Zuni Cafe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyone who has been to Zuni Cafe need read no further. I, like almost everyone else, thinks it has earned its well deserved reputation for excellent food and great service. Even with a long wait for their roasted chicken, the staff knows how to keep their customers well satisfied. I've recently decided to collect cookbooks of my favorite San Francisco dining establishments and Zuni is on the list.

 

 

 

Like any San Francisco restaurant worth its salt, especially those specializing in comfort foods, Zuni provides guests with sour dough bread. The crumb is chewy and the sour quality is subtle. Coupled with sweet creamery butter, it makes for a good first impression. I might add that none goes to waste, as you'll see later.

 

The  croutons  for the Zuni Caesar  salad are made from their sour dough bread (that didn't take long) and are memorable enough to have encouraged me to make some of my own at home. I live with a Caesar salad aficionado, so I've tasted scores of them. Zuni rates high on the list. Their dressing is excellent and as an interesting note, the addition of egg is discussed table side as you place your order. Yes, please, add the egg. The plating is also high on the list because of the whole leaves being used. It seems so much fresher tasting when the leaves are not cut or torn in advance, waiting in some corner of the kitchen to be ordered.

 

What a nice way Zuni has with pasta. This was a first, semolina and ricotta gnocchi. I don't think the Italians even thought of this one, but Zuni did and they were light as a feather; the classic Italian test for excellent gnocchi. The baby carrots were tender and their delicate flavor was not overpowered by the very light handed  cream sauce. I look forward to trying more of their pasta if this dish was any indication of their ability to improvise.

 

Zuni has a very nice system for serving raw oysters. You are allowed to order them by the variety, mix and match and since they are priced by the piece, your order may be as small as a single oyster. This was my best opportunity for discovering which oyster I might prefer,  and it wasn't wasted. I tried a Point Reyes, Marin Miyagi, and Humbolt Kumamoto and the Kumamoto won out. All were delicious and I have to thank Zuni for this learning experience.
 

If a quick lunch is all you need, you might consider a burger and fries. The French couldn't make a better fry than Zuni does. The pickled onion and cucumber on the burger were excellent condiments, and ripe tomatoes always make a burger better, but there was one flaw. The focaccia fell apart because of the juices from these additions, as well as the burger itself. That did not keep us from eating every bit of the burger, but it was messy.

About that chicken, there were so many raves and articles written about it, I needed to discover its taste for myself. Saving the best for last is appropriate in this particular instance, and it came as a pleasant surprise, having not ordered restaurant cooked chicken for many years. Juicy, tender, succulent, bursting with flavor, all come to mind. It was also perfectly seasoned with a hint of smoke from the wood fired oven. What really stood out was the salad, the warm bread salad, made with, yes, their sourdough bread. 

Besides the spicy notes from the red Mizuna leaves, the salad was laced with pine nuts and small red, dried currants for added notes of flavor. Considering there were so few ingredients in this relatively simple dish, with all those flavors layered one upon another, it had more complexity than one might imagine. A quick Google search found a recipe that indicated the dressing was made with olive oil and champagne vinegar, while the currants were plumped with red wine vinegar. Sliced scallions completed the ingredient list. Delicious!

 

Zuni's Website

 

1658 Market St

San Francisco CA 94102
(415) 552-2522

Perbacco

Perbacco is a well established traditional, yet modern, Italian restaurant specializing primarily in the regional cuisine of Piemonte. It has definitely earned its fine reputation. We were really looking forward to having dinner there with a friend who is also committed to finding the best restaurants in our fair city. On our first visit we carefully went through the menu, hoping to find items we thought would distinguish this restaurant from other traditional  Northern Italian restaurants we have tried. 

To start each table is given an ample supply of grissini with a deep, grassy olive oil for dipping. When we ordered starters, it was difficult to pass on the veal tartar with truffled lardo crostino, so we didn't bother, but went ahead and ordered it. The lardo warmed by the toasted bread was silky and earthy, thanks to the truffle oil; it could easily have stood on its own, but was better in the smaller quantity because of its richness. The veal tartar was delicate in flavor, not only because it was veal, but because it was not overly enhanced with other ingredients. Perbacco's simplified version of a tartar was elegant and using mustard micro greens instead of mustard made the taste cleaner and less muddled. Even though beef tartar is a French classic, restraint  on the recipe made it purely Italian.

 

Restraint is not a word that could be used in discussing the raviolo. As a pasta lover, ordering just one piece was an entirely new experience and a bit disconcerting. After having heard about ravioli filled with raw egg yolks, this was my first opportunity to try one, but I instinctively knew one would not be enough. Looking at it on the plate gave me some comfort because it was large, but at $13 a pop, it seemed skimpy. After cutting it open with my fork and tasting the first bite, it occurred to me that it was worth even more than the current menu price. This filled pasta dish, composed of truffled ricotta, egg yolk, black chanterelle mushrooms and asparagus was enchanting and seductive. I'll go even further to say it was luxurious on the palate. Going back to Perbacco and not ordering it again would be impossible.

  

It cannot be said that after the raviolo, everything else paled by comparison, but my attention was still heavily on the raviolo, and letting its taste linger was weighing against trying my second course, while it remained hot. After it had significant table time, I finally cut open the blood sausage. It was selected because it was the very first time I have seen this sausage offered as a menu item in this country. I almost hesitated because of the braised radicchio that came with it, but the sweetness of the sausage made it a good pairing. It was so good, that I now buy boudin noir regularly. Our friend enjoyed his braised rabbit, saying it was tender, not dry. The portion was notable.

It can be safely said that Perbacco excels in pasta making and meat braising. Those qualities are perfectly exemplified in the Langaroli, their ravioli filled with braised short ribs, and porcini mushrooms in a red wine butter sauce. Excuisite is the word that comes to mind when I recall this pasta. It was flawless. Once more, it would be difficult to go back to this restaurant without ordering this pasta. It was an inspired way to use up any of their leftover beef short rib stracotto, another popular menu item. In fact, that will be my next main course selection, based entirely on the taste of this pasta.

Perbacco's Website  Dinner Menu

230 California Street San Francisco, CA 94111 (map) (415) 955-0663

Bix

This restaurant really transports patrons to another place in time. Located in an alley in what was once called The Barbary Coast, Bix could easily have been a speakeasy during Prohibition, especially in light of the brisk business being done at the bar. The singer and her accompanist on piano were engaging, performing light jazz and what were affectionately known as “standards” by the WWII generation. This enjoyable dining experience became punctuated with a sultry mood and sophisticated style that was unexpected and also unforgettable. Service was excellent.

I cannot identify with 100% accuracy all the drinks in these photos except for the Bellini, which I personally ordered and nursed throughout the evening. The bartenders were flying and preparing all sorts of lively, colorful concoctions. It seemed a great place to stop by just for a drink and hors d’oeuvres. The drink in the Martini glass may be the Bix Perfect Manhattan or the Sazerac, and the Bix Rickey is the last drink based on the lime.

The caviar and creme fraiche on little pillows of shredded and deep fried potatoes would be my first pick for hors d’oeuvres. They deserve a vintage champagne, but my Bellini worked well enough. Since four come in the order, they are easy to split with your dining companion.

It was no surprise that bread was hand delivered to your plate by the waiter, and not unceremoniously set down at the table in a basket. It tasted like a sweet baguette and came with sweet butter. The salad composed of romaine lettuce with a blue cheese dressing worked nicely with the bacon and tomato, but it is not the reason to dine at Bix, but the chilled seafood might be.

 

The ceviche with Jalapeno and Habanero chiles was outstanding with spectacular flavor and texture, The avocado helped calm the tongue after eating the chiles, and the cilantro oil was vibrant and fragrant. Toasted corn nuts accounted for the textural contrast to the buttery fish and avocado, while herbs and micro greens rounded out the flavor profile. This made me want to start a micro green garden.

For all the romance and sophistication of the restaurant space, it seemed odd that something as common as a burger would be on the menu. Bix has elevated the humble burger by using Kobe beef, premium cheeses and serving it with a trio of sauces including an aioli and a barbeque sauce. The sauces were also well exploited by using them with the truffle fries.

 

The chicken hash was worth a try with its buttery Mascarpone and Sun Gold tomato “sauce”. Its mild flavor was accented by the fresh sweet corn included in the mix. The creamed spinach was everything we’d hoped and rivals any we’ve had at well regarded steak houses around town. All in all, this was a restaurant worthy of repeat visits.  The bar can get noisy, but the booths under the balcony were pleasant for conversation not requiring you to raise your voice.

http://www.bixrestaurant.com/

56 Gold Street San Francisco CA 94133-5103 (415) 433-6300 Open Mon-Wed,Sun 5:30pm-10pm; Thu,Sat 5:30pm-11pm; Fri 11:30am-11pm

Bay Wolf

I'm not certain, but the charming surroundings of the Craftsman style home, where the restaurant resides, were even more pleasurable than the meal itself. Having purchased the Bay Wolf cookbook, I felt compelled  to try this Oakland institution.

Excellent baguettes and creamery sweet butter are a great way to start. Bay Wolf sets itself apart from many other restaurants by also offering sea salt for those people who find unsalted butter bland. An acquaintance of mine, who was raised on a dairy farm, once told me that  inferior cream is used to make salted butter and the best, with the highest butterfat content, is reserved for unsalted butter. For starters my dining companion selected the bruschetta set on a bed of salad greens and slathered in an aioli laden tuna. A tuna sandwich was never so good.

 

Spring peas and mint caught my attention so I opted for the soup. It was flavorful, but the color put me off. That was because for some reason I was expecting it to be a raw soup, or barely cooked, so the bright green color of both the peas and mint would show off against the white plate. Bringing very specific expectations to a meal is not the best course of action. In this case it diminished my enjoyment of a perfectly decent soup, because I kept thinking it was overcooked. My friend selected the duck liver mousse that really delivered a pleasant combination of flavor, texture and eye appeal. But how can you go wrong with pate? For a restaurant known for duck, it was a slam dunk.

Speaking of duck, my dinner companion and I decided to split an order of the duck entree. The menu description of it being served with fennel and pink grapefruit was intriguing, so we added it to our order. It arrived sans the pink grapefruit. I asked the waiter about it and he said that they will substitute ingredients depending on what is available at the market. Shouldn't that be mentioned when someone is ordering it? Apparently not. I expressed a disappointment, because I was specifically interested in trying the duck because of the pink grapefruit, so the waiter walked away and brought back a bowl of fresh grapefruit segments. No apology for the kitchen having missed plating it, no cooking it, nothing. Wasn't it supposed to be cooked? When I inquired, the waiter said that it always goes on raw.  Seriously? I doubted that, so I left it in the bowl. Something seemed seriously wrong with the entire transaction and it was disturbing. We received an apology after we paid the tab, on our way out the door. This was a case of "too little, too late".

Ah, but there was one bright spot, enough to get me back in the door. Their duck ravioli was superb. It didn't need the escarole on the plate, but the fave were delightful and a lovely reminder that this was a Spring meal. The duck filling was so good, I'd like to try making my own. Did they make the sauce with a duck stock, veal stock, chicken soup from a can? I have no idea, but it was luscious with the ravioli and the color was very appealing on the plate. This was a dish worth ordering again, some time in the distant future after I've forgotten about the pink grapefruit.

Bay Wolf Menu

3853 Piedmont Ave Oakland CA 94611 510-655-6004 Open nightly at 5:30pm

NOPA

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.

NOPA Website

560 Divisadero St San Francisco CA 94117 (415) 864-8643