Bon Appetit cites 2 S.F., Oakland restaurants
A pair of Bay Area restaurants, one a star-studded affair perched atop a Divisadero auto shop and the other a neighborhood favorite in Oakland’s Fruitvale district, have snagged coveted spots on Bon Appetit magazine’s annual top list of America’s 10 best new restaurants.
The list was whittled down from 50 nominees across the country, which the magazine released in late July.
At No. 5 is Nyum Bai, the Cambodian restaurant from Chronicle Rising Star Chef Nite Yun. In just three years, Yun has taken Nyum Bai from roaming Bay Area pop-up to Emeryville kiosk to beloved Oakland brick-and-mortar establishment. Bon Appetit praised the aesthetics of Yun’s solo endeavor, which serves dishes based on Yun’s family recipes, set to Khmer rock music that was popular in Cambodia in the 1960s and early ’70s.
Two spots below at No. 7 is Che Fico, the rustic Italian restaurant from chefs David
Nayfeld and Angela Pinkerton and business partner Matt Brewer. Since its debut in March, the restaurant has received nonstop praise from critics and diners alike. Chronicle critic Michael Bauer gave the place three stars in June, saying it lived up to the hype. Just a few blocks from Alamo Square Park, it has become a beacon for celebrity diners, from CNN’s Anderson Cooper to actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who called her meal “extraordinary” on Instagram.
Nyum Bai: 3340 E. 12th St., Oakland.
Che Fico: 838 Divisadero, San Francisco.