A love of South Indian cuisine (and a frustration with crossing the bay every time a craving hit) led owners Anjan and Emily Mitra to open Dosa, the latest hot spot on the Valencia corridor. With Anjan's upbringing in Bombay and Emily's retail background in health food, they set out to open a restaurant that would satisfy their friends' palates while meeting their commitment to local, sustainable and organic products.

Finally breaking the curse that haunted Spiazzino, Le Krewe, and other restaurants that briefly inhabited the space at Valencia and 21st, Dosa offers a cuisine almost impossible to find within the city limits until now. Sure, there are plenty of Indian restaurants in the Mission, but they all feature the more widely known Northern style of cooking, which features more gravies, curries and tandoori. Foods from South India tend to be a bit lighter and spicier. -- Genevieve Robertson