Ah, the ‘90s in San Francisco — wide-leg pants, a Super Bowl win for the 49ers, the release of Green Day’s “Dookie,” and the dot-com boom. Our city had yet to receive its own Michelin Guide and bike lanes were few and far between, but who cares? You could buy a house for $300,000.

Another thing that happened in the ‘90s? Patricia Unterman, former Chronicle restaurant critic and owner of the 40-year-old Hayes Street Grill, published the 1995 “Food Lover’s Guide to San Francisco.” I got my hands on a copy and, in the name of '90s nostalgia, decided to see how far these nearly 25-year-old recommendations would get me.

Using the SoMa neighborhood as a capsule representative of the city’s changing landscape as a whole, I carefully went down the list and Googled Unterman’s suggestions. Bistro M? Closed. Bizou? Closed. Three, four … 13 out of 19 restaurants, cafes and bars closed.

Of these beloved 1990s hotspots lost to the passage of time, some certainly seem worth missing. A tiki bar named Caribbean Zone, for example, sounded like a bizarrely awesome locale.

“This sheet-metal beach shack in an alley between parking lots is a jungle of plastic tropical plants and trees, complete with a waterfall tumbling over artificial rocks and a real airplane cabin as a cocktail lounge,” wrote Unterman. A “large and expensive” tropical drink was $6.50, which even adjusted for inflation (that’s about $11 today) still feels like a steal compared to SF’s current cocktail prices.

LuLu, a restaurant that pioneered many Bay Area dining trends including communal tables and iron pans of mussels served in the shell, also was a huge loss for the neighborhood when it shuttered suddenly in 2017. Back when Unterman recommended LuLu, it was still dazzlingly new and popular: "...the place has become a scene, attended as much for the action as the terrific, reasonably priced food," she wrote.

But a lot more has changed in SoMa than just a handful of restaurants closing. The entire culture of the neighborhood has shifted. For some perspective, I reached out to Unterman herself, who despite being in Venice at the time fleeing an oncoming flood (and, naturally, without a copy of her '95 guide), responded via email.

“There was a time way back when San Franciscans who lived north of California Street never set foot south of Market,” Unterman told SFGATE. “SOMA was like a foreign country.”

In the aftermath of the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, San Francisco underwent huge changes. Billions had been lost to quake damage, new businesses were encouraged, and the economy grew. The World Wide Web was invented. The unsightly Embarcadero Freeway was demolished. The Ferry Building was renovated and Unterman, alongside others, opened the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market in 1992.

“This changed the menus in so many SF restaurants and inspired many cooks to create a new farm-to-table sensibility that emphasized local ingredients,” said Unterman.

Remember, 1995 was also pre-Michelin Guide for San Francisco. SoMa was not yet home to some of our city’s bougiest offerings. No Benu. No Saison. And the types of food available? A lot less variety. From the looks of the "Food Lover’s Guide," offerings were predominantly Italian, French and American.

“There are more casual restaurants and food operations now; and more diversity of choice in cuisine,” said Unterman. “Look at the demographic shift — age, job, nationality — and you can figure out why the new SOMA restaurant culture is diverse and looks the way it does.”

Many major software and technology companies have offices here now, bringing an influx of young, affluent professionals to the area — and the neighborhood has shifted to meet their tastes. Museums have also sprung up in the area, establishing SoMa as a popular tourist destination.

Now, you can get a sushi burrito, natural wine, Cantonese dim sum, contemporary Sri Lankan fare, or Michelin-starred ramen in SoMa. But with newfound trendiness also comes rising costs.

“It’s incredibly difficult now in San Francisco to endure as a small business, which most restaurants are,” explained Unterman. “Rents in SF are sky high and the cost of opening a place is astronomical due to city building regulations, wait times for permits and sign off.”

RELATED: Why the 1990s was the best decade for San Francisco

She added that in her 40 years of running Hayes Street Grill, the last two years have been the most challenging.

Turnover for businesses in San Francisco is more rapid than ever. So while it initially seems shocking that so few of the restaurants recommended in Unterman’s ‘95 guide are still standing in 2019, they actually chugged along quite a bit longer than they probably would have if they opened in today’s market.

“I expected the restaurants I loved in '95 to last longer than restaurants do today and they did,” explained Unterman.

On the other hand, some of Unterman's recommendations have managed, miraculously, to survive. For example, the Fly Trap — named after fly paper put up in the restaurant to keep things sanitary amid horses stationed outside — has been around in some shape or form since 1883. House of Shields, a frozen-in-time watering hole that used to be a "high-brow gentlemen’s club," has been open in SoMa since 1908.

While they've survived, it proved difficult to find anyone at these restaurants who had worked there long enough to remember the year '95. Longtime Fly Trap bar manager Valen West became the restaurant's new owner in 2016 — but by longtime, we mean she's worked there since 2008.

However, she doesn't believe much has changed since the '90s. The old-fashioned decor remains old-fashioned. The menu features timeless dishes — roasted chicken, a cheeseburger, risotto. So what's the secret to over a century of success?

"I think just trying to get ahead of the curve, trying to figure out what keeps people happy, having exceptional service, and keeping a very fun lighthearted atmosphere," said West. "That does give us a niche."

Click through the gallery above to see what '95 "Food Lover's Guide to San Francisco" recommendations look like today.

Madeline Wells is an SFGATE digital reporter. Email: madeline.wells@sfgate.com | Twitter: @madwells22