When three Chez Panisse alums opened a tapas bar next door to Alice Waters's famed Berkeley, California, restaurant, it was only a matter of days before a culinary star was born. With its menu of innovative, Spanish-style tapas, paired with an astounding wine-and-spirits list that soon became regarded as one of the best in the world, César earned a legion of devout fans and was named one of the best restaurants in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Chronicle.