Owner Jacqueline Margulis serves only souffles, both savory and sweet, with a few salads and soups thrown to round out the menu. Everything is made by hand, so there can be lulls between courses. The candle-lit country-French atmosphere is so romantic and the product so ethereal that the time will float away.
Cuisine: French (souffles) Specialities: Gruyere cheese souffle, shiitake souffle; Grand Marnier souffle, chocolate souffle. Seats: 24 Prices: $20-$30 (serves 2-4) Parking: Street (often difficult) Vitals: 1454 Grant Ave. (between Union and Green), San Francisco; (415) 981-5565. Dinner Wednesday-Sunday. Beer and wine. Reservations and credit cards accepted.
When it opened five years ago, tapas bars were just beginning to take hold; now they're all the rage, but Cesar is still on top. The 65-seat restaurant was conceived mainly as a neighborhood drinking place with a prime location next door to Chez Panisse, but the food is so good that it attracts people from all over the Bay Area.
Cuisine: Spanish Specialities: Small plates, including fried potatoes with herbs and sea salt; cod and potato cazuela; spicy tuna and egg bocadillo (sandwich); extensive wine and liquor selection. Seats: 65 Prices: $2.75-$8.75 Parking: Street (fairly easy) Vitals: 1515 Shattuck Ave. (near Cedar), Berkeley; (510) 883-0222. Lunch and dinner daily. Full bar. No reservations. Credit cards accepted.
