"After an evening of shopping in Hayes Valley for wool shoes, birthday cards, and ceramic pots, you'll probably be hungry. Enter Chez Maman. The French restaurant is home to french onion soup loaded with what seems like an entire wheel of gruyere, and we always hea to their garlicky mashed potatoes with roast chicken whenever we need dinner that feels like a hug from a gentle chinchilla. Nothing, down to the vintage-y decor and the laminated placemat-sized menu, is trying too hard, and that’s why we love this place." - julia chen 1, lani conway