 Given its location inside the InterContinental San Francisco, it might be easy to underestimate Luce----but it transcends the typical hotel restaurant. First, there's the dining room, which combines rich taupe tones and an exquisite marble floor with glittering, hand-blown, orb-like hanging lamps for a sophisticated setting. Then there's the menu: French-born chef Dominique Crenn (who is as charming as she is talented) takes a highly creative, almost artistic approach to her luxurious New American menu. Every dish showcases its ingredients, with a balanced mixture of colors and textures. Kampachi sashimi, for instance, is served over a paper-thin, nearly translucent slice of pickled melon, while a "spring vegetable garden" starter features pristine vegetables served on a thick stone slab and accompanied by various salts and aïolis to heighten flavors. Italian and French influences show up throughout, including in one of Crenn's signature dishes, a black ink trofiette "carbonara" with a poached egg and the creative addition of baby calamari. Crenn isn't afraid to take risks----her ocean and land carpaccio, for instance, is met with a quenelle of black olive ice cream---and in nearly all cases, it works. Just prepare to be surprised----in a good way.
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Splurging at top-rated restaurants is fun for special events, but where can you go for a good quality meal that won't break the bank? Gather the change out of your piggy bank and sofa cushions and take it to one of our selections for the best cheap eats in your area. Also, check out our picks for the Top 40 Cheap Eats in the U.S.
