Unforgettable,That's What You Are

Here's a romp down memory lane. Or maybe we should call it forget-me-not lane, because as soon as I write about a splendid serving of food, I have to consciously stop obsessing about it, in order to have an open mind (and palate) for the next delicious thing that I hope will be set before me.

Otherwise it can lead to such danger as what's happening with my current best dish obsession: the antipasti at SPQR (1911 Fillmore, 771-7779, www.spqrsf.com). I'll be sitting in front of a mediocre $6.95 sandwich and thinking, "For the same amount of money I could be eating sweetbreads at SPQR." The little dishes — about two dozen of them — are separated into three categories: cold, hot, and fried. Man, oh, man, SPQR chefs can fry up an amazing assortment of sweetbreads, chicken livers, brussels spouts, and cauliflower, four dishes whose siren call I am hearing on a daily basis.

There are, however, many more delicious and memorable starters around town. I love a plate of salumi or charcuterie, and thanks partly to the many good Italian places that have opened in San Francisco lately, that's a frequent option. My favorites were at CAV Wine Bar & Kitchen (1666 Market, 437-1770, www.cavwinebar.com), featuring silky chicken-liver mousse and rabbit rillettes; Gialina (2842 Diamond, 239-8500, www.gialina.com), featuring Fra'Mani salamis; Bar Bambino (2931 16th St., 701-8466, www.bambino.com), where the meats are on display behind glass; Ducca (50 Third St., 977-0271, www.duccasf.com), which adds house-cured pickled veg; and Spruce (3640 Sacramento, 931-5400, www.sprucesf.com), which makes all its charcuterie in-house.

In another mood, I love a bowl of warm, comforting soup. The superlative included the bay-leaf-scented, green-onion-topped clam chowder at Weird Fish (2193 Mission, 863-4744, www.weirdfishsf.com); the brandy-enriched creamy lobster bisque at Pres a Vi, served, alas, in a shot glass (One Letterman, 409-3020, www.presavi.com); the rich, buttery lobster bisque freighted with chunks of meat at the North Beach Lobster Shack (532 Green, 829-3634, www.lobshack.com); the white-corn soup dotted with sorrel at Spruce; the divine wild mushroom soup featuring a tangle of roasted oyster, cremini, and shimeji mushrooms at Palmetto (2032 Union, 931-5006, www.palmetto-sf.com); and the pan-cooked local seafood chowder with clams, calamari, oysters, and a whisper of smoked bacon at Fish & Farm (339 Taylor, 474-3474, www.fishandfarmsf.com).

It was a good year for sardines. I loved the sardele in saor a la veneziana, fillets in a sweet-and-sour marinade with glazed onions and raisins at the Albona Ristorante Istriano (545 Francisco, 441-1040, www.albonarestaurant.com); the roasted sardines dotted with an eggy, pickly sauce gribiche at Maverick (3316 17th St., 863-3061, www.sfmaverick.com); and the silvery whole agrodolce sardines set on a fennel salad at Spruce.

Wonderful first courses included the crunchy hot ricotta fritters at CAV Wine Bar; the capuzi garbi con prosuto e luganega, an Istrian take on German braised sauerkraut with chunks of prosciutto and sausage, at Albona; a salad of ginger-marinated beets with avocado and dried beet chips and another of fried baby artichokes sprinkled over arugula at Maverick; a lemony, custardy goat-cheese tart at Nua (550 Green, 433-4000, www.nuasf.com); the three ceviches (mahimahi with cucumber and soy; octopus with scallops, slivered olives, and capers; and ahi with orange, avocado, and mint) at Mexico DF (139 Steuart, 808-1048, www.mex-df.com); the panzanella salad of juicy peaches, tart sorrel, chunks of toasted bread, and rosy slices of prosciutto at Ducca; and the juicy lamb meatballs and the squid stuffed with spinach, bulgur, pine nuts, and raisins, bedded on fresh tomato sauce, at Sens (4 Embarcadero Center, 362-0645, www.sens-sf.com).