Foreign Cinema

(Mission)
2534 Mission St.  
415-648-7600 Map it
www.foreigncinema.com

E + D Award Winner
$$$
California
bar scene, brunch, good for groups, outdoor dining, romantic

2008 & 2007 EAT + DRINK AWARDS: Best Outdoor Dining

SCENE: Ten years since opening, Foreign Cinema continues to be one of the Mission’s most beloved restaurants. Features to love include an airy dining room (warmed in winter by a roaring fireplace) and an outdoor courtyard where films (yes, often foreign) are projected onto a wall. Weekend brunches are a hit with locals.

EATS: Chef/owners (and Zuni Café and Chez Panisse alums) Gayle Pirie and John Clark have an innate sensibility about good food and a knack for knowing just what their diners want. That means you’ll always find oysters on the menu, along with sautéed rock shrimp with hot peppers and garlic, and fried Madras curry spiced chicken. For dessert, choose between sweet (ginger cake with crème anglaise, maybe) or savory (their “two blues” cheese plate).