The 38 Best California Restaurants, Mapped | Eater
"WHAT: A San Francisco seafood pacesetter from one of Mexico City’s visionary chef-restaurateurs. WHY: At Cala, Gabriela Cámara — who runs Contramar, which for years now has been the place to be seen for lunch in CDMX — brings her two signatures to the Bay Area: rockfish, smoky from the grill and brushed with two sauces (red chile and a parsley-cumin number), and tostadas that double as jeweled canvases. Crisped tortillas provide the framework for trout overlaid with avocado, chipotle mayo, and fried leeks, or for lobes of local abalone with trout roe and bonito aioli. She also delves subtly into carne: A massive sweet potato, looking prehistoric and yanked straight out of ashy embers, comes with a stack of tortillas and a salsa negra glossy with beef bone marrow. Beyond the virtuosity of Cala’s food, Cámara has been praised for her hiring philosophy, which includes employing people who have been previously incarcerated. — B.A." - Bill Addison
