While my friend Hilary and I folded ourselves onto the floor cushions at Khan Toke Thai House (5937 Geary Blvd.; 415/668-6654), she wondered aloud why every time she goes out to dinner these days, she finds herself in the Outer Richmond. The answer is that despite its reputation for fog-blanketed residential streets, the northwest corner of San Francisco has some of the best restaurants and winter views in the entire city. Make a January visit, and see.

James Carrier
In Lands End, tree-shaded trails (top and bottom) lead to stunning glimpses of the Golden Gate Bridge

Start with har gao (shrimp dumpling) and cha siu bao (barbecued pork bun) at Ton Kiang (5821 Geary; 415/752-4440), long considered San Francisco's best dim sum restaurant. On weekends, prepare to wait before partaking in the parade of dumplings, buns, and sautéed vegetables.

Continue with a walk on the Coastal Trail at Lands End park. Start at the dirt parking lot above Louis' Restaurant (902 Point Lobos Ave.; 415/387-6330), then wind along the cliffs for vertiginous views of the Golden Gate. Take the side trail east to the Legion of Honor (closed Mon; 34th Ave. and Clement St.; 415/863-3330), which, in addition to its permanent collection, will exhibit Degas sculptures through January 18, 2004.

The hike should build your appetite — which is good, because dinner options in the Outer Richmond cover the spectrum of global cuisine. Pizzetta 211 (closed Mon–Tue; 211 23rd Ave.; 415/379-9880), a minuscule eight-table restaurant, makes one of the Bay Area's most authentic Italian pizzas.

Aziza (closed Tue; 5800 Geary; 415/752-2222) is a Moroccan restaurant that is at once cavernous and intimate. The five-course fixed-price dinner is well worth the $39. Or, for down-home tasty burgers and rich milkshakes, head to Bill's Place (2315 Clement; 415/221-5262).

Eureka Cartography

WHERE: The neighborhood is in San Francisco west of 19th Ave., north of Golden Gate Park.

FYI: Winter here can be windy; bring a jacket.