Zuni Café
GO HERE: for one of the most quintessential San Francisco dining experiences. Zuni Café's whole roasted chicken is world-famous for good reason: It really is that good.
ORDER THE: chicken with bread salad, mustard greens, currants, and pine nuts. The bread has that coveted dual texture: It's crunchy from hanging out in the wood-fired brick oven but also a little mushy after soaking up all the chicken juices. It's heaven. While you wait for your chicken, which can take up to an hour, share the Zuni Caesar salad (a fine example of the genre) and a plate of the shoestring potatoes.
THE VIBE IS: a little bit old-school but never stuffy. The waitstaff is relaxed and friendly, but it does feel like you're dining in a place with some history—and that's a good thing. There are several different rooms to sit in within the triangular building, but we're partial to the small upstairs room where you can peek in on the open kitchen downstairs.
PRACTICAL STUFF: Open for lunch and dinner: Tuesday to Thursday, from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday; from 11:30 a.m. to midnight; and Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Closed on Mondays.
—Carey Polis
