A good deal is good to find in SF

[ingridsf]

Everybody's idea of a "good deal" is different but I found one for me last night.

I had dinner w/ friends at Zazie in Cole Valley. Dinner for the 3 of us with wine and tip was around $150. We could have done even better if we took advantage of the 3-courses-for-$19.50 option. (You choose from among 3 apps, 3 mains, any dessert. The choices were good, too.) Mind you, this was at 9 pm on a Friday; a lot of the meal-deals around are early-birds, Sun-Thurs only.

Here's what we had:

-2 half bottles Benton Lane Pinot Noir

-2 shared apps: 3 cheeses with roasted figs and grilled walnut bread; and the charcuterie platter with house-made pate and cornichons, proscuitto, olives, salmon rilletes, and greens

-grilled lamb chops w/ red wine reduction, mashed potatoes, asparagus

-steak au poivre, potatoes au gratin, sauteed greens

-roasted trout, tomatoes provencale, roast potatoes

-pot de creme au chocolat; pear and ginger crumble with ice cream and creme fraiche; creme brullee with strawberries

The ingredients, cooking, seasoning, presentation were solid, no corners cut. The pate and the crumble were outstanding. I know, nothing there that wows you with its innovation. Manresa it is not. But they do very well on the stuff that isn't on the menu, esp for the prices. Opening two bottles for us to taste. Hot-hot rolls and soft butter. Sending extra strawberries out when they saw us eat them so fast. The place can be crowded but the staff worked well together.

That they can make simplicity so enjoyable is worth noting. On Monday nights they give 10% off to people who bring their dogs, and that alone gave one of my friends license to return.

Edited March 26, 2006 by ingridsf (log)

[annachan]

Thanks for the tip. I've been looking for dog-friendly places to bring our baby girl to since we got her several weeks ago. We'll definitely have to bring her there, maybe even meet our friends with their dog there.

[JAZ]

Ingrid, I lived in Cole Valley years ago, so all the places have changed since my days there. Is Zazie the place on the corner of Cole and Carl? I'll have to check it out.

[ingridsf]

Ingrid, I lived in Cole Valley years ago, so all the places have changed since my days there. Is Zazie the place on the corner of Cole and Carl? I'll have to check it out.

←

No, I think the place you're thinking of is Eos (owner later opened Bacar), where I was served the saltiest dish of my life. It was -- is? -- a hip/hapning spot when it first opened. Unlike Zazie, which is thought of more as a place to go if you live nearby. And that's a shame, given that it's only a half-block from the N-Judah and is on at least 2 bus lines, the 6 and the 43. Hardly the boondocks.

That intersection has some good food and drinks. I like the no-name sushi spot right there on Carl at Cole and the Kezar Bar and Grill where my friend bartends. Say Cheese has great -- you guessed it! -- cheese and sandwiches. Good lord, there's also the Boulangerie de Cole at Parnassus, too (RIP Tassajara Bakery).

You could gain some serious weight in that 2-block radius!

[eje]

Ingrid,

Thanks for the tip and write up.

That's pretty close to where I work.

Have you ever tried them for lunch?

By the By, it's a little more expensive than the usual cheap middle eastern places; but, Taboun at Stanyon and Parnassus has my current favorite Shwarma in the area.

-Erik

[ingridsf]

Have you ever tried them for lunch?

By the By, it's a little more expensive than the usual cheap middle eastern places; but, Taboun at Stanyon and Parnassus has my current favorite Shwarma in the area.

-Erik

←

Actually, I think Zazie's better known for their breakfast/lunch/brunch menu. I used to go for a midday breakfast on weekdays when I lived nearby. It's so jammed on the weekends I didn't bother. People talk about their pancakes but my thing was an egg dish, scrambled with chorizo, white cheddar and roasted peppers. Came with roasted potatoes/garlic, pico de gallo, and toast.

Why did I move?...

Re Taboun: If they delivered, I'd be one happy person. But thanks.

[nutcakes]

I don't consider that a good deal, but perhaps you mean good value and I get that. Thanks for posting about the course deal. A couple other 3 course deals to keep in mind:

Cosmopolitan Cafe, 3 courses $25 - only from 5:30 to 6:30 PM M-Sat, closed Sun

You get about 3 selections in each catagory. Portions are generous. The romaine salad with warm polenta croutons is terrific, but the fennel citrus with Vella jack is also excellent. They change the dishes up a bit but the salmon is always tasty, had a excellent lamb pot roast once. Insanely delicious butterscotch pudding and one time a trio of citrus dessert (oh that one was DAT.) At this sime of day, the place is nicely hushed and comfy.

Hayes Street Grill Prix Fixe: Choice of two salad, Grilled or Sauteed Fish (chef's choice), Dessert Served Sunday through Thursday after 7:30 p.m. $29.

I have had halibut in choice of sauce and skate wing in browned butter with capers. Dessert was always Creme Brulee and they do a great one.