4 RESTAURANTS AND BARS TO TRY THIS WEEKEND IN THE BAY AREA: APRIL 19

As we head into the weekend, Eater SF editors have compiled a list of recommendations to answer one of the most persistent and, arguably, pressing questions of the day: “Where should I eat?” Of course, we have several resources to help guide your dining and drinking decisions — for example, the San Francisco and East Bay heatmaps, which reflect the hottest new restaurants to try right now. But here we offer four suggestions of places to check out this weekend around the Bay Area. And if you’re looking for places to grab a drink, try these lists of the best new places to grab a cocktail in San Francisco and the East Bay.

For an easy, last-minute dinner: The Rustic

A recent weekend evening found me frantically trying to find a place for a last-minute group dinner. Fortunately, the Rustic, that relatively new Italian restaurant in the Castro, had a 7:30 p.m. table available online. The restaurant’s covered and well-heated back patio was the perfect setting for a casual dinner, which started with a $40 bottle of Crémant (who can complain about that price point in this city?) before proceeding onto shareable starters like a burrata caprese salad and entrees of handmade pasta. Service was laid-back and efficient, and the food reflected care for seasonal ingredients — without being fussy or avant-garde. It was, to put it shortly, a quintessential neighborhood restaurant, a place where you can find approachable high-quality food at a fair price. Exactly the kind of place San Francisco needs. The Rustic, 215 Chruch Street, San Francisco

— Lauren Saria, Eater SF editor

For late-night gulab jamun: Kennedy’s Indian Curry House & Irish Pub

When the clock strikes “drunchies” nothing else but fried, carb-laden deliciousness will do. Thankfully, North Beach’s longstanding multi-story temple to Indian food and pints of Guinness, Kennedy’s Indian Curry House & Irish Pub, is old reliable, the classic go-to for continuing to drink or getting som aloo gobi to sober up. But the main attraction might be gulab jamun, which costs about $3 here and comes swimming in sugar. Fried to perfection, it’s the correct post-bar crawl fuel to get you on your way home in an Uber. Kennedy’s Indian Curry House & Irish Pub, 1040 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco

— Paolo Bicchieri, Eater SF reporter

For a NYC bar pop-up: Umami Mart

Umami Mart is known for its amazing selection of lifestyle goods and Japanese food products, but it is also the home to a tasting room-slash-bar, and this weekend the shop has a treat in store. On Saturday, April 21, from 3 to 7 p.m., the bar will welcome Kenta Goto of New York’s Bar Goto, according to Instagram. There will be bar snacks and a trio of cocktails available, including a sakura martini and hojicha old fashioned; no reservations are required, and it’s first come, first served. Umami Mart, 4027 Broadway, Oakland

— Dianne de Guzman, Eater SF deputy editor

For a road trip-worthy pop-up dinner: de Havilland

If you’re looking for an excuse to head up to the North Bay this weekend, let this be your sign to check out de Havilland, a long-running pop-up from chef Mark Malicki. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at Petaluma’s Tea Room Cafe, Malicki pushes out perfectly high-low plates that reflect his fine dining training and his affection for seasonal local produce. This weekend look for tuna tartare with green onion pancakes, crispy soft-shell crab, and a wagyu beef hamburger with cheese. Bring cash if you can though the team also accepts Venmo. de Havilland at Tea Room Cafe (316 Western Avenue, Petaluma)

— Lauren Saria, Eater SF editor

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