Coming back to San Francisco after some travel, I found myself jumping straight into my usual juggling of dinners and social plans, slotted between work and more work. With startup demands, I’ve been more intentional lately with my time, including scaling back on eating out. Not easy, given how spoiled we are here with a constant stream of new openings!
One opening I made sure to prioritize was Maria Isabel, the new restaurant from the team behind Dalida and Noosh.
Kaluga Caviar.
Chefs Laura and Sayat Ozyilmaz have a winning formula, blending Eastern Mediterranean flavors with California influences. At Dalida, that shows up through Sayat’s Turkish roots, with nods to Laura’s Mexican heritage. While I’m a Dalida fan, I also hoped they would someday open another spot centered around Laura’s story.
Lucky for us, Maria Isabel is that. Named after Laura’s mother and sister, it’s a beautiful, contemporary Mexican restaurant that fills a gap in the San Francisco dining scene. It’s elevated, but not fine dining. And clearly the city agrees, as reservations are not easy to come right now.
Standouts from a menu I’ve only partially explored:
- Masa buñuelo with Kaluga caviar — one of my favorite bites this year. Caviar can often feel tacked on, this felt like a vision.
- Shrimp and scallop ceviche — refreshing, with addictively crispy fried shrimp heads.
- Dungeness crab tortita ahogada — incredible chile de árbol sauce, though the crab got lost in the doughy tortita.
- Sweet corn tamales — the sweet corn flavor and texture were so good that the sea urchin almost felt unnecessary.
- Duck carnitas enmoladas — I usually don’t I love mole. I loved this mole.
- Lamb ribs barbacoa — build-your-own birria-style tacos, came with tortillas and lamb consommé.
- Choco ta-corn — loved the pop of contrast from the makrut lime.
- Flan de Piña — velvetly flan and not too sweet, paired with bright pineapple tepache sorbet.
The intentionality carried over to the drinks. The wine program spotlights women winemakers, and the cocktails weave in traditional ingredients like pox, sotol, axiote liquor, and pilloncillo in innovative ways.
