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SPONSORED: This Heatmap Shows 6 Spots Where You Can Order Secret, Off-Menu Specials In San Francisco Right Now

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The coolest regulars at the coolest restaurants know something other diners don’t: secret, off-menu dishes that the chef is happy to whip up, if you know to ask. We’ve partnered with American Express — who knows how to properly reward obsessive diners* — to uncover off-menu specials at these restaurants around town. Here they are.

Head this way to watch Central Kitchen's Thomas McNaughton and Bon Marché's Mark Liberman create their off-menu delights.

Earn 2X points at US Restaurants with the Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express. Terms and limitations apply. Americanexpress.com/exploregold

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Bon Marché

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With its classic tile floors and brightly colored awning inside Market Square (a.k.a. “the Twitter building”), this French brasserie includes a capacious oyster bar, coffee shop, cocktail and beer bar, even a flower shop. To order a classic that is anything but simple, ask for the off-menu black truffle croque. That’s a croquet monsieur — a French grilled cheese, basically — made with cave-aged gruyere and Bayonne ham and topped with a generous sprinkling of shaved black truffle.

Roka Akor

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In a sleek contemporary setting awash in raw and blond wood, a centrally located Japanese robata grill fires up prime cuts of steak, seafood, and vegetables, alongside top-rate sushi, sashimi, and tempura. To order like an insider, go for the off-menu sliced diver scallop sashimi, served with lemon ponzu, ginger blossom, hibiscus, fresh wasabi, and mitsuba.

Tosca Cafe

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Owners Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield (of NYC’s Spotted Pig) have kept the best elements of this North Beach Italian icon — like the cozy murals, tiled floors and red leather chairs — but revamped the menu to include such standouts as heirloom melon and pluots with speck Americano and ricotta. For an off-menu dose of comfort food, order the restaurant's meatballs and homemade foccacia.

A16 was one of the very first restaurants in the city to serve true Neapolitan pizzas. Since then, they've continued to churn out high-quality, wood-fired pizzas with all the right char. While the pies are, of course, always a stellar choice, you can now indulge in something super special, when you order the off-menu imported smoked Burrata. Every week, the restaurant brings in its Burrata from Nochi — a little town in Puglia — smokes it in straw, and for this dish, serves it with crostini, sea salt, and olive oil.

La Mar

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La Mar is a go-to for those who like to revel in a consistently solid happy hour, as well as equally consistent food. With a heavy emphasis on seafood, you'll find excellent ceviches and other Peruvian classics. The off-menu Trilogia Tiradito is the perfect way to sample the cuisine. An ever-changing dish, if you order it, you'll be presented with three different leche de tigre (the Peruvian term for a citrus-based marinade) and three different sashimi-style cut fish: Tai Snapper in rocoto leche de tigre; king salmon belly in sunchoke leche de tigre; cape gooseberries and rocoto chutney; and Hawaiian white tuna in aji Amarillo leche de tigre.

Presidio Social Club

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Amid the former military barracks of the Presidio, this revamped vintage spot offers tweaked versions of American comfort classics including chicken noodle soup (with ginger, scallions, and cilantro), herb-roasted half chicken, and beef liver and onions. But, sometimes, a rack of ribs is all you're looking for. Order the off-menu BBQ Beef Ribs, which are smoked for 12 hours in Central Texas barbecue style.

Bon Marché

With its classic tile floors and brightly colored awning inside Market Square (a.k.a. “the Twitter building”), this French brasserie includes a capacious oyster bar, coffee shop, cocktail and beer bar, even a flower shop. To order a classic that is anything but simple, ask for the off-menu black truffle croque. That’s a croquet monsieur — a French grilled cheese, basically — made with cave-aged gruyere and Bayonne ham and topped with a generous sprinkling of shaved black truffle.

Roka Akor

In a sleek contemporary setting awash in raw and blond wood, a centrally located Japanese robata grill fires up prime cuts of steak, seafood, and vegetables, alongside top-rate sushi, sashimi, and tempura. To order like an insider, go for the off-menu sliced diver scallop sashimi, served with lemon ponzu, ginger blossom, hibiscus, fresh wasabi, and mitsuba.

Tosca Cafe

Owners Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield (of NYC’s Spotted Pig) have kept the best elements of this North Beach Italian icon — like the cozy murals, tiled floors and red leather chairs — but revamped the menu to include such standouts as heirloom melon and pluots with speck Americano and ricotta. For an off-menu dose of comfort food, order the restaurant's meatballs and homemade foccacia.

A16

A16 was one of the very first restaurants in the city to serve true Neapolitan pizzas. Since then, they've continued to churn out high-quality, wood-fired pizzas with all the right char. While the pies are, of course, always a stellar choice, you can now indulge in something super special, when you order the off-menu imported smoked Burrata. Every week, the restaurant brings in its Burrata from Nochi — a little town in Puglia — smokes it in straw, and for this dish, serves it with crostini, sea salt, and olive oil.

La Mar

La Mar is a go-to for those who like to revel in a consistently solid happy hour, as well as equally consistent food. With a heavy emphasis on seafood, you'll find excellent ceviches and other Peruvian classics. The off-menu Trilogia Tiradito is the perfect way to sample the cuisine. An ever-changing dish, if you order it, you'll be presented with three different leche de tigre (the Peruvian term for a citrus-based marinade) and three different sashimi-style cut fish: Tai Snapper in rocoto leche de tigre; king salmon belly in sunchoke leche de tigre; cape gooseberries and rocoto chutney; and Hawaiian white tuna in aji Amarillo leche de tigre.

Presidio Social Club

Amid the former military barracks of the Presidio, this revamped vintage spot offers tweaked versions of American comfort classics including chicken noodle soup (with ginger, scallions, and cilantro), herb-roasted half chicken, and beef liver and onions. But, sometimes, a rack of ribs is all you're looking for. Order the off-menu BBQ Beef Ribs, which are smoked for 12 hours in Central Texas barbecue style.

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