Move over beef! As we ring in the New Year, the humble chicken is making its gallant return, with local chefs turning in new and exciting ways to prepare their birds. Here are our picks for the tastiest chicken dishes on menus now.

Commonwealth
Commonwealth, known mostly for its seafood creations and Japanese-inspired menu, offers an Asian spin to their chicken. They cook their young hen, which is tender and small, and serve with carrots roasted over kombu, puffed barley, seaweed pesto, and pea greens. Rounds of tender meat are encompassed by crispy skin and served on a modest plate of vegetables and grains.

Cotogna
Cotogna’s signature wood-fired grill (the only of it’s kind in the United States), along with its talented chefs, presents some of the most spectacular meat dishes in San Francisco. Take their spit-roasted chicken with Anson Mills polenta and sautéed Swiss chard, covered with a light chicken jus. This hearty yet well-balanced dish will keep you warm this winter from the inside out.

Nopa
If you’ve been frequenting Nopa for their signature grilled pork chop or a late night burger, it might be time to try the rotisserie chicken. Their glistening half chicken is currently served with butternut squash, herbed yogurt, spiced chickpeas, and persimmon (for a slightly Middle Eastern flair). With a crispy skin and juicy interior, their chicken is cooked to perfection.

Delfina
Worried that a dinner of chicken will leave you hankering for a late night slice? Have no fear: Delfina serves up a hearty dish of a roasted half chicken, swimming in a pool of jus, and served with king trumpet mushrooms and olive oil mashed potatoes. You’ll hardly realize that you aren’t digging into a hefty plate of steak and potatoes with this dish.

Zuni
Zuni pioneered the chicken craze, and people clamor for their infamous chicken for two, roasted in a brick oven, served with a warm bread salad with scallions, garlic, dandelion greens, dried currants, and pine nuts. It takes an hour to prepare but is well worth the wait! The small chicken is less lean than their bigger brothers and with a greater skin to meat ration, which means that each bite includes crispy skin and juicy meat. Grab a date to share this fabulous dish!

Locanda
Chef Anthony Strong doesn’t skimp on his interpretation of the chicken. He chooses just the leg of a guinea hen or chicken, adds a layer of flavor by rubbing the inside with his house-cured lardo, wraps it in pancetta and caul fat for extra sinful flavor, and grills it. Pair that with a killer mushroom side, dandelion greens, and semolina gnocchi, smother it in jus, and you have a dish to rival the most decadent steakhouses.

Range
Reminisce over the taste of fall with Range’s comforting oven-roasted chicken accompanied by a Brussels sprout and maitake mushroom bread salad.  Much like Zuni’s petite and flavorful chicken, Range presents a perfectly crisped yet tender bird, complimented by the mushrooms and Brussels sprouts.

Where is your favorite chicken dish in SF?