LUCE

"Included in Hetal Vasavada's longer list of her Bay Area essentials." - Dianne de Guzman

"Reservations are easy to come by at this longstanding downtown standard, though getting inside can be a bit trickier—enter through the lobby of the InterContinental hotel. Once inside, you’ll be met with a striking space with stylish modern design, comfortable accommodations, and a tasting menu featuring broadly Mediterranean influences peppered with notes of inventive originality. Examples include a kampachi crudo dressed with a tangy sauce of yuzu and white chocolate, as well as a deconstructed “lasagna” with roasted octopus, which boasts striking pasta striped with squid ink. A dessert combining various textures of chocolate and sesame halva offers a happily indulgent finale." - Michelin Inspector

"The group at Luce seems happy with a dinner visit from singer-songwriter Goapele and her mother this past weekend. The team shared photos on Instagram of Goapele at the restaurant, saying it was a treat to have her in to try the new menu." - Dianne de Guzman

"In SoMa, Luce’s executive chef Norma Whitt and chef de cuisine Dennis Efthymiou dish up an octopus lasagna that makes a hearty addition to this lineup. The fine dining iteration of this down-home dish comes with a spinach ricotta sauce, tomato puree, mirepoix, and garum bechamel — and it can be made gluten-free, too." - Paolo Bicchieri

"The neighborhood drug problem is getting worse. Not just for us, but kids and parents in the neighborhood. Some of the unhoused and low-income residents are friends to us, though. We provide EBT service for them. By summer, at least people have started to come out again. Things got slightly better. People liked our food, and they wanted to bring their kids, family, and friends, but because of the safety issues, they didn’t come often enough for us to feel stable." - Lauren Saria