Farm To Fork, For Real: Origen

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City Editions: Boston | Chicago | Las Vegas | Los Angeles | Miami | New York City | San Francisco | more Nov 24, 2011 RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK Origen Why? Farm to fork, for real. We don't know if the name of this place is a play on "origin," the state of Oregon, oregano, or even that theologian who gave himself the hardest cut way back in the day. What we do know is that the food is great. Go with the $50 chef's tasting menu/wine pairing combo and you'll be treated to things like stir-fried Peruvian lantern scallops and maple leaf duck. The appetizers are inventive -- the chicken and apple gyoza is surprisingly good, and the pizzas, like the one topped with homemade lamb sausage, will satisfy your 'za craving in high style.   ADDRESS: 2826 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley PHONE: 510-848-9200 WEB: origenberkeley.com   DIVE OF THE WEEK Dirty Trix Saloon Why? It's the Bear's den. There's a mess of bars in this area, but if you're a Chicago Bears fan -- and, face it, half of San Francisco is originally from somewhere in the Midwest -- this is the place to be. Sundays are dedicated to football, with a free "trailer trash tailgate," and on days when the Bears play, drinking starts at 9:30 a.m., and the mimosas and Bloody Marys are bottomless. On Thursdays, there's a Big Lebowski Wii bowling tournament -- we don't know if there's a special on White Russians that night, but there should be.   ADDRESS: 408 Clement St. PHONE: 415-387-1400 WEB: dirtytrix.com   CASUAL RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK Thai Place II Why? Melty panang beef . A lot of people walk by, see that the place is empty, and keep on walking. They assume the food is bad. Otherwise, they reason, it'd be packed, right? Wrong. Thai Place II is the kitchen-away-from-home from a lot of Lower Haight locals, and the reason it's so empty is that they do the lion's share of their business in takeout and delivery. If you do go inside though, the soothing, almost airport-like decor won't win any awards, but the second you bite into the panang beef curry that melts in your mouth like butter, you won't care. Besides the panang, the coconut chicken soup tom kha gai is to die for.   ADDRESS: 312 Divisadero St. PHONE: 415-552-6881   LAST WEEK: GASTON ACURIO'S TOP PICK La Mar Why? Because there's a reason Gaston chose SF for the U.S. launch. La Mar might be the sort of slick-looking, FiDi-crowd-attracting spot that isn't uncommon on the Embarcadero, but once you see the menu, you'll know that you're dealing with a master craftsman. The deal here is sustainable seafood-based cebiche, the sort of thing people in Lima know all about, but that non-SF Americans are not yet to be trusted with. Try the "Nikei," with tuna, Japanese cucumber, daikon, nori, and tamarind, or even the "classic," which is marinated in a "tiger's milk" of ridiculously hot peppers. Enjoy, Sf, but remember: we have to live up to this.   ADDRESS: Pier 1.5 PHONE: 415-397-8880 WEB: lamarcebicheria.com   If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe by changing your preferences. To read about our privacy policy, click here. Copyright 2011 IGN Entertainment, 625 2nd Street, 3rd Floor, San Francisco CA 94107. All Rights Reserved.