Please help with the foodie equivalent to a playlist

Thanks Pei, I'll try Bushi Tei, not familiar with it. Agree on Piperade.

mattchanoff in San Francisco Bay Area

Please help with the foodie equivalent to a playlist

Thanks so much to whiner, civil bear, ruth, and paul for your great suggestions. Thanks especially to civil bear for the around-the-world idea. We've just eaten twice at Lers Ros by the way - terrific
I'm going to search the blogs for more info on the suggestions I don't know about, and put something together.

mattchanoff in San Francisco Bay Area

Please help with the foodie equivalent to a playlist

A big birthday is coming up for my wife & I want to give her something memorable. Specifically, I want to take her out once a month over the next year, for her favorite foods at great Bay Area restaurants.

I want to put together a string of 12 restaurants, kind of like a foodie equivalent of an ipod playlist. I'd really appreciate any help I can get it selecting them. Here are the criteria:

1. A few can be fancy (she loves Coi and Chez Spencer, for example) but most restaurants must be less of an event.

2. She loves salty, fried foods, but generally not too heavy.

3. Some of her favorites are Range, Suriya Thai, Cindy's Backstreet (in St. Helena), & Beretta.

4. Any cuisine

5. San Francisco, close-in East Bay, or Napa county area only

6. Loves martinis and unusual cocktails

7. Not the obvious restaurants; she loves trying new places.

8. Favorite foods include five spice roast chicken, whole fish, grilled vegetables; not a sweet-tooth kind of person.

I'd really appreciate any help compiling this playlist - which 12 restaurants, and why?

Thank you so much,

Matt

mattchanoff in San Francisco Bay Area

Report: Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen, St. Helena

I'm a big fan of Cindy's. I took clients there last weekend, and have brought out-of-town family numerous times. The people have always been friendly and even the worst dishes I've tried have been good, and some (I had fabulous grilled Mahi Mahi this time) are great. Two caveats: The space is inconsistent. The bar has a TV going and the room around it feels like a transitional space. Ok for lunch, but not settled enough for dinner. The room in back is the best, the room upstairs is too noisy. Second, the flavors are very robust. Dishes can be great, and can (rarely) strike you as wrong, but they never seem very subtle.

mattchanoff in San Francisco Bay Area