by Elliot Shirwo

CMA San Francisco

San Francisco never gets old, whether you’re visiting for pleasure or, in our case, for business. San Francisco’s layers of generational growth has enriched its history and, in turn, its culture. Whether it is the food, theatre, music, or the fine art scene, San Francisco continues to sing and dance with tradition and innovation.

Art/Architecture. For art lovers, a visit to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is essential. In addition to the compelling art exhibitions, the architectural grandeur of this building is enough to take witness of.

Music. One of the crown jewels of the San Francisco music scene is SFJAZZ which is year round programming on all aspects of jazz, including epic performances in 2018 of Terence Blanchard and the like. For more contemporary music, The Fillmore has a music history in and of itself.

Beverage. The finest watering hole in San Francisco sits in the middle of the Tenderloin of all places. You will find the most bespoke spirits here and the environment feels like you are at a modern version of a bar that existed in San Francisco during the Gold Rush era. As an aside, it is probably one of only a couple of places in the city that you will be able to find Pappy Van Winkle for those of you who know your whisky.

Food. My all-time passion. Here is the truth: if you really want to eat well, if eating well means something to you, then consider adopting my food philosophy. My philosophy is as follows: I have a certain number of meals in my lifetime and I’m going to make the most out of each and every one of them. I apply this philosophy to every other aspect of my life. It brings a deep connection, awareness, and joy in my life’s experiences with the people who mean the most to me.

So here’s the roadmap to eating in Northern California:

The best sushi in this city is hands-down, Ju-Ni. Ju-Ni translates into 12 from Japanese into English. The number 12 represents how many seats are in the restaurant. Geoffrey Lee intentionally curated a limited space in order to attend to the greatest detail in his and the other chefs’ preparations and, profoundly, in his and his chefs’ social interactions with the diners. Chef Lee has weaved gracefully the flavors of tradition and modernity together in complete harmony. Case in point, Chef Lee cured a Japanese Mackeral and incorporated the flavor of cherry in its preparation. The delicate balance of the sublime sweet and tart flavor of the cherry elevated the experience of this bite to a nirvana level.

With the rise of Spanish and Latin American influenced restaurants in recent times, no other restaurant does it with more

authenticity and depth of flavor profiles than Coqueta. It doesn’t hurt that the property is on the Pier and overlooks the stunning San Francisco bay. Everything from the cheese and charcuterie board, to the braised/grilled octopus, and their signature paella, Coqueta from the esteemed chef Michael Chiarello raises the bar for the flair of Spanish cuisine. In addition, because Chef Chiarello oversees a larger restaurant group of properties, the resources of his other restaurants come into play in your dining experience. Case in point, the restaurant group’s wine director, Laura Koffer, reached out to me when I requested some very hard to find wines for a special holiday luncheon that I hosted in 2017. To my shocking surprise, Ms. Koffer found 4 bottles of this extraordinarily hard to find wine, Single Vineyard Pinot Noirs by Tom Rochioli in the Russian River. It was this special touch of service that took the luncheon over the top.

If you love Greek food, you will discover the most delicious bites in the Hayes Valley of San Francisco at a small and quaint casual eatery based on sandwiches and salads called Souvla. However, don’t be misled by the casualness of its food. You have a choice of a handful of protein or vegetable choices and then you choose if you wish to have your meal in sandwich or salad form. I had the salad form of the white sweet potato mixed with crisp little gem lettuces and other farmers market vegetables. With the salad, I had some of the greatest french fries I’ve ever had. Obviously, double fried, sized between a shoestring and a steak fry, with kosher salt and some fried parsley, all residing in a cone shaped vessel. The only item missing was the Heinz 57 Ketchup!

For Mexican food, you have two choices: 1) Cala in Hayes Valley and 2) Nopalito. Cala is a finer dining experience and Nopalito is more street food. Both are equally as satisfying and distinct in a city that is flush with amazing Mexican food, especially in the Mission neighborhood of the city.

There are an innumerable number of great Italian restaurants in San Francisco, such as Delfina in the Mission, Tosca in North Beach, and A16 in the Marina District. However, I have a special place in my heart and stomach for Cotogna by Chef Michael Tusk. I’ve been dining at his restaurants since he opened his flagship in Pacific Heights years ago before relocating on Pacific Avenue where he now operates his Michelin starred restaurant, Quince, and his Osteria, Cotogna. Skillfully and soulfully run by Ms. Belk, Chef Tusk and his wife/partner, Lindsay and their uber-amazing team, both in the kitchen and floor, have no equal. Cotogna is my home away from home and their Northern Italian cuisine truly resurrects the food of Northern cuisine, including the authentic dish from Piedmonte, gnocchi with Castelmagno cheese. This could be your last bite on earth but note that you have to specially request it in advance with the mention of my name in order to secure the order.

My finest and final moment of food frenzy in this article of cultural reflection is Liholiho Yacht 

Club. Although this is the hardest reservation to obtain in the city right now, if you are able to secure one, you will be one of the luckiest diners in the city if you get it. First and foremost, the type of cuisine, Hawaiian influenced, is an anomaly for no such place exists anywhere along the coast of California. I suggest that you eat through as much of the menu as possible and you will receive the help and guidance from servers who are the best in the business because they REALLY CARE. Start with the tuna poke with sesame oil, radish and nori cracker, then order the yellowtail sashimi paired with Asian pear and white soy, then order the iceberg wedge with shiso ranch; enjoy the chicories with kabocha, aged gouda, pomegranante and crispy sweet potato, and then dive into the hopper shrimp with chicken fried broccolini; then have the tunnay belly with persimmon; and top it off with the roasted octopus, and the opah that was rubbed with chili honey. After my meal at Lilo, I left knowing that I just had an epic, culinary adventure that only happens once in a blue moon.

 

You now have plenty of reasons to indulge at the greatest cultural depths below the unforgettable surface of the City of Lights. One resonating experience begets another so experience one of these cultural adventures and it will axiomatically beget the next.

Elliot runs the private lending business at Bolour Associates. Elliot also publishes a blog, writing about his three greatest passions: Food, Wine, and Art. You can read more at www.elliotshirwofoodwineart.weebly.com. Most importantly, Elliot is a zealous advocate and advisory board member of Go Campaign. Go Campaign serves vulnerable children around the world by supporting local heroes in underserved communities to provide much needed medical, educational, food, and infrastructure resources. Find out more at www.gocampaign.