Fringale Restaurant   

570 4th St
San Francisco, CA 94107
415-543-0573
www.fringalesf.com

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Fringale actually got better after celeb chef Gerald Hirigoyen left the helm. Traditional French dishes (duck confit, frisee salad with egg and bacon, foie gras) still reign supreme, but they can get cluttered with too many ingredients. Simpler dishes (like any of the delicious tartines or very good beef carpaccio with arugula) feel more casual, but theyre some of the best stuff on the menu. The toned-down vibe makes Fringale a good lunch bet (try the tuna burger with top-notch pommes frites), though its equally popular at dinner with daters and business dealers. The blond wood and shades-of-beige decor feels stiff and hotelish -- as do the servers, though theyre well-schooled in the wine list.