Red Tavern

Red Tavern is about as close as you can get to actually eating in Russia without leaving San Francisco, and they recently started doing outdoor dining with reservations made through their site. Located on Clement Street, the restaurant serves a mix of both updated and traditional Russian dishes. We like to come here for borsch, which is especially perfect on the many days when we wish it was just five degrees warmer out. Here it’s made with beets, cabbage, and beef, and is topped with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of dill, all of which fuses together in the best way possible. For dessert, opt for the napoleon, a layered cake with vanilla cream, or chernosliv, a prune cake with sweet sour cream.

photo credit: Susie Lacocque