I have a charming new neighbor named Frances. Most of us in San Francisco know about Frances, the sweet new restaurant of chef/owner Melissa Perello that opened a couple months ago to a massively warm welcome. I met Melissa a few years ago on a photo shoot at the tail end of her tenure as the executive chef at Fifth Floor. While I enjoyed dining at her occasional Monday night dinners at Sebo in the interim, I’m happy she’s returned to the kitchen full-time and is in her own, very personal space. And I’m even happier she put down roots in my ‘hood.

Evidence of just how personal Frances is can be seen in just about everything from its being named after her grandmother, to the wooden service boxes, cabinetry and tables crafted by her father…

…to the aprons designed by Melissa and sewn by her mother (and her mother’s friends…)

to the hand-sewn coasters that protect her dad’s gorgeous walnut tables.

The wine beakers are from Melissa’s personal collection and are a fun part of the wine program put together by wine director, Paul Einbund (his wife made the coasters!) Apparently Paul’s taken up Muay Thai Boxing (which he swears is not meant to be learned as an adult) and had a broken finger on my last visit. So I gave him a break and let him pour a beaker of his own Santa Barbara blend of grenache (50%), syrah and cab. It is mighty tasty and went really nicely with the meal. Had it not been a school night, I would have likely ventured a little further into the eclectic wine list.

Okay, enough suspense and on to the food. First off, love the manageable menu. On a weeknight when my brain power is usually spent by the end of the day, I appreciate a well-curated, simply stated menu. And Melissa’s dedication to sourcing from local producers garnered the attention of the American Farm to Table Restaurant Guide — a culinary website you should know about if you don’t already. It was started by a kindly gourmand chap named Maurice Graham Henry and aims to list the top farm to table restaurants around the country.

We started off with the applewood smoked bacon beignets (oh yeah!) and one of the highlights of my night, the perfectly crispy Panisse chickpea fritters. They were divinely silky inside — and dipped in a little Meyer lemon aioli, heaven!

Pickled currants, preserved lemon and winter squash were intriguing companions to grilled calimari and I was, admittedly, a little skeptical. I shouldn’t have been! It was fantastic. I love being surprised.

Trotters… okay, I’m not often a fan of trotters but these herbs fines and mustard seed seasoned pups were fab-u-lous. The pickled baby veggie garnish and chunky, tangy sauce gribiche elegantly rounded out the flavor/texture combo.

The gnocchi were pillowy (as in marshmallow pillowy), buttery, and the melange of green garlic, broccoli di ciccio and rapini was a refreshing, crunchy companion.

I really love a good bavette steak but am so often disappointed. THIS bavette from Lucky Dog Ranch was perhaps the most meltingly tender, flavourful bavette I’ve had. One’s gotta have frites with un steak, n’est ce pas? These spuds (Rose Finn Apples) had a nice lil’ kick from Aleppo chili and romesco. If only I had a bigger stomach…

I was stuffed by this point, but couldn’t resist the heavenly desserts. The citrus compote atop the buttermilk panna cotta was divine. The compote was made up of blood orange, cara cara, Meyer lemon and Bergamot… served with crisp, slightly salty shortbread cookies.

I realize this may be shocking to some, but I’m not a big fan of cake. I’m a huge fan of texture — especially contrasting textures — and tend to like my cake dense. This ‘Lumberjack’ cake is just my kind of cake! It’s chewy and has lil’ hunks of Medjool dates and D’Anjou pear. The mighty tasty maple-walnut ice cream from Humphry Slocombe usually sits on the plate with the cake but my dining companion is allergic to walnuts, so we played it safe and asked to have it on the side. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the all-around excellent service on both my visits!

So, if you can’t tell, I’m pretty smitten with my new neighbor and hope to visit as regularly as the heavily booked reservations allow. Fortunately, there are 10 spots at the wine bar available for neighbors, er, walk-ins. Perhaps I’ll see you there!

I was away when Sandbox Bakery opened for business in Bernal Heights. I finally made it over this week to check out the goods and was compelled to interrupt my India missives to report so you can enjoy the treats at Sandbox sooner than later.

Mutsumi Takehara is the pastry-chef owner and she has made this pastry-loving camper very happy. On my first visit, Mutsumi-san took pity on me standing there, looking pathetically dejected at the locked door. I’d arrived past closing and explained I was going to a friend’s house for dinner and asked if I might possibly (pretty please) purchase the only items left in her case: French macarons. The macarons were so excellent — wonderfully intense flavor, just the right texture, not overly sweet — that I went right back a couple days later to see what else was on offer. It was on my second visit that I learned the macarons are the one item not made in-house. Fear not!

This time I found the cases brimming and the findings were all good! First of all, you won’t see any overly-inflated, super-sized offerings here. Sandbox pastries are the size the pastry gods intended them to be. There’s a mix of French, Japanese and American breakfast pastries –from croissants to kashi pans to morning buns — along with other sweets and a growing variety of savory offerings for the lunchtime crowd. Based on my experience so far, I recommend going early and often and preferably on foot, by bike or some other self-propelled method so you can indulge even more.

For those who want locally roasted coffee with their sweets, Ritual and De La Paz are served up daily. And for you Mission dwellers, if Bernal is a little too far out, you can also find a sampling of Sandbox Bakery goods at Nervous Dog Coffee.

On my most recent visit, these were the picks of the day: the super soft, heart-shaped kashi-pan bun with still-warm and gooey chocolate & banana filling; a variety of intensely flavored macarons by Christopher David that I dare say rival the best Paris has to offer (and I assure you, I’ve tried them all. If you don’t believe me, you can ask my friend who had no choice in the matter as I dragged him around Paris on a tasting frenzy); and, the divine apricot-mango oat bar — missing from this photograph because I ate it on the way home. A girl can resist only so much temptation!

I love, love, LOVE street food and had such a great time tasting my way around the scene in India. It’s one of my favorite parts of exploring new places. Thankfully, my stomach has the strength and stamina to handle my sense of adventure.

I was intrigued by the crowd at this vendor in the heart of the main food market in Pune and asked what the fuss was about. There were a few items in the offing but was encouraged by all in the vicinity to try the wada pav.

Wada pav are spiced potato patties coated in graham flour and lightly fried, served on a little bun and accompanied with pickled chilies (or chutney). At this locale, it’s served on swank, crisp magazine pages. My Indian friends had a good laugh when I told them about this latest of my food discoveries. It’s really considered nothing special at all….just a super-cheap, fast food. While it’s true it only cost 8 rupees (about $0.17), it was a food revelation for me.

My next discovery was kachi dabeli: buns (again) stuffed with masala spiced potatoes, pomegranate seeds and spicy peanuts, and served with delicious tamarind and coriander sauces and a chili oil. The stuffed bun is ‘sauteed’ with a little ghee…

…and then topped with freshly chopped onions, coriander, grated cheese and a squirt of ketchup for good measure. Soooo tasty!

Then there’s the world of panipuri. They are everywhere in Pune. These little crispy discs get filled with a mixture of spiced chickpeas and potatoes that are then dipped into a water/tamarind/chili sauce (in the silver pot below).

You pop ’em straight in your mouth and let the spices wash over your tongue. I was so thrilled with the discovery that even my trepidacious friend decided to give it a try. This panipuri walla was so pleased that we enjoyed his food so much, he wouldn’t take our rupees.

And of course, no afternoon would be complete without a little chai on the go.

I’ve been fantasizing about this wonderful West Village, NYC restaurant I discovered last summer called Bobo. The name is short for ‘Bourgeois Bohemian’– a term that definitely describes the aesthetic of the space. There’s lots of exposed brick, long curtains, antique chandeliers, books, candles and knickknacks tucked around the room.

And the outdoor patio stole my heart. Dining outside on a warm balmy eve is one of my favorite ways to cap off a long day, NYC or anywhere.

Sitting down to this bright, fresh asparagus and crab amuse, I knew I was in for a great meal.

I still think about this salad of frisee, celeriac, watermelon radishes, avocado and crispy shallots drizzled with balsamic reduction. It was just the right balance of flavors and textures.

And this ahi was melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

I’m a sucker for mason jars and couldn’t help smiling when this one landed on the table filled with sugar for our coffee. It’s not only cute but smart (I’m also a sucker for smart!)

So many chocolate cakes fall short, but this one was spot on: chocolate cake layered with milk chocolate mousse, topped with salted caramel and a scoop of dulce de leche ice cream with a shard of toffee. Yum!

Okay…well, that was fun to relive out loud. I think if I were in NY right now, I’d be hailing a cab. Next year!

**top photo by Noah Sheldon for NY Magazine

I just learned that the lovely Restaurant Eloise in Sebastopol closed on Nov 29. I only had the pleasure of dining there once for a family celebration. We were all smitten with every aspect — it was so elegant and yet down to earth.

I regret not posting this delicious memory sooner. Here’s my ode to the lovely Eloise:

Perfectly spicy, marinated Monterey Bay sardines with diced avocado, scallion and black sesame.

These clams were a bowl of spicy deliciousness.

Pillowy, ricotta & Swiss chard gnocchi with sage brown butter that just melted in my mouth.

A refreshing escarole salad with walnuts, red onion and shaved pecorino.

To finish, a perfectly soft vanilla panna cotta with the sweetest strawberries and a sprinkling of candied orange peel.

Should the super-talented chef/owners, Eric Korsh & Genevra Iverson, open another place anywhere near as delightful as Eloise, I will be sure to hustle on over and report back tout de suite!

Thank you to everyone at Restaurant Eloise for the delectable food and fond memories.