Industry Tastemakers on Their 2011 Restaurant Breakups

As is the tradition at Eater, our closeout of the year is a survey of friends, industry types, bloggers, and readers to get a read on the highlights and lowlights of the last year of eating in San Francisco. We've already covered Best Standbys, Top Newcomers, Best Dining Neighborhood, 2011 in One Word, Biggest Dining Suprises, and Single Best Meals. Now let's shift gears to the Restaurant Breakups, the restaurants our tastemakers stopped visiting this year. Readers, please add your thoughts to the comments.

Q: Were there any restaurants that you broke up with in 2011?

Carolyn Jung, Food Gal: Bardessono in Yountville after Sean O'Toole left and it began to drift with no replacement chef at the helm. But I'm looking forward to trying it again in 2012 with its remodel complete and the talented Chef Victor Scargle overseeing the kitchen.

Sara Deseran, senior editor 7x7: Yes, but I like to keep my affairs private. No more righteous yet slow service is all I can say.

Stuart Schuffman, Broke-Ass Stuart: I've got enough drama in my life, I don't need the heartache of breaking up with restaurants to go on top of it.

Virginia Miller, food and drink correspondent, SF Bay Guardian: None that come straight to mind. If a place is mediocre on the first visit, I don't have time to bother returning with the endless amount of above-average to excellent spots in town. No break-up is required if we never pass first date.

Jonathan Kauffman, restaurant critic, SF Weekly: I'm going to keep those off the record.

Brock Keeling, editor SFist: 25 Lusk

GraceAnn Walden, The Yummy Report and SF tour guide: Tony's Pizza

Grant Marek, San Francisco Editor, Thrillist: Like Karen Palmer, I never discuss my breakups in the media.

Jane Goldman, Vice President and Editor-in-Chief, Chow: Stopped going to Range.

Amy Sherman, Cooking with Amy: Plouf, it just isn't as good as it used to be. The magic is gone.

Josh Sens, restaurant critic, San Francisco magazine: No. But I'm too interested in sleeping around to develop any deep attachments in the first place.