7 Best CA Restaurants: Esquire List 2021

CALIFORNIA — California can be proud of its culinary prowess, landing several restaurants high on multiple lists of best eateries, and we've done it again. The new recognition comes in Esquire's Best New Restaurants in America, 2021.

Esquire selected 40 restaurants, with seven here in the Golden State.

Four judges criss-crossed America, where "We found ourselves digging into comfort, sure, but we also leaned into the unfamiliar. Into adventure. Eating at the very best restaurants is like winning a ticket to another place, another time. To the past and the future—and sometimes both at once."

Here are the California picks along with their placement on the national list:

Horn Barbecue, 2534 Mandela Parkway, Oakland, #5 — Horn was recognized for its smoky meats, noting that the brisket is cooked low and slow for 16 hours over white oak. " The fatty parts melt in your mouth, the leaner ends stay firm yet juicy, and the bark maintains a pronounced bite."

Shawarmaji, 2123 Franklin Street, Oakland, #10 — Hankering for a sandwich? "Chef Mohammad Abutaha offers large, juicy spits of seasoned spicy chicken, which is marinated in yogurt, sliced, seared, placed in a large wrap, then slathered in garlicky toum sauce, a popular condiment found in the Levant. It is insanely delicious." The review swears you'll have juices dripping down your wrists by the time you finish.

The Anchovy Bar, 1740 O’Farrell Street, San Francisco, #15 — "When in season, fresh live anchovies from the city’s surrounding water arrive daily and are pickled into tart boquerones, served with yogurt, cucumber, mint, and spicy fermented turnips." But the restaurant seves other seafood, from clams to halibut.

Pearl River Deli, 936 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, #26 — "There’s a bit of magic happening at Pearl River Deli, in Los Angeles’s Chinatown, where you’ll find chef Johnny Lee’s soulful, intensely flavorful take on Cantonese cuisine." The reviewer was especially enamored of the char siu and the Macau pork-chop bun.

Abacá, 2700 Jones Street, San Francisco, #28 — "Making Filipino classics with a subtle Californianess was the calling card of chef Francis Ang and Dian Ang at their lively Pinoy Heritage pop-ups, and, thankfully, that’s also the case at their first restaurant, Abacá." The review suggested bringing a group to the restaurant and ordering lots of items off the menu to share, so you don't miss anything.

VAGA, 2100 North Coast Highway 101, Encinitas, #34 — "The views of the Pacific from this perch at the Alila Marea Beach Resort can mesmerize, but the curiosity of chef Claudette Zepeda’s cooking, a personal journey that gathers influences from her life in Mexico and San Diego and environs, will soon grab your attention." Enjoy wood-fired sea bass, octopus with a pepita sauce, or bao buns filled with brisket.

Fish & Bird, 2451 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, #38 — While the menu as a whole is praised, "the real draw is the yakiniku, a DIY grill setup that burns binchotan brightly and slowly, warming you up as you eye the platter before you. From that platter, pick plump prawns and shiny scallops, gorgeously marbled cuts of A5 Wagyu beef, or whatever vegetables happen to be in season, you know, for the health."

As an added bonus, two California chefs received recognition.

Serena Chow Fisher was named pastry chef of the year. She is co-owner of Marlena’s in San Francisco, which offers a $65 four-course tasting menu. The pastries that had the reviewer swooning include "burned Italian meringue topped with chocolate ganache, pieces of brown-sugar cake, and a hazelnut graham-cracker crumble. Garnished with marigold petals, it evokes a s’more. (The flower mimics the campfire.) Creative, nostalgic, and delicious."

Rashida Holmes was honored for pop-up of the year. A longtime Los Angeles cook, Holmes lost her job during the pandemic and had to pivot. She started by selling baked patties filled with oxtail out of her house. A hit, she moved into a commercial space and expanded her menu. "She’s been popping up at bars and restaurants since and has aspirations to open up her very own brick-and-mortar sometime in 2022."

Also see:

• 7 Best CA Restaurants: The New York Times List
• 90 CA Restaurants Named Among State's Best: 2021 Michelin Stars List
• 45 CA Restaurants Michelin-Recognized For Affordable Eats: 2021 Bib Gourmand List

Read the full Esquire list.