The Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants

By Michael Bauer, Chronicle Food Editor
Sunday, February 6, 2000
New York Times

Mediterranean food has been the buzzword of late, but until Kokkari opened a little more than a year ago, few places did justice to Greek food. It took more than $5 million to transform the space, but the result is a wonderfully rustic yet refined interior. The front dining room feels like someone's home, with an oversized fireplace and a weathered plank-and-beam ceiling. The other main dining room is more casual, with an open kitchen and a gigantic urn filled with hot sand for making the bracing Greek coffee. The food produced by Jean Alberti is as satisfying as the interior. Many combinations have been updated and lightened for California sensibilities. A sister restaurant, Evvia, offers a similar menu and upscale look in Palo Alto.

Cuisine: Greek
Specialties: Appetizer platter with pita; crispy smelt;
whole grilled striped bass; lamb chops; moussaka
Seats: 175
Prices: $15.50-$27.95
Noise: 4 bells
Parking: Street at lunch (difficult); valet $6 at dinner
Vitals: 200 Jackson St. (at Front), San Francisco; (415) 981-0983.
Lunch weekdays, dinner Monday-Saturday. Full bar.
Reservations and credit cards accepted.