I have a confession when it comes to high-end San Francisco restaurants: It won't stop me from loving you if you have salt cod brandade and duck confit on your menu. In fact, some of my favorite spots around town have spectacular preparations of food items you'll see across the board at many venues.

But I wouldn't be upset, either, to see a space open with a radically different menu. Once in a while, such a place opens with a gorgeous, simple, global menu. Or with a down-home preparation that defies everything we've come to appreciate (or dislike) about nouveau.

On this list of new restaurants in San Francisco, Brenda's French Soul Food is one such option, serving customers a good old p-boy and a cup of gumbo. In other restaurant news, 2007 and 2008 (so far) have been great years for new dining spots -- brandade or not.

This selection of ten restaurants narrows it down to just a few you might want to try from the past year's dining inauguration.

^{Pictured: The Bar at Waterbar
Image Courtesy of Waterbar}