Peninsula Eats: New Standouts, Part Two
From Spanish and Cal-French newcomers to a foodie, cocktail and coffee geek’s hotel… where to eat, drink and stay in San Mateo County now
For 24 years, I’ve been exploring and writing about the Bay Area’s Peninsula — including but not minimized to Silicon Valley. Yes, San Mateo County suffers from suburban malaise and mediocrity when it comes to its overall restaurant standards, especially compared to the dense, world-class glories of nearby San Francisco. But this is also one of the most diverse regions in the world and blessedly the food reflects that with hyper-regional eateries representing many regions of India, Mexico, the Philippines and beyond in this huge county. It takes more digging than in SF, but with research, the Peninsula is packed with gems.
In this two-part series, I dig into nine spots you should know about. Part one is here, and the remaining five below:
Massive Cal-French Newcomer near SFO: Camber at The Hangar, South San Francisco
Officially opening April 2025, I hit up Camber early March in soft opening mode, part of a giant food complex from the Bon Appetit group on a South San Francisco biotech campus hub near SFO airport (a good pre- or post-flight stop). In an impressively LEED Gold certified building, there are varied casual eats and a sleek coffee shop downstairs, ideal for nearby workers and a huge, upscale restaurant on the second floor with floor to ceiling windows, views of the surrounding hills and buildings and an outdoor terrace.