The Mission Continues to Dominate SF’s Food Scene

Welcome to Year in Eater 2016, Eater’s annual ritual of eulogizing the past 12 months through input from the city’s top food writers. For 2016’s final week, we’ll be posting questions daily about the Bay Area’s restaurant scene in the past year, with answers from those who know it best. Answered here and now: What was the best dining neighborhood of 2016?

Andrew Dalton, Eater contributor

Thanks to Tartine Manufactory and The Morris, that previously sparse section of the Mission/Potrero wins on sheer hype.

Carolyn Alburger, Eater cities director

Snooze: the Mission had another great year with the arrival of Motze, Babu Ji, Tawla, and Tartine Manufactory. Looking back though the Tenderloin/Nob-ish area had a nice moment too with newbs like Black Cat, Onsen, The Saratoga, and Louie’s Gen Gen.

Jonathan Kauffman, The Chronicle food reporter

Uptown Oakland’s dining scene gets denser and denser, and lunch and dinner options are equally strong: Kingston 11, Locol, Hopscotch, Hawker Fare, Flora, Duende, Molcajete, Plum Bar, Firebrand, not to mention all the great bars. And I want to give a shout out to Grand Lake, which has gotten cumulatively stronger — Grand Fare may not have made it, but there’s Camino, Boot & Shoe, Penrose, Ordinaire, and Shakewell (plus the Alley, of course).

Rebecca Flint Marx, San Francisco magazine food editor

The Hayes Valley-Mission-Downtown axis.

Anna Roth, Eater contributor

Certainly not mid-Market :|

The Dapper Diner, local blogger

While the Tenderloin (not Tendernob, Union Square West, or whatever BS realtors want to call it) has seen an influx of food and drink options this year, I’m going to have to go with the Mission, because of the amount of area it covers and varied cuisines available spanning from cheap bites to Michelin dining.

Pete Kane, SF Weekly food critic

The Western Addition, broadly defined. Both the Fillmore and Divisadero corridors had many great openings, from one to four dollar signs and everything in between.

Trevor Felch, Zagat SF editor

So many great contenders but I’ll still say the Mission, closely followed by FiDi/Chinatown/North Beach general area and if you connected Hayes Valley with NoPa. The sheer volume of options, new and old, casual and upscale, that the Mission presents is unmatched within that number of blocks. Just go down each street: Tawla, Four Barrel, Zeitgeist to Namu Gaji, Tartine, Delfina to Flour + Water, Trick Dog, Central Kitchen to Dosa, Locanda, Bar Tartine, Monk's Kettle, Beretta, and so much more.

Stefanie Tuder, Eater SF senior editor

There were a few notable openings here this year (High Treason, Fiorella, Dancing Bull), but I found myself wanting to return to the Richmond time and time again because of its anti-SF feel: casual, inexpensive, and decidedly not trendy. Special shoutouts to Cassava, Chili House, and Han Il Kwan.

Luke Tsai, East Bay Express food critic

Old Oakland is tough to beat these days, but for me personally, 2016 will go down as the year I fell in love with the mom-and-pop restaurants of Hayward's food scene.

Ellen Fort, Eater SF editor

Hayes Valley and the Tenderloin are coming on strong.

Marcia Gagliardi, Tablehopper

This year was pretty spread out. I think you can make an argument for almost all ’hoods these days, from the Mission to Hayes Valley to the Fillmore to Dogpatch — the city is awash in great dining. Well, except for the Haight.

Jay Barmann, SFist editor

Hayes Valley