February 2007 Boulevard
1 Mission Street
San Francisco, California 94107
415-543-6084
Website:
www.boulevardrestaurant.com
Cuisine: American Synopsis: Due to a rain delay, we showed up a little late for our reservation
at Boulevard. This truly turned out to be a blessing in disguise,
because -- though our table had already been given away -- in lieu of a
long wait, we were offered two front row seats at the table adjoining
the open kitchen:
As big fans of the Food Network, V and I
couldn't have been more pleased with what turned out to be 2.5 hours of
food spectating (see videos below). Here's what we ordered: First Course - Dayboat Sea Scallops (with
Italian Butterbeans, Chorizo & Lobster) - $18
These scallops got our meal off to a very strong start. The
scallops were fleshy, and the seared surfaces were particularly
flavorful. The big beans reminded us of Vic's dish at Aziza.
The chorizo was a little out of place (as you might expect), but the
layer of sauce at the bottom of the plate was so good, I had to sop it
all up with some bread. Quick aside: the bread was unfortunately a
little bland for my taste; it came with two kinds of butter, one salty
and another more milky (I preferred the former), but it just wasn't that
good (or even warm, for that matter).
- Ahi Tuna Tartare and Sesame
Tempura Asparagus (with Crispy Taro, Shiso, Chili Miso Mayonnaise) - $17
Astute observers will notice that in the pics and
videos of the open kitchen, the chefs are making an ARMY of this dish.
It seemed like virtually everyone was ordering the ahi tuna tartare
throughout the whole night, which led us to go ahead and order one of
our own (the fact we overrode two of Vic's preferences -- that her raw
fish come without sauce, and that her vegetables not come as tempura --
might tell you how popular this dish was, and how much it was being
churned out). When it arrived, we were quite pleased. The
tuna tartare had a nice tanginess to it; the tempura batter was very
light and asparagus very tasty. The chili miso mayonnaise
underneath was delicious too.
- Dungeness Crab Salad (with
Avocado, St Terresa Lemon & Kumquat Relish) - $17.25
Our third and final appetizer was the dungeness
crab salad. I'm sad to report that the salad came a little strong
with the mayo -- it really could have been better if it wasn't so
overpowered -- but you couldn't argue with the other key ingredients:
the crab was great, and the avocado, lemon, and kumquat couldn't have
been more flavorful -- a great mix of sweetness and tartness.
Second Course
- Hawaiian Butterfish (Escolar) Wild Caught and Wood Fire Grilled (with
Wild Rice with Butternut Squash, Cauliflower Blood Orange Beurre Fondu)
- $33
The derivation of escolar's alternate name
couldn't have been more clear than with this dish. The fish was
indeed quite buttery in taste and texture -- it was not in the same
league as a buttery fish like Chilean sea bass (then again, what is?),
but I really didn't have any complaints. The accompaniments to the
fish were satisfying if unspectacular; the wild rice and butternut
squash made for a tasty combination, and the beurre fondu was good,
though not as good as the sauce that came with the scallops.
Desserts
- Meyer Lemon, Key Lime & Ruby Red Grapefruit (with Ruby Grapefruit
Pavlova, Cara Cara Cream Meyer Lemon Shortbread Tart Key Lime Pie Bon
Bon) - $10.25
By this point, we were absolutely stuffed. We wanted to try,
however, to squeeze in one dessert off Boulevard's delicious-sounding
roster; after some deliberation, we flipped a coin to decide between the
Mango, Kiwi, Lychee Trifle (which sounded more interesting) and the
Meyer Lemon, Key Lime & Ruby Red Grapefruit (which I was more in the
mood for, probably because it sounded lighter). The coin toss came
up tails, giving the edge to a dessert that turned out to be a little
more unconventional than it needed to be. The grapefruit was fresh
and delicious; the grapefruit sorbet was excellent as well.
Everything else, however, we could have probably done without (and
nearly did, as I struggled to even finish off the plate).
Along with all this food, we also ordered an absolutely fantastic
riesling. Unfortunately, Boulevard's website does not list the
restaurant's wine list, so I don't have the specifics (this saddens me
more than anyone else, as I'd love to get a bottle of it -- or two or
three), but I do know that it was so good, we ordered up a second round
less than halfway through our meal. [I found the name:
Riesling, Kabinett, Niersteiner Bruckchen, Strub, Rheinhessen.
Fantastic stuff.]
Overall, we had a great experience, with only a few minor bumps: a
needlessly rude maitre d' and the aforementioned shortcomings of the
bread, dungeness crab salad, and dessert. However, everything else
was very solid, including the friendly service from our waiter and
busboy, and -- of course -- the impeccable opportunity to watch some
culinary masters at work:
The ultimate price tag was $150. I rated Boulevard a 9.2; Vic gave
it a 9.0.
Overall: 9.1.
Monday, 23 January 2007 Fringale
570 Fourth Street
San Francisco, California 94107
415-543-0573
Website: www.fringalesf.com
Cuisine: French/Basque Synopsis: In my first-ever return trip to a Dine About Town restaurant,
Victoria and I joined Srini, Stephanie, and friends for dinner at
Fringale. Here's what we ordered: First Course
- Sautéed prawns in pastis with sun dried tomatoes (right)
- Spicy Monterey calamari “à la plancha”
with jalapeños & chorizo (left)
I decided to diverge momentarily from the Dine
About Town menu to order an extra, irresistible-sounding appetizer: the
spicy calamari. As it turned out, this was the best thing I ate
all night -- it had a fantastic combination of olives and jalapeños,
making for a perfectly spiced heaping plate of calamari. Even
Victoria, who's not as big on spicy food as I am, thought the spiciness
was excellent. This dish singlehandedly lifted my assessment of
tonight's dinner.
- Chicken terrine pate
Victoria's appetizer, unfortunately, was pretty
pedestrian -- the chicken pate was nothing noteworthy, and the
standard-fare crostini and greens didn't add much to the plate. Second Course
- Steamed Petrale sole served with spinach & mashed potatoes in
champagne beurre blanc
This dish had potential written all over it.
The sole had a perfect texture and consistency, easily the best among
the sole entrées I've had this month. The problem was the sauce.
Overpoweringly buttery, the champagne beurre blanc had no hint of
subtlety -- it simply overwhelmed the rest of what would have been an
outstanding main course. It seeped into the bed of mashed potatoes
and dominated my palate. While it did not completely take away
from my enjoyment of the sole filet, the chefs should have allowed the
latter to star by pairing it with a softer sauce. Ultimately, one
bad element stopped this from being a really outstanding dish.
- Pork tenderloin crepinette with cabbage & apples, in mustard sauce
Victoria's entrée suffered from virtually the same
problem -- a far too salty and overpowering sauce -- and I didn't think
the pork tenderloin had the same star power as my sole. Mike Chang
liked it well enough, finding the pork "cooked very nicely and seasoned
well." As solid as we found the tenderloin, however, Victoria and
I thought it got drowned out by a mustard sauce that simply did not
taste very good. Mike Chang had a different assessment:
"Mustard-butter sauce. Yum." Victoria and I respectfully and
wholeheartedly disagree; we couldn't even bring ourselves to finish this
plate. Desserts
- Pear tart with kiwi and strawberry (left)
- Hazelnut & roasted almond mousse cake (right)
The pear tart was far too sugary -- Victoria, a
self-professed dessert person, couldn't even bear to finish it. I
thought the accompanying strawberries were really good, and my own
dessert -- the hazelnut and almond mousse cake -- was very enjoyable and
satisfying.
When all was said and done,
Fringale couldn't avoid the sophomore slump (I remember my
first go-round being a lot better, though
my tastes have probably evolved since 2005). The best thing I
ordered -- the spicy calamari -- wasn't even on the DAT menu. To
be fair, with the exception of the sauce in my entrée, I thought my food
was pretty good; Victoria's meal, however, was a disappointment.
My and Victoria's food was a combined $95. I rated my second trip
to Fringale an 8.5; Victoria, in her first trip, gave it a 7.8.
Overall: 8.15.
Saturday, 21 January
2007 Jardinière
300 Grove St.
San Francisco, California 94102
415-861-5555
Website: www.jardiniere.com/
Cuisine: Cal-French Synopsis: Appetizers
- Purée of potato leek soup with sage oil - $10 (left)
- tuna tartare with celery emulsion - compliments of the chef (right)
Entrées
- Local petrale sole with broccoli romanesque, fingerling potatoes, and
toasted almonds, with brown butter-caper emulsion - $33 - Bluenose Seabass with Local
Chanterelle Mushrooms, Le Puy Lentils and Bloomsdale Spinach, Red Wine
Mushroom Sauce - $33 Desserts
- Coconut-banana napoleon - chocolate mousse and amber liqueur sherbet -
$10 (pictured below)
- Fruit jellies - compliments of the chef
Our dinner tonight didn't live up to Jardinière's sterling reputation.
To start, the service was rather slow, though it picked up as the meal
went on (we got some unnecessary attitude from the guy who dropped off
the [middling] rolls, as well as the lady who dropped off our entreés).
The potato leek soup was tasty but unspectacular, but certainly more
consistent than our fish entrées -- the most disappointing aspect of the
night. At $33 apiece, we expected greatness of the petrale sole
and bluenose seabass; unfortunately, however, both pieces of fish were
far outshone by their complementary ingredients. While the latter
were great, in a $33 dish, the fish should really be the star -- but
sadly, they were an all-around disappointment. The sole was decent
but nothing special, while the seabass was badly overcooked -- very
chewy, with no discernible attentiveness to texture or flavor. The
dessert was decent, though the amber liqueur sherbet tasted kind of odd.
The final plate of fruit jellies, compliments of the chef, didn't add
much to the meal either. Ultimately, dinner for two cost $106.
We've gotten a lot more value for that same price tag.
Overall rating: 8.25.
Friday, 19 January 2007 One Market
1 Market Street
San Francisco, California 94105
415-777-5577
Website: www.onemarket.com
Cuisine: American What we ordered: First Course - Sunchoke velouté with black
trumpet mushrooms, hazelnuts, and applewood-smoked bacon
This was a very good soup, with strong flavors of
bacon and mushroom.
- Bradley's Caesar salad - whole leaf romaine with parmesan croutons
Big crisp lettuce leaves, featuring an understated
flavor and just the right amount of dressing. A nice companion to
the soup. Second Course
- Pan-seared skate wing with mashed potatoes and vegetables
This was the star of the show. I'd always
wanted to try skate wing, and our big fillet definitely did not
disappoint. Wonderful texture, all coated in a really good
vinaigrette-like sauce. Victoria really enjoyed the accompanying
mashed potatoes and vegetables, which came in a side plate. A
fantastic entrée.
- Black pepper cavatelli
Sadly, while the skate wing was great, the
cavatelli was one of the worst entrées I've ever had at a nice
restaurant. Victoria found the pasta far too chewy for her tastes,
while I didn't care at all for the flavor. We usually finish our
dishes (or at least try to), but this was so bad, we didn't even touch
it after a few forced bites. Disappointing, to say the least.
Sides
- Chickpea fries with harissa aioli
I'd never had chickpeas in the form of fries
before; these were great. Their texture reminded me and Victoria
of something you might find in Indian cuisine. The aioli didn't
add much, but on their own, these fries were really good comfort food. Desserts
- Pear brown butter tart
Accompanied by a strong huckleberry sauce, this
tart was solid, but not spectacular.
- Citrus granita
With mango ice and kiwi. Victoria found this
to be extra-sugary -- it was almost overpowering, but it was a
refreshing complement to the tart.
Overall, the cavatelli was the only thing that stopped this meal from
getting a score above 9.0 from me and Victoria. Every other
aspect of the meal was really good, including the best service we've
received during our Dine About Town meals thus far. Lunch for two
cost $70; for the great food, pleasant dining room, and outstanding
service, Vic and I independently gave One Market a rating of 9.0.
Overall: 9.0.
Wednesday, 17 January 2007 Aziza
5800 Geary Blvd.
San Francisco, California 94121
415-752-2222
Website: www.aziza-sf.com
Cuisine: Moroccan/Mediterranean What we ordered: Cocktails
(word on the street was that Aziza's drinks were
an absolute must) -
almond (with
smoked almonds, amaretto di saronno,
tequila)
Unfortunately, I found this virtually indistinguishable from a
margarita, except for some almond flakes sprinkled across the top of the
drink. Granted, it tasted like a very good margarita, but it
wasn't quite what I was expecting.
-
coffee (iced, with
nutmeg, kahlua, bailey's, brandy)
-
pomegranate (champagne) First Course -
avocado & grapefruit, curly cress, citrus vinaigrette - mushrooms in phyllo, manouri cheese
-
spicy lamb sausage, goat yogurt-fromage blanc dip
baked giant lima beans, tomato compote, french feta Second Course
-
couscous aziza, chicken,
prawns, lamb stew, and sausage (left)
-
cod
claypot, olives, parslied potatoes, saffron broth (right)
The consensus at the table was that the couscous
(left) was the best couscous we'd ever had anywhere. The cod
claypot was strongly flavored with saffron -- a little too much so for
Victoria's tastes -- but I really enjoyed the dish. Hard to go
wrong when your entrée includes both cod and green olives.
-
quail, cumin-orange glaze, bread salad
The quail was very
tender, and the veggies on the side were a nice touch. -
lamb
brochettes, vegetable couscous, warm chicories
The lamb was a little on the salty side, but this
dish -- along with every lamb dish we had tonight -- was very solid. Third Course
-
meyer lemon sorbet, pomegranate granita, gingersnaps (left) -
chocolate cayenne custard, pecan brittle (top)
-
pistachio cardamom cake, poached dried apricots (right)
Sadly, Aziza had run out of the dessert I wanted
most -- the bitter almond chocolate cake with almond milk ice cream --
by the time we were done with our entrées. Even more
unfortunately, the dessert I got instead, the pistachio cardamon cake,
was bland, uninspired, and a big disappointment. The chocolate
custard and lemon sorbet, however, were very tasty (or, at least, as
tasty as dessert can be when you're already painfully full of food).
While the drinks weren't as impressive as expected, the food at Aziza
was fantastic. We had a great trio of courses -- with only a
couple minor weak spots -- and our dishes offered up an imaginative
assortment of flavors and fresh ingredients. Extra appreciation
goes to the restaurant for its exhaustive Dine About Town options: 8
choices for the first course, 10 for the second, and 6 for the third.
No other place we've tried so far gave us more than a couple options per
choice. The portion size was nothing to complain about either; by
the end of our three-hour dinner, we were all painfully stuffed, and
barely able to walk back to the car.
My and Vic's part was a combined
$106. Ratings — Eric: 9.0; Victoria: 9.0; Valerie: 9.0;
Elizabeth: 8.5. Highly recommended.
Saturday, 13 January 2007 Catch 2362 Market St.
San Francisco, California 94114
415-431-5000
Website: www.catchsf.com
Cuisine: Seafood/Californian What we ordered: First Course - butternut squash soup
- seafood chowder Second Course
- crab risotto with lobster reduction
- omelet with mushrooms and bleu cheese
- salmon BLT Third Course
- brownie with ice cream
The Dine About Town menu was very
limited (prix fixe with no choices -- just the butternut squash soup,
crab risotto, and brownie), so Victoria and Valerie opted to order off
the regular menu. This was a really good brunch; the soup and
chowder were perfect for a chilly morning, and the crab risotto and
lobster reduction were on point as well. I didn't care much for
the omelet -- I'm not big on bleu cheese -- and the salmon tasted kind
of out of place on a BLT, but overall, I have nothing but good things to
say about Catch. A good, solid, enjoyable meal. Including
$10.50 of orange juice for an ailing Victoria, it cost $90 for the three
of us.
Friday, 12 January 2007 Campton Place 340 Stockton St.
San Francisco, California 94108
415-955-5555
Website: www.camptonplace.com
Cuisine: Californian/Mediterranean What we ordered: First Course - kampachi sashimi with blood
orange, black trumpet mushroom, and szechuan peppercorn
Three slices of sashimi -- pretty solid, if not
particularly memorable.
- celery root soup with ras al hanout, cauliflower, and olio nuovo
A very interesting bowl of soup. I'm usually
not a fan of celery -- or cauliflower, for that matter -- but the
combination of flavors in this soup were quite unlike anything I've had
before, and it made for a very satisfying start to the meal. Second Course
- tai snapper with caramelized cauliflower, erbette chard, and lemon
consommé
Very small piece of fish, but tasty.
- Fulton Valley Farms chicken breast with maitake mushrooms,
sunchoke, and nettle purée
A lot of chicken, and a lot of chicken skin.
The former was good, the latter not so good. Third Course
- caramel sundae with chocolate sorbet and malt ice cream with hazelnut
praline
A very rich dessert, with caramel to boot -- but I
liked it.
Campton Place offered some
inventive combinations of flavors -- more novel than those at Rubicon,
in our opinion -- but the service was unfriendly and unhelpful.
Lunch for two cost $65, including an $8 bottle of still water; without
any warning from the waiter (or option for tap water), we found out you
had to pay for water (the $8 water bill unexpectedly popped up on the
check at the end of the meal). To make matters worse, even when it
was clear we were done, the waiter asked us if we wanted more
water, which would have resulted in another unannounced $8 charge.
Vic and I gave this place an 8.5 (due to the food), but I don't think
we'll be going back again.
Wednesday, 10 January 2007 Rubicon
558 Sacramento Street
San Francisco, California 94111
415-434-4100
Website:
www.sfrubicon.com
Cuisine: Californian What we ordered: First Course -
Crispy Pork Shank & Potato Cake - Winter
Chicories, Apple, Quail Egg & Mustard
Solid -- the shank had a nice texture and flavor.
A great start to the meal.
-
Pumpkin Soup - Mascarpone, Cranberries,
Brown Butter & Sage
The soup was good but pedestrian. Second Course
-
Ginger Roasted Petrale Sole - Red Miso-Meyer
Lemon Vinaigrette
Very small piece of fish, but I can't complain --
it was good. Third Course
-
Spiced Bittersweet Chocolate-Pumpkin Cake
with Salted Almonds, Honey Fudge
An incredibly bland, uninspired, unimpressive
dessert.
-
Vanilla Bean Tapioca with Grapefruit,
Pomegranate Coulis
This was the sweetest tapioca I've ever tried, and
that is in no way a compliment. I don't know what the chefs were
going for with this dessert, but it came out horrible.
Rubicon's floorplan is rather
bizarre. We were seated in the corner, immediately adjacent to a
brick wall and what appeared to be a tarp-covered piano. This
meant that the waitress had to go around even to see our table, and that
we had no view of anything but the couple of tables next to ours.
The appetizers and entrées were quite good -- I also had a tasty brut --
but our pair of desserts were just horrendous. Victoria thought
they were alright, but I really expect more out of a high-profile place
like Rubicon. Overall, our dinner cost about $90. I gave the
meal a 8.5; Vic gave it a 9.0. Overall: 8.75.
Friday, 5 January 2007 Medicine Eatstation 161 Sutter St
San Francisco, California 94104
415-677-4405
Website: www.medicinerestaurant.com
Cuisine:
Japanese/Vegetarian Synopsis:
At first, I thought this place would have
something for everyone in our group: it's Japanese (for Victoria,
Gloria, and Vicki), organic (for me), and vegetarian (for Ishaan).
Sadly, it wasn't quite as good as it sounded -- and much of the food was
downright weird. My vegetarian tempura was decent, and the sogen
sake was outstanding, but everything else was just a little too
different for our tastes -- from the sweet miso soup (since when
is miso soup supposed to be sweet?) to the "curry udon" (basically
noodles in a bowl of sauce instead of soup) to downright bizarre
variations on traditional Japanese entrées. Alan may have put it
best -- the food was alright, but given the price (in the ballpark of
$40 per person), it just wasn't worth it. Overall: 7.5.
Wednesday, 3 January 2007 Villa Romana Ristorante 731 Irving Street
San Francisco, California 94122
415-731-2280
Website:
www.villaromanasf.com
Cuisine:
Italian Synopsis:
I'd always wanted to try
this Inner Sunset Italian restaurant, but it took me a while to get
around to it. Now, I'm certain I'll never try it again.
Dinner started off well enough -- Gloria, Victoria, and I began with the
calamari (oily but good), caprese, and pizza bianca (pedestrian but
acceptable). From there, however, it was all downhill. The
[overpriced] pasta entrées were all terrible in one way or another; my
fettuccini con gamberoni was too dry, and just didn't taste very good.
Things really fell apart with dessert (we all ordered the prix fixe
menu, which features a finale of either coffee or tea). Victoria
and Gloria both ordered the coffee, but the waitress came up to us and
said that the kitchen had run out of milk and sugar, and was thus only
able to serve black coffee (keep in mind that this was 7:00 PM on a
Wednesday.. not exactly the end of dinner hours). Vic and Glo said
they'd pass up the coffee, which was perfectly fine.. until five minutes
later, when the neighboring table was told the milk and sugar was being
purchased next door, and would be available momentarily. To add
insult on top of the bad pasta and bad service, the waitress refused my
bill, claiming that they didn't have $20 in change for me (absurd).
That means that ultimately, Villa Romana's only redeeming feature was
some greasy calamari. We're never going to this place again.
