San Francisco is home to a plethora of amazing restaurants, which is probably far a secret from common knowledge. However, there is always a good new restaurant for anyone to discover, and San Francisco Restaurant Week brings forth a great time for discovery. The latest SF Restaurant Week just ended this Sunday. It ran from January 20-31.
SF Restaurant Week is a program presented by Golden Gate Restaurant Association. It is a great opportunity for area residents or visitors to explore and celebrate the world-class dining hub of San Francisco. It was formerly known as Dine About Town but was rebranded last year. Participating restaurants offered a great variety of special prix-fixe menus.
I was one of those lucky visitors who was able to experience SF Restaurant Week. Thanks to their promotions, I was able to discover three eclectic restaurants, ones that I highly recommend. (If only I had all the money to try everything…) Anyhow, here are a few fun discoveries.
The first is Absinthe Brasserie & Bar, my favorite of all. I actually walked by this restaurant when I was enjoying a day out on the town with my good friend who was also visiting the city with me. This was right before I chose it through SF Restaurant Week, and was only pleased to discover they were participating. When I walked by it, I just knew there was something special about it that drew it to me.
Absinthe is a Parisian-style brasserie serving French and Northern-Italian influenced cuisine and creative cocktails. It is located in the the Hayes Valley neighborhood of San Francisco. It is a longtime and well-known establishment, having been there for 18 years.
A brasserie is known to be a type of French restaurant with a relaxed setting, that serves single dishes among other meals. They are familiar in France and the Francophone world. The term brasserie is “French” for brewery.
Absinthe is known as the location to go for a romantic dinner and a a creative cocktail, as Absinthe bartenders Jeff Hollinger and Rob Schwartz like to put it. They published a book called The Art of the Bar : Cocktails Inspired by the Classics, in 2012. This brasserie definitely seems to have a good reputation for their cocktails over the years.
I made a timely reservation just in the nick of time before their lunch period was over, and ordered their prix-fixe lunch menu. I chose the pan-roasted Mary’s chicken breast with mascarpone polenta, grilled broccolini, lemon-herb gremolata, and sweet onion jus. The cocktail I ordered to pair with it was their “Perfect Pear” cocktail. All of it was astoundingly delicious.
The featured dessert was créme fraîche panna cotta made with champagne granité & citrus. It was refreshingly sweet and super yummy.
The featured dessert was créme fraîche panna cotta made with champagne granité & citrus. It was refreshingly sweet and super yummy.
The interior space to Absinthe is extremely eye-catching as well as warm and inviting. All in all, the restaurant definitely had a welcoming and convivial atmosphere. The next time I am in San Francisco, it is assuredly a goal to come back here for the evening experience.
The second special discovery was Reverb Kitchen & Bar. It is located in the charming area of Russian Hill. It is a neighborhood-focused restaurant serving New American comfort food dishes that are sophisticated and crafted from locally-sourced, peak-season, and sustainable ingredients.
I chose this place for dinner one night. It was the ambience in the photos and a photo of their delicious looking brioche donuts for dessert that drew me in aside from the fact that they use locally-sourced quality food.
For their SF Restaurant Week dinner menu, they were serving their winter salad of of “twigs” and mushrooms for their appetizer. Since I am not so keen on the texture of mushrooms, I asked them a sincere favor if I may substitute a different salad instead, and my waiter said yes! I ordered the kale & beet salad instead.
For the main entree, it was their “Fairy Ring” pasta (pictured below) with housemade duck-pear sausage with porcini and butterscotch mushroom cream, sage pesto, & cavatelli. It was different from anything I’ve ever had before, and was really good.
For dessert was cinnamon-sugar brioche donuts with ricotta mouse & caramel apple compote, pictured above. It was nothing short of delicious and heaven-sent!
I highly recommend Reverb not only for their delicious food, modern decor and cozy, rustic atmosphere, but simply for their top-notch hospitality as well as willingness to accommodate. They also assert lovely food presentations.
Last but not least is Rose’s Café, located in the Cow Hollow neighborhood. I did discover them thanks to their place on the list of participating restaurants, but I did something a little different with them. I didn’t order their special SF Restaurant Week dinner feature, but I simply went for brunch. I took a peak at some of their social media posts such as what guests have posted, and the photos of the food looked very delectable!
Rose’s is an adorable all-day cafe that features Italian fare and outdoor seating. When I did a little research on them, it was good to see that they also used organic local produce, fresh seafood and sustainable meats. Their menu ranges from the classic house-made pastas to pizza to daily soups.
For breakfast, I decided to get their yukon gold potato hash with mushrooms, onions, cheddar & poached eggs, a side of avocado toast, and a vanilla latte (pictured above). It was all just simply delicious.
It was the perfect epitome of your little charming & local neighborhood cafe. The set-up was super cute, relaxed, & comfortable. I was super lucky and privileged to experience this little gem on my very last day in San Francisco. It was a nice light rainy afternoon, and this spot couldn’t have been more cozy and perfect. I chose to sit outside and glance out towards the charming avenue there, while sipping a hot latte.
These restaurants I discovered were only a tiny taste of what the huge mecca of San Francisco food culture has to offer.
If you’re going to San Francisco, you’ll be sure to be met with some amazing food fare, from classic to innovative and diverse all-around.