On 5/10/2018 at 10:17 PM, MetsFan5 said:I’m thinking about dinner here next month. The business casual dress code is appealing, as is the ability to order how many courses you want from their entire menu seems like a great concept.
Has anyone been there recently?
B and I went there last year in 2016. How time flies!
We found our experience not as good as it could have been.
We arrived early, and they didn't seat us until 50 minutes later, 20 minutes past our reservation time. When I asked what was taking so long, I was told "Well, you arrived early." That's not the point -- we had a reservation time of 9 pm and it's now 9:20 -- does everyone who comes here get seated late? Strike #1. Furthermore, we were seated at the bar and no staff came by to alert us; I had to get up to go speak to the host.
On to the food...
"Thai soup" -- while it reminded me of tom kha gai and hit all the right flavor notes, I was asking myself why are we eating pseudo-Thai food in this restaurant?
Not exactly an auspicious beginning. Strike #2 was that it took nearly 5 minutes *after* being seated before we received the menus, and when they brought us the menus, they also brought us the first amuse-bouche. It felt like a weird combination of: (1) we're being rushed and (2) we're being punished.
Buckwheat blini, salmon, osetra caviar.
Well-made blini -- perfect, actually. Like butter-flavored clouds.
Seared foie gras, caramelized onion, poached rhubarb.
Plating doesn't exactly inspire confidence, a theme you will see repeatedly throughout. Was prepared well though from what little I tasted.
Figs, arugula, fennel, Gorgonzola cheese.
Average salad, nothing special.
Seared scallops, morels, English peas, Madeira.
Excellent flavor, from the bite or two I stole off of B's plate. Sear on the scallops poorly executed though.
Lamb loin with farroto, Medjool dates, carrots and chermoula.
The lamb was well-cooked. The plating sucked, the sauce was oversalted (basically, if you can taste it, it's too much), and the accompaniments slapdash. At this point, I was starting to become irritated. This is a restaurant that is supposed to be in the vanguard of San Francisco dining and for the prices that are being charged, everything should feel like perfection from the moment you step inside to when you depart.
This was not it. Ixnay on the square plates.
Cheese cart.
Sauternes.
Louisiana butter cake, peaches, huckleberry compote, vanilla ice cream.
Amateurish plating. Cake itself was "fine". Maybe I ordered wrong.
Flourless chocolate birthday cake.
I suppose it might have been a good restaurant -- in 1995. You can do better in the City.