The Lazy Gourmet

Baker and Banker

As I walked into this very unassuming restaurant on the corner of Octavia and Bush in Pac Heights, I had the distinct feeling I had been there before.  Turns out that it had been an apothecary in a prior life but most recently it had taken the form of another Top 100 restaurant, Quince.  I had visited it when it was Quince, not the apothecary, in case you were wondering.

Baker and Banker

Baker and Banker sits quietly perched on the corner of this residential neighborhood, never boasting but once inside, the farm-to-table new American cuisine speaks for itself.  We started with a spicy aha tuna tartare with Vietnamese slaw, crispy shallots, and peanuts, all of which burst on the palette with freshness and flavor.  The mixed lettuces with strawberries, feta, crushed mint, and toasted almonds was a similarly wonderfully textured accompaniment.  For our entrees, we chose the braised shortribs with black pepper pappardelle, wild mushrooms, English peas and shaved pecorino (heavenly) and the sweet soy and mirin braised black cod, foie-gras-shitake sticky rice, and charred bok choy.  B&B was four-for-four by the times our forks and knives laid down on our plates.

The decor reads like a unpretentious but refined brasserie: dark leather banquettes fill the single square room, black pipes criss-cross across the ceiling, and the molding has been painted gold against caramel-colored walls.

Baker and Banker is named after the husband and wife who own, operate, and develop the recipes for the restaurant.  He handles the savory courses, she holds down the dessert side.

Service was solid; our waiter was courteous, knowledgeable, and attentive.

Overall: ****
Food: ****
Service: ****
Vibe: ****
Price: $$$

The Tipsy Pig

I hate going to the Marina.  I hate it. 

Anytime I hear of an great new restaurant that has opened there, I experience an internal struggle of epic proportions.  But when I read about the Tipsy Pig, a newish gastropub on Chesnut, I just had to check it out.

The Tipsy Pig

For one, there is the very cool decor.  It's got a 30-something (decade-wise) feel with the pressed-tin ceiling, Art Deco bar, and leather booths in the front room.  In the back, there is a large open landscaped patio where loud drinkers also gather.  We sat in a wonderfully insulated middle room, which resembled a classic library with shelves of antique books and a unfinished wood floor, sealing us off from the raucous din of the front bar and back patio. 

The food was pretty solid.  The crab cake was a pass (both somehow too dry on the outside and too buttery on the inside and flat on flavor overall) but the Chimay-braised pulled pork sliders were exceptional.   For the entrees, the skirt steak with a red wine reduction and Gruyere-potato gratin was stellar as were the braised baby back BBQ ribs with white cheddar grits.  We were stuffed after all of this so we passed on dessert.

While I would never hang out in the bar, it does offer about 50 different beers, the vast majority in bottles though.  They also have a 15-item cocktail menu with some twists on classics like the persimmon gimlet or the pickwick julep.  All in all, not a bad place, they just need to airlift it to the Mission and excise any Marina dwellers there within.  But apparently they've learned how to get over the hills and make their way over here so it wouldn't last long.

Service was so-so, we felt a bit rushed actually with ordering and finishing our meal but we seemed to have one of the waitresses without fake boobs. Make what you want of that.

Overall: ***
Food: ****
Service: **
Vibe: ***
Price: $$

Lalime's

Lalime's

I remember visiting d at her place in Berkeley and walking over to Solano Avenue and going by this charming restaurant situated right among the rows of traditional homes.  Last month, after reading rave reviews about the revamped Lalime's, I checked it out and was stunned to realize it was the same place right around the corner from d's old place.

Featuring selections from a traditional American and Mediterranean menu, Lalime's is simply a grand slam.  There wasn't a single disappointment and coming from this jaded foodie, that's saying something.  We started with a fresh pear salad with treviso, endive, candied pecans, and Pt. Reyes blue cheese where all the flavors blended together harmoniously.  Similarly, the ahi tuna tartar with habanero-infused sesame oil, Asian pear, pine nuts, and mint just melted in your mouth with each flavor ringing out.  Our entrees were mind-blowingly good, we didn't want to stop eating even though we were stuffed by the ample portions.  We had the Montana 'Piemontese' New York strip steak with 
balsamic jus/Cabernet butter, horseradish potato purée, chanterelle and hedgehog mushrooms, and spinach as well as the venison chops
 with a allspice rub, brandied cherry sauce, red quinoa with dried fruit, garnet yam-vanilla bean purée, hazelnut Brussels sprouts.  It's surprising when the sides stand up in flavor to the rich meats but they absolutely did, it was one of the delights of this full-featured meal.  By the time we got to dessert, we were in a euphoric food coma so the dessert was a blur but I just recall it was made of slices of heaven, Xanadu, and oasis.

As unsuspecting as Lalime's location was, the decor was similarly warm and understated.  In fact, the only knock on this place was the service, which was at times just a bit disorganized and inattentive.

Overall, this is a neighborhood gem and worth crossing the bridge for over and over again.  Can't wait to go back.

Overall: *****
Food: *****
Service: ****
Vibe: *****
Price: $$$$

Wexler's

A modern BBQ place in the Financial District?  I'm there. 

Wexler's has aimed to do for traditional BBQ what several SF restaurants have done for comfort food, which is to say refine and enhance it while maintaining the purity of the down-and-dirty goodness that is the soul of that cuisine.  I would say that Wexler's largely succeeds but it does fall short somewhat.  I did not cringe when I heard the short ribs were served stripped from the bone and while they were still tender, the seasoning wasn't quite there and it also tasted a tad dry.  The plate of pork dish was better, featuring nice juicy cuts of pork loin and pork rib.  The sides to both weren't memorable but the appetizer we shard, the shrimp and grits was like sex in your mouth.

The short one-page menu also features an interestingly eclectic selection of beers and liquor, including some choice whiskey.

Wexler's

The restaurant is a bit of rustic chic, the exterior red brick from this old firehouse juxtapose against a sleek modern interior highlighted by the black sculptural art installation which runs the length of the ceiling (more functionally than artistically to obscure the myriad of old pipes).  Service was fine, nothing special.

Overall: ***
Food: ****
Service: ***
Vibe: ****
Price: $$$

 

Starbelly

I had heard rumors of a new offering last August from the creators of Beretta, and one that featured spectacular brunches and a burger that rivaled that of Zuni and Spruce.  And considering that this new restaurant,  Starbelly, was just a few blocks away in the Castro, it's a shame that it took me until December to check it out.

I've gone there for brunch a few times and have been really impressed, nothing I've had has been short of very, very good.  A simple one page menu features a ton of rich new American comfort food offerings.  The chilaquiles with house-made chorizo, corn chips, chile sauce and cilantro is mouth-wateringly good, and will crush any hangover you bring in there.  The open-faced sunny-side up egg sandwich with cheddar and Starbelly's delicious thick-cut bacon is a solid favorite, too.  The sourdough flapjack or the sour Levain french toast are great too if you're in the mood for those.  And the burger: it's legit; Prather Ranch beef on a grilled brioche bun with choice of aged white cheddar or Pt. Reyes blue cheese, bacon, and roasted onions.  I go with the cheddar and bacon, and the onions on the side.  It's a stand-out burger and up there in the Zuni and Spruce echelon fo sho.  Both the dinner and brunch menus feature a variety of thin crust pizzas, as well a surprisingly diverse beer selection.

Starbelly

Service has always been friendly, warm, and attentive and the decor also parallels that of Beretta: a long communal table is the middle of the dining room, and the rest is a blend of bright varnished wood and brushed silver metal.  It's clean and spare but not boring, filled with rich accents that capture your upon each visit.  One edge Starbelly has over Beretta is a full back patio with open sunlight.  Nice.

Highly recommended, check it out.

Overall: ****
Food: ****
Service: ****
Vibe: ****
Price: $$$

Local Kitchen and Wine Merchant

Local Kitchen and Wine Merchant

The pragmatic and simple name of this SOMA restaurant belies the the rich grandeur of it's offerings.  Local Kitchen and Wine Merchant's sleek, minimal design fools you into at first dismissing it.  You've seen this blend of brushed metal, smooth marble, and flat lighting before, right?  Yawn.  But after a few minutes, you'll notice the distinctive touches like the black and white photographs that (salt and) pepper the minimal backdrop.  Similarly, the Californian cuisine menu reveals itself to have some distinctive twists as well.  The menu changes regularly but upon my visit there in December, I enjoyed the Mac n Cheese, made with some unique blends of exotic cheeses and my dinner companion had a equally savory and delicious pasta dish (sorry, can't recall the details other than it was made of "delicious"). 

And while we didn't try the wood-fired pizza's but if they tasted nearly as good as they smelled, I don't think you'd be disappointed.  And the wine selection was impressively varied, spanning regions such as California, France, Spain and France, as well as unexpected places such as India and Japan.

Service was fine, not great but not poor.  All in all, well worth checking out.

Overall: ****
Food: ****
Service: ***
Vibe: ****
Price: $$$

5A5 Steak Lounge

5A5 blew my mind. 

5A5

It's a pretty serious spin on a traditional steak house; fashioned like a space lounge with its uber-modern style thank a steak house.  But when it comes to the steaks, it's all business.   They serve highest quality steaks from around the world: Angus Beef from the Midwest,  Australian F1, and their namesake, the A5 Wagyu imported from Japan which is apparently the highest grade of beef in the world. 

Learning this much about steak was humbling, I thought I knew a good steak when I ate one but that was kind of just like stumbling on one by accident.  There are no accidents at 5A5, you pay more (up to $20/oz) and you get a better cut of steak, period.  I was there with Todd, Alan, and Cynthia and none of us were disappointed, every bite I tried of their selections were just amazing. 

The guy serving us was kind of a douche but a friendly one for the most part, he couldn't really help it.  That was perhaps the only low-point of an otherwise fantastic evening of ravenous delight.

Overall: *****
Food: *****
Service: ****
Vibe: ****
Price: $$$$

Frascati

Last month, the HLP and I checked out Frascati in Russian Hill, a Mediterranean-inspired bistro.  Tucked in the corner of one of the neighborhood's many tree-lined streets, Frascati reveals itself as a gem, warm and inviting to both its local residents and diners from afar. 

Frascati

Walking in, you feel like you're in the cozy confines of a quaint inn; candle light bathing the small dining room where patrons sit side by side.  The experience is elevated quickly by the immaculate service provided by the courteous staff.

Our food was delicious, from start to finish.  We first enjoyed the "Russet Potato Gnocchi with English Peas, Corn, Asparagus, Melted Leeks, Diced Tomato and White Truffle Oil", it just melted in your mouth.  For our entrees, we had the "Pan Seared Filet Mignon with Potato-Fennel Gratin, Roasted Root Vegetables, Wild Mushrooms and Demi Glace" and "Grilled Pork Chop with Braised Cabbage, Chorizo, Butter Bean Ragout, Arugula, Roasted Shallots and Tomato Olive Compote", both were just out of this world good.  It's been refreshing to visit a place that just excelled on all levels, and to be apparently doing it for that long (it's been open since 1987).

Highly recommended.

Overall: ****
Food: ****
Service: ****
Vibe: ****
Price: $$$
 

Piqueos

Right before the winter break, I had a chance to check out Piqueos in Bernal Heights.  I had walked by this charming little restaurant many times during weekend strolls and was always intrigued by the Peruvian small plates menu on display in the window.  This time, I returned during dinner hours when they were actually open to see if their offerings matched what I had imagined over the past couple of years.

Generally speaking, I was not disappointed.  I have to admit the small plates are a bit of a blur (we finished off a bottle of wine) but everything was on par, and the ceviche with corn was a stand-out.  If memory serves, the meat dishes were less impressive than the vegetable-based ones, but nothing was a disappointment except the rice pudding dessert.

Service was warm and friendly, with the occasional misfire but all in all, quite good.  In terms of ambiance, it's a great date place; candle-lit and cozy with warm dark woods to sink your self into, allowing time and comfort in which to enjoy your meal and your company.

Overall: ***
Food: ***
Service: ***
Vibe: ****
Price: $$

Citizen Cake

I want to first acknowledge that I went to Citzen Cake and didn't have a single dessert, not even a taste.  This wasn't purposeful, it was just that I was there for brunch (the hours for which aren't really dessert-friendly for me). 

Seated at the corner of Gough and Grove in Hayes Valley, a somewhat typical spare, modern space is encased by strikingly large wrap-around windows.   This approach smartly presents the aesthetically-pleasing works of dessert art as if behind museum glass -and the good news for the patrons is that you can taste as well as look. 

The food menu features a solid array of New American comfort food items.  My (now regular) brunch buddy Beth went with the Carnitas hash, potatoes, tomatillo salsa and two poached eggs and it was solid; rich but not overwhelming so the flavors of the actual items still stood out. I tried the Betty’s pancake, a Dutch-souffle with summer fruit compote and it hinted at CC's mastery of all things sweet.

Coupled with the friendly, solid service and low-key vibe, CC receives a solid recommendation for brunch.  I am looking forward to returning and actually trying the desserts, too!

Overall: ****
Food: ****
Service: ****
Vibe: ****
Price: $$