Hip Guide to Eating in San Francisco
Name: Foreign Cinema
Address: 2534 Mission St. (map it)
Visit The Foreign Cinema Website

Foreign Cinema is a long standing and popular restaurant for good reason. Between the oyster bar, the wine list, the creative dishes and the adjoining Lazlo's bar, this restaurant tops my list. While the classic foreign films playing on the wall outside are largely for decor purposes, they add a sense of ambiance to the restaurant that makes it a great spot to come for an evening coffee and dessert as well.

There are so many fine-dining restaurants in San Francisco, it's hard to choose sometimes. Unfortunately, getting swept up in elegance can sometimes detract from just having fun. Foreign Cinema falls into the fine dining experience, without being stuffy in the least. For this reason, it is the number one date restaurant in my book. The space is an enormous converted concrete cube, with a large outdoor seating area almost as big as the dining hall. Interesting light fixtures, a fireplace, an art gallery and a huge clear-span tent outside with heating lamps have helped to transform this venue into a wonderful space. The menu, which changes often, leans heavily on seasonal vegetables, mushrooms and other California cuisine favorites. The Kumomoto Oysters are divine but all nine varieties are worth a try (maybe not in one night though). The white wine selection here is great, but the thing that impresses me most is the margarita. In the heart of the Mission, surrounded by Mexican restaurants that mix sweet n' sour and tequila, Foreign Cinema crushes fresh limes, adds Contrieu and good tequila in a salted glass. A small detail, but a big deal to many (myself included). Make sure you head to the bar at the back of the restaurant if there's a wait.