Discovering San Francisco

Nina C. · March 10, 2007

Carolyn - I just got back from a trip to San Francisco, and the friend I stayed with lives murderously close to Tartine. This meant many mornings were spent with a fresh pastry. (The other mornings were occupied by Strauss yogurt with a dollup of June Taylor peach butter on top. You lucky San Franciscans.)

My favorite things (these are terribly unoriginal, they seem to be other's favorite's as well.)

- the morning bun - OH the morning bun! it's like the amazing child of a brioche and a cinnamon roll, topped with (I think) orange sugar and a small amount of orange glaze. These would definitely be my undoing if I lived there.

- the pain au jambon - a croissant with deliciously smoky ham and gruyere inside. One morning the ham didn't seem to be as flavorful, but it was deliriously good the other days.

Pretty good -

-the croissants. My friends swear by both the regular and chocolate croissants, but they seemed to me to be merely average and not stellar. Of course I'm a bit of a croissant snob, and have searched all over Manhattan and Brooklyn to find my favorite one. To each their own, I suppose.

Not my cup of tea

- the shortbread. It seemed just crumbly, not flavorful or decadent enough. A disappointment.

I wish I'd found this thread before I went on my trip! Still, we had a great trip with tons of good eating.

eje · March 10, 2007

Tartine puzzles me.

The baked goods are very good (though, for my money, the baked goods, sandwiches, and breads at Pascal Rigo's various Boulangeries are better.)

The service, though, is just awful.

Every time I've been there, I get the feeling the the staff are just barely condescending to help me. Usually you have to clean the last party's dishes off of the table before you can sit down. The tables are filthy and you can't get a towel to clean them. You are required to bus your own table but there's no where to put the dishes. The staff would rather hang out and talk to their tattoo festooned boyfriends than serve customers. The simplest (over priced and tiny) sandwich takes forever to arrive.

The last time I was there, a woman spilled some coffee, and literally had to beg one of the workers get a towel to clean it up. Then the worker stood there and watched while the woman cleaned up the spill herself. As soon as the woman had finished cleaning the spill, the worker snatched back the towel and headed back into the kitchen without a word.

I felt like I was in a Saturday Night Live skit about a cafe run by snooty art school androids.

Carolyn Tillie · March 22, 2007

Some reconnaissance for a friend brought K & I to Myth [470 Pacific Avenue, San Francisco, 94133, 415.677.8986] last evening. For a Tuesday evening, I was surprised at how crowded the restaurant was at 8:00 p.m. We had a center seat with a fabulous view of the open kitchen. Being overwhelmed with the menu, my eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach as I admittedly ordered way more than we could consume in one sitting.

Starting off, K ordered a split of Veuve yellow label to accompany our first starter, Point Reyes Miyagi Oysters marinated in cilantro and lime with Yuzu tobiko. I confess that I would normally never order any dish that contains cilantro but I am learning to eat it and these oysters have been highly acclaimed in multiple reviews. We were not disappointed - in speaking with Chef O'Brien about it, he informed me he was inspired by Vietnamese fish base to which added depth is brought about with the cilantro. The yuzu was quite simply an added punctuation that brought it all together.

Alex, the sommelier, recommended a 2001 Domaine de la Charbonniere, Chateauneuf du Pape for the remainder of our dinner. Next ordered was another appetizer of seared sweetbreads with bacon, quail egg, toast and beech mushrooms. Finding sweetbreads at all on a menu is a rarity and is always ordered when we see it -- this was stunning; the sweetbreads were lightly fried in a rich sauce redolent with bacon and mushrooms. My only regret was that there was only one quail egg.

On a hearty recommendation, we were here for the gnocchi and that was the next course; seared marscapone and potato gnocchi with peas, pancetta, and parmesan butter sauce. This was truly ethereal gnocchi, individually wrapped in pancetta with a gorgeously decadent sauce. Where I got into trouble was also wanting to taste the rigatoni pasta with foie gras cream, Maitake mushrooms and Marsala. We really didn't need two starches back-to-back, but was very glad I ordered it just to be able to taste it.

Becoming very overwhelmed at this point, we opted to have the rest of our dinner packaged to go; roasted black cod with maitakes, couscous, salsify and bacon jus and cornbread and mushroom-stuffed quail with greens, trumpet mushrooms, and orange segments which were greatly enjoyed for breakfast the next morning.

Not quite ready to depart, I did order a cheese course with a glass of Sauterne; Valdeon, a pasteurized Spanish cow served with onion-currant marmalade, Pyrenees la Tommette Chevre a raw goat from France served with apricot and orange blossom paste and Rocchetta, an Italian raw sheep served with Apple Slices.

On a service note, the kitchen is extremely accommodating in splitting any and all shared plates and I especially like that much of the menu is offered in small and large portions. Dishes like the incredible gnocchi are so rich as to easily be a full course by themselves. Even as left-overs the cod and quail showed amazing quality and expertise of technique. The last time I enjoyed a quail that good was at Gary Danko. Service was flawless, the food was stunning, and I am greatly looking forward to returning.

Carolyn Tillie · April 4, 2007

Burma Superstar [309 Clement Street between 4th & 5th, San Francisco, 415.387.2147]

I'm ashamed at how long it has taken me to eat here -- this place is so frigg'n amazing I am tempted to bus here every day for lunch.

Happening to be in the neighborhood around lunchtime after visiting a close friend in the hospital, I slipped in immediately and ordered their Burmese version of a sangria; wine with fresh fruit that is so far from the European version to be thrilling. Being a Burmese neophyte, I ordered a lunch special salad, Gin-Dok. Let's see... what do I remember that was in it? Shredded lettuce, sesame seeds, split yellow peas, fried garlic,, peanuts, dried shrimp, jalapeno peppers, and some crunchy noodles.

Fearing the salad would not be substantive enough, I also ordered two vegetarian eggroll filled with bean thread noodles, shredded cabbage, celery, and carrots and served with a spicy, glaze sauce.

Overall, I have never been a fan of spicy food and I think this is a great place for me to slowly increase my heat-tolerance level. When the waitress brought out the salad and announced that it included jalapeno peppers, in the past I would have immediately tried to pick them out. This time, I went with it, drank additional water, inhaled the amazing curry aromas around me, and enjoyed it all immensely. As the BF is very fond of shooting pool nearby, I see it as my mission to eat through the entire menu and I am thrilled to have a new restaurant that I am so excited about.

Carolyn Tillie · April 21, 2007

I just finished a week-long jewelry intensive at the Revere Academy which put me in downtown for lunch this entire week. I reported earlier about a very mediocre experience inside the Westfield Center.

But an early highlight occurred at the Samovar Tea Lounge located on the Upper Terrace of the Yerba Buena Gardens. On Tuesday, several in our class headed over and while one sufficed with just tea and a scone, two of us opted for the Moorish Mint Tea; a complete lunch which included grilled Halloumi kebabs served on top of a mint salad. Alongside were three dolmas and and a handful of dried olives as well as two Medjool dates stuffed with chevre and topped with a pistachio-crusted walnut. The website indicates this dish also comes with "Homemade Flatbread w/ Ingrid’s Pumpkin Babaganoush" but that was not to be and -- honestly -- wasn't needed. For $16.00, this was a completely delightful, filling entree.

So charmed was I by this that I returned a day or two later to try the Japanese luncheon. In a round, ceramic bento box I was served a seaweed salad, two scoops of rice topped with various condiments, a triangle of seared yellowtale and two shrimp, and some marinated broccoli rabe. There was also a very delicate, subtle tea soup which had some unknown vegetables which were a bit on the soft side. Along with the lunch, I ordered the "upcharge" Matcha service ($5 on their website but $10 in the restaurant). There was a nut-crusted sweet (may have been mochi, but didn't really taste like it) along with the Matcha and then a green tea-dusted brownie bite was served with the lunch as well.

I have girlfriends flying into the city early next month and after a day at the museum, this will be a great place to take them - and any other visitors who want a calming, peaceful, delightful luncheon near downtown.

Carolyn Tillie · April 30, 2007

The last few eating days have been truly monumental and it is a wonder I survived...

Thursday

HOG ISLAND OYSTERS

Thursday afternoon, M and I met at the Ferry Plaza. Having made a 1:30 reservation at Perbacco, we were hungry at noon and decided to sate our appetite at the Hog Island Oyster Company beforehand. M ordered some raw (Kumamotos were one of the choices, I remember) while I was very curious with their rendition of Oysters Rockefeller. A glass of Chablis and a glass of Muscadet accompanied our selections and we both agreed that the Muscadet was a better choice.

PERBACCO

When we arrived at Perbacco [230 California Street San Francisco, 94111 - 415.955.0663], it was buzzing quite busy, but we were seated immediately. Intrigued by their cocktail menu, I ordered their "Antico Manhattan" made with Woodford reserve, Carpano Antica Formula, and Cynar. I much preferred M's cocktail "Rosmarino" made with Grey Goose, lemon, rosemary-infused syrup, and Clear Creek Apple Brandy. I ordered one of her's and they graciously removed my Manhattan from both the table and the bill. Being slightly full from the oysters, we ordered light; two starters which included their Salumi Misti and a roasted red and yellow beet salad which was nicely dressed with arugula, white balsamic, and Castelmango cheese. Their house-made salamis was a great choice and a perfect pairing with the beets. We should have stopped there, but I had already ordered an entree of braised short rib served with spring vegetables and topped with gremolata. Perfectly cooked, M and I only had a few bites with the idea that I would take the rest home for dinner. Curious about their desserts, I ordered the Brutti ma Buoni to dunk in a glass of Vin Santo. Nice ending to a very nice, light lunch (or -- what should have been lite). The only tiny snafu was that our leftovers were never brought out to us at the end of the meal, but at that point, I honestly didn't care.

TORAYA

I didn't mind about the lack of left-overs for dinner as an unexpected guest, K, dropped by and we decided to walk up Fillmore for dinner. Having never eaten at Toraya Sushi Bar [1914 Fillmore St., San Francisco, 94115, 415.931.9455] it seemed a good choice as I continue working my way through all the neighborhood restaurants. Two hours later and pretty significantly poorer, I will be hard-pressed to want to go to any other sushi restaurant in the city. With sake being served in Martini glasses, pours were ample, fish was fresh, and presentation was intensely impressive. I was excited to see Ankimo available and instead of filling me up on rice, six beautiful, large pieces were presented sashimi style. I then asked if Amaebi was available as the last three or four restaurants I have been to have been unable to offer both the body AND the head. No problem here. I then asked Frank, the sushi chef, to just start serving whatever was fresh. He was adept to realize I wanted really good quality fresh fish and queried if I wanted anything with rice. Skip the nigiri, I instructed, and stunning sashimi displays were offered up; Hotate, Sekisaba, and Shiro maguro. Wanting to go back to a single nigiri finale, I asked for a single Unagi. The clincher? Other local restaurant managers were hanging out there and I believe the flow of conversation definitely helped the ambience, but the fish was still damn fine.

Friday

LUNA PARK

Friday showed the arrival of a friend and food writer from LA. He had an old friend in the Mission District and just wandering around, we opted for Luna Park [694 Valencia Street (nr 18th), San Francisco, 94110, 415.553.8584] for lunch. I had had an intensely awful morning and immediately spied the cocktail for me: Volcanic Scorpion Bowl for Two. Okay, I shared it with everyone else, but only under duress. It was a basic tropical concoction but served in a funny donut-shaped bowl with a spot in the center where the flames came from. For lunch three of us shared two starters and an entree. The first was a Warm Goat Cheese Fondue with Grilled Bread and Sliced Apples and the second starter a selection of three "Carnival Corn Dogs" - three different small sausages made with a homemade corn dog and a selection of three mustards. These were really, really good corn dogs. The entree of choice for the table was fontina-stuffed ravioli topped with mushrooms, spinach and truffle oil. While I found the pasta dough a bit thicker than I like and fontina to be generally uninspired, the sauce, spinach, and mushrooms all made up for it. I would go back for the corn dogs, though.

TARTINE

Since R was here to see the best of San Francisco in a very short time span, we were too close to Tartine [corner of Guerrero Street and 18th Street, San Francisco] to not wander down and at least show him their wares. I was surprised that the display cases were a little empty. However, a fresh tray of brioche bread pudding had just come out of the oven and, studded with fresh strawberries and huckleberries. Warm and comforting and a nice finish for lunch.

MANRESA

I don't want to steal RJWong's thunder and I'll let him do a comprehensive on the meal in his Pilgrimage thread. Suffice to say that I haven't eaten at Kinch's restaurant since before he got his garden and the dishes with vegetables ended up being favorites of mine (although there was a rabbit dish that blew me away). It was almost too much, dining from 6:00 p.m. until just after midnight...

Saturday

FERRY PLAZA

Okay, I feel really, really guilty. Now having lived in the city for just over a year, I have been deliberately avoiding the Saturday morning Farmer's Market due to the crowds. That has changed. Despite having gotten home from Manresa at almost 2:00 a.m., R and I were awake quite early and getting to the Plaza by 9:00 a.m., we got a good chance to peruse most of the booths before the hefty crowds descended. We were still pretty full from the previous evening, but I couldn't let R NOT try a Frog Hollow Farm pastry. But we couldn't decided between the Mushroom & Leek and the Gruyere and Black Forest Ham. The mushroom/leek was my favorite but was pleasantly surprised to bite into the ham & cheese and realize it was still quite warm from the oven. R had a great time looking at everything and shortly after introducing him to our beloved Rancho Gordo, we got sucked into the day's demonstration -- this was by Prather Ranch and Chris Cosentino of Incanto fame. The demonstrations which comprised the rest of our breakfast was a grilled lamb sausage made with Moroccan spices and a yogurt sauce and from offal-expert Cosentino, lamb tartare which was quite eye-opening. We wandered around long enough for R to call up and meet an old friend who came over for lunch. We were still pretty full but just to be sociable, we all sat at Market Bar for some cocktails. Not very interested in their brunch menu, we asked if they could put together a charcuterie plate. They were very accommodating and the few bites I had were quite nice (although memories of Perbacco's was a bit better).

A few purchases had been made -- some Prather Ranch short ribs for later this week, an unusual Lion's Mane mushroom (I still don't know what to do with those), Point Reyes Blue Cheese, a hardwood smoked sausage and aged cheese from Achadinha Cheese Company (both goat products!) and some fiddlehead ferns which R purchased but forgot to take home.

AZIZA

After an afternoon siesta, I decided that R's final meal of his trip should be something he truly can't find in Los Angeles and I never cease to admire Mourad Lahlou's upscale Moroccan at Aziza [5800 Geary Boulevard, San Francisco, 94121, 415.752.2222]. The really exceptional part of the evening was that I had recently become online friends with a gent who turns out to be Aziza's fishmonger who helped complement our party of six. Lots of inventive cocktails were ordered like the Pear (cloves, lemon, pear brandy), Coconut Milk (rose, horchata, and rum), Tarragon (cardamom, lime cubes, cachaca), and Kumquat (mint, sicilian tangerine cognac, mandarin vodka). We then ordered the tasting menu with instructions to just send out whatever Mourad wanted us to taste. Besides the traditional lentil soup, cream of asparagus was the second soup choice of the night. Starters then started coming out: Mediterranean spreads, Kefta & Grape skewers, Star Route Farms baby lettuces with Humboldt Fog cheese, walnuts, and Flying Disk Ranch Derrie dates, Brokaw Nursery Gwen avocado and grapefruit, Bodega cheese with za'atar toast and a tomato and citrus jam. Next came the Basteeya which I was sorely tempted to save for breakfast but couldn't resist... Before our entrees came out, a special inter-course was presented by the kitchen which I think was to honor our fish purveyor, a shortened version of the seared, rare tuna with fennel seed crust, roasted tahini, and tunisian salad with eggplant. Then our entrees began and knowing we intended to share, was served family style with appropriate serving utensils. Let's see if I can remember all of them... Prawn tagine, Hokkaido sea scallops, Prather Ranch lamb shank, Devils Gulch Ranch rabbit, Marin Sun Farms beef stew, roasted root vegetable couscous. Thinking we were too full to go on, it is impossible to resist Aziza's desserts. We shared a rhubarb galette with fresh ginger ice cream, banana ice cream with walnut shortbread, pomegranate granita, an intense chocolate cake with chocolate sauce and cocoa nib ice cream, a pistachio-cardamom cake with moscato d'asti-poached dried apricots and orange creme fraiche, and a truly remarkable cayenne-studded chocolate pot de creme that kept going and going.

Sunday

Aziza leftovers. R had to fly back to Los Angeles for a wine festival in the afternoon and I was blissfully left with the remnants of last night's dinner. And oh, what bliss...

Carolyn Tillie · May 30, 2007

Starting my birthday celebration, some close friends joined us at the converted Winterland location (2101 Sutter St, at Steiner) to what is now Cassis Restaurant-- we started with a Tuna Tartare and Pissaldiere for starters, both of which were lovely. This was all started with a Chateauneuf du Pape, 2005 - a bit on the young side but quite ballsy.

For entrees, the four were: Duck Confit with a potato gratin, seared Swordfish with a zucchini gratin, a pork roast with pappardale side, and the Daube with a polenta side. I only got one taste each of the duck, pork, and daube but I believe the daube was a clear favorite, although the polenta was grilled and a bit drier than I prefer (I like them creamy and wet). The pork was succulent and moist. The duck was less rare than I prefer and the swordfish thinner than I normally like but was served with a great sauce - heartily grilled with a great crusty exterior. With this, we ordered is Vielles Visgnes 2003 (producer not remembered at this point) and was perfect.

For dessert, we pulled out the stops; Tarte Tatin, Creme Brulee, Chocolate Fondue, and a Mille Fleures served with an amazing 1990 Sauternes. The Tarte Tatin was perfection as was the Creme Brulee -- just barely enough custard to hold up the caramelized sugar. With the fondue, they served skewers of banana and strawberries along with strips of a Niçoise-regional pastry highlighted with orange flower water. Along with the desserts came the true highlight of the evening; a 1990 Chateau Guiraud Sauterne. Golden caramel, subtle honey, flowers, and more...

I am greatly intrigued to go back to try their pizzas and something else of special note: The new owners brought with them from France a world class, to-die-for wine cellar that they have yet to add to the wine list. Why? Prices. There exists on this little corner of San Francisco classic vintages of Romanee-Conti, Petrus, Musigny, Margaux, Latour, etc... My eyes glazed over at the wonders I saw and the owners have yet to determine the value and selling prices of these gems. They've only been open two weeks. I'll be stopping by often to watch their development; both from the kitchen and from the wine cellar.

melkor · June 5, 2007

Starting my birthday celebration, some close friends joined us at the converted Winterland location (2101 Sutter St, at Steiner) to what is now Cassis Restaurant-- we started with a Tuna Tartare and Pissaldiere for starters, both of which were lovely. This was all started with a Chateauneuf du Pape, 2005 - a bit on the young side but quite ballsy.
For entrees, the four were: Duck Confit with a potato gratin, seared Swordfish with a zucchini gratin, a pork roast with pappardale side, and the Daube with a polenta side. I only got one taste each of the duck, pork, and daube but I believe the daube was a clear favorite, although the polenta was grilled and a bit drier than I prefer (I like them creamy and wet). The pork was succulent and moist. The duck was less rare than I prefer and the swordfish thinner than I normally like but was served with a great sauce - heartily grilled with a great crusty exterior. With this, we ordered is Vielles Visgnes 2003 (producer not remembered at this point) and was perfect.
For dessert, we pulled out the stops; Tarte Tatin, Creme Brulee, Chocolate Fondue, and a Mille Fleures served with an amazing 1990 Sauternes. The Tarte Tatin was perfection as was the Creme Brulee -- just barely enough custard to hold up the caramelized sugar. With the fondue, they served skewers of banana and strawberries along with strips of a Niçoise-regional pastry highlighted with orange flower water. Along with the desserts came the true highlight of the evening; a 1990 Chateau Guiraud Sauterne. Golden caramel, subtle honey, flowers, and more...
I am greatly intrigued to go back to try their pizzas and something else of special note: The new owners brought with them from France a world class, to-die-for wine cellar that they have yet to add to the wine list. Why? Prices. There exists on this little corner of San Francisco classic vintages of Romanee-Conti, Petrus, Musigny, Margaux, Latour, etc... My eyes glazed over at the wonders I saw and the owners have yet to determine the value and selling prices of these gems. They've only been open two weeks. I'll be stopping by often to watch their development; both from the kitchen and from the wine cellar.
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Can you tell us a bit more about the dry wines you were served? Who made the Chateaneuf and what was the Vielles Visgnes (I think you mean Vieilles Vignes - since VV translates roughly to 'old vines' it isn't terribly descriptive)?

Carolyn Tillie · June 6, 2007

Can you tell us a bit more about the dry wines you were served? Who made the Chateaneuf and what was the Vielles Visgnes (I think you mean Vieilles Vignes - since VV translates roughly to 'old vines' it isn't terribly descriptive)?
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Afraid not - the wine and the conversation were flowing a bit too freely for me to pay attention (other than the vintages were too young and the prices reasonable). The only reason I knew the Sauternes producer was that there was a single glass left and I brought the bottle home; sipping that last lovely glass as I wrote up the dinner at 2:00 in the morning.

Carlsbad · June 6, 2007

The wine list is on the website.

Carolyn Tillie · June 6, 2007

The wine list is on the website.
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I tried that but for whatever reason, the PDF I get only has the first page. Maybe a Macintosh issue?

Carolyn Tillie · August 16, 2007

I've been remiss in posting lots of recent dinners which I hope to rectify (even by a little back-tracking in the next few days...) However, a stunning dinner last evening at Kappa is where I'll start... A farewell to a good friend was a great reason to return here and this time, I shot some pretty decent pics with the iPhone:

An opening course comprised of a gelatinous goo comprised of okra and clarified fish stock on top fresh scallops, topped with large roe. A clean, bright starter...

Kinpira-gobo. This is basically simmered burdock root which had a dressing of mostly sesame oil and seeds with a little red pepper flakes.

A series of small bites; reading from left to right starting from the top-left: cold, seared marinated duck breast (tender and rich), squid rolled around fish roe, grilled meatball. Second row: sea snail, "sushi" of egg yolk wrapped with shrimp and cucumber, ankimo. Third row: tamagoyaki, smoked scallop, anago sushi. I love this presentation and all the various bites that are presented.

Assorted sashimi: Very decent hamachi (yellowtail), halibut (very good, very tender), 2 pieces of maguro, and mirugai (giant clam). Also, real wasabi, which was sweet and not too hot.

The fried bits; a corn fritter, a crab puff, cold seared toro, and black-skin pork, tonkatsu-style. The corn fritter was amazing - literally bursting squirts of freshness. The pork was tender and rich and the toro literally melted in the mouth.

Nearing the finish, served in a martini glass was a concoction of pureed fava beans in which was set a single perfect bite of shrimp. Topping all of it was jellied fish broth. I'm not sure I have ever experienced the single essence of fava beans so delicately prepared.

The sweet bites: Along with a selection of fresh melon and mango, are two house-made preparations - the one on the left is filled with red bean paste and topped with soy powder, kinako, and the one on the right molded with white bean and chestnut, a kuri wagashi.

A word on service - this is a husband-and-wife establishment and with only ten seats, reservations are required as all the service is done by the Mrs. The plates and utensils used are delicate, expensive, and quite beautiful. The entire meal is a treat.

edited to fix a few things which my dining companion knew about but I didn't... Thanks, J!

Edited August 16, 2007 by Carolyn Tillie (log)

Carolyn Tillie · September 14, 2007

Dined at Farina a few weeks ago and can see where some of the comments on CH come from on the prices. Of our party of three, I arrived early and started with a Martini Genovese - a regular gin martini that was heavily muddled with basil which was quite refreshing.

After being seated and getting a bottle of sparkling rose, three of us shared two salads: a "terrine" of fresh seafood which included lobster, shrimp, octopus, and more as well as a prosciutto and cheese composition that was topped with fresh summer white truffles. The cheese was a house-made version of a Mozzarella that was stunning. The seafood terrine was no less than brilliant.

Three pasta dishes then arrived; the handkerchief pasta with pesto, spaghetti and meatballs, and a seafood ravioli. Of the three, it was the meat ragu on the spaghetti that surprised all of us. The pesto was elegant and all that, but the meat sauce was the most flavorful.

Two entrees arrived; halibut (or was it escolar?) with grilled bell peppers and a large veal chop. Of the two, the fish was the better entree. While the veal was thick and ample, it was quite fatty. Seems to be a current complaint so mine was not an anomaly.

We finished up with nutella- and chocolate-filled fried fritters served with three sauces; a lemon, raspberry, and vanilla (I think).

I liked that the much of the wine list was offered by glass, half-carafe, and full bottle. I didn't see the final tab, but imagine it to be on the pricey side. The waiters were wearing Genova t-shirts, no Ralph Lauren polo shirts. They were incredibly friendly and accommodating. The business was bustling and many were waiting for a table. Considering the ample offerings of Italian in this city, I doubt I would return, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Carolyn Tillie · September 20, 2007

Some very good friends were visiting last week, suggesting The Dining Room at the Ritz. As it was on my list of places wanting to try, I happily obliged. Going for the full tasting menu, the restaurant serves two renditions of a single ingredient; one for the men and one for the women. We were three and thankfully, The Gentleman offered us ladies tastes of his offerings as well as tasting ours.

For our amuses and starters, we started with an Egly Ouriet. I’m afraid I don’t know the vintage but this is earmarked by being a 100% pinot meunier Champagne which is quite nice.

Our first amuse were Organic Spinach Risolle which were sadly a little on the pasty side.

The second amuse were assorted vegetable tuilles (corn, mushroom, cauliflower). All three of us gobbled up our respective tuilles before we realized that we each had a different flavor. I grabbed the cauliflower which was very bright and exciting. I would have loved to try the mushroom as we all marveled how they could have been made; they were perfectly shaped, delicately crisp, and full of flavor.

Seared Japanese ayu fish, heirloom tomatoes, tomato gelée, basil seed, and basil oil. For whatever reason, this combination seemed uninspired. I liked the basil seed component, but flavors were out of balance.

Sea urchin panna cotta with lobster, avocado, and Tahitian vanilla bean oil. This was a lovely amuse. The vanilla flavor was a perfect complement to the subtlety of the lobster and avocado.

Quail egg 64 degrees, Osetra caviar, croutons, and cedar smoke essence. This was a brilliant dish and impossible to photograph. The presentation container was egg-shaped with a sheared edge. That sheared edge was topped with tightly-covered Saran wrap on which was placed the food and a very small spoon. When you lifted the spoon, one revealed a small whole through which the cedar smoke escaped and as it wafted through the air, combined with the flavors of the egg and caviar. Stunning and brilliant and one of the most perfect examples of molecular gastronomy I've seen.

With the beginning of the actual courses, we shared a 2002 Chevalier Montrachet, Bouchard. Absolutely lovely.

Chilled corn soup, lobster knuckles, caviar, créme fraîche quenelle. One of the two soups presented, this was poured table-side. While the lobster, caviar, and quenelle were of top quality, the corn soup was just plain too sweet which over-powered the savory ingredients. I also thought that the consistency was not as smooth and creamy as anticipated.

Matsutake bouillon, foie gras ravioli, edamame beans. The second and superior soup of the evening. The matsutake broth alone was stunningly rich. I didn't care that it included a much-loved foie gras element - this was all about the fabulous broth.

Bluefin tuna tartar, geoduck clam and caviar. Nice, but not memorable. My friend thought the tartare was off-putting and the chewy clam was under seasoned with the caviar mostly useless.

Sashimi of kampachi, breakfast radish, cucumber, yuzu gelée, seaweed, kaisou glass, lemon agrumato oil. Unbalanced and the combination of the lemon oil and yuzu made for too much citrus. The fish itself was fabulous and would have held up just fine all on its own as a sashimi.

Isake, lobster mushrooms, cauliflower puree, anise hyssop puree

Grilled eel, scallions, mirin-scented rice, cedar smoke, konbu, house-made BBQ Sauce. There were too many things wrong with this course; mostly that it was too sweet and the smoke over powered.

Maine lobster, baby fennel, leeks, pink pearl apple reduction, cilantro oil. The cilantro completely over powered this and for both lobster dishes, the lobsters were rubbery and overcooked.

Maine lobster, veal cheek, scallions, corn, chanterelle mushrooms. Again, ruby lobster and the veal cheeks just didn’t work with the dish. Just plain wrong on so many levels.

With the foie dishes, a selection of three sweet wines were served; a Sauterne, an Ice Wine, and a Tokaji. I’m sorry I didn’t get the specifics but the Tokaji was the superior of the three.

Chilled foie gras, fig and szechwan pepper terrine, tawny port syrup, purslane grilled bread. The better of the two foie offerings.

Hot foie gras, peach terrine infused with sancho pepper, suncrest peach reduction. Nothing necessarily wrong with this, just nothing to write home about.

Now starting some hefty, savory courses, we opened at 1998 Bonnes Mares, Frederck Manginen. Another great bottle.

Duck, summer beans, pickled huckleberries, sancho pepper. Intensely sweet offering. The duck itself was hardly that beautiful, steak-like, tender quality that I accustomed to.

Poussin, melted onions chanterelle mushrooms, figs, chicken jus. This should have been an amazing dish but it suffered from too much salt. Way too much salt. Combining the overt sweetness from the duck dish, the two seemingly complementary dishes clashed horrifically.

Veal medallion, sweetbreads, lobster mushrooms, corn, corn pudding, ruby port.

Beef ribeye, dashi-poached shiitake mushrooms, daikon purée, ponzu essence. The ponzu over-powered.

Cheese plate – sadly, I did not write down the cheeses that were served.

Gravenstein apple sorbet, huckleberry cloud, pink pearl apple chip

Yellow tomato sorbet, peach seltzer. One sip was enough. Boring.

Chocolate manjari, teecino ice cream, Noyaux foam, hazelnut crisp, Maldon salt. This was my show-stopper dessert. Of the offerings, this is the one that I remember and enjoyed tremendously.

Melange of corn and raspberries, cream of corn, fresh raspberries, raspberry sorbet, ice wine vinegar, arlette.

Overall, the strongest elements of the entire meal were the amuses; more engaging and exciting than the actual courses. It sadly lacked in its complete lack of taste memory and cohesiveness and overall, the meal had very little emotional impact. It is sad that the memories of the meal were in its faults; the dishes that were too sweet and those that were overly salty.

Carolyn Tillie · October 3, 2007

Before dashing off to Los Angeles last weekend, I wandered into Scott Howard for dinner on Friday evening. I opted for the three course prix fixe for $31.98. I liked the fact that they have a very good by-the-glass wine last and that all glasses could be either three or six ounces.

For my first course, I chose the Japanese Hamachi with pink grapefruit, pickled cucumber, truffled ponzu, and herbs. This was really well done although I could not detect any truffle in the ponzu. The fish was fresh and the perfect temperature. I chose a Loosen Riesling that worked very well with the dish.

For my second course, I had the Pan Roasted Veal Sweetbreads with yukon potato purée, smoked bacon, and madeira jus. With this I picked an a Domaine Allimant-Laugnier Alsacian Pinot. The dish was not bad, but I like my sweetbreads to be on the crispy side while these were very mushy.

I was torn between the venison and the poussin and at the waitress' recommendation, I opted for the Crispy Poussin with truffled orzo "mac & cheese," watercress, and natural jus. Also with the waitress's suggestion, I ordered Baumard Anjou Loire Valley Cab Franc. I was also not very impressed with this dish either. It was probably my mistake but both the sweetbreads and the poultry were served on a puddle of purée/mush. I had too much soft food and not enough tantalizing flavors.

Not stuffed to the gills, I ordered the sample three-cheese plate (sorry, don't remember which cheeses were served). There was a wine on the dessert wine list I was unfamiliar with and asked about the Picolit, La Roncala, Colli Orientele, Italy. My server was really great in that since I was unfamiliar with the wine, brought over the bottle for me to taste. At a little more than half empty, it was definitely corked (which means they had already served it as such). The waitress was really great in whisking the bottle away and suggested instead a Heidi Schrock Beerenauslese. This wine worked well with the cheeses and was a nice ending to an otherwise unremarkable meal. About $100 for all.

Carolyn Tillie · October 4, 2007

Wandering up Fillmore last evening I stopped in at S.P.Q.R. [1911 Fillmore St. (near Bush), San Francisco; (415) 771-7779] right as they opened at 5:30 p.m. I quickly grabbed a spot at the bar and within minutes, the restaurant was 80% full and only a seat or two left at the bar. The bar attendant was attentive despite the fact that most of the bar-dwellers were close friends of the establishment. I started with a taste (half a glass) of Verdicchio while waiting for the night's menu to be finished printing.

The list of Antipasti was extensive and I liked the fact that they were listed as a flat $7.00 each or three for $18.00. I went ahead and ordered three, not knowing if I would still be hungry or if those three would be a sufficient meal.

I started with zucchini and ricotta involtini with tomatoes - three roll-ups of grilled zucchini stuffed with fresh ricotta on very fresh, diced heirloom tomatoes. Cold and refreshing, this was a very nice start and a good match with the Verdicchio.

The second antipasti I ordered was the sweetbreads with celery, garlic, lemon, and oregano. Unlike the Scott Howard mushy offering of last Friday, these were incredibly crunchy and ample. At first I thought I was served the chicken livers as there were so many of them -- I was sure I was served the wrong dish. For $7.00, this was a really great bargain and knowing I had more food to come, couldn't finish the plate.

My third antipasti was fresh shelling beans with pork sofritto. My Verdicchio was finished and I asked for a hefty red, the name of which I failed to get, but went well with the bean dish. I have to note that very nearby me was a professional photographer who apparently was shooting every dish that came out for the restaurant's portfolio. A few of my own dishes were shot before they came to me which was no problem, but the bigger problem was that I was seeing tons of dishes that I really wanted to try. Inasmuch, I decided to stop eating my bean dish about a third of the way through to order some pasta (I'm eating it for breakfast right now it is is making for a great left-over!).

Chef Daniel introduced himself and based on what I had already eaten, suggested the radiatore with tuna, tomatoes, garlic, anchovies, olives, and capers. It was very good, but hardly a show-stopper as far as pasta dishes is concerned. I'll still wander up to Vivande de Portola for pasta cravings.

I should have refrained, but I couldn't resist ordering a dessert -- the panino with caramelized milk, pears, shaved chocolate, and sea salt with a wine pairing of Cornarea 'Tarasco' Roero Arneis Passito, Piemonte, 2001. What a mind-blowing dessert! I first thought that it was a bit odd, this grilled sandwich, until I got closer into the middle with the gooey sauce and fresh pears. The sprinkling of sea salt heightened the dish and the wine pairing, a perfect choice.

The restaurant WAS very busy and it seemed the bulk of those hanging around the bar were close friends and/or patrons of A16 as hugs and hand-shakes were abundant. There are more seats in the restaurant than when it was Chez Nous and even walking out took a little dexterity as the patrons are a bit closed in. I'm glad I got there early as the noise level upon my exit was pretty loud.

Overall, I am really thrilled to have this place in walking distance. Three antipasti for $18.00 with a good glass of wine will make for VERY affordable and plentiful well-executed dinners for me. I'm happier with several small plates anyway and I have only begun to scratch the surface of what is available. Great meeting Daniel, as well -- I get the impression it will be very easy to become a regular here!

Margaret Pilgrim · October 4, 2007

Vivande de Portola
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?????

Carolyn Tillie · October 4, 2007

Vivande de Portola
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?????
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Talked about here.

Also, here is their website. So far, the best pasta I've found in the city.

Margaret Pilgrim · October 4, 2007

Vivande de Portola
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?????
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Talked about here.
Also, here is their website. So far, the best pasta I've found in the city.
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Okay. I see the confusion. You're talking about Vivande Porta Via.

Carolyn Tillie · October 4, 2007

Vivande de Portola
←
?????
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Talked about here.
Also, here is their website. So far, the best pasta I've found in the city.
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Okay. I see the confusion. You're talking about Vivande Porta Via.
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Ooops - my bad! Thanks for the correction. I usually just call it Vivande. Period.

**caseyell** · October 5, 2007

I just found this topic -- lots and lots of good reading. Looking forward to future culinary reports.

Carolyn Tillie · October 6, 2007

Based on this Chowhound review, I decided to head back to Bushi-Tei as my last visit was pre-Michelin ratings and also before the existence of an Omakase offering.

In all honesty, I'm not sure why this received a Michelin star...

There were two omakase offerings on the menu; one with meat and one vegetarian. I was intrigued with the vegetarian until I was told it was two courses with a dessert. That's it? I'll take the meat omakase which was five courses.

An amuse was brought out - a sandwich of tuna rillette between two crunchy crackers which were actually toasted slices of their house bread. Putting *some* rillette on a single slice would have been sufficient but an amuse (which in my mind should be taken in one bite) of two dry hunks of bread with not-enough fish just made for too big of a mouthful.

Sadly, there is no wine pairing with the omakase and so I was on my own in determining wine pairings for dishes that I had no pre-knowledge of. Big mistake. The waiter did tell me the first few courses were fish so I was fairly certain a white would work and ordered a Riesling (sorry, lost my notes on which one specifically). Also, this wine was served in a Pinot Noir glass... Bad.

The first course was a layered monstrosity of a giant wasabi leaf, champagne-poached oyster, blue fin tuna tartare, some coconut-based hollandaise, fresh uni, and American sturgeon caviar. I say it was a monstrosity as there was far too much going on and either the oyster or the tartare (or both?) could have been entirely left out. The flavor of the uni, caviar, and coconut was predominate so something as delicate as a champagne-poached oyster (which couldn't be seen so maybe it WASN'T there!) was irrelevant. As was the tartare.

The next course was a composed salad of fresh heirloom tomatoes, topped with dressed frisée, and surrounded by slices of sashimi of Arctic Char. Recalling my disastrous visit to Valentino in Los Angeles, I wonder why chefs insist on pairing tomatoes with raw fish -- the textures and flavors are so disparate and I'm curious if there exists any good examples of this sort of pairing as my two sojourns into that particular pairing have been exceptionally bad.

The Riesling finished and not remembering what was coming next, I ordered a glass of Pinot Noir (standby knowledge - it usually goes with everything).

The next course was a hot fish dish of grilled Red snapper with crispy skin on ratatouille and hollandaise. This was a real hollandaise but there wasn't quite enough of it to pair well with the grilled vegetables and dry fish.

The last savory course was American Wagyu, perfectly rare, served atop sliced Yukon Gold potatoes and baby shiitake mushrooms. There was a very good sauce with it but I'm afraid I don't exactly recall its components. Regrettably, the sauce did not make up for whatever was done to the mushrooms which were stridently sharp and peppery. I didn't bother finishing this course.

Dessert was an Orange "parfait" which was actually a scoop of creamy orange sorbet in some orange soup and topped with a small tuille cookie. This was paired with a sparkling sake which was a relatively nice pairing.

Overall, the service was very good but I question many things about the menu. For starters, in reading through the standard offerings, there doesn't seem to be any evolution in the menu. Similar to my Gary Danko complaints, nothing is different than what I read when I first visited, 18 months ago. The addition of the omakase is week in its lack of wine pairings and I found the dishes overall to be ill-conceived although well-prepared.

I don't need to go back.

Edited October 6, 2007 by Carolyn Tillie (log)

grayelf · October 8, 2007

Thanks for all your foodie gumshoeing, CT. The Significant Engineer and I are heading to SF Nov 8 for our second joint visit (last was in 2003) -- I now have 11 pages from your excellent reviews and related comments to sift through! Keep those insights coming, and thanks to everyone else who has contributed along the way. This Vancouverite is prepared to be wowed by another West Coast city's culinary offerings.

PS We'll be staying at the Vintage Court (Bush/Powell near Chinatown gates) so any suggestions specific to that area would be most welcome.

Carolyn Tillie · October 8, 2007

Thank you, Grayelf! Your best walking distance restaurant from your location is Canteen. They have an ever-changing menu (daily) and you could go there at least one time for lunch and dinner. Another within walking range would by Myth which is dinner only - you must get the sweetbreads and the gnocchi or foie penne!

Any types of food you are looking for? The Ferry Plaza is an obvious choice for Saturday morning - you can nosh through dozens and dozens of stalls...

grayelf · October 8, 2007

Thank you, Grayelf! Your best walking distance restaurant from your location is Canteen. They have an ever-changing menu (daily) and you could go there at least one time for lunch and dinner. Another within walking range would by Myth which is dinner only - you must get the sweetbreads and the gnocchi or foie penne!
Any types of food you are looking for? The Ferry Plaza is an obvious choice for Saturday morning - you can nosh through dozens and dozens of stalls...
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Thanks for the personal feedback. In the interests of not hijacking this thread, I'll PM you with our food specs :biggrin: