With more restaurants per square mile than any other city except New York, San Francisco intimidates even the most informed foodies when it comes to choosing the best eats from the Pacific to the Bay. Enter Patricia Unterman, the Bay Area’s intrepid, unapologetically selective, and refreshingly down-to-earth restaurant critic and food doyenne. In her third fully updated and totally revised edition of the San Francisco Food Lover's Guide, locals and visitors alike get the buzz on the best places to eat, drink, and cook without leaving the country.

With her characteristic passion and exacting standards, Unterman profiles over 600 restaurants, bakeries, bars, butchers, delis, markets, cafés, confectioners, food stands, cheese shops, cookware stores, cookbook sellers, and wine shops across the city’s 14 districts, as well as throughout Berkeley, Marin, and the wine country. Pulling no punches, Unterman shares only the best of her finds, unafraid to look past favorites resting on their laurels or induct newbies no one has heard of. Every profile gives a brief history of the establishment and tells exactly what they have that you shouldn’t live without.

With 50 recipes from local chefs, sidebars on can’t-miss events and resources, quick-reference produce and seafood availability charts, and over 25 indexes for finding info fast, San Francisco Food Lover's Guide, is the San Francisco Bay Area gourmand’s manifesto. So for those of you who are always thinking about your next meal—even when you’re in the middle of one—here’s the definitive guide to eating better than ever in the Bay Area.