La Mar, San Francisco

It doesn't get prettier than the outdoor seats at La Mar, right on the water’s edge on the Embarcadero, with a view of the boats and the bay. This big, bold cebichería is the first American outpost by Gaston Acurio, the dynamic Peruvian über-chef determined to hook the planet on Andean chilies, tubers, and jazzy lime-soaked raw-fish concoctions. Who needs main courses when you can follow a cebiche sampler with fluffy cilantro-laced cheese tamales and attractively charred octopus skewers, all starters hearty enough for a meal?