Scala's Bistro; San Francisco (Rest.)

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Top Chef: Chicago competitor Jen Biesty took over Scala’s Bistro kitchen in 2008, improving the ingredients, reducing the portion sizes and updating the Italian menu with dishes such as pizza with bacon, Fontina cheese and Champagne grapes. Inside the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, the space is outfitted with cozy leather booths and a pressed-tin ceiling. Pastry chef Tim Nugent, who competed on Top Chef: Just Desserts, highlights California ingredients in desserts like dulce de leche with Bing cherries and Royal Blenheim apricots. http://scalasbistro.com