Zuni curently closes at 10pm, so no late-night burger. [sad face]
Started going to Zuni as an SF adult. Still my go to restaurant when I’m in town and can get a seat. Rogers cookbook is one of my favorite kitchen times. Happy 40th Zuni! You’re looking great!
One of our favorites when we lived in the Bay Area. A seat near the pizza oven was always welcome on a cold foggy day.
When I lived in the neighborhood back in the early 90s, one of my favorite splurges was their breakfast oatmeal. Best oatmeal ever!!! I remember thinking how crazy I was to pay $7 for a bowl of oatmeal. But it came with fresh cream, butter & real maple syrup. The ultimate comfort food.
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Thanks for the great article, and stroll down the lane of memories. It's been many years since I've been there. The recipes are much appreciated, and now stored in my recipe box. In a town where dozens of great restaurants have come and gone during its lifetime, Zuni lives on! Grazia, Signor DT.
We frequently ate at Zuni while living in the City during the 80s and 90s. A lunchtime burger along with a Caesar salad and too
many fries to finish always hit just the right spot.
We too picked up a wonderful cactus at Red Desert, leaving it with a friend when we moved overseas.
We went home for Christmas, grabbed a dear friend from my Cal days, and pulled her into the city to play tourist. Fortified with dim sum, we walked every acre of Golden Gate Park - the Botanical Gardens and Conservatory, Shakespeare Garden and Carousel, Academy of Sciences and the Japanese Tea Garden. Pre-sunset drinks overlooking the ocean at the Cliff House ... where to have dinner? Back across town to the jewel box that is Zuni and its long bar. Christmas tree on the piano. Craft cocktails at the bar. And the roast chicken in the dining room. Wonderful memories!
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The Zuni cafe’s roast chicken, served on top of an Italian-style bread salad soaking up that expertly cooked chicken ‘s juices, is a work of art.
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Billy West and Judy Rodgers were both so instrumental in my education about food Billy directly, Judy thru her cooking. On my very first trip to Paris, Billy, who was doing a stint at the Pasteur Institute, arranged for my friend David and I to experience a different French dining experience every day for a week! His generosity of spirit and kindness and Judy's profound understanding of simplicity live on in what has continued to be my home base for food and comfort.
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I have been eating here regularly for the past three decades, and it remains among my favorites. I love the fact that you have to wait an hour for the chicken. It becomes a very pleasant social time to sip and nibble as your hunger builds. Not a fan of the burger. But generally they are food purists. Nothing particularly fancy or creative, just the best possible ingredients cooked perfectly and served professionally.
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I was one of those penniless students who felt welcomed there in the early 80s, relishing in the light of that space, when there were cushions made of Mexican textiles to sit on. At night, it glowed inside with an altogether different light. Never pretentious, just simply good food and matter of fact hospitality. A simple but rare approach.
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One of my favorite restaurants period. When living in SF 89-93 it was a treat. And when revisiting out est it is always a must stop in. Best Gnocchi on Earth and if you get the little table under the stairwell late night it is special, or just sipping bubbles eating oysters outside facing Market Street.
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My husband and I lived in San Francisco in the mid 1980s. We loved the Zuni Cafe. The food and ambiance were wonderful, and on one particularly memorable visit we sat a couple tables away from Robin Williams.
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We also bought a big cactus at the Red Desert cactus shop next door. We've had that cactus for 33 years. It survived the ride in a moving van from San Francisco to Chicago, and two more moves between abodes in Chicago. It's so huge, this last move we had to put it in a wagon, and one of us pulled the wagon down the sidewalk while the other one, wearing gloves, steadied the cactus. Luckily our new home was only a mile from the old one!
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This is a wonderful place. I have been many times and was always warmly welcomed, ate a lovely meal whether alone or with others and left feeling happy. The meals must start with those superior thin French Fries and an equally superior Bloody Mary followed by a long chat with the server on the food: Heaven on this earth.
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Lived near San Francisco for most of my life. Since being introduced to Zuni around 1995 or so, I refer to it from then on as my temple of worship. I've known so many chefs from around the city that would go there to remind themselves how how simple and beautiful food can be. When the world was falling in love with "tall" food, and then molecular gastronomy, I just imagine Judy shaking her head and continuing to do what she'd always done.
The chicken, that Caesar salad, the ricotta gnocchi, the house-cured anchovies with olive oil, celery and Parmesan, and of course, the oysters. I asked a server one evening if I could have a copy of their oyster menu. I had it framed to remind me of that magical place.
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The wonderful Ed Mock Dance Studio, a major destination for serious students of interpretive jazz dance taught in the Horton Technique style by the iconic and insanely creative Ed Mock, was on the alley behind the original Zuni and we spent many Saturday afternoons after class lounging there with Ed, sipping wine and eating an array of great things in the quiet of the afternoon with Red Desert and all those great cacti next door. Fast forward and the dance studio and Ed are (sadly) long gone but Zuni keeps serving wonderful food and we love that! And for all mentioning the incredible roast chicken (look it up in Judy's cookbook; her discussion about salting food is revelatory!!) do recall that it is also the "bread salad" that was (still is?) served with it that made it so unforgettable. Great place, great food, all that surpasses trends that keep sweeping through.
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I was a waiter there back then, and always loved serving Ed. He was always brimming with energy and friendly and sweet as can be.
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I went to high school with Judy. She was an artist even then, designingand helping to build sets for our high school plays and musicals. When she announced she was going to spend a year abroad in high school with a french family in rural France, we didn't think much of it. She said they ran a restaurant. Who knew? Although we later lost touch, I would love to read about her in the New York Times, where she was often a contributor to the food section. Her cookbook reflects who she was, very creative and very precise.
Many years later I was in San Francisco on business and stood outside of Zuni Cafe , thinking I should go in, but had no reservations. I have always regretted that. I would like to think Judy would have said come on in anyway. When she died, everyone said it was like losing a friend. It was. And she had so much more to contribute.
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My best memory of Zuni is not the food at all.
Years ago, I was in SF for a business trip and everyone [local] told me "you'll never get a table or a bar seat quickly by walking in."
Well, what the heck? I walked in..."Table for one" the place was packed. BAM! They had EXACTLY that, a one-person table due to the shape of the building.
I did lord it over the locals, I'll admit.
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As a twenty-something local office worker around 1980, I was lucky enough to lunch often at Zuni, sit at the quirky plaster tables, and order things I had never before seen on a menu—garlic soup, Kumamoto oysters, mesquite-grilled salmon left rare in the middle. Zuni was a revelation back then, and a beloved friend ever since.
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Zuni is a uniquely San Francisco restaurant. The atmosphere, as the author describes, is one of its many wonderful qualities. Standing at that bar with a drink, watching people pass and the sun stream in those tall windows. Waiting for a friend. Anticipating an amazing meal. Can’t wait to go back.
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Contrast this writeup with the very recent re-review of Chez Panisse in the Chronicle by its new critic. (In case you can't access it, it is pretty much the opposite of this piece.) In my dining experience, both pieces are spot on: Zuni remains fresh and vibrant while Chez Panisse does not. That David Tanis is an alumnus of CP makes the contrast even starker.
I will take Zuni's roast chicken over CP's perfect pieces of fruit any day.
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It wasn't just me. John, a technical writer who was working at the bank to support his creative writing was a daily companion. He was a kind, intelligent and interesting companion. He was also Black. He can't write because he was shot by SF police during a noisy argument with his wife on the front steps of their lovely Victorian house in the Western Addition. I have one of his books, autographed. I'll never forget him. And every visit to Zuni is a reminder of someone who should still be with us.
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I think I'll ask my son if we can skip the latest hip place serving something like artisanal mac & cheese next time we visit him in SF so I can eat at Zuni. Sounds excellent...
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I love "the Zuni burger is a labor of love" in the.photo. Even I, who offends often the readers by my comments on flatwear, would not hesitate to use the fingers for enjoying the burger on focaccia bread.
Long live the spirit of the late Judy Rodgers!
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Well I have to dissent. We made this our first stop on a recent trip to SF and were colossally disappointed. We had an early reservation and were met with an indifferent welcome. Our food was unimaginative, pallid tasting and over salted. And the service was truly contemptuous. I ended up thinking this is obviously a tourist trap. And this was the only bad meal we had in this great food town where everything from haute to hamburgers are so creatively and thoughtfully prepared.
You have been warned!
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I'd always enjoyed Zuni in the past but was also disappointed on a recent visit. Hopefully they were just off their game that night.
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@Jay Why. I had a wonderful experience this February. Two of us walked in at the peak dining hour on a Saturday night, were shown immediately to a counter for walk-ins, were waited on with great courtesy and efficiency, and had delicious food. The risotto with truffles was perfect. Perhaps you had an off night.
Nice article, thanks. A favorite for many years, both for the food and the great space that attracts a wonderful cross section of people. Where to go for a special dinner? Zuni or Chez Panisse Cafe.
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The food is great and I enjoy it every time I go there, but there’s nothing affordable on their menu as described in this article. Probably one of the most expensive places in the city if you want more than polenta and a glass of water for dinner.
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@Mj forgot to add: best burger ever.
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Actually, it is not even close to the most expensive restaurants in the city. Relative to the quality, it’s a bargain. For lunch I often get a Caesar. With bread it’s a delicious meal for under $20, tax and tip included. The chicken and a side of shoestring potatoes will feed four, also under $20 each. Wine prices generally have climbed to the stratosphere at every restaurant, but you can still get a decent bottle at Zuni for around $50
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I still recommend The Zuni Cafe Cookbook to anyone who expresses an interest in cooking. Incidentally, it’s also the only cookbook I take to read in bed. Judy Rodgers is greatly missed.
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I suspect that I have more wonderful memories created at Zuni than any other restaurant in the world. Thank you and happy anniversary!
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I was working a couple blocks down Market when the Zuni opened. For a year, I would go around the building collecting people to go to lunch at Zuni because, as I told everyone, we can't let this restaurant disappear. At first, it was a small cafe with an extraordinary menu. Then it grew into it's current space. We have been to the Zuni frequently over the years, just for drinks, for lunch and for dinner. Just think! if it weren't for me, my friends and my family the Zuni might not be there today!
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@Chris
Thank you for your service.
@Chris Thanks! Glad to know that we owe it all to you :)
Zuni in its first incarnation on Market St. when it had a Southwestern vibe was more than favorably reviewed. A magnet for some of us studying photography at UC Extension nearby who chose to spend limited funds there instead of buying more film.
28 years ago. The Zuni Cafe. Dessert. Gorgonzola Dolce drizzled with Truffle Honey. Very likely my last thought as I go to my reward!
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Thank you so much for mentioning that remarkable, graceful man, Billy West, the Zuni's remarkable founder. He was always a gentleman, charmingly enthusiastic, and always glad to see you again. I think of him whenever I'm in the Zuni. Without him, there would be no restaurant -- and certainly not one with its open, inclusive feel. Like so many of San Francisco's remarkable young men of that era, he died way too soon.
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The original Zuni hamburgers were served on an English muffin, I believe, but I prefer the focaccia. And everyone should know the simple joy of a Zuni bread salad.
Speaking of Red Desert, I still have the tennis ball-sized barrel cactus I bought there after a sidewalk Zuni lunch of oysters and Anchor Steam in 1980. It's the diameter of a basketball now.
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@Randy We still have a cactus from there, too! We bought it 33 years ago. It was around 2' tall when we bought it, and it's well over 7' tall now.
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I think part of her legacy is excellence without pretension. A hamburger, a roast chicken. How quotidian. And yet, they're famous.
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@ frisco ca
"excellence without pretension" -- well said! This is the characteristic that keeps restaurants from becoming extinct.
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How funny the timing. I just picked up my dog eared copy of the cookbook a couple of days ago, to reread and savor. Judy Rodgers was a genius, and the book is an inspiration. I have never been to the restaurant, but with the book I don’t need to go (although I would love to). Thank you, Mr. Tanis, for this lovely article. A wonderful surprise.
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@lbswink
You should tell us what your go-to recipes are.
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I live in SF and have twice had the pleasure of dining at Zuni Cafe. Both times were several years ago. Inside, it's beautiful, and the service was friendly and the food terrific. I hope our city cleans itself up so that we can showcase our wonderful attractions to visitors and hometown friends alike.
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