Practically no one in San Francisco needs to be told about NOPA; it's reputation is well known. It is indeed a good restaurant, but better still, it has inspired a neighborhood to embrace the arrival of more restaurants to the point of it becoming a "food destination" in the city. Since the opening of NOPA (an acronym for North Of Panhandle Area) this neighborhood has exploded with more good restaurants, such as Tsunami, Candy Bar, Bistro Central Parc, Ragazza, and Green Chile Kitchen to name but a few of my favorites, along with Nopalito, the authentic Mexican restaurant opened by the same people who brought us NOPA. Soon we will be graced with a Bi-Rite Grocery, known for exceptional ingredients any home cook would swoon over to compete with Faletti's another exceptional grocery store that was the original reason many of us, seeking good food, came to this neighborhood.
We gladly climbed to the loft dining area, because the restaurant does get it's share of noise without the benefit of carpeting. I've listed NOPA under Fine Dining American, because the food is elevated to "cuisine". NOPA performs the culinary arts at a high level, using inventive recipes and quality ingredients. It's casual atmosphere belies the quality and expertise of the cooking. These same dishes could be easily served in more formal restaurant, where one demands excellence, and finds higher prices. It's such a nice surprise to find this kind of food in a friendly, casual atmosphere where you can laugh with friends, instead of speaking in the hushed tones more often associated with fine dining.
It was pleasant to find flaked salt on the plate with the amuse bouche consisting of small toasts and tzatziki. It often makes a favorable impact when the salt hits your tongue, so it's a nice touch. Simplicity abounds in the recipes, but the flavors manage a complexity all their own, as is exemplified by the "simple" spinach salad with cumquats and shaved parmigiano. The shaved asparagus and fresh pea salad was outstanding and perfect for a spring meal. Large shallots were sliced and sauteed. Their softened texture contrasted well with the other vegetables and proved almost as silky as the egg. Can a salad be any better when a soft poached egg and bacon is introduced?
Shall we let the photos speak for themselves? There's not much one can say about a beautifully executed, medium rare, succulent duck breast, or lightly roasted vegetables anyway. Okay, in this case I have to say that there seemed to be an overwhelming amount of onions in the vegetable dish, but I'll give it a "pass" since they were spring onions and came with baby artichokes (you are judged by the company you keep). Duck is always on the menu but the recipe changes with the seasons. I've linked their website so you can see how it's being prepared currently.
Granted, the word burger is generally not in the same sentence as the word cuisine. Because NOPA has a casual atmosphere, a burger seems to fit, and that's good thing, since it happens to be one of the most popular items being served. You can't go wrong with grass fed beef and the pickled raw onions and house made aioli were perfect additions to this simple meal.
| 560 Divisadero St San Francisco CA 94117 (415) 864-8643 |
No comments:
Post a Comment