Wine Ice Cream Is Coming, and It Contains Plenty of Alcohol

Winecream has 10 percent ABV.

Wine and ice cream have long been the unofficial mascots of couch-parked movie nights, break-ups, and sweatpants-wearing indulgence in general. Naturally, someone finally decided to put them together. Enter: Winecream—the creation of a Washington D.C.-based ice cream maker who is churning out a wine-infused product that packs buzz without alcoholic flavor.

The treat, which has roughly the alcohol content of a glass of wine but tastes like good-old-fashioned ice cream, was the invention of engineer Dan Gorham and his sister, Katie, who spent a year researching and developing the optimal way to give their frozen treat a 10 percent ABV without making it taste gross. Another unique challenge for the duo was the fact that wine doesn't freeze in the average freezer, even when mixed with other ingredients. The solution, they found, was liquid nitrogen, which at -300 degrees Fahrenheit froze and fused the wine with the cream. 

Unlike your average bottled wine, Winecream's base is not made from grapes, but rather other sweet fruits—including peaches, pineapples, and strawberries—which are fermented in a similar way.

Gorham says the idea to create this binge-watcher's dream dessert came to him one Christmas day, according to WTOP. Following his family's holiday meal, Gorham and his kin grappled with the choice between wine and dessert and even brainstormed some other vino-based recipes to satisfy the sweet tooth (like wine floats and wine milkshakes). However, when the family landed on the idea of wine ice cream, they not only set out to eat it, but to also turn it into a thriving boozy business.

Now, Winecream has begun selling their product at various festivals and private events, and have plans to stock Baltimore and D.C. liquor stores with pints by July—just in time for peak ice-cream-eating and day-drinking season. Currently, each order of Winecream is customized to the patron's preferences, combining the wine with a cream and sugar base, along with the fruit purees and candy of the consumer's choosing. It's all mixed together and given an arctic blast of liquid nitrogen, providing for plenty of dramatic effect and an instant freeze.

"It's kind of a show... you get to pick your own order, you make it how you want it, you get to see it go down the line," says Gorham, who describes the brand as an adult-friendly Coldstone. "It tastes like ice cream, and then as you're finishing the bite and it's going down, you get the little follow effect of a glass of wine."

For those outside of the D.C. area clamoring to get their hands on some Winecream, the Gorham family has plans to ship online orders in the near future. Until then, you'll have to stick to the old-fashioned means of consumption, holding onto the hope for a day when wine and ice cream can live together in delicious, boozy harmony.

Article and images sourced from http://www.foodandwine.com/blogs/wine-ice-cream-coming-and-it-contains-plenty-alcohol?xid=soc_socialflow_facebook_fw

62 HEATED OUTDOOR DRINKING SPOTS IN SF

 

If there's one thing we love in San Francisco, it's drinking outside. Also, just being outside or whatever... but mostly just drinking there. So it's kind of a bummer when "winter" comes along and temps drop to, like, the 50s (not the 50s!!!), and suddenly we have to choose between hypothermia and enjoying our beverages al fresco. BUT DO WE?

Nope! And not just because it's actually impossible to get hypothermia when the temps are in the 50s, but ALSO thanks to these 62 bars and restaurants that understand our pain and have not just outdoor spaces, but heated outdoor spaces. So that you can make the most informed drinking (and eating, we guess) decisions possible, we broke 'em all down by 'hood and what kind of heated outdoor drinking scene you can expect.

El Rio

Bernal Heights

3158 Mission St

Heat lamps, happy hour until 8pm, ping pong some of the time, live music lots of the time, and it's dog-friendly.

Virgil’s Sea Room

Bernal Heights

3152 Mission St

Some of the best hot toddys in the city, and patio heat lamps that they put on full blast when the temps drop.

Café Flore

Castro

2298 Market St

Grab an Irish or Mexican coffee at the full bar and take them to the tree-shaded patio where they (sometimes) have heat lamps.

Catch

Castro

2362 Market St

Order dinner and drinks on the heated patio and try to get a table by the fireplace, if you can.

Chow

Castro

215 Church St

Plenty of heat lamps keep this enclosed patio toasty warm, but you’ll have to order some food if you want to sit and drink there.

Dante’s Table

Castro

544 Castro St

Sure, you’ve got to order brunch or dinner to enjoy the heat lamps on the (partially covered) back patio, but that’s cool, 'cause they serve Italian food and who doesn’t like Italian food? (No one.)

Fable

Castro

558 Castro St

This quaint back patio not only has heat lamps, but also cuddly blankets for each chair. Bonus: it’s open for brunch on the weekends.

The Mix

Castro

4086 18th St

The partially covered back patio can get cramped thanks to the heaters and Tiki torches. Oh, and because you’re allowed to smoke there. And not just tobacco, if you know what we mean. (You do.)

Starbelly

Castro

3583 16th St

You’ll need to order dinner to sit at a table on the covered back patio (with heat lamps), but that’s okay because their pizza is delicious.

Toad Hall

Castro

4146 18th St

You can order your 2-for-1 cocktails Monday-Friday until 8:30pm at the back patio’s separate bar. And yes, there are heat lamps to keep you warm.

Zazie

Cole Valley

941 Cole St

Ask to be seated on the patio when you make your dinner reservation (brunch is first come, first served). An awning covers the patio when necessary and there are also heat lamps and blankets.

 Ottimista Restaurant & Bar

Cow Hollow

1838 Union St

The cozy outdoor patio has comfy seats and heat lamps and is perfect for Union St people-watching. And Union St wine-, beer-, and cocktail-drinking.

Palm House

Cow Hollow

2030 Union St

The outdoor patio has the second oldest palm tree in SF, as well as plenty of heat lamps -- although, you might not need them if you and your friends finish the entire Tropical Storm punch bowl (with floating rubber ducky on top).

Dirty Habit

Downtown

12 4th St

This Union Square bar is everything a patio should be: protected from the wind, full of heat lamps, boasting a fire pit, and armed with hot toddys that are delivered in a lunch box.

Americano Restaurant & Bar

Embarcadero

8 Mission St

Tons of seating (some even with cushions!), lots of heat lamps, and a pretty stunning view of the Bay Bridge... if you’re into that kinda thing.

Pier 23 Cafe

Embarcadero

Pier 23

The covered patio also has heat lamps. And views of the water. And live music every single day.

La Mar Cebicheria Peruana

Embarcadero

Pier 1 1/2

Make a dinner reservation if you want to sit on this atrium-like outdoor, covered patio with views of the bay.

Rosa Mexicano

Embarcadero

30 Mission St

Come for the heated seating out front (there’s lots of it). Stay for the daily happy hour from 4-7pm.

Waterbar

Embarcadero

399 Embarcadero

Not one, but TWO patios with umbrellas and heat lamps make the $1.05 happy hour oysters taste even yummier.

Belden Place

Financial District

Between Pine & Bush St

B44, Belden Taverna, Brindisi Cucina di Mare, Café Bastille, Café Tiramisu, Plouf, Sam’s Grill, and Sauce are all excellent choices in this hidden alleyway that’s like the French Quarter of SF, complete with outdoor seating and lots of heat lamps.

The Irish Bank

Financial District

10 Mark Ln

Drink your Irish car bombs in what’s more or less a heated alleyway. Mostly more.

ARLEQUIN CAFE & FOOD TO GO

Arlequin Cafe & Food To Go

Hayes Valley

384 Hayes St

There aren’t a million heat lamps, but it’s nothing a beer jacket can’t compensate for.

Biergarten

Hayes Valley

424 Octavia St

There are no heat lamps or fire pits at this outdoor German beer garden, but if you’re cold, they’ll give you an awesome wool blankie.

INNER SUNSET

Nopalito

Inner Sunset

1224 9th Ave

Skip the location across from the DMV (where the outdoor space is a weird screened-in room that’s basically in a parking lot) and instead head to the Inner Sunset location, where the back garden has three big beer tables, walls covered with climbing vines, and, of course, heat lamps to keep you toasty warm while you wait for your margarita.

Park Chow

Inner Sunset

1240 9th Ave

There's plenty of of tented/heat-lamped outdoor seating, so you’re outdoors, but only kinda. In a good way, since it’s cold and foggy in the Inner Sunset 364 days a year.

The Tipsy Pig

The Marina

2231 Chestnut St

The huge back patio is tented and heated from November to May. Hello, reason to head to Chestnut St.

Bin 38

The Marina

3232 Scott St

The tented and heated patio (looks like The Marina knows wassup) is the perfect place to enjoy one of 50 wines by the glass or 35 craft beers. Maybe not all at once though?

Blackwood

The Marina

2150 Chestnut St

The front patio has two communal tables and a fireplace to keep things toasty warm. Get there for happy hour: $5 apps and wine and $3 beer.

Isa

The Marina

3324 Steiner St

Probably the tented, heated patio will make you want to pretend you’re a lion tamer, especially depending on how much advantage you take of the $5 cocktails during happy hour (every day until 7pm).

Arabian Nights Restaurant

The Mission

2345 Mission St

The heated outdoor patio doubles as a hookah lounge. And sometimes there’s even belly dancing. You, however, should keep your t-shirt on. And yeah, you're wearing just a t-shirt 'cause again: heated patio.

Atlas Café

The Mission

3049 20th St

You can bring your pup to this outdoor patio, which has heat lamps and a pretty decent beer selection for a "café".

El Techo de Lolinda

The Mission

2518 Mission St

The only bummer about this restaurant with rooftop seating, clear wind-barriers, heat lamps, and amazing views, is that you’ll likely have to wait to get in. Unless you make a reservation, and then... you won't! You can even make one for brunch. WE KNOW.

Foreign Cinema

The Mission

2534 Mission St

The courtyard has twinkling lights and lots of heat lamps and is really the only place to sit.

Gracias Madre

The Mission

2211 Mission St

The semi-enclosed front patio is heated, which makes up for the fact that this place is vegan and has a pretty small beer selection. Kind of.

Tacolicious

The Mission

741 Valencia St

So, the outdoor area is sort of in a small alleyway. And only about half of the tables actually warm up from the heaters on the wall. So, just get one of those and you’ll be set!

The Vestry

The Mission

777 Valencia St

Enjoy excellent hand-crafted cocktails while sitting in the outdoor area that's walled off with a view of Valencia St (aka great people-watching), and heat lamps on colder nights.

Contigo

Noe Valley

1320 Castro St

A small patio out back has heat lamps and a plastic (removable) roof to keep out the cold. And no, we're not going to make a "raise the roof" joke, and you can't make us.

Savor

Noe Valley

3913 24th St

The dog-friendly patio is huge for SF, and it's covered and heated. Four paws up!

The Valley Tavern

Noe Valley

4054 24th St

Sure, only part of the three-tier patio has heat lamps, but there are TVs out there, so that totally makes up for it.

Naked Lunch

North Beach

504 Broadway

Bring cash to this dog-friendly patio that’s covered and heated and the perfect place to enjoy a $12 PBR bucket (six beers) during happy hour.

Rogue Ales Public House

North Beach

673 Union St

This place is basically a hidden beer garden with picnic tables, umbrellas, and yes, of course, heat lamps, so that your drinking can easily transition from day to night.

Skool Restaurant

Portrero Hill

1725 Alameda St

Though Potrero has some of the best weather in SF, Skool is still prepared to ensure you never get cold thanks to umbrellas, space heaters, and roll fleece blankets. Oh, and you can snuggle with your pooch for extra warmth, since he’s allowed to come too.

Mission Rock Resort

Portrero Hill

817 Terry A Francois Blvd

This big patio overlooks the Bay and has heat lamps in case you get cold while drinking their delicious double bacon Bloody Marys.

Stem

Portrero Hill

499 Illinois St

This backyard has cocktails, views of the Bay, bocce ball, and fire pits. Just know that it’s only open Monday to Friday, and until 7pm.

Arguello

The Presidio

50 Moraga Ave

Get down with delicious margaritas in this wind-sheltered courtyard that has a fire pit and heaters.

Presidio Social Club

The Presidio

563 Ruger St

Is there anything better than a back deck? Only a back deck that’s heated, looks onto nature (nature!), and is a place where you can sip on delicious cocktails. Still chilly (wimp)? Order one of their hot cocktails, specifically the PSC House Coffee -- a secret blend of liquors, coffee, and freshly whipped cream.

Magic Flute Garden Ristorante

Presidio Heights

3673 Sacramento St

This walled, back garden patio area with heat lamps and umbrellas feels very grown-up, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go there (because you can!).

Sociale

Presidio Heights

3665 Sacramento St

Sociale’s garden is in the front of the restaurant, but still hidden from the street in the kind of way that makes you so happy when you see it for the first time. And, yes, there are heat lamps.

B Star Bar

The Richmond

127 Clement St

The cozy back patio has heat lamps that warm it up even on the coldest of nights. But it’s only open on the weekends, so plan accordingly.

The Corner Store

The Richmond

5 Masonic Ave

This 40-seat enclosed patio area is covered with heat lamps, but you still might get an ice cream headache if you slurp down your boozy milkshake too fast.

Bar Agricole

SOMA

355 11th St

Can a front patio be sexy? We’re saying yes, and it certainly helps that the heat lamps... well... heat things up.

Bluestem Brasserie

SOMA

1 Yerba Buena Ln

The open-air mezzanine on the second floor has great views of Market St, a glass wall to block the wind, and much-needed heat lamps.

Jamber Wine Pub

SOMA

858 Folsom St

Enjoy wine and beer (on tap only) and maybe (definitely) some poutine on the quaint, heated front patio.

Mars Bar & Restaurant

SOMA

798 Brannan St

Can a dive bar have heat lamps? Apparently. This particular patio is pretty popular though, so show up early. Happy hour starts at 3pm, so maybe right then.

Primo Patio Cafe

SOMA

214 Townsend St

The outdoor drinking scene is basically the only scene at this place, which misleadingly looks like a takeout-only joint. It’s a no frills situation, but the heat lamps keep ya toasty warm.

Town Hall

SOMA

342 Howard St

You really can’t go wrong on the enclosed, heated patio. Perfect for lunch, happy hour, or a late dinner.

Trou Normand

SOMA

140 New Montgomery St

This gorgeous heated outdoor patio is the perfect place to sip cocktails made with booze from hand-selected European barrels.

MoMo’s

SOMA

140 New Montgomery St

Though MoMo’s is fun any day of the week, the best time to go there is before or after a Giants’ game. Grab beers from the outdoor bar and stay warm thanks to the heat lamps.

 

Jones

Tenderloin

620 Jones St

This is definitely the TL’s best rooftop, if not one of SF’s best rooftops. The ginormous mezzanine-level roof has great views and an abundance of heat lamps.

Sparrow Bar and Kitchen

Upper Haight

1640 Haight St

This wood deck surrounded by trees is a great escape from the insanity of Haight St when you just want to chill out with a cold beer and some hot heat lamps.

Ragazza

Western Addition

311 Divisadero St

Ragazza’s state-of-the-art gazebo is some sort of fancy, scientific heat ray umbrella that can withstand winds up to 75mph... and rain... and basically it’s a magical place where you should probably go eat pizza and drink beer. Immediately.

Positive Trends in Venture-Capital Activity to Impact Bay Area’s Tech Employment

Executive Summary

• Despite the drop in venture-capital (VC) activity and IPOs in the last quarter of 2015 and into the first quarter this year, confidence among professional venture capitalists improved at the end of 2015.
• During the first quarter of 2016, VC firms raised $13 billion, which is the largest total since the dot-com boom in 2000.
• The pause in VC deal and investment activity in Q1 2016 is due to the same reasons as the volatility in stock markets, China’s slowing economy, oil prices, an anticipated increase in interest rates, and the upcoming U.S. presidential election.
• VC activity outlook is still very encouraging, but investors are scrutinizing their deals more closely.
• Technology employment in the Bay Area is still extremely healthy. There were a total of 118,000 jobs created over the last year, and with more VC activity in the upcoming quarters, tech employment growth will pick up as well.

A recent article in The Wall Street Journal on sales of ping-pong tables to tech companies hinted that slower sales are due to troubles in the Bay Area’s high-tech sector. Admittedly, it is an interesting approach to assessing the economy, but while everyone is looking for the slightest signs of what’s on the horizon, ping-pong tables are hardly a reliable indicator. There are many possible reasons for slowing ping-pong table sales, including that it is a durable item that is rarely replaced.

Nevertheless, there are more reliable indicators on which we should gauge VC activity and how it will impact the Bay Area’s tech employment and housing markets. For example, the quarterly Silicon Valley Venture Capital Confidence Index (Figure 1) measures and reports the sentiment of 30 professional venture capitalists on the funding environment in the Bay Area over the next six to 18 months. The index reached 3.59 on a 5-point scale (with 5 equaling high confidence and 1 equaling low confidence) in the first quarter of 2016, up from 3.39 in the previous quarter. The index increased at the end of 2015 following three quarters of declines, suggesting that optimism is rising among venture capitalists.

Figure 1:

Still, with no technology IPOs in Q1 2016 and a drop from 35 overall IPOs in Q4 2015 to 10 IPOs in Q1 2016, — along with lower valuations of some unicorns — a lot of conversations have been brewing about slowing VC activity. Numbers pertaining to deals and investments have been particularly alarming. After promising to be the best year since the dot-com collapse, the last quarter of 2015 was characterized by a notable drop in VC activity, which bled into the first quarter of 2016. The deal count for both quarters remained at the lowest level seen in over three years. Figure 2 highlights California’s VC-backed investment activity in the first quarter and where the top deals happened.

Figure 2:

At the same time, VC firms raised $13 billion during the first quarter of 2016, which is the largest total since the dot-com boom in 2000. Robust growth in fundraising is not surprising given the amount of liquidity in global markets. However, the question is why has the investment and deal activity slowed so much? According to the Venture Pulse Q1 2016 report by CB Insights and KPMG, the factors leading to the pause are similar to the jitters that slowed the stock market, including an economic slowdown in China, a drop in oil prices, an anticipated interest-rate increase, and an approaching U.S. presidential election. Also at work are general developments across the globe, not the least of which is the U.K.’s possible exist from the European Union.

Clearly, the VC funds raised will be dispersed over the coming quarters, but investors’ expectations and concerns have changed. Funders are looking for greater transparency — companies with solid balance sheets and business models that can demonstrate profitability, and more importantly, manage their expenses (like those aforementioned ping-pong tables). Unlike the times when investments were based on pure potential, venture capitalists are now scrutinizing start-ups to a greater degree, and funders will become more engaged in companies’ decision-making and spending processes.

Furthermore, the underperformance of some high-profile companies has brought existing and potential unicorns under scrutiny, and investors are recognizing that some valuations are too high. The company that best exemplified the trouble among IPO valuations was Square, which earned a $6 billion valuation in December 2014 but managed only a $4.2 billion valuation in its IPO on November 19, 2015. Today the company’s market cap is at $3.39 billion. And while experts argue that comparing these numbers is like comparing apples and oranges, Square’s high-profile IPO brought attention to the objective valuation of unicorns.

Since then, the recognition that high market valuations may not be warranted is leading to a greater focus on creating revenue and positive growth margins, controlling expenses, and setting a clearer path to profitability. Falling valuations are similarly leading investors to change investment instruments that give them protection and guarantees tied to potential IPOs. For example, Spotify raised funds using convertible debt, which came with strict investor guarantees tied to an anticipated IPO. Also, with unrealized valuations, there has been greater corporate participation and merger-and-acquisition activity instead of IPOs. This trend is likely to continue, as corporations look for new technologies and innovations that they can leverage within their own businesses.

Generally, investors are looking for new opportunities and focusing their attention on technologies that are at the beginning of the innovation cycle. Thus, unlike previous fascinations with consumer Internet companies (Uber and Airbnb, for example), much of the funds raised in the first quarter of 2016 went to the health-care industry. In fact, all 10 IPOS in Q1 2016 were in the health-care sector. Because of two large health-care deals in New York, the industry was the only one in the U.S. that actually saw an uptick in VC activity from the end of 2015. And if the Technology Hype Cycle (Figure 3) developed by research firm Gartner is any indicator of up-and-coming technologies, we may see more investment going into cybersecurity and artificial- intelligence firms.

Figure 3:

Source: Gartner

All things considered, while VC market strategies may be shifting, returns in 2015 for the 10-year period were almost twice as high as the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) returns. With the U.S. economy and the S&P market recovering from jitters and a continued strong job market, long-term VC activity still looks encouraging. And as fundraising activity for the beginning of 2016 suggests, there is no shortage of buying interest.

What Does This Mean for Jobs, and Particularly Technology Jobs in the Bay Area?

San Francisco Bay Area job growth has outperformed California’s and the nation’s job growth since the recovery started. While the state’s unemployment rate reached 5.4 percent in March, the lowest level since 2007, most Bay Area regions have unemployment rates well below the state mark, generally ranging between 3 and 4 percent. The latest monthly employment gains came in lower than expected, but the numbers are expected to be revised up based on the number of total employed people.

Overall, the region gained about 118,000 jobs between March 2015 and March 2016. Unsurprisingly, the major employment centers, such as San Francisco and San Jose, accounted for most of those gains, but the composition of the job growth is encouraging.

Source: California Employment Development Department. San Francisco includes San Francisco and  San Mateo counties; Oakland includes Alameda and Contra Costa counties; San Jose includes San Benito and Santa Clara counties. Technology jobs are sum of Professional, Scientific & Technical Services and Information jobs.

In San Francisco, relatively large industries are growing jobs at the fastest clip — 13 to 16 percent over the last year — including jobs in computer-systems design and related services; construction, especially specialty trade contractors; and nondepository financial services (loan officers, for example). Fast growing, but relatively smaller in numbers, were jobs in higher education, performing arts, and food services.

About 8,300 jobs created between the first quarter of last year and the first quarter of this year were in computer-systems design and related services. While tracking technology jobs can be tricky, as they span across a number of industries, a solid annual gain of 13 percent in computer-systems design suggests that the technology sector in San Francisco is still healthy and strong. Also, it is natural that the pace of job growth moderates as the economy reaches full employment, and with the unemployment rate in San Francisco well below that, some softer numbers may not signal weakening of the local economy.

In Silicon Valley, job growth was relatively more broad-based, but among large industries, electronic computer manufacturing gained jobs at a faster rate than other industries. Again, similar to San Francisco, specialty trade contractors were in high demand and added a considerable number to overall new jobs. Faster job growth was also seen in administrative and support services and publishing, which includes software publishing.

In the greater Oakland region, trends follow the same patterns seen in other parts of the Bay Area. The fastest growth is again among specialty trade contractors, but trending close are jobs in computer-systems design and related services, publishing, and arts and entertainment.

The North Bay saw solid job growth in line with the region’s core competencies, including positions in tourism and food and beverage services. While there may be some growth in tech-related industries, it is still a relatively small number that may not point to any trends yet.

Clear growth in construction jobs across the entire region is welcome, as it points to greater housing construction. Generally, construction jobs have been growing at a relatively speedy pace over the last year. As a share of total employment, the construction sector contributes a much smaller share of jobs than it did during the mid-2000s housing boom.

Taken together, the trends outlined above suggest that technology employment is still robust and that job growth will continue. Another indicator that supports future tech employment growth is the number of job openings. According to an analysis of employment website Indeed.com, the San Jose metro area has the highest number of job openings per capita in the country. What is proving more difficult is finding the appropriate skill set and the right candidate for those open positions. Lastly, the anticipated increase in VC activity will help boost tech employment in general and possibly spur another round of ping-pong table sales.

Selma Hepp is Pacific Union’s Vice President of Business Intelligence. Her previous positions include Chief Economist at Trulia, senior economist for the California Association of Realtors and economist, and manager of public policy and homeownership at the National Association of Realtors. She holds a Master of Arts in Economics from the State University of New York (SUNY), Buffalo and a Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Planning and Design from the University of Maryland.

Article and images sourced from http://blog.pacificunion.com/positive-trends-in-venture-capital-activity-to-impact-bay-areas-tech-employment/

The 19 Restaurants Added to the 2016 Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants

From the San Francisco Chronicle's restaurant critic Michael Bauer:

"At this time of year — when I’ve made all my revisits and finished the annual Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants guide — I look back and assess the dining scene.

Last year I thought it was great, and I replaced 17 restaurants. This year was even better with 19 new places added to the list.

RELATED LINKS

• Top 100 Restaurants

Each year the competition sets a new bar. In fact I had written up 109 restaurants, and then realized, of course,  that I had to get rid of nine places I thought deserved to be in the guide. The decision of who to cut wasn’t made easier because only one restaurant on last year’s list (Nojo) closed; it’s now reopened as a ramen shop.  Several other top restaurants had last-minute chef changes, which took them out of the running for this year. A few restaurants I went to lagged in quality, but overall the dining scenes keeps getting better.

This year 31 restaurants were outside of San Francisco, and 26 offer only a fixed price format, which shows the major trend in the restaurant business. Just about every place is now featuring a shorter, more focused menu.

So after much thought, and even more agonizing I was able to get the list down to 100, which is now available on sfchronicle.com.

Here are the new entries in this year’s Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants, with photos of dishes from each restaurant."

Belga: This Belgian restaurant in Cow Hollow serves much more than frites and waffles.

Bix: No other restaurant so exquisitely captures the supper club vibe, with great food to match.

Cala: Serving seafood, this restaurant sets new standards for Mexican food. 

Californios: Only a fixed price menu is offered at this elegant fixed-price Mexican-inspired restaurant. 

Commis, Oakland: Elegantly imagined Northern California food stars on this $125, 10-course fixed priced menu 

Del Popolo: This restaurant may only serve pizza and a few appetizers, but they are not only great but served in stylish surroundings 

Little Gem: Quick casual is a trend of the future and this restaurant serves excellent food that’s free of gluten, daily and processed sugars. 

Lord Stanley: At the corner of Polk and Broadway, this restaurant also has a fixed price menu with imaginative preparations. 

Ninebark, Napa: Here’s the best place to go to understand how pristine local ingredients and modern techniques intersect. 

Octavia: The follow up to Frances is even better than the original. 

Old Bus Tavern: Beer may be on tap, but the food that pairs with it is even better. 

Omakase: One of the best omakase experiences in the city. 

Petit Crenn: Dominque Crenn channels her French grandmother on the reasonably priced family-style menu. 

Rasa, Burlingame: The best casual Indian restaurant in the Bay Area. 

Shed Cafe, Healdsburg: You may be eating in a kind of new age grange, but the food shows a close connection to the land. 

Trestle: Three courses for $35 translates to one of the best fine-dining deals in the city. 

Village Sake, Fairfax: The place to go for Japanese food in Marin. 

Volta: Scandinavian food is the star of this restaurant by Steffan Terje, who also owns Perbacco and Barbacco. 

Z & Y: Sichuan cooking doesn’t get any better than at this Chinatown restaurant. 

Article and images sourced from http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2016/05/09/the-19-restaurants-added-to-the-2016-top-100-bay-area-restaurants/#photo-759433