In 2022, we feasted on Cambodian homestyle papaya salad with fermented crabs and peppery beef jerky; found an impressive pizzeria devoted to the Detroit-style pie; and realized that, yes, you can make a banger Italian meal with no gluten at all. 

Informed by ambition and the desire to share something special with the world, the 15 restaurants on this list are the ones that make you realize that there’s so much more to the world of food than what you already know. — S.H.

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Andina

During the early years of the pandemic, Venezuelan pastry chef Victoria Lozano parlayed her skills into cooking the dishes that reminded her of home — fried empanadas, arepas and fluffy bread stuffed with ham — and found community among the many Bay Area Venezuelans who lined up outside of her San Francisco home to buy them. Earlier this year, she took steps to get serious about the business: She enrolled in La Cocina’s acclaimed culinary incubator program and found regular gigs at farmers’ markets and bars, where she stuffed freshly griddled arepas full of juicy shredded meat, velvety black beans and globs of melted gouda. Mottled with light char and fluffy on the inside, Lozano’s arepas are ideal vehicles for the guisado-like fillings she’s adapted from family recipes. For now, you’ll find her at the North Beach Saturday farmers’ market, and you can sometimes buy directly from her for pickup at La Cocina’s Mission District headquarters via Hotplate. — S.H.

Andina. Locations vary. instagram.com/andinavzla/ 

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Animo

In this cozy restaurant, idiosyncrasy is the rule. Formerly a taqueria, the restaurant is nominally Basque, though chef-owner Joshua Smookler departs from the strictly Iberian mold with dishes that stretch into Asian territory as well: chewy kimchi fried rice, studded with morsels of kosher pastrami; steamed Manila clams and chorizo swimming in bright and citrusy Vietnamese nuoc cham; and dry-aged ribeye, its smoky, wood-grilled flavors complemented with fresh perilla leaves, lettuces and house-made ssamjang. Gelatinous and tender Spanish turbot is a showstopper inspired by similar dishes found in the seafood restaurants of Basque Country, and you can finish your meal off with a spot-on rendition of the burnt cheesecake popularized by San Sebastián’s La Viña. There is still no website to speak of, but you can make your reservation via OpenTable. — S.H.

Animo. 5-9 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations required. 18976 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma instagram.com/animo_restaurant

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Cafe Colucci

Maybe this is cheating, but the relocation of Oakland’s Cafe Colucci is great enough that I think it merits inclusion here. The East Bay’s most prolific Ethiopian restaurant actually began by serving Italian cuisine in a former camera shop in North Oakland in 1991, but over the years founder Fetlework Tefferi’s Ethiopian dishes fully eclipsed the Italian side of the menu. In order to establish a more direct line to key ingredients in her native Ethiopia, Tefferi founded Brundo Spice Co., and the company’s work is put on full display at the new restaurant. You can pick up the aromas of the restaurant’s many amply seasoned dishes from the sidewalk: notes of chicken stewed in rich and earthy berbere spice mix, clarified butter steeped with Ethiopian basil and fenugreek, and cinnamon-scented hot tea. The entrance of the restaurant is dominated by sacks of teff flour and hops, and you’re greeted by shelves filled with spices that you can take home and experiment with on your own. — S.H.

Cafe Colucci. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. 5849 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. cafecolucci.com

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Cyrus

In an industry as cutthroat as the restaurant business, you rarely get a second turn at bat. So this year’s revival of Cyrus, a fine dining restaurant that earned two Michelin stars before it closed in 2012, is notable — not only for its return, but for its renewed ambitions. Chef-owner Douglas Keane has brought the restaurant to a new location in Geyserville, where it takes diners through four rooms for an engaging progressive tasting menu experience. In the lounge, you’re treated to canapes, like an intensely savory tomato tart nestled in a Parmesan crust, that zero in on the five tastes; at the kitchen table, Keane walks you through a range of fresh seafood dishes inspired by his experiences cooking in France and Japan. You can choose the 14-course tasting menu ($295) or simply pop into the lounge for cocktails and a la carte snacks. — S.H.

Cyrus. 5:30-9 p.m. Thursday-Monday. Reservations required for tasting menu. 275 Highway 128, Geyserville. 707-723-5999 or cyrusrestaurant.com

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Delirama 

Owners Cash Caris and Anahita Cann have created a pastrami wonderland with their Berkeley restaurant Delirama. For those looking to reach the throbbing heart of a pastrami sandwich, the aptly named Dad’s Mustard ($16.95), consists of only buttered rye bread, reddish stacks of pastrami and a thick smear of homemade mustard. The fan favorite O.G. ($18.95) adds slaw, gruyere and thousand island — the tangy additions make for a more rounded experience. Delirama is fervently committed to the smoky, brined beef, expanding the pastrami-themed menu with egg sandwiches, bagels and even pizza. (Vegans are welcome, too, thanks to plant-based pastrami.) In spite of only opening this year, Delirama already has the lived-in patina of a favorite local joint. The inside is full of sandwich-loving memorabilia, pink walls, red carpet and a giant pickle that dangles from the ceiling. — C.H.

Delirama. 1746 Solano Ave., Berkeley. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday-Tuesday. 510- 647-9267 or delirama.com 

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Kaokao Grill

Tony Huang, son of the family behind Huangcheng Noodle House in Oakland, missed the old days when his dad made barbecue from a tiny Weber grill. So he teamed up with his cousin Wen Bo and girlfriend Susan Herrara — both of whom are business partners — to open a spunky restaurant in Berkeley’s Elmwood, fusing his interests of American and Asian barbecue cooking. Take, for example, the crisp, smoked chicken thighs ($12) that rest over chickpeas enveloped in a tomato gravy. It screams with wood flavor and has shades of Indian, American and Chinese cuisines. While the char siu has that sticky-sweetness you’d expect from the dish, it’s aided immensely by smoke, resulting in a melty pork. That’s even more apparent in the generously-priced Hong Kong-style breakfast sandwich ($5), made with an English muffin, chopped char siu and eggs. Even the sides are remarkable, like slightly tangy, crunchy cucumber salad ($5) or silky, nutty eggplants ($5). Honestly, I could just eat those two sides with white rice and be satisfied.  — C.H.

Kaokao Grill. 2993 College Ave., Berkeley. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. 510-960-0851 or kaokaogrill.com

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Mijote

At his series of sold-out East Bay wine bar pop-ups, chef Kosuke Tada established a following for his refreshing style of modern French bistro cuisine. No, it wasn’t French onion soup and croque monsieur, but the light and seasonal style of cooking that has become more popular in Paris, where Tada worked before coming to the Bay Area. Now, in a refurbished sushi bar in the Mission District covered with natural wine posters, maps and other paraphernalia, Tada and his team apply the same approach to four-course prix fixe menus ($82) that change every week. You might see them stack tender slices of halibut with wafer-thin pieces of fresh stone fruit, top turmeric-marinated grilled lobster with brown butter foam, or pair corn ice cream with bruleed plum wedges. Collaboration dinners — with Italian deli Alimentari Aurora, Filipino-Japanese pop-up Ox and Tiger and others — have expanded the restaurant’s scope even further. — S.H.

Mijote. 5-9 p.m. Friday-Tuesday. Reservations recommended. 2400 Harrison St., San Francisco. mijotesf.com

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Noodle in a Haystack

In their pop-up days, couple and culinary collaborators Yoko and Clint Tan served the Bay Area’s most painstakingly made ramen in their home kitchen. (The name is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the difficulty of finding great ramen in the United States.) This year, the Tans are working out of a fully renovated restaurant in the Inner Richmond, serving an out-of-the-box tasting menu ($175) to about a dozen diners at a time. It’s a menu that climaxes in a bowl or two of ramen, often made in styles that you won’t easily find in the Bay Area, such as abura soba flavored with liquified Wagyu beef fat or a shrimp- and salt-based ramen finished with cilantro. During dinner, the couple goes deep into the process behind every dish, sharing both the triumphs and mistakes made along the way. Since the limited seats are hard to snag, waiting for reservations to drop can have a similarly bloodthirsty atmosphere as getting into the French Laundry. Note: The restaurant is on break until Jan. 1. — S.H.

Noodle in a Haystack. Reservations required. 4601 Geary Blvd., San Francisco. noodleinhaystack.com

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Ok’s Deli 

After much anticipation, Ok’s Deli (pronounced Oak’s) transitioned from a pop-up to a small sandwich shop in North Oakland. Chef Albert Ok pays homage to the Asian American experience through the deli format, with a fine dining pedigree. A Spam-stuffed banh mi ($16), Sichuan peppercorn-dusted hot chicken ($15) and an ebi katsu sandwich ($20) are but a few of the fantastic, creative and Asian-inspired options. Despite these modern entries, the deli also leaves room for more traditional options like turkey or meatball. There are a few mainstays, but the menu evolves with the weather: If it’s cold outside, you’re more likely to see hot sandwiches. — C.H.

Ok’s Deli. 3932 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. Thursday-Sunday. 510-735-9093 or oksdeli.com

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Polenteria

I happened to be in the South Bay for another dinner when I stumbled upon Polenteria, a secretive little restaurant that you have to enter through a back alley. Inside was a pocket dimension, a cozy hide-out of white tablecloths and tall candlesticks, where diners packed into booths and bar seats for a taste of Yvonne Khananis’ superb Italian comfort food. After an intense R&D period, during which Khananis’ team strove to perfect all the elements of a completely gluten-free Italian restaurant, Polenteria opened this past July. The focaccia is pleasantly springy and moist, and the sweet ricotta-stuffed cannoli snap loudly as you eat them. Khananis’ polenta, infused with a respectable amount of cream and butter, is so luxurious, you won’t miss pasta one bit. — S.H.

Polenteria. 5-9 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday-Sunday. Reservations recommended. 10 Victory Lane, Los Gatos. 408-884-8370 or polenteria.com

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Pupuseria Blankita

A stone’s throw away from the iconic Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Marin Civic Center is this humble pupuseria, named for owner Blanca Orellana and specializing in the pupusa, El Salvador’s national dish. You’ll often find Orellana commanding the cash register, patiently walking customers through the lengthy menu of Salvadoran specialties — not just pupusas, but sweet corn tamales, huevos rancheros served with bronze fried plantains and slabs of white cheese, and sizeable platters of fried pork chicharron and crunchy golden yuca. The restaurant is decked out in the cobalt blue of El Salvador’s flag; its walls adorned with hanging trinkets celebrating Orellana’s home country. While trying out all of the dozen-or-so pupusas is motivation enough for repeat visits, Orellana’s enthusiasm for the craft makes coming here all the more pleasant. — S.H.

Pupuseria Blankita. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. 48 North San Pedro Road, San Rafael. 415-785-3443 or pupuseriablankitasanrafael.com

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Rose Pizzeria 

A pizza romance awaits you at Berkeley’s Rose Pizzeria, which makes stunningly crisp pies topped with bold flavors. Start off with killer appetizers like baked feta ($14), which turns up the tang to maximum levels, or the incredibly textured spicy Caesar ($12), which could give a Ted Talk on how to succeed at salads. Rose understands the power of its pizzas, making completionists out of its customers. So don’t be surprised if you’re not satisfied until you’ve tried them all — I’ve been there. The classic pepperoni ($22) gets upgraded with sliced peppers and a sprinkle of sheep’s pecorino. Other improvements on the form worth noting are the Reed Sauce ($19), with smoky mozzarella, or the creamy, tangy She Wolf ($22), which is unlike any other pie found around the Bay Area. — C.H.

Rose Pizzeria. 1960 University Ave., Berkeley. Noon-9 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. rosepizzeria.com

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Sitha’s Khmer Kitchen

Last December, Sitha Yim turned her nascent Cambodian home cooking business into a fully fledged pop-up, with a regular gig on the weekends at San Bruno’s Pho de Nguyen. Staffed by Yim, partner Van Bui and her daughter Ping, the pop-up serves an impressive menu of Cambodia staples — and, interestingly enough, Cajun seafood dishes, like po’boys and boiled crawfish. While one might associate a pop-up with more fly-by-night presentation, Yim spares no effort in giving her dishes maximum flourish: purple orchid flowers are nestled among lemongrass-steamed shellfish, while the colorful vegetable garnishes served with dishes like banana leaf-steamed salmon curry are as refreshing as they are eye-catching. Her beef jerky, flavored with a sweet and hot Cambodian marinade, has an eye-watering but irresistible intensity that will grab you by the collar. Unfortunately, the pop-up’s last day at Pho de Nguyen is Sunday, but Yim is searching for a new location. — S.H.

Sitha’s Khmer Kitchen. 4-9 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. At Pho de Nguyen, 586 San Mateo Ave., San Bruno. 415-798-4759 or sithaskhmerkitchen.com

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Slice of Homage Pizza

It was a good year for pizza in the Bay Area, including in the South Bay with San Jose’s finest, Slice of Homage. Started in 2020, the pizza outfit recently made a big move this year, partnering with downtown arcade bar San Pedro Social. There, the pizzeria has more room to actualize its vision thanks to a larger kitchen space, and it can handle higher pizza output and daily slices. The pizzeria won me over with its best-in-class take on Detroit-style pizza, but it also makes compelling Sicilian and New York-style pies as well. Part of the glory comes from Slice of Homage’s effort to use quality ingredients — chef Steven Barrentes aims to elevate the pizza scene in the city — like Point Reyes Toma cheese, thick “deep-cupping” pepperoni slices and tangy Stanislaus tomatoes. — C.H.

Slice of Homage Pizza. 163 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose. 2-8 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. 408-490-4477 or sohpizza.com

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Troubadour Bread & Bistro

Troubadour would be on this list even if it had stayed a sandwich shop, but the Healdsburg bakery’s expansion into French bistro territory has made it even more of a destination. It got a big refresh with the introduction of Le Dîner, its French bistro-inspired evening service. Chef and co-owner Sean McGaughey, once the former head chef at the Michelin-starred SingleThread, serves a five-course prix fixe ($125) five nights a week, leaning into his fine dining chops to turn out modern takes on classics like cream puff-style croque monsieur and duck a l’orange. — S.H.

Troubadour Bread & Bistro. 381 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg. 9 a.m-3 p.m., 5:30-8:30 p.m. 707- 756-3972 or troubadourhbg.com 

Soleil Ho and Cesar Hernandez are The San Francisco Chronicle’s restaurant critics. Email: [email protected], [email protected]