12 | EDIBLE SF SPRING 2026 EQUAL PARTS Tucked into a storied North Beach address long associated with red-sauce Italian dining, Equal Parts feels deliberately out of step with its surroundings, in a good way. The space nods to Mexico City and Tulum through arches, greenery, and warm, natural textures. In the kitchen, Melissa Perfit, a “Top Chef” alum, leans into seafood-driven California cooking, with dishes like green cioppino with pan con tomate, roasted branzino with brown butter, and lamb ribs finished with tomatillo and mint. Cocktails—built around tequila, mezcal, and house infusions like grilled pineapple or brown butter bourbon—follow suit. Designed for flexibility, it works just as well for a drink at the bar as it does for a full meal. equalpartssf.com NORTH BEACH, IN GOOD MEASURE LA CIGALE At this tiny Glen Park restaurant, dinner unfolds around an open hearth. Chef Joseph Magidow cooks Occitan-inspired dishes over said hearth for a single communal table, using medieval-style tools, like a flambadou and raclette over flame, and ingredients foraged close to home. There are no reservations, tips, or surprise fees, just a $140 tasting menu that slowly becomes a long procession of dishes, from smoky sausages and hearty stews to beautifully handled duck and seasonal vegetables. It can take patience to get in, but once you do, the experience feels intimate, Old World, and deeply satisfying. la-cigale-sf.com OLD-WORLD COOKING, HERE AND NOW RT BISTRO If any restaurant in San Francisco needed a spinoff, it’s Rich Table, long one of the city’s hardest reservations thanks to its ingredient-driven cooking and deep attention to detail. RT Bistro, from chefs and owners Sarah and Evan Rich, is the answer: a more everyday place to eat their food, set in a warm, compact dining room that still feels unmistakably Rich Table, without dialing back what makes it special. It feels like a neighborhood spot, even if reservations are already a required part of the routine. The menu is concise and seasonal, built around crudos, pastas (including an unexpected—but obviously delicious—one-layer winter squash lasagna baked in the wood-fired oven), and a short list of mains that change with the market. The burger, charred over a wood fire and served with triple-cooked fries, was once capped at a dozen a night at Rich Table. Here, you’ll spot one on nearly every table. The dish you’ll keep dreaming of, though, is the porcini donut with Kaluga caviar, and arguably even more craveable than the famous one next door. Save room at the end: The Meyer lemon icebox pie is not to be skipped. richtablesf.com/location/rt-bistro THAT’S RICH—A BISTRO NEXT DOOR Photos—Melissa Zink Photo—Seth Boor Photos—Robbie Gomez Photos—Melissa Zink
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