Merchant RootsMerchant Roots

Image Credit: | https://guide.michelin.com/en/california/san-francisco/restaurant/merchant-roots Plan ahead to secure tickets to this intimate den, where there are just a handful of seats and dinner is served only four nights a week. Dining here is a singular experience—though simple, the room flaunts an impressive fiber piece from a local artisan, custom-made tableware, and other hand-hewn furnishings.Chef Ryan Shelton arranges each of his meticulously-planned menus (which change seasonally) around a central theme, as in spring flowers or fall mushrooms. You might be enchanted by an alpine cauliflower meadow, featuring tiny crunchy florets with date hummus, before entering a fungi-laden forest. The latter is laden with canapés, including an oyster mushroom jambalaya encased in a maltose sphere--it's a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.