Popoca’s grand opening in Oakland, Calif., on Aug. 30, 2023.

The New York Times released its annual list of the best dishes across America. This year, three Bay Area restaurants made the list — but San Francisco was notably missing.

After San Francisco’s Grand Opening and Oakland’s Bake Sum — two bakeries — made last year’s list, San Francisco was nowhere to be found in 2025. Instead, writers Eleanore Park and Tejal Rao highlighted Popoca in Oakland, Tanzie’s in Berkeley and the mini Korean chain Daeho Kalbijjim in San Mateo.

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At Popoca, the buzzy Salvadorean and live fire restaurant from Anthony Salguero, chief restaurant critic Rao praised the guaca-mol appetizer with tortilla and asiento. “The guaca-mol here is lush with herbs, seasoned ever so sharply, then covered with smoked egg yolk. It’s a marvel on its own, but part of the magic of the dish is the wonderfully pudgy Salvi tortilla that accompanies it, still hot from the comal and shining with crispy beef asiento,” Rao........

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