Manresa o

It may have a reputation for being one of the Bay Area’s most well-regarded restaurants, but Manresa is welcoming, distinctively stylish and extraordinarily hospitable for a fine-dining operation. Chef David Kinch works with some of the region's most revered growers, turning products from Andy's Orchard, Pistils & Petals Farm and Dirty Girl, among others, into works of art. The nightly compositions are unknown until they arrive on the table (a souvenir copy of the menu will be handed to you at the end). The food is at once cerebral and luxurious, approachable and thoroughly delicious. Each course is likely to represent a moment within a season, beginning with savory petit fours that are an illusory play on the palate. Sample red-pepper pâtes de fruits or black olive madeleines along with excellent bread baked at the offshoot bakery made with house-milled flour. Tender striped bass in a saffron bouillabaisse is topped with a crisp wafer of brioche, while juicy duck is sided by buttery foie gras. Even something as simple as asparagus is elevated here with a charred beurre blanc and its fantastic smokiness.  Don't miss those excellent vanilla-bean caramels offered on your way out.