Critics’ choice: Restaurants worthy of their buzz
A fun bistro, a reservation worth the wait, and a modern twist on Mexican dishes

Bon Délire
San Francisco
In our proud city by the bay, this new bistro on the Embarcadero is “one of the hippest places to be right now,” said Cesar Hernandez in the San Francisco Chronicle. Bon Délire has “tapped into what the people of San Francisco are craving: a fun spot in a historic area” with food of “exceptional quality” and a steady soundtrack of classic hip-hop and R&B.
Chef Vernon Morales proves daily why France’s greatest hits are timeless, and “it’s his subtle touch that helps make them pop.” His chicken croquettes “radiate with meatiness,” and he subs out béchamel for Parmesan shavings in his croque madame “to better preserve the ham sandwich’s crispiness.” Still, “the bistro’s handsome setting is what really sets the mood.” There’s always a crowd at the zinc-plated, horseshoe-shaped bar, sipping martinis or butter-washed palomas, and “the amount of feel-good energy could probably power one of the nearby ferries.” The tables go quiet only when the made-to-order madeleines arrive for dessert. “Buttery, tender, and delicately crisp,” they’re a must-order. Pier 3, the Embarcadero.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Chez Fifi
New York City
“New York does not want for French bistros,” said Matthew Schneier in NYMag.com. At this moment, for fair enough reasons, “Fifi is the one to visit.” After weeks of trying to get in, I called upon a friend to score us a reservation at Fifi’s 40-seat mahogany-paneled dining room in a converted Upper East Side town house and quickly picked up whispers of celebrity sightings: Chris Rock and Sacha Baron Cohen on one recent night, and Jon Hamm when I visited.
Chef Zack Zeidman “trusts that the French classics will sell themselves,” and you’d be wise to go with classics when you order. The escargots are “letter-perfect,” and the steak frites, featuring filet mignon au poivre, is both a standout dish and a relative bargain at $69. (A half roast chicken rings in at $70.) “Lounge long enough, and the room’s coziness creeps up on you, as do the solicitous staff and attentive drinks menu.” Other spots, including nearby Orsay, offer the same bistro classics. But if you crave buzz and scene as much as foie gras and omelets, Chez Fifi is, for now, unmissable. 140 E. 74th St.
Vecino
Detroit
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
“The effort put into this restaurant should be applauded,” said Melody Baetens in The Detroit News. Located in a handsome limestone building in Cass Corridor that had been empty for half a century, this “modern and moody” Mexico City–inspired newcomer “appeals to all of your senses,” from the velvet touch of the black curtains at the entrance to the “enchanting” Spanish-language soundtrack to the aromas emerging from the open-hearth kitchen. And “while the dining room is as comfortable as it is beautiful, it’s the food that really impresses.”
The masa-based half of the menu features house-made corn dough in all shapes and textures. Highlights include the tlayuda (a Oaxacan flatbread with sirloin, cheese, and chorizo) and the tuna tostada, which has a large portion of raw tuna dressed with fried leeks, dollops of creamy avocado, and chipotle aioli. From the hearth, the signature duck enchilada is “as impressive-looking as it is impressive-tasting,” leaving no mystery as to why Esquire named Vecino in its most recent best new restaurants list. 4100 3rd Ave.
-
May 31 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include how much to pay for a pardon, medical advice from a brain worm, and a simple solution to the national debt.
-
5 costly cartoons about the national debt
Cartoons Political cartoonists take on the USA's financial hole, rare bipartisan agreement, and Donald Trump and Mike Johnson.
-
Green goddess salad recipe
The Week Recommends Avocado can be the creamy star of the show in this fresh, sharp salad
-
Green goddess salad recipe
The Week Recommends Avocado can be the creamy star of the show in this fresh, sharp salad
-
Ancient India: living traditions – 'ethereal and sensual' exhibition
The Week Recommends Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism are explored in show that remains 'remarkably compact'
-
6 well-preserved homes built in the 1930s
Feature Featuring a restored 1934 colonial in Arizona and a cold-storage warehouse turned loft in New York City
-
Things in Nature Merely Grow: memoir of 'harsh beauty' after loss
The Week Recommends Chinese-American novelist Yiyun Li's 'devastating' memoir explores the deaths of her two sons
-
Sirens: entertaining satire on the lives of the ultra-wealthy stars Julianne Moore
The Week Recommends This 'blackly comic affair' unfurls at a 'breakneck speed'
-
Mrs Warren's Profession: 'tour-de-force' from Imelda Staunton and daughter Bessie Carter
The Week Recommends Mother-daughter duo bring new life to George Bernard Shaw's morality play
-
Critics' choice: Steak houses that break from tradition
Feature Eight hours of slow-roasting prime rib, a 41-ounce steak, and a former Catholic school chapel turned steakhouse
-
Tash Aw's 6 favorite books about forbidden love
Feature The Malaysian novelist recommends works by James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, and more