BBE Editor's Pick

Baker & Banker

1701 Octavia St., San Francisco (Pacific Heights)

Baker & Banker sounds like a failed financial institution, but it’s actually named for its chef duo and owners, Jeffrey Banker and Lori Baker. Banker handles the savory side of the menu and Baker (as in Elizabethan times) is indeed the baker and pastry chef. It’s a classic neighborhood spot: privately owned and unobtrusive, yet the food draws knowledgeable food lovers from across town. The space feels French bistro,with blackboards on the walls listing the wine specials, but the menu features Banker’s take on New American cuisine, a reflection of many cultures. The soft-shell crab is served with Vietnamese slaw and the duck’s in a star anise port reduction. And a chocolate cake is so velvety and rich, you could never pretend it’s good for you.

menu musts

House-smoked trout and potato latke
Soy-and-mirin black cod, shiitake sticky rice, bok choy
Chicken breast, mini chicken pot pie, collard greens
New York steak, gnocchi, peas, short rib and mushroom ragout

sweet seats

At the front corner table you can sink into a dark brown leather banquette with the feel of a private enclave, tucked between two windows offering a view of this iconic lower Pacific Heights neighborhood.

chew on this

The space was home to an apothecary at the turn of the last century, and the building counts as one of the few survivors of the ’06 (that’s 1906) earthquake and subsequent fires. The good luck has lasted through several stellar restaurant tenants, including the Meetinghouse and Quince.

hours

Tues.–Sat. 5:30 PM–10 PM; Sun. 5 PM–9:30 PM
closed Monday

price range

$23 (spring-vegetable risotto) to $29 (New York steak)

1701 Octavia St. (between Austin St. and Bush St.), San Francisco, CA 94109; 415-351-2500 www.bakerandbanker.com $$$$