Cassava

While the top restaurants in the city center tend to lean towards high sophistication, those in the outerlands cultivate a friendlier, neighborhood atmosphere. The Outer Richmond's Cassava is no exception: This is a community gathering place that just *happens* to have an out-of-this-world menu. Husband-and-wife team chef Kristoffer Toliao, who cooked for several years under Dominique Crenn, and GM Yuka Ioroi are responsible for a menu of complimentary modern California flavors like Spanish octopus and pork chop with rutabaga-green garlic sauce, cream of brussel sprouts, sugar snap peas and garlic oil, and buttermilk fried chicken with sous-vide chicken thigh and chipotle aioli. A four-course tasting menu is a steal at just $48 (with a beverage pairing for an additional $34). Cassava is also open for breakfast and lunch on weekdays and weekend brunch.