Zuni Cafe

[BryanZ]

My last of three dinners on my trip to SF was at Zuni Cafe. It's a landmark, an institution, and makes a pretty tasty chicken. I had to partake. Obviously people go back and forth about this chicken. I thought it was pretty freaking tasty. The vibe of the whole restaurant is a bit too granola for me, but I can't argue with what was on the plate. The thigh and drumstick of the chicken that was served to me was probably the best roasted chicken I've ever had. The brine or whatever they use made its way all the way into the meat, yet it refrained from being too salty as is sometimes the case. The crispy bread salad and currants and pine nuts only sweetened the deal. This was a no silverware kind of affair. A nice bottle of wine, and I was so happy. Totally comfort food, totally delicious.

To begin we had a rabbit salad with purslane. A really nice dish, I will say. It was rather small, though. If I were hungrier I might've felt a bit cheated, but I'm sure the ingredients were local and sustainable and organic and all that. Mainly I was so full from the previous days of eating that it was cool with me.

Now people debate the value of the chicken. At $48 it's not cheap, but it's not particularly expensive either. Just like I can buy a porterhouse for $20 and grill it myself rather than pay $80 at a steakhouse, I could buy a nice chicken for $12 instead of paying $48 at Zuni. Each situation has its merits. This time around I was more than happy to pay my $24 for my share of chicken and would certainly do it again.

[nhconner]

The brine or whatever they use made its way all the way into the meat, yet it refrained from being too salty as is sometimes the case.

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My understanding is they use about a 3/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper rubbed on the bird about 48hrs before they roast.

[BryanZ]

I believe that's 3/4 tsp per pound. At least that's what the recipes online say.