Here’s How New Yorkers See San Francisco, and Vice Versa

Plenty of folks have already outlined the differences between San Francisco and New York City, sometimes to hilarious effect. Both cities are full of transplants, which lends a unique perspective for the non-native trying to get a handle on their new city. Whether you’re from San Francisco and have either visited or moved to New York, or you’re from NYC and have visited or lived in San Francisco, you’ll be able to make strong comparisons in your mind between both places. So much so, in fact, that these maps might feel extremely on-point once you see them. Let’s start by going from East to West, then move back to the other side.

How New Yorkers See San Francisco

If you take the characteristics of each of the boroughs and apply them to a map of San Francisco, this is pretty much where you end up. All of San Francisco is Manhattan, the Peninsula is Queens, and Palo Alto, Mountain View, and so on is Long Island. The Oakland and Brooklyn connection seems like a no-brainer, while the rest of East Bay ends up as Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Two commenters on this map made a good point that San Francisco probably deserves slightly more diversity than just “Manhattan.” Here are their suggested subdivisions:

You can split SF up into zones that are like zones in Manhattan:

Financial District = Wall St
North Beach = Little Italy
Chinatown = Chinatown
Castro = Greenwich Village
The Fillmore = Harlem
Pacific Hts = Upper East Side
SOMA = SOHO
Union Square = Midtown/5th Ave
Tenderloin = The OLD 42nd St.
South Beach/Mission Bay = Battery Park City
Lower Haight= East Village
The Sunset=Far Rockaway.
Union Square/Stockton/Market area is turning into the NEW 42nd Street.

Seems about right to us. Now, let’s see that same map in reverse.

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How San Franciscans see New York City:

Okay—clearly this one has a lot more going on. Once you steady your gaze, you’ll see far more commentary on exactly how, culturally, a San Franciscan would see these NYC areas rather than simply by associating it with places they already know. For example, we’ve got Central Park labelled as “Dolores Park, but more preppy & less pot ” and the subway as “Imagine if Caltrain and Transbay were 1,000x busier.” You’ve still got your direct area comparisons, though, with Queens compared to the Sunset and areas of Uptown Manhattan that “used to be like the Tenderloin”—but also more than one “Civic Center” and “Castro” comparison. Basically, it looks messier, but it’s got some pretty fun insights.

Article and images sourced from http://www.upout.com/blog/san-francisco-3/heres-new-yorkers-see-san-francisco-vice-versa?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=UpOutSF&utm_campaign=freepost

Annie Leibovitz Brings Girl Power to Crissy Field With New Portrait Exhibit

Misty Copeland, New York City, 2015 (photo by Annie Leibovitz from WOMEN: New Portraits) 

The woman, the myth, the legend, Annie Leibovitz is returning to San Francisco this weekend for a powerful new photo exhibit in Crissy Field.

A San Francisco Art Institute alum, Leibovitz has been documenting popular culture since the early 1970s, when she began working as a photojournalist for Rolling Stone. Her work over the past forty years includes some of the best-known portraits of our time (including Kim and Kanye on the cover of Vogue). 

The powerful new exhibit riffs on an earlier project from the1990s entitled "WOMEN," which documented real women, from teachers to firefighters, and the roles they played in modern society. WOMEN: New Portraits—which opens in San Francisco this Saturday—showcases how women have changed in the last twenty years, and the powerful new roles they have assumed in pop culture and society. Many of the photos have never been displayed before, and offer intimate glimpses into the lives and personalities of some of the most famous women in the world. 

Annie Leibovitz introduces the new exhibit Tuesday morning in Crissy Field. (photo by Sarah Medina) 

While the showcased women vary in age, race, and career field, they all have one thing in common: they're badasses. In fact, while each photo comes with a small bio, many of them need no introduction. Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg dominates a board room in a tight leather skirt, while Alice Waters looks absolutely bucolic in a field of wild flowers. Also spotted are feminist icon Gloria Steinem, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, and animal activist Jane Goodall. 

Millennials are also well-represented. Lena Dunham is almost unrecognizable standing alone in Central Park, while Misty Copeland shows off her amazing body in a billowing gown. Malala Yousafzai is the only subject who smiles for the camera from her new schoolroom in England. 

Meant to work as a traveling act of sorts, the exhibition photos are thumbtacked to temporary walls inside a demilitarized building in Crissy Field. In a few weeks they'll be torn down and shipped across the ocean as part of their 12-month international tour. So, make sure you check it out before it's too late. 

// WOMEN: New Portraits opens in The Presidio (649 Old Mason Street) on March 25 with free admission through April 17, ubs.com/annie-leibovitz

Article and images sourced from http://www.7x7.com/culture/annie-leibovitz-brings-girl-power-crissy-field-new-portrait-exhibit

A Guide to Upcoming Bay Area Food Festivals

The sun is shining and spring is almost in the air, which means that Bay Area food festival season is about to kick into full swing, starting with this weekend’s Flavor Napa Valley and the California Artisan Cheese Festival in Petaluma.

To help get your calendars in order, here’s a round-up of some of the more notable food and drink events happening around the Bay Area over the next few months.

***

Flavor Napa Valley (Now-March 20):  First up is this annual event, which benefits the The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. In addition to numerous chef demonstrations and winemaker workshops, there’s also the grand tasting event on Saturday featuring dozens of restaurants from around Wine Country. For more information and tickets: flavornapavalley.com.

California Artisan Cheese Festival (March 18-20): When it comes to an abundance of amazing Northern California dairy, Petaluma is hard to beat. While a number of the farm tours are sold out, tickets are still available for a handful of events, including this Sunday’s (March 20) artisan cheese tasting and marketplace, featuring over 90 producers. For more information and tickets: artisancheesefestival.com.

Pebble Beach Food & Wine Festival (March 31–April 3): Hundreds of celebrity chefs and winemakers schmoozing, plus cooking demonstrations, grand tastings and more — all set against the beautiful backdrop of the Monterey coast’s luxe Pebble Beach Resort. No wonder this is considered the crème de la crème of foodie events. For more information and tickets: pbfw.com.

Lodi Wine & Food Festival (April 2): The newly revamped festival will feature wine tastings with over 40 local wineries, olive oil tastings and more. For more information and tickets: grapefestival.com.

Cochon555 (May 1): The annual pigfest returns to San Francisco, with yet another nose-to-tail cooking competition featuring five chefs (line-up TBA) working their magic on heritage breed pigs. For more information and tickets: cochon555.com

San Francisco International Beer Festival (May 21): This fundraiser for Telegraph Hill Cooperative Nursery School, now in its 33rd year, will feature dozens of craft brewers, including Fort Point, Magnolia and Laughing Monk. For more information and tickets: sfbeerfest.com.

BottleRock (May 27-29): Napa’s music fest attracts major industry names, like Stevie Wonder and Florence + the Machine, but it’s also a celebration of Wine Country’s first class culinary scene. While multi-day passes are sold out, individual day passes for Friday and Saturday are still available. For more information and tickets: bottlerocknapavalley.com.

Mill Valley Wine, Beer & Gourmet Food Tasting (June 5): 65 wineries, 11 breweries and over 40 different food options will be featured at the 35th annual Mill Valley event. For more information and tickets: enjoymillvalley.com/2016-mill-valley-wine-beer–gourmet-food-tasting.html.

Pinot Days (June 18): Over 100 domestic Pinot Noir makers will be on-site for this one day tasting event in downtown San Francisco, which touts itself as the largest gathering of Pinot Noir producers in the world. For more information and tickets: pinotdays.com.

Lodi Craft Beer Festival (June 18): Over fifty breweries, including Lagunitas, Anchor and 21st Amendment, will be participating in Lodi’s annual beer fest.  For more information and tickets: lodicraftbeerfestival.com.

Livermore Valley Wine Country’s Taste our Terroir (July 21-24): This annual four day pairing event celebrates the best of Livermore Valley food and wine.  For more information and tickets: lvwine.org.

Outsidelands (August 5-7): Like Bottlerock, Golden Gate Park’s massive music fest is another event that also serves as a food and wine extravaganza, with entire areas dedicated to various local comestibles, including WineLands, CheeseLands, BeerLands, ChocoLands and culinary demonstrations at the GastroMagic stage. For more information and tickets: sfoutsidelands.com.

Eat Drink SF (August 25-28): The Golden Gate Restaurant Association‘s annual celebration of San Francisco’s abundant food and drink will take place once again at Fort Mason. Line-up TBA. For more information and tickets: eatdrink-sf.com.

Eat Real Fest (September 23-25): The annual craft food festival and fundraiser for Oakland’s Food Craft Institute will be back at Jack London Square this coming September. Line-up TBA. For more information and tickets: eatrealfest.com.

Article and images sourced from http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2016/03/18/a-guide-to-upcoming-bay-area-food-festivals/#photo-746804

Crissy Field Due For $2.5 Million Facelift This Fall

Shawna Scott via Flickr

Once a literal waste dump, Crissy Field is now anything but. Still, with 15 years since its last renovation, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area has deemed that the one-and-a-half mile spot could us some upkeep. CBSSF learns that starting around October, the much-used recreation destination will receive a four- to six-month makeover.

A new grant has apparently made the process possible, with spokesperson Alexandra Pickavet claiming that “for two and a half million dollars, it’s the largest grant in the country for the national parks for maintenance backlog.”

You may also recall that one of the architects of New York's High Line, James Corner Field Operations, was chosen in 2014 to develop the area above Crissy Field, part of it over the new-ish tunnels of the Presidio Parkway that replaced Doyle Drive. Renderings of that project were updated last year.

Taken together, the whole area should be looking very fresh by 2017, and even better when the new project is completed in 2018.

Article and image sourced from http://sfist.com/2016/03/17/crissy_field_due_for_6_month_face_l.php

WildAid’s Marine Program Expands to Mexico

Legendary diver and explorer Jacques Cousteau once described Mexico’s Sea of Cortez (or the Gulf of California) as "the aquarium of the world," home to a tremendous array of marine life. Perhaps nowhere is this more true than the Midriff Islands, an uninhabited archipelago located in the Sea of Cortez’s central region that has a nickname of its own: "the Galapagos of the Northern Hemisphere.” Whales, whale sharks, sea lions, jumping mobula rays and five species of endangered sea turtles can all be found in this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Sadly, the Midriff Islands’ abundant reefs and thriving marine habitat attract illegal and unsustainable fishing practices, which threaten their continued protection.

That’s why WildAid and partners are taking our proven marine protection model to Mexico. With the support of Helmsley Charitable Trust, Pronatura Noroeste, the Mexican Fund for the Conservation of Nature and Niparaja, we will soon embark on a full assessment of the Midriff Islands' marine protected area, which will guide how to create a comprehensive control and vigilance plan for the region.

The new project includes testing enforcement strategies on the Baja California peninsula and two high-level peer exchanges between Mexican and Ecuadorian environmental officials. Expected to roll out in late 2016, this pilot program will also feature innovative technology and multi-agency patrols that can be replicated throughout Mexico’s coastal protected areas. 

In November, WildAid, the Ecuadorian Minister of the Environment and the Galapagos National Park Service hosted the first week-long peer exchange with a visit from Mexican officials. Since 2002, we’ve helped to strengthen enforcement of the 51,000-square-mile Galapagos Marine Reserve; today, it’s one of the best-protected marine reserves in the developing world.

But marine animals from humpback whales to olive ridley sea turtles migrate through the coastal regions of multiple nations, which is why it’s crucial that WildAid and our partners strive for better protections throughout Latin America. In this inaugural peer exchange, high-level representatives from Mexico’s Navy and environmental/fisheries agencies met with their Ecuadorian counterparts to share best practices for effective marine reserve management, including long-term budgetary considerations and improved inter-agency collaboration.

Ecuadorian officials also showcased surveillance equipment to monitor the Galapagos Marine Reserve and discussed the benefits of inter-agency cooperation between the Ecuadorian Navy and Galapagos National Park Service in patrolling the region, which has led to the apprehension and prosecution of approximately 100 illegal fishing vessels over the last seven years. The two nations will reconvene in the fall for a second exchange, where Mexican officials will demonstrate their own enforcement approach and report on key action points.

In addition to our project in Mexico, and with the support of our donors, WildAid plans to work on the following new projects in 2016:

Assess enforcement and management of the Jardines de La Reina in Cuba to protect its pristine coral ecosystems.

Use findings from an assessment of Palau’s enforcement system to implement oceanic and near-shore pilot projects. We will test new oceanic surveillance technologies in Palau’s national waters, as well as near-shore surveillance in the Northern Reefs test site.

Support sea turtle and manta conservation projects in coastal Ecuador.

Further Reading:

WildAid's Marine Protection Program Initiatives

Article and images sourced from http://wildaid.org/news/wildaids-marine-program-expands-mexico

The 2016 James Beard Foundation Awards Finalists in San Francisco

The James Beard Foundation Awards saga continues, and today, March 15, the finalists were announced. San Francisco's big standouts include Liholiho Yacht Club up for Best New Restaurant, Bar Agricole for Outstanding Bar Program and Michael Tusk (Quince, Cotogna) for Outstanding Chef and Outstanding Service. San Francisco nominees were sadly cut out ofOutstanding Pastry Chef, Outstanding Restaurant, Rising Star Chef of the Year and more, but there's still a strong San Francisco showing overall.

The winners will be announced at the awards gala on Monday, May 2 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. See the full showing of Bay Area finalists below, and head here for the complete, nationwide list:

Best New Restaurant

• Liholiho Yacht Club

Outstanding Baker

• Belinda Leong and Michel Suas, B. Patisserie
• William Werner, Craftsman and Wolves

Outstanding Bar Program

• Bar Agricole

Outstanding Chef

• Michael Tusk, Quince

Outstanding Restaurateur

• Michael Mina, Mina Restaurants, San Francisco (Michael Mina, Bourbon Steak, RN74, and others)
• Cindy Pawlcyn, Napa, CA (Mustards Grill, Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen, Cindy's Waterfront at the Monterey Bay Aquarium)

Outstanding Service

• Quince

Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional

• Miljenko Grgich, Grgich Hills Estate, Rutherford, CA

Best Chef: West 

• Matthew Accarrino, SPQR, San Francisco 
• Michael Cimarusti, Providence, Los Angeles 
• Dominique Crenn, Atelier Crenn, San Francisco 
• Jeremy Fox, Rustic Canyon, Santa Monica, CA 
• Corey Lee, Benu, San Francisco 
• Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, Animal, Los Angeles

Article and images sourced from http://sf.eater.com/2016/3/15/11236762/james-beard-foundation-awards-finalists-san-francisco-2016

SFMTA to study Central Subway extension to Fisherman’s Wharf

The SFMTA has allocated $1.2 million to study an extension of the still-in-progress T-Third Central Subway from Chinatown to Fisherman’s Wharf. (Courtesy SFMTA)

San Francisco’s newest — and still under construction — subway may soon see an extension from Chinatown to Fisherman’s Wharf.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency recently allocated $1.2 million in its budget to study extending the T-Third Central Subway from its terminus in North Beach all the way to Fisherman’s Wharf.

Some are calling the study a major first step by the SFMTA that shows a clear sign of moving toward a new subway than ever before.

The San Francisco County Transportation Authority previously conducted a feasibility study with the SFMTA, said SFMTA Director of Transportation Ed Reiskin.

“[The new study] would go a level deeper,” he told the San Francisco Examiner. “This would do more community work and more technical work, to tee it up into preliminary engineering into environmental impact and analysis.”

Reiskin affirmed his support of the project while clarifying that nothing is set in stone.

“It doesn’t guarantee we get a subway built,” he said. “I sure hope they will see this project come to fruition. If you look at the very long term in The City, it makes all the sense of the world.”

The study is one of many items in the SFMTA’s newly proposed multibillion dollar budget for fiscal year 2017-18, which will be debated at town hall meetings throughout March. The SFMTA Board of Directors is set to vote on the budget in April.

Though it’s just a proposal, the study has transit supporters buzzing.

Supervisor Scott Wiener is an outspoken supporter of subway construction in San Francisco and he predictably lauded the study.

“Extending the Central Subway north is a very high priority, and essential to our future subway expansion efforts,” he told the Examiner. “I’m happy to see the [SFMTA] concretely moving forward.”

This, Wiener said, “is a big deal.”

Supervisor Aaron Peskin, whose supervisorial district includes Fisherman’s Wharf and Chinatown, said he, too, is supportive of the subway.

Peskin said he looks forward to a “robust and comprehensive community process” for the project.

The Fisherman’s Wharf community has been vocal in the past about its needs for new transit options.

Troy Campbell, head of the Fisherman’s Wharf Community Benefits District, told the Examiner last year that when it comes to businesses at the wharf, there’s been an “exodus of minimum-wage workers in The City.”

Workers need transit options, Campbell said, and the lack of crosstown transit options to Fisherman’s Wharf makes attracting workers like cooks, bussers and shop workers increasingly difficult.

Rachel Brown, a spokeswoman for the district, told the Examiner the problem still persists, which is why the group supports the Central Subway’s extension to Fisherman’s Wharf.

“We’d still need half a billion to one billion and a half dollars we don’t have,” Reiskin said, noting that conducting a study “doesn’t solve that problem.”

Reiskin said the Central Subway extension would require significant federal funding, but that regional transit officials did not place the project near the front of the line for federal funding.

“There’s not a foreseeable federal funding source I’m aware of,” he said, “but that could change in the next federal bill.”

Still, the transit director has not lost all hope. He said performing a study and creating San Francisco’s Subway Master Plan may eventually attract more federal dollars.

“Just because you have a plan, the federal government won’t throw money at you,” Reiskin said. “But you’re in a better place to state your case.”

Article and images sourced from http://www.sfexaminer.com/sfmta-study-central-subway-extension-fishermans-wharf/

7 Gorgeous Post-Storm Hikes in Marin County

Breath taking vista from the Coastal Trail above Muir Beach. (Photography by Sarah Hawthorne)

According to our iPhones, San Francisco is supposed to get a brief reprieve from the rain this week, and temperatures may even get into the high 60s. Treat yourself to a little sunshine after the storm on one of these gorgeous Marin hikes. Champagne optional, but recommended. 

The Coastal Trail

The Coastal Trail from Tennessee Valley to Muir Beach (or vice versa) boasts some of the most spectacular views of both the Pacific Ocean and the Marin Headlands. The trail winds around the top of dramatic cliffs (filling you with the urge to quote Titanic) and dips down so you can hear the roaring ocean below. Keep your eyes peeled for majestic hawks circling above your head.

Muir Woods 

The famous Muir Woods National Monument is one of the last remaining old-growth redwood forests in the Bay Area. Enjoy the giant coastal redwoods trees in all their glory with a beautiful walk along one of the many trails that winds around the valley. Avoid the crowds by parking on Panoramic Highway opposite the Mountain Home Inn and hike your way down into the valley floor via the Ocean View or Lost Trail from the Panoramic Trail. Or park on the ocean side of Panoramic Highway, precisely where it meets the famous Dipsea Trail, and hike the Dipsea down to the official park entrance.

Seven Sisters

Sitting pretty atop Mt. Tam State Park is one of the most beautiful stretches of road you will ever see. When the fog burns off, you can see all the way to Bolinas and Stinson Beach. Take a scenic drive, a vigorous bike ride, or a peaceful hike in the spot where pretty much every car commercial ever was filmed. 

Stinson Beach

Prefer your views with a little less effort? Park your car at Stinson Beach and walk along the shoreline with your toes in the sand. Arrive first thing in the morning to beat the crowds and embrace the gentle sunshine of the early hours. The rolling hills of Marin make for a scenic backdrop as you watch seals and even dolphins play in the water around you. Relax at the Parkside Café afterwards for a refreshing drink and bite to eat. 

East Peak 

Pack your lunch and refreshments, sit for a while, and soak up the impressive 360-degree views East Peak has to offer. Feel free to take plenty of photos — its worth showing off to your Instagram followers.

Hawk Hill

Want to see the San Francisco skyline at its best? Take a short drive from the city up Hawk Hill and enjoy stunning views of the Marin headlands, Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco Bay, and the City. By day, Hawk Hill is a great place to watch ships sail under the GGB. By night, there is an amazing display of city lights and the illuminated bridge, perfect for ending a romantic date with someone special (don't forget the bubbles!).

Muir Overlook 

Muir Overlook is a lovely little spot perched above Muir Beach just off Hwy 1. The bluff showcases stunning coastal views for miles in both directions. Pack a picnic to make this little outing extra special. On your way back to San Francisco, stop by the Pelican Inn for a taste of the English Countryside in this quaint little pub.

Article and images sourced from http://www.7x7.com/marin/7-gorgeous-post-storm-hikes-marin-county

Can The Perennial Really Be the Most Sustainable Restaurant in the World?

The Perennial's delicious cauliflower toast with puntarelle, cilantro, and savory glaze. (Photos by Alanna Hale)

When one hears of the mission behind The Perennial—essentially to be The Most Sustainable Restaurant in the World—it’s easy to write it off as the kind of startup hyperbole that's become so prevalent in San Francisco. Seriously, if we had a dollar for every industrious foodie or techie who swears her idea will change the world, we could buy stock in Apple and move to Hawaii. But skeptics as we are, we love to root for our home team. And the folks at The Perennial seem to have the stuff to pull it off.

Behind the lofty ambition lies a team with quite a track record: Anthony Myint and wife Karen Leibowitz are the founders of Mission Chinese Food, its various satellite restaurants, Commonwealth, and more. He has been named to pretty much every top, most, or hot list you can think of in food world. Most influential. Empire builder. Hot 20. Top 40. She's his restaurant partner, as well as a food writer with credits in Modern Farmer, Lucky Peach,The New York Times, and Food & Wine. You get the picture.

And so, these Midases of the SF restaurant world have set out to build a restaurant that aims not to be an example but rather the paradigm for environmentally friendly food service. Described by the duo as “progressive agrarian,” the restaurant takes sustainbility well beyond the ubiquitous reclaimed wood (which you'll see here in the form of fallen redwood–clad walls) and recycled materials (in the clay tiles that line the bar). No, the team behind The Perennial is looking at sustainability through a very long lens, beginning with the construction of their 2,000-square-foot aquaponic farm in West Oakland.

Huh?

Right. So aquaponic farming is amazing in that it creates a closed-loop food system: The restaurant will turn its compost into food for fish, whose waste in turn becomes fertilizer, which helps to grow plants, which are then delivered to The Perennial to be incorpated into recipes. The process is about six times more productive than traditional soil-based agriculture and uses one-tenth the water. Once buildout of the facility is completed later this month, The Perennial’s closed-loop system will reduce food waste and lower their carbon footprint.

(In addition to serving beer and wine, The Perennial offers interesting cocktails including the Shaddock Rose (center: tequila, grapefruit cordial, and bitters) and the Marmalade Cobbler (top left: Alvear amontillado and grapefruit marmalade).

But to be the most environmental restaurant ever, it can't stop there. Lowering one's carbon footprint is very nice and all, but what if a restaurant could actually help to reverse the effects of climate change? Enter the kernza grain, a perennial (get it?) whose deep root structure is believed to pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, promote healthy soil, and mitigate drought conditions. As it turns out, kernza also makes for some absolutely delicious bread.

That brings us to the food. Because let's be honest, the sustainability angle is novel and worthy of our first visit, but if it isn't delicious, we're not going back. “Food and beverage are equally top priorities as the environment,” Leibowitz maintains. "It has to be top quality."

And the food here is wonderful.

Myint and Leibowitz have enlisted Chef Chris Kiyuna, whose credits include both Coi and famed Noma in Copenhagen (the man knows his veggies). Kiyuna has brought the new-Nordic minimalism and technique with him in dishes like the pumpkin seed bisque: Made from cardamom-infused pumpkin milk, the soup is poured tableside over a bowl of sunchokes prepared three ways (fried, diced raw, and pureed), and is finished with a hint of lemon oil and thin slices of pear for brightness and sweetness. Not only is it a lovely start to the meal, it might be The Best Soup in the World.

(The magical pumpkin seed bisque with crispy sunchoke, cardamom, and lemon oil.)

Another standout starter is the potato confit with clam bagna cauda, which, while delicious, feels a tad pricey for its few poached potatoes, couple of clams, and adorable baby radishes. Meanwhile, a dish of crisp and tender grains—steamed faro, barley, and millet—is warmed up with a buttery sauce, mushroom stock, and a slightly funky comté cheese. It's all topped with grilled artichokes, sautéed black trumpet mushrooms, and toasted crispy buckwheat. If it sounds a bit hippy, it totally is—but we haven't stopped thinking about it since.

For a restaurant that's into its fish, we were surprised that the entree of McFarland Springs trout was a miss: Though perfectly cooked with skin crispy and flesh flakey, the salt washeavy-handed and the bone marrow broth tasted less rich and marrow-y than one would hope. But all was made well again with the lamb shoulder, braised until fork-tender and served on a bountiful bed of brassicas with brussels sprouts and roasted romanesco, all drizzled with a glossy demi reduced with black garlic and mint—a dish so well considered, complete, and satisfying. 

“We’re not trying to be a Pellegrino list restaurant,” Kiyuna says (S. Pellegrino sponsors theWorld's 50 Best Restaurants awards annually). “But we’d love to raise the floor and hopefully be something of a role model when it comes to ecological practices.” 

(The Perennial's minimalist-chic dining room. Photo: Helynn Ospina)

Dessert options are equally fresh and imaginative: Go for the surprisingly creamy nasturtium ice cream, served with dehydrated and fresh kiwi as well as toasted pecans. If you prefer to drink your finale, the restaurant's take on the pisco punch has a boozy pineapple sherbet and a crunchy cancha topping (think Peruvian popcorn).

In the end, The Perennial succeeds at serving delicious food and at bringing the conversation of environmental sustainability to the front burner on the San Francisco dining scene (and perhaps beyond). Will Myint and Leibowitz change the world? Time will tell. But what's the measure of success?

“If, in 10 years or so, people go to grocery store and have an option of vegetables grown from an aquaponic farm," muses Myint, "then we’ll know we’ve been successful.”

// The Perennial, 59 9th St. (Mid-Market), theperennialsf.com

Article and images sourced from http://www.7x7.com/eat-drink/can-perennial-really-be-most-sustainable-restaurant-world