Bar Bambino adopted a rather curious concept for a fine restaurant. Besides the furniture being mismatched and the atmosphere being very casual with no linens on the tables, the wait staff looked like they walked in off the street and were difficult to differentiate from the patrons of the restaurant. Attentive at first, they wandered off and made themselves scarce towards the end of our meal. Bar Bambino’s location is truly ironic considering the excellent and elegant food they serve. It is located a few doors down from a street notorious for down at heel and overly worn out ladies of the night, and a closed theater where the homeless squat on inclement evenings. It was a zoo out there and that may have been just enough to keep me from ever going back, were it not for the food.
My first encounter with the restaurant was during the day, when I stopped by for a bruschetta of fava and pecorino on rustic, toasted bread. I was on a mission and had the zeal of a missionary in my quest. I had just joined Foodspotting.com and decided to enter a contest whereby I could win a dinner with the Chronicle food critic, Michael Bauer. He selected 100 food items he had tried while on assignment, writing reviews, and anyone who tried them all and finished first won the prize. It was a foolish quest on two fronts, one I never even read his column, and two, I soon realized it would cost me a king’s ransom and the prize would not be worth my investment in either time or money. As it turned out, no one won the dinner because the contest had a deadline. I think the best prize was being introduced to several Bay Area restaurants I surely never would have discovered on my own. Bar Bambino was one such restaurant.
The bruschetta was remarkable in it’s simplicity and flavor. I was determined to come back and finally did on a damp and cold February evening. I knew before I entered the dining room that I would finally try the egg and truffle bruschetta, which I had earlier been forced to choose against when the fava bruschetta was on the menu. I’m a big fan of fava beans and even grow them on occasion. The truffle and egg bruschetta was just as enchanting as the fava and pecorino combination and used a bit of truffle oil to boost the flavor. It was a delicious starter.
My dining companion opted for one of several very small starters on offer, a miniscule plate of fried artichoke hearts. I say miniscule because what you see was a small baby artichoke presented on a plate suitable for use as a small ashtray. Still, it was delicious and tender at its heart, that had been filled with an artichoke puree. We split the bruschetta and went next to a pasta course. The reason I’m so confused by the atmosphere and location of Bar Bambino is that their pasta is world class. It could be served in any elegant dining room in this country or Italy for that matter.
My dinner partner selected the pork shoulder ragu served over a house made egg pasta. Garganelli look like the tube pasta called penne that is extruded, but are in reality a thinner flat square of pasta rolled over onto itself. This dish was exquisite and subtle, but bursting with flavor. The golden raisins elevated the taste of the fork tender pork shoulder that melted in your mouth. It was a small portion that proved very satisfying. The nuttiness of the Parmigiano was a perfect finish to the flavors of this “sauce”.
My pasta course consisted of four little pasta purses filled with red wine braised oxtail. They were called Oxtail Cestini after the Italian word "cestino", which means basket. Again, a subtlety of flavor that was inappropriately nuanced and upscale for such a casual dining experience. I found myself cutting each small bundle into several pieces, so I could savor it as long as possible. This was a dish that could compare favorably with any pasta I have ever tasted and I have a lifetime of experience tasting pasta. I’m sorry it is not on the Spring menu. That would have served to broaden my description of this impressive pasta choice.
The Brussel Sprouts were at their peak of flavor, and the roasting brought out a sweetness through caramelization that was just right to play off of the smoked lardons, used to add an additional element to the sprouts. The braised Lamb shoulder was another meat that was perfectly prepared by the chef. It was, like the pork, fork tender and succulent. The pumpkin was a good choice for this stew, adding needed color as well as flavor.
The fresh pomegranate and pumpkin seeds were the textural elements that enhanced the dish with small bursts of sweetness and richness when eaten with the lamb. They were like small jewels added for style, but intrinsically valuable in their own right. The confetti of seeds and mint made the dish visually exciting and the color palette was sumptuous. They knocked this dish out of the park; another home run. It was especially good with their Grasso Nebbiolo wine.
The artisan ice cream was decent, but the flavor selection was too limited. I ended up selecting 2 scoops of salted chocolate malt and one of pomegranate sorbet, for lack of anything more interesting. This was not the reason to come back to Bar Bambino; it was everything else. I need to return, but have decided to arrive while it’s still light outside and finish before dark. Since it’s on 16th St, it should be relatively safe, considering the large numbers of commuters who will be around at that time, coming from BART or lining up for the buses. I can appreciate edgy, but Bar Bambino’s location is really rock bottom and has been since long before their doors opened for business.
Bar Bambino Website
| 2931 16th Street San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 701-8466 |
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