North Stars Flung from the fog, our two epicures sample choice Marin restaurants By Tracie Broom San Francisco is a tough town to get one's toque in. If the real estate overhead doesn't cripple a restaurant, the menu still must survive the critics' haughty glare. And then there are the hundreds of competing restaurants. The city has more eateries per capita than any other in the country, so it only makes sense that many new chefs and restaurateurs start out of town. But cutting one's culinary teeth isn't the only reason that so many chefs hail from the north.
Produce is more plentiful and fresh in the countryside.
Neighboring minor wineries and little-known farmers allow wine and produce selection to be more inventive and challenging. And as gorgeous as Pat Kuleto believes his restaurant design is, it can hardly compete with views of the bay and the San Francisco skyline. The hustle and bustle of San Francisco disappears into the fog as the short trip across the Golden Gate to Marin County relaxes the potential diner like ordinarily only a martini can. And there's plenty of parking. Chef Seiji Wakabayashi's food is sensational, and so is the restaurant's bayside location.