Chef/owner Marsha McBride opened Café Rouge in 1996 after a long stint at the acclaimed Zuni Café in San Francisco, bringing a number of employees with her. The resulting restaurant has a lot in common with Zuni: great burgers, oysters and a well-heeled clientele — but there’s a lot at Café Rouge that’s unique. The place is upscale yet carefree, with an ever-changing contemporary menu and seamless service. The zinc bar is the perfect place to enjoy a drink and a cool starter, such as antipasto or house-made pâtés. Meats are the restaurant's specialties, all from local ranchers and dry-aged on site. Dishes may include rack of lamb, spit-roast chicken, T-bone steak with red wine shallot butter or the acclaimed half-pound burgers (with cheddar, grilled onions, bacon, avocado and mushrooms as optional toppings). Plus, there’s a meat market, open daily, with specialties such as chorizo, cured foie gras, duck prosciutto, 17 different sausages and rotisserie chicken to go. Meatless choices remain, however, such as a grilled tomato and goat cheese sandwich, and a pasta dish with black-eyed peas, endive and pecorino cheese. Seafood plates may include cod, Dungeness crab or fish stew. The wine list is short but solid. For dessert, the crème brûlée can’t be beat.
Full bar. Serving lunch Mon–Sat, dinner nightly. Sun brunch 10 am–2:30 pm.