Category: San Francisco

Food trends.  You can’t avoid them if you enjoy eating at any white tablecloth restaurant. 

Long ago, it was pesto.  Pesto not just on pasta, but on chicken, mayo and aioli, bruschetta, you get the idea.  I’m so over it.

Then there were sun-dried tomatoes.  They were in salads, breads, pastas, pizzas, spreads, just about any and everything.  This trend hasn’t fully died, but it has died down.

Most recently, there has been the most annoying of all trends: foam.  What the hell is this all about?  Fancy foams that accompany a plate taste like nothing, look like nothing, and add absolutely nothing.  Enough said.

 Photo by J. Low

But now, there is a new trend on the horizon.  It’s called…fried chicken!  This is no new food innovation, of course.  It’s just our basic primal need for a big hunk of meat, fried.  I can get on board with this food trend!

Here are some places in San Francisco that have recently either helped start or jumped on the bandwagon of this trend.  Of course, there are so many other places to get some that I haven’t mentioned here, but feel free to place a comment and let me know about ones you’ve tried elsewhere.  I can’t vouch for the quality of each restaurant’s fried chicken since I haven’t tried them all, but I have visited a few of these places, and they make very tasty versions, indeed.

Town Hall (San Francisco)

Say what you will about the noise of this place, the inconsistant service, or the cavernous space.  Bottom line is the food here rocks!  There’s nothing like a plate of their expertly prepared fried chicken and finishing off your meal with an order of Butterscotch and Chocolate Pot de Creme.  It’s a heartattack of a meal but you’ll love every minute of it.

900 Grayson (Berkeley)

Their chicken and waffles (known as the “Demon Lover”) is the best version of the dish that I’ve ever tasted.  Perfectly crisp, perfectly flavored, hardly greasy, quality meat.  Simply mouth-watering.  Oh, and that homemade buttermilk waffle it’s served on ain’t so bad either.

Chez Panisse Cafe (Berkeley)

This legendary restaurant is known for it’s innovative use of local ingredients, perfectly prepared.  San Francisco Chronicle Food Editor, Michael Bauer’s recent blog entry touts the merits of their verson of this dish.  And apparently, it’s not to be missed.

PPQ (San Francisco)

Yes, I know this is a Vietnamese restaurant, but have you had their Five Spice Chicken?  To die for!  Once you try it, you’ll know why it’s on this list.  Just go.

Bakesale Betty’s (Oakland)

This place has gotten so much attention lately, but their lines out the door say it all.  They’re all waiting to get their hands on Betty’s now famous Fried Chicken Sandwich.  She makes the chicken in-house, places two breast pieces on each huge sandwich, and then piles on a vinegary, spicy cole slaw for a great flavor and texture contrast.  Not to be missed.

Man, why did I write this post without a good piece of fried chicken on hand?  What was I thinking?

I’ve been putting off a visit to Perbacco for numerous reasons for almost a year.  But J.Low and I wanted to celebrate a special occassion, and we finally decided to pay them a visit.

We got there early, but the place filled up fast.  The decor was sleek, modern, and full of brick walls, light hardwoods, white accents, and expansive spaces.  It was all very clean and sophisticated, but not stuffy.

Perbacco is known for their housemade cured meats, so we ordered the Salumi Misti.  It was a plate full of some of the Chef’s favorite preparations including some pork pate and five different kinds of cured meats.  Some had the sweetness of a rich red wine, some had a saltier bite, and others a buttery flavor and texture.  Just heaven and not to be missed.

We also ordered the Organic Peach and Arugula Salad with shaved ricotta salata and toasted marcona almonds, which were more buttery and lighter in taste and texture than a regular almond.  The peaches were the most beautiful shades of bright yellow and deep pinks and reds.  The colors showed how wonderfully juicy, sweet, and vibrant the fruit was.  As J.Low stated, the peppery fresh arugula was the perfect foil for the sweet sunny peaches.  And the almonds and light sprinkling of ricotta cheese added to the dish’s textural complexity.  It was the simplest dish, but also the best of the whole night because of the quality of ingredients and excellent execution.

For my entree I ordered the Shortrib Pappardelle with a light sprinkling of melted parmigiano reggiano.  The pasta had the wonderful flavor and texture of housemade pasta.  And like J.Low said, it was cooked perfectly al dente.  And the shortrib sauce was full of meat that was buttery, earthy, and delicious.  I could’ve had another plate!

J.Low ordered the Shortrib Straccato with chanterelle mushrooms, fresh peas, and mashed potatoes.  Earthy, woodsy, and perfectly cooked is how we described the dish.  All the flavors on the plate married together so well.

We finished the meal with a Peach and Berry Tortino, which I didn’t think I would have room for.  But once I took one bite of the accompanying Peach Caramel gelato, I MADE room!  The tortino looked as if it would be dry, but my first bite proved how perfectly prepared it was.  It was moist yet crumbly, and the outer crust was almost crisp.  Another textural and taste winner.  It was almost like a sweeter cornbread (which makes sense since it was of course cornmeal) with berries on the bottom and a sprinkling of those sweet organic peaches on top.  And that gelato was truly yummy.

The service here was some of the best I’ve ever experienced in San Francisco.  Everything was paced well (not too slow, not too fast), the busboys cleared our plates promptly and always politely with a smile, and the waiter was very friendly but never intruded in on our conversation.  The service made an already wonderful dinner over the top excellent.  My experience here made me believe that a great meal and truly excellent service can still co-exist.

Some “celebrity” restaurants could definitely learn a thing or two from the folks here ;-).

Perbacco – 230 California St. (near Front St.) – San Francisco – 415.955.0663

Beard Papa is in Japan what Krispy Kremes, in their hayday, were to us.  People go crazy over this stuff in Asia, and they’ve finally come to America.  The company’s logo is an animated character that’s a cross between the Gordan’s Fisherman and Santa Claus.  My husband says he kinda looks like Ernest Hemingway, but I digress…

They’ve got three Bay Area locations: two in San Francisco and one in Redwood City.  So what’s all the fuss?  It’s not like any other cream puff you’ll have.  First off, it’s much larger than the classic cream puff.  It’s somewhere between the size of a donut and a traditional puff.  Secondly, the pastry is composed of two layers: slightly crisp on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside.  Third, the cream inside really isn’t.  It’s more of a light custard.  It’s texture is silky, light, and perfectly airy.

They only come in chocolate and vanilla bean cream, but they also offer a weekly special flavor.  On this visit, it was Tiramisu.  The cream’s flavor was richer than the usual vanilla, yet the texture was still light.  It was really more of a coffee flavor than tiramisu, but it was a nice change from the usual. 

But I saved the best for last.  The vanilla bean flavor is still the best, in my opinion.  The filling is at once eggy and light, flavorful yet not too sweet.  It’s so mild and subtle and never overpowering.  I just love the texture of the cream and pastry.  And together it’s a great combination of crisp and creamy.

Japanese desserts are typically lighter than their western counterparts, and this cream puff is no exception.  It’s so delicate in its construction and flavors.  And they even claim to use all natural ingredients, no preservatives, and organic vanilla beans.  The puffs are made fresh everyday and filled with the cream when you order them, so they don’t get soggy.  You should eat them immediately after purchase. 

Even somebody like me who doesn’t have a big sweet tooth could easily have more than one.  Tasty!

Beard Papa – San Francisco Shopping Center / 99 Yerba Buena Ln, S.F. / 835 Middlefield Rd, Redwood City

Salt House’s sister restaurant, Town Hall, is one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco.  So, my dining companion and I had high hopes.

The space is very industrial, much like Town Hall’s, except with dimmer more intimate lighting.  Exposed brick walls and high ceilings make up the interior decor.  And little touches like the skull logo on their water jugs at every table, make it known that the owners have a sense of humor.  The vibe here is social, lively, and doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Doey and I ordered the Poutine, one of the few dishes the Canadians can claim as their own.  Salt House is known for this dish, and it was clearly the highlight of the evening for us.  The thick crisp fries were covered in short rib gravy and melted fontina cheese.  It was a heart attack on a plate and full of ooey gooey goodness.  It was tasty, rich, and hearty.  But surprisingly, it wasn’t…great. 

Doey then had the Monkfish entree with mussels and a light broth.  It was cooked well with a nice light brown sear on the fish and the mussels were perfect, even if they were a bit on the small side.  But the dish was largely…well…boring.  And the broth was way too salty.  (I know, the irony wasn’t lost on us.)

I had the Roasted Chicken, which everyone raves about.  It was good, juicy, but again, uninspired.  The fingerling potato mash was also good, but again, too salty!  The olives in the dish totally overpowered everything and made what could’ve been a tasty dish, way too strong.  There was no depth in any of these entrees, no layering of flavors.

We also shared the Raspberry Poppyseed Cake with Mint Granita.  The granita was refreshing and not too sweet.  It was the best part of the dessert.  The cake, however, resembled and tasted like a muffin.  It was way too dense and lacked the moisture to be called a cake.  A clear disappointment.  Fortunately, though, the raspberry flavor was fresh and sweet.  The only high note for this dessert.

Service was not terribly friendly or accomodating, but not notably bad, either.  It was obvious though, that while we were lingering over our dinner and having a good long conversation, the staff was ready for us to vacate our table.

If you’re a fan of Town Hall, stay there.  There’s no reason to stray, even if it is to their sister restaurant.  It’s just not worth the trip.

Salt House – Mission St. btwn. 1st and 2nd Streets – San Francisco – 415.543.8900

Scott Howard was recently named one of San Francisco’s Top 100 Restaurants by the Chronicle.  And after checking out their menu online, I was inspired to pay a visit.

The restaurant’s decor is dominated by warm orange, amber, and brown tones.  It’s just one big room, so if it gets crowded, it gets noisy.  Very warm and classy, but it wasn’t terribly inspired.

Anyways, my hubby and pal J. Lo started by sharing two appetizers between the three of us.  First up, the Tempura Tiger Shrimp with a spicy chipotle dipping sauce and mache salad.  The shrimp were big, juicy, and the coating crisp, not to heavy, and perfectly fried.  The dipping sauce had the bold flavor of chipotle and enough spice and zest to give it the perfect kick.  What a great dish!

We also shared the Crispy Duck Confit, though there wasn’t much that was crispy on the plate.  The duck meat had a good flavor that was slightly sweet and was accompanied by juicy cherries and earthy porchini mushrooms on the plate.  But the duck meat was slightly drier than I’d like, and like I said, there was no crispy duck skin to speak of anywhere.  It turned out to be the weakest dish of the night, though the presentation was still beautiful.

For the main course, J. and I both ordered the Short Ribs with creamed spinach and tomato jus.  Talk about tender!  The meat barely needed my knife!  It was marbled with enough fat to make it juicy and succulent.  And the creamed spinach was both fresh and decadent, without being overpowered by the cream.  A simply perfect combo.

We also ordered a side of Orzo Mac and Cheese.  Oh…my…gawd!  Decadent and creamy gooeyness!  And the tomato jus on top was like a squeeze of really good gourmet ketchup!  If you go, just get it.  Enough said.

My hubby had the Roasted Venison with wild asparagus.  It was cooked to a beautiful medium rare.  The meat was nice and lean, tender, and incredibly flavorful.  Not gamey at all.  And the wild asparagus was fresh and mild.  The perfect partner to the lean meat.

We finished off our meal with the Chocolate Lavender Ice Cream with Cardamom Chocolate Chip Cookies.  What a great spin on two classic desserts!  The lavender infused the mild chocolate ice cream with a floral note that was fresh and comforting.  Just like lavender should!  And the cardamom flavor was prominent in the cookies.  It made them incredibly different from any other chocolate chip cookie I’ve ever had.  Very spicy and earthy.  Ice cream and cookies may seem ordinary, but this was a delightfully different dessert.

My biggest complaint?  The bathrooms!  One had a symbol of a man on the door, the other a woman, and the other two were apparently unisex!  Yet everyone was using all four individual bathrooms as unisex!  What confusion.  And a high end restaurant serving such interesting dishes should definitely do a better job of keeping their bathrooms clean.

Other than that, the service was friendly, pacing perfect, and the food was inventive and delicious.

Scott Howard – 500 Jackson St., San Francisco, 415.956.7040