNaughton's Mission pasta-and-pizza house, with a daily handmade pasta board and a Neapolitan oven up front.
Signature: Tasting of pasta, Wood-fired pizza, Whole-grain bread
Order: The 5-course pasta tasting, the room's house format since 2009.
Tip: The pasta tasting is the move; ordering pasta a la carte costs the same and gives you less.
Park Tavern in San Francisco is Anna Weinberg's Washington Square sister to Marlowe and the Cavalier, with the same burger and a steady neighbourhood pulse.
Signature: Marlowe burger, Brussels sprout chips, Roast chicken
Order: The Marlowe burger with Cabot cheddar on a pretzel bun.
Tip: Sunday roast lunch sells out by 14:00; book two weeks ahead for a window seat onto the square.
Fog Harbor Fish House in San Francisco is the Pier 39 upstairs room with strong clam chowder among the Wharf options, plus a long crab list in winter.
Signature: Sourdough clam chowder, Crab Louie, Sand dabs
Order: Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl with a view of the sea lions.
Tip: Book the 18:00 window seating for the sunset over Alcatraz; it is the room's whole selling point.
Souvla in San Francisco is a counter-service Greek spit-fired meat sandwich house with four sites citywide, and the Hayes Valley original is the test kitchen.
Signature: Lamb sandwich, Pork salad, Frozen Greek yogurt
Order: Lamb sandwich with horiatiki salad and a frozen yogurt with olive oil for after.
Tip: The 12:30 lunch line is faster than 13:00; order ahead via the app to skip it altogether.
