Fog City Diner

The Scene
From outside, this eatery looks like a traditional Middle American coffee shop, complete with aluminum siding. The interior, however, is luxe, with a spotless cream-and-dark-wood dining room that has a trim, yacht-like feel, and a sparkling art-deco bar. The crowd spans all ages, from lunching businesspeople to tourists.

The Food
A list of refined and reworked diner favorites are the hallmark of the all-American menu. Chicken hash is updated with lobster and fresh corn; chili is made with chunks of high-quality steak. Even french fries approach the divine, made with Yukon Gold spuds and tossed in truffle oil and Asiago. A made-to-order bowlful of chowder floats freshly steamed clams, forever erasing the memory of pasty soups past. Sandwiches are two-fisted and onion rings appear in crispy tempura-like batter. Dessert classics like root-beer float or dreamy fruit cobblers are just the thing to launch yet another diet.