SF Bay Area Travel Tips from the Chef at Our Favorite Lunch Hangout

After working in fine-dining establishments such as Chez Panisse, Dominica Rice-Cisneros has made a name for herself serving braised meats on tender housemade tortillas at her Cosecha in Oakland, and she’s earned a James Beard nomination in the process. In summer she maximizes her Sundays in the S.F. and the East Bay.

Eat

Rice-Cisneros is loving Verjus, a new casual wine bar and bistro in Jackson Square from Mike and Lindsay Tusk. “I get the boudin blanc and boudin noir, and the bacon and crispy artichokes are out of control,” she says. In Oakland, she recommends Tanya Holland’s new Brown Sugar Kitchen location on Broadway. “You’ve got to do Sunday brunch and get the classic waffle,” she says. Near her restaurant in Oakland’s Swan’s Market, Rice-Cisneros is crushing on Lila Owens’s Cupcakin. “They have salted-caramel cupcakes and we’re all addicted.”

Do

Rice-Cisneros likes to build an afternoon itinerary around Oakland’s stately Lake Merritt. “My husband, daughter, and I love going to the movies, and twice a month we go to the Grand Lake Theatre on Lake Merritt,” she says. “It’s very old-school. On Friday and Saturday nights they have an organ player.” Afterward she likes to take a walk around the lake and then hit Walden Pond Books. “It’s one of the best independent bookstores in the East Bay.”

Stay

“When my nieces come up from Los Angeles we stay at the Four Seasons San Francisco and play tourist for two days,” says Rice-Cisneros. She loves the SOMA location because it offers multiple museum options. “Sometimes people don’t like spending all day at one museum. You can just wander through the lobby and out into the Yerba Buena Gardens.” On Thursdays the hotel hosts The Den, a speakeasy pop-up with craft cocktails and live music.