Why Harris' Restaurant remains one of San Francisco's best steakhouses

Dig in: I had the pepper steak ($79), a boneless New York ribeye dusted in a heaping amount of cracked black pepper, served medium-rare and coated in a velvety peppercorn sauce.

• It was everything I want in a hearty dinner: deeply savory, rich and the kind of meal that makes you slow down between bites.

The vibe: Every detail here feels intentional: the 100-year-old vintage menus framed on the walls. The timeless, dark-wood dining room.

• Waiters in impeccably tailored suits who seem to have mastered the lost art of noticing when your water glass is half-empty.
• Bartenders who make a drink correctly every time, starting with a perfectly chilled (never dirty!) gin martini.

Pro tip: Don't miss the piano bar. Local jazz musicians perform nightly.

My hot take: I prefer Harris' to its more celebrated neighbor. If House of Prime Rib is an ode to the American steakhouse, Harris' is a study in why the classics endure.

• It doesn't rely on spectacle, just decades of getting the details right.

If you go: Open 5pm-9pm daily except Mondays at 2100 Van Ness Avenue.