Hayes Valley, San Francisco · restaurant
A 12-course tasting menu in an intimate, warmly lit dining room that will happily adjust the pace if you're headed to a nearby show afterward. The seasonal menu might open with a caviar-topped beignet before moving through dishes like Maine lobster with smoked apricot and green almond or cedar-aged squab, all built around California produce with unapologetic precision. At $225 before the optional $155 wine pairing, it's the kind of meal you plan the evening around.