Fog City Diner is one of the landmark restaurants in San Francisco. It looks as if it has sat on its spot near the wharfs since the 1930s. In reality, it's only about 25 years old, but it has made an impression here not only by its appearance but by the innovative way they have taken American diner cuisine and tweaked it into something wonderful and gourmet.The feel is pure American diner. You walk in and have a choice of a booth or a stool at the counter. There is polished chrome and neon everywhere, and the staff all wears diner-style uniforms with white aprons and paper hats. However, this is where the typical diner expierences grinds to a halt. First off no diner I know has a wine list like Fog City. They offer all the best Napa and Sonoma wines and a lot of boutique wineries that you don't find in most restaurants. The menu has a lot of familiar items, but each one with a slight updated twist.
As an example, I ordered a very simple lunch: salad and a side of toast. My salad was full of fresh Sonoma produce, cheeses from the area, and nuts; it was delcious. My toast was San Francisco sourdough with a side of Blood Orange Marmalade. It was simple, yet unique. Patrick had what he thought would be a simple chili dog. It was a delcious, high-quality hot dog on a sourdough bun, topped with white beans and fresh onions--certainly not your average diner chili dog! Even the mac and cheese was unique, baked with special cheeses, fresh pasta, and topped with panko. We enjoyed our meals. The menu was full of old favorites and unique San Francisco treats like fresh crabs and Pacific oysters.
Please don't over-order. You will want to save room for dessert. I had the chocolate bread pudding, and it was beyond good. Chris had the cheesecake, a house favorite, and Patrick picked a root-beer float. The root-beer float was pretty standard but had top-quality ice cream and top-quality root beer. We all tasted and tried each other's desserts; it was hard to pick the winner!
Our service on this visit was good, but not great. I have eaten here at times with better service. Our waiter was hard to find and didn't check back often; he was also pretty deadpan and not very friendly. However, I can say from past experience that this is the exception and not the rule.
Friends coming into the city always ask me to draw up a list of places to eat. I always have Fog City Diner on my short list; it's not to be missed on your Bay area visit!