Welcome to Eater's annual year-end survey of friends, industry types, restaurateurs, chefs, media, and readers. This year, we asked the group seven questions. We've already seen Meals of the Year and Top Newcomers; the rest will be answered by the time we turn off the lights on Wednesday. The responses are unedited and in no particular order:
The Mission: still king? [Delfina corridor photo via Flickr/heprice]
Q: What was the dining neighborhood of the year?
Kevin Blum, City Dish: The Mission and Hayes Valley
Nish Nadaraja, Yelp: 2008: The Mission still keeps me happy (Weird Fish, Luna Park, Spork, El Farolito, Foreign Cinema). 2009: I’m banking on North of the Panhandle being hot, with Nopalito and Bar Crudo opening their doors.
Jan Newberry, San Francisco Magazine: Not sure what the big neighborhood of ‘08 was, but we’re going to see more and more people heading to Oakland.
Lissa Doumani, Terra/Ame: What’s happening on Fillmore is amazing, I particularly like Yoshi’s. Sho is brilliant when you let him cook for you. It seems that everyone wants to be on that street now.
Anna Weinberg, South: SOMA - but i am biased
Jessica Boncutter, Bar Jules: ...seems like The Fillmore will be the spot next year.
Marcia Gagliardi, Tablehopper: The Mission continues to dominate.
Joe Hargrave, Laiola: The Mission and the Richmond. you can choose the order as i can't decide.
Brock Keeling, SFist: SoMa
Sarah Sung, UrbanDaddy: 2008: Hayes Valley (Domo, Bar Jules, Melissa P Mondays at Sebo, plus the regulars and Blue Bottle, Christopher Chocolates, Miette, Boulange) 2009: The Embarcadero (La Mar, Lafitte, Lettus, Ferry Building, Perry's, Ozumo...); Fillmore/PacHeights (Out the Door, Dosa, SPQR, Pizzeria Delfina) as a close second
Chris Cosentino, Incanto: Anywhere now, that's what's great about SF: there is always something popping up in a new neighborhood.
Patrick Heig, Citysearch: Lower Pacific Heights. Fillmore St. (between Post and California) now has Dosa on Fillmore, SPQR, and Pizzeria Delfina in a four block stretch, plus 1300 a bit further down, which, despite its recent struggles is one of this city's better restaurants.
Elizabeth Falkner, Orson/Citizen Cake: SOMA, South Beach
Lucchesi: 2008: Despite the Embarcadero's mega-openings (Epic, Waterbar, La Mar and um, Perry's?) and the Ferry Building's continued success, I've got to echo the chorus with the Mission: you've got the newbies (Four Barrel, Dynamo, Beretta, MSF, Monk's Kettle), the ones that reached new heights (Bar Bambino, Bar Tartine) and the classics (Delfina, Tartine, Range, Foreign Cinema). Oh, and the whole taqueria thing. 2009: The East Bay will keep rising, and people will notice the Dogpatch a little more.
As always, your additions welcome in the comments.