Fog City Diner
1300 Battery St., at the Embarcadero
San Francisco
(415) 982-2000
Food type: American diner
Avg. entrée price: $16
Bender Rating: 5
Credit cards: all major

Famous dish: Triple clam chowder, New York steak with Jack Daniel's peppercorn sauce, Turtle sundae  

Take the concept of a diner, luxe it up with black leather booths and hearty, inspired dishes -- like Crab Cakes with shellfish bisque and sherry cayenne mayonnaise, or even "Macaroni and cheese du jour" -- and the result is Fog City Diner, just steps away from the Embarcadero along San Francisco Bay.

Clearly, the menu is designed by someone in love with food and aware of the delights of unexpected flavors -- diners are encouraged to experiment with "small plates" such as a quesadilla with grilled asparagus and chipotle salsa; grilled sesame ginger chicken satay with peanut slaw, or thin-cut onion rings with smoky tomato dip. Start your meal with fresh raw oysters, a Mexican shrimp gazpacho cocktail, or this writer's personal favorite, Triple Clam Chowder. Dishes that are diner classics, such as grilled pork chop (here, mustard cured with salsa verde) or Flatiron steak "Pot Roast" with sweet onion sauce, cozy up to such decidedly global dishes as Yucatan chicken salad with avocado, pepitas and lime; a curry BBQ chicken with fingerling potatoes; or Dungeness crab cioppino with prawns and local fish. Sides include truffle fries, garlic mashed potatoes and crispy polenta crescents with balsamic onions.  

New ways with bread, like jalapeno corn sticks, toasty flatbread with caramelized onions, or an impossibly buttery Garlic, leek and basil loaf, almost tempt you to eat too much to leave room for dessert.

Fog City Diner is the brainchild of Cindy Pawlcyn, a chef who trained at the Cordon Bleu and La Varenne in France and someone who understands that a cute concept may get people in the door, but it's serious food that keeps them coming back. In keeping with that philosophy, then, you'll find a real bar here (sixteen single malt whiskies, no blender drinks), and such neat touches as a house-made ketchup and freshly baked hamburger buns.

Save room for dessert, such as a Turtle sundae made with native Double Rainbow ice cream, rich caramel and chocolate sauce and candied pecans (as decadently delectable as it sounds); Brulee-o-day, lemon meringue pie or banana chocolate bread pudding with rum caramel. This place is a favorite with San Francisco locals; after one visit, you're sure to agree with them.
-- Lisa Tsering