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Today we present the 2016 Eater Awards, our seventh annual celebration of all that has made the San Francisco restaurant world run — and run wild — in the past year. Eater Award winners reflect the best of what was new and newsworthy in SF restaurants over the past 12 months, and there is both an editor’s choice winner and a reader’s choice pick. The national winners can be viewed here; without further ado, here’s who came out on top in the Bay Area.
Restaurant of the Year: Bellota
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Dining out in San Francisco can be an obstacle sometimes, so when a restaurant blows onto the scene that makes eating out easy and pleasurable, it’s a true breath of fresh air. At Bellota, the newest restaurant from Absinthe Group, it’s a joy to be in the stunning, airy space any time of day, whether you choose late afternoon tapas at the bar, a full sit-down dinner of hearth-cooked mains and paella, or to stop by late night for expertly-crafted drinks and live music in the lounge. There is something to be said for a restaurant that doesn’t rely on new pricing models, gimmicks, or themes to please its diners, instead falling back on good, old-fashioned hospitality and craveable food and drink. Bellota hits that mark. — ST
Reader’s Choice Winner: In Situ
Chef of the Year: Corey Lee (In Situ)
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This city is brimming with talented chefs, but 2016 was a blockbuster year for chef Corey Lee with the opening of In Situ. Lee gave San Francisco a passport to travel the world, expertly replicating dishes from uber-talented chefs across the globe and serving them in the sleek new dining room on the ground floor of the redesigned SFMOMA. The reopening of the museum was truly an opportunity for the chef to curate a menu himself, commingling the idea of food as art with the museum’s collections. The chef also maintains his three-Michelin-starred restaurant Benu, just around the corner, as well as his bustling bistro, Monsieur Benjamin. — EF
Reader’s Choice Winner: Adam Sobel (Mina Test Kitchen)
Design of the Year: Leo’s Oyster Bar
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Stepping into Leo's Oyster Bar is a transportive moment. Ferns hang from the ceiling, the bar glows gold, and splashy colors dominate the space, adding up to a funky, glamorous trip back in time to a world of 1950s-era excess. It’s a refreshing break from the steady stream of more muted, wood-filled restaurants around town (which are all beautiful in their own right), and an excellent example of how design can inform a dining experience. — ST
Reader’s Choice Winner: Black Cat
Expansion of the Year: Tartine Manufactory
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After years of standing in line outside of Tartine Bakery, fans of Chad Robertson and Liz Prueitt’s addictive breads and pastries have a new intersection to frequent. Yes, it’s “so San Francisco,” and that’s what we (and everyone else) love about this multi-faceted restaurant, bar, bakery, coffee, and ice cream shop that is more than just a spinoff of the original. Not only is all bread production happening here, but breakfast, lunch, and now dinner are also on the table, including beer, wine, and shims (low-proof cocktails). The culinary team is exemplary, offering chef Sam Goinsalvos’ menu of rustic, life-affirming food like porchetta sandwiches with salsa verde, and leaving diners satisfied in both body and soul. — EF
Reader’s Choice Winner: Tartine Manufactory
Best Neighborhood Trailblazer: Mister Jiu’s
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Chinatown has had its highs and lows over its many years — it’s now decidedly having an uplifting moment, with the opening of native son Brandon Jew’s modern Chinese restaurant. A polished dining room overlooking the streets of Chinatown, plus a kitchen filled with rising stars makes Mister Jiu’s a destination in a neighborhood that’s long been alluring, if not mystifying, to outsiders. Jew’s food is the perfect reason to explore the area’s cocktails, culture, and alleyways, honoring tradition and a new school of thinking all at once. — EF
Reader’s Choice Winner: Mister Jiu’s
