Cioppino originated when Italian immigrants at San Francisco's Fisherman’s Wharf would add some of their catch to a communal pot.

Of all the dishes I’ve covered for this column, Florentin’s white bean msabbaha might be most straightforward, yet it's super tasty and vibrant.

Back by popular demand, calories be damned, here's Onion Soup Battle Episode II, focusing on the consensus picks of readers.

Which of their classic 10 pies should I cover? Mama’s TOO! is unhelpful here as their actual motto is “Get’em all!”

“What makes it so special is its minimalist philosophy: no heavy gravies, no excess spices."

Whenever it gets cold -- really cold -- the virtues of onion soup outshine its caloric cost and you can enjoy it shamelessly.

Discuss flavors, textures, ingredients, technique, and even the shyest of the shyest will start sharing ever-so-tiny pieces of their story.

The noodles are thin, springy, and firm, with a slight but real chew -- some of the best I’ve tried in the city.

Cafe Luxembourg's Bibb salad is an elegant and structured ensemble of greens with a subtle gloss imparted by the dressing.

Yes, in many ways, Kossar's bacon, lettuce and tomato on a bialy is the perfect BLT.

I struggled to find a qualifier that did the Smith Burger justice, until Rag commenter John suggested “ambrosial.”

The thinness of the dough and fattiness of the pork and crab juices in Nan Xiang Express’s soup dumplings are top notch.

Moshe's sabich is mushy, messy, tasty, filling and delicious– the kind of sandwich that leaves you satiated for a week!

The key to the supreme quality of Murray's herring is that every fish is handpicked according to size and firmness.

Arayes are the Levantine equivalent to sliders, in which meat patties are stuffed into pitas, and which are then toasted.

Plum's shrimp bahn mi is the Vietnamese equivalent of the Big Easy's po' boy, and the restaurant executes it beautifully.

We stared in admiration at the chunks and dices of raw lamb, topped with two shiny quail egg yolks.

Osteria Accademia's vitello tonnato demands some focaccio on the side "to secure any residual drop of the delicious sauce."

Patis's Campfire Croissant is flaky and buttery, and the smokey chocolate ganache has depth and richness without being overwhelmingly sweet.

Motorino's baby kale Caesar salad is a grandiose dome of greens covered in Parmesan snow.