JonesWineNo1
Sommelier
Posts:8568
 | | 10/29/2005 2:51 PM |
| | Went to Scott Howard on Thursday night. Its been open a couple of weeks and shows it from a service perspective. The kitchen already shows promise. Overall its worth a try imo. I'd order the sweetbreads and sea urchin small plates again. While this spot has been cursed (Cypress Club, 500 Jackson) in the past, the area has received an increase in foot traffic due to the presence of Myth nearby. Wine list is serviceable but we brought in higher quality wines for the meal. Not cheap. Scott Howard's stated goal of making food the equivalent of Masa's in a more casual environment has not yet been met (and probably never will be) but with some tinkering this place might make it. | | | |
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Winegeek
San Francisco
Grape Puncher
Posts:778
| | 11/09/2005 7:00 AM |
| Just returned from my first meal at Scott Howard and I won't go back anytime soon. The food was good but far from special (fois gras, hamachi/sorbet, duck rillette, loin of lamb, potato gratin and risotto). The service was slapdash - our waiter was very good about bringing appropriate glasses for each wine but was never around to pour. We ordered bottled water and the bus boy kept topping our glasses with tap water. I called in advance to ask about their corkage policy and was told that corkage was $20 per bottle with a two bottle maximum, but that if we bought a bottle off the list the corkage would be waived. We ordered a white wine to start ('02 Deleger Chassagne Morgeot - pleasant but overpriced at $85) and still got charged $40 corkage for the two bottles we brought (1998 Marcassin MV Pinot Noir and 1996 Abreu). When I pointed this out to the waiter he took the check, disappeared for a while and finally came back having taken off one of the corkage charges.
Bottom line: For $150 per person I want the food to be more distinctive and the service to be far more professional.
Richard | | | |
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JonesWineNo1
Sommelier
Posts:8568
| | 12/05/2005 1:46 AM |
| Dined at Ame last Friday (www.amerestaurant.com)
Ame is owned by the husband and wife team of Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani. They own Terra in St. Helena (www.terrarestaurant.com). Before Terra, they worked under Wolfgang Puck at Spago.
Ame has a bit of a Manhattan feel. Quite modern/minimalist with high ceilings and dark walls. In short, Ame is definitely not Terra south. On Friday night the place was packed with a bar scene (its separate from the restaurant but still managed by Ame) that was happenning. Despite how full it was this new restaurant's (less than one month old) servers already functioned as a well orchestrated team.
Anani Lawson late of The French Laundry has constructed a serviceable wine list but it needs a lot more work to be considered special. Unlimited corkage at $20 a bottle is very reasonable for this level of a restaurant in San Francisco. Glasses are Spieglau.
Sone has always included a number of Asian touches to his food at Terra but the Japanese influence is much more express at Ame. Ame has a sashimi bar and as such there is a lot of raw courses available. From the sashimi bar we tried Hiro's new wave take on "Poke". For $15, you get five pieces of raw tuna wrapped in Ogo seaweed which is deep fried for a couple of seconds. Its served with Japanese radish, green onion, and Hawaian Sea Salt. The tuna was impeccable. I'd order the dish again.
For a starter I tried the Chawan Mushi ($17). Chawan Mushi is a Japanese Egg Custard that was accompanied by Maine Lobster and Sea Urchin with Mitsuba Sauce. This dish had an exceptional clarity to its flavors. It worked incredibly well with a 2000 Chardonnay from Marcassin Vineyard (not available on their list - we brought all of the wines in to the restaurant). Tuscan white bean soup ($12)must have been good because I did not manage to get any before it disappeared.
Ame does meat very well. Grilled Kurobuta Pork Chop with Roasted Winter Root Vegetables and Dijon Verjus
($32) came to the table just slightly underdone (i.e. perfect). It was a big chop with robust flavors. While the Kurobuta was very good, the Red Wine Braised Wagyu Beef Cheek and Sweetbread Cutlet
with Cauliflower Puree and Cabernet Sauvignon Sauce ($34) just blew it away. The cheeks were meltingly tender. The sauce was perfectly balanced and their was just enough puree to sop up all the goodness. The cheeks are suited for any robust wine (1996 Sine Qua Non Against the Wall Syrah was an easy match). I'd definitely order the Wagyu beef again. We skipped desert.
Overall I'm reasonably excited about the restaurant. Its not a run of the mill high end San Francisco restaurant and for that I am grateful. I'd like to head back soon. | | | |
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Joe Barsky
Grape Stomper
Posts:169
| | 12/05/2005 2:32 AM |
| | Back again to A16 Sat night after missing the Siduri Party... Excellent meal. This is our current fav and it is getting even harder to get a reservation or a seat at the bar. House made lamb sausage was excellent as was their pistachio dessert. Wine list has improved vastly with many wines discussed here and many unusual italian wines. Joe | | | |
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skwid
Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5452
| | 12/05/2005 6:21 AM |
| | JW1, this is 1.5 blocks from work so I can probably check Ame out fairly easily. Sounds like a place to check out. Any particular wines I should bring? | | | |
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JonesWineNo1
Sommelier
Posts:8568
| | 12/05/2005 2:25 PM |
| | Knowing you skwid I'd say Champagne | | | |
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Pool Boy
Laurl, MD (DC suburb)
Master of Wine
Posts:13711
| | 12/05/2005 2:29 PM |
| Jones, thanks much for the review on Ame.
Question -- Do you think Terra will suffer from this diversion of a new restaurant? | |
www.roguefood.com -- www.cellartracker.com | |
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JonesWineNo1
Sommelier
Posts:8568
| | 12/05/2005 6:33 PM |
| | That's always a concern but Terra has worked well for over a decade and I'd be surprised if it declines much if at all. | | | |
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Paul_H
San Francisco
Grape Puncher
Posts:890
| | 12/31/2005 9:41 PM |
| JonesWine1 is right on about Ame. It is a great place and has risen to the top tier of places in the city almost at once.
The space is very elegant. Black, white and tan with elegant understated decoration (except for the art-glass (?) light fixtures which are definitely over the top). The bar in the St. Regis lobby also oozes class and looks like a GREAT place to unwind (or see if you can meet some interesting people).
I ordered a crudo of sea bass with meyer lemon zest, fleur de sel, and extra virgin olive oil "from Lessino olives." Also, a fricassee of Miyugi oysters, leeks and forest mushrooms in sauce beurre blanc, and a red wine braised "Wagyu" beef cheek plus sweetbread cutlet with cauliflower puree and cabernet sauvignon sauce. All of it was very, very good. Even though the beef cheek dish was excellent, it didn't have the clarity of flavors of the seafood dishes. When I come back, I think I'll stick to seafood and skip the meat dishes.
The best part of the meal was the champagne, brought along by one of my dining companions: the 1990 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut which is the greatest champage ever to cross my lips. (Thanks skwid!!)
Happy New Year, everyone! | |
http://www.sweetandsourspectator.org | |
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skwid
Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5452
| | 01/01/2006 12:24 AM |
| Quote:
Knowing you skwid I'd say Champagne
Even though I was told not to bring anything I brought the 1990 Cristal and it was great. But then again what would you expect me to bring | | | |
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GATC
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2420
| | 01/01/2006 9:04 PM |
| | Have to give Ame a try. I love this type of food (I'm trying to avoid "asian fusion") but I am very fussy about it. I hate Nobu just like my wife hates P.F.Changs. But since Hiro is of Japanese ancestry, he tends to get the spirit of the food right. It is hard for me to describe, but my best attempt is that I love the modern art by artists who have the talent to do traditional art. I hate the modern art by artists who do not have the talent to do traditional art. It's hard to describe, but you can see the difference. | | | |
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DJ Hombre
Napa Valley, California
Barrel Filler
Posts:1366
| | 01/20/2006 3:43 AM |
| Narrowing it down for a special occasion dinner in the city at the end of feb...
Campton Place
Myth
Ame
Ritz Carlton
I plan on bringing a bottle and buying off the list.
I know nothing about the food of Myth... just have heard the hype. | | | |
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Bob Bressler
Napa Valley
Wine Lover
Posts:4864
| | 01/20/2006 5:17 AM |
| DJHombre,
Note that Daniel Homm has just left Campton Place | | | |
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skwid
Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5452
| | 01/20/2006 6:14 AM |
| Quote:
Narrowing it down for a special occasion dinner in the city at the end of feb...
Campton Place
Myth
Ame
Ritz Carlton
I plan on bringing a bottle and buying off the list.
I know nothing about the food of Myth... just have heard the hype.
I've been to three out of the four restaurants you list (actually all four but Campton Place was a really long time ago). As of right now I'd go to Ame. I went there on 12/30 and to Myth last night and Ame was better. Myth was good but Ame had some incredible dishes. The service at The Dinning Room at the Ritz Carlton was superb if a bit stuffy. The lobster at the Ritz was to die for (thus the reason Siegel won the Iron Chef with the special ingredient being lobster). | | | |
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DJ Hombre
Napa Valley, California
Barrel Filler
Posts:1366
| | 01/20/2006 7:09 AM |
| Quote:
DJHombre,
Note that Daniel Homm has just left Campton Place
yeah my buddy who works there just told me that. Some italian guy they got from Ritz Half Moon Bay is in charge right now, and is definatly in a transition mode. Oh well. Guess I have to go to NY to check out that Humm cat. | | | |
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DJ Hombre
Napa Valley, California
Barrel Filler
Posts:1366
| | 01/20/2006 7:19 AM |
| Quote:
Quote:
Narrowing it down for a special occasion dinner in the city at the end of feb...
Campton Place
Myth
Ame
Ritz Carlton
I plan on bringing a bottle and buying off the list.
I know nothing about the food of Myth... just have heard the hype.
I've been to three out of the four restaurants you list (actually all four but Campton Place was a really long time ago). As of right now I'd go to Ame. I went there on 12/30 and to Myth last night and Ame was better. Myth was good but Ame had some incredible dishes. The service at The Dinning Room at the Ritz Carlton was superb if a bit stuffy. The lobster at the Ritz was to die for (thus the reason Siegel won the Iron Chef with the special ingredient being lobster).
The one thing that worries me a little about Ame is that I wasn't exactly blown away by Terra. I love the type of food that Terra does... just didn't love what ended up on my plate. | | | |
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JonesWineNo1
Sommelier
Posts:8568
| | 03/03/2006 9:46 PM |
| Some quick impressions from dining at (415) last night (a new restaurant in the JCC on the corner of California and Presidio). All things considered, we won't be going back to this restaurant.www.restaurant415.com
We started with a five piece sashimi of tuna ($9). Pretty ordinary and they served it with a blood soaked portion of the tuna attached. That's unforgivable imo.
Then had the roasted duck salad. Expensive for what it was ($11.50 for a medium sized bowl of fruit, cabbage, and stray bits of duck). Duck was served in slivers that disappeared into the rest of the salad. Too much under ripe fruit. Didn't finish it.
We then had the shanghai scallion bread with "strange flavor" eggplant (yeah that's the name). The sauce being cold was surprising but it worked when you had the bread in tandem. The bread was loaded with way too much fat. Two bites and take it away please. They took the plate away with about 3/4s of it still on the plate.
Vietnamese beef kebabs were ok. Very small portion of meat coupled with a ton of lettuce wrappers to make the plate look full. The lettuce leaves were too big and dominated the scant meat that was available. More fish sauce needed in the nuoc cham - very gringoized imo.
Tried the black cod with miso. It came on a half plate with some sliced cucumbers and squiggles of sauce. My companion had one bite, decided it was unbearably fishy, and then did not have any more of it. I could deal with the fishiness but the fish had definitely been out of the water for too long. For $22 this course is a joke compared to the $6 more cod entree at Ame. The green beans in black bean sauce was excellent.
Pacing was a problem. They did a great job of keeping the water glass full. Ordered one $12 glass of forgettable New Zealand Chardonnay. Suspect the bottle cost them $15 tops. The glass was filthy (the stem was sticky, the bottom of the glass was very dirty - I don't think they washed the glass). Cost was about $120 with tip. Not a value imo. We both came home hungry. I think the menu could really use some editing. It was packed though with young people who looked like they had come over from G Bar across the street. | | | |
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kimber
Grape Fermenter
Posts:671
| | 04/17/2006 1:36 AM |
| We went to Gary Danko on our last trip to SF in late 2005. It was very very good....not an all-time top 10 though.
Anyway, we'll be back to San Francisco this Friday before heading to Chico for a wedding on Saturday. Slanted Door reservations have been made....really looking forward to it. | | |
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Paul_H
San Francisco
Grape Puncher
Posts:890
| | 04/26/2006 11:11 PM |
| COI ("kwa") Daniel Patterson's new restaurant, is in the corner of a building with the door protected by a small alcove. You enter into a lounge area where there are six or seven tables in front of a pillow-appointed banquette along the wall. While they are starting up you can get all three menus here (ala carte, 4-course tasting menu [$75], and the 10-course tasting menu [$108]). This lounge area is also the entry hall which leads to the small dining room holding about ten tables. There is also a private room that can hold eight.
The decor is austere, sophisticated, and hip, with grays, browns and tans predominating; techno-jazz played unobtrusively in the background. It seemed like the kind of place you would find in Manhattan.
The wine is minimal for now, and planned to expand, but it is fairly priced and has some good value Spanish wines on it. There is also a small by-the-glass selection, and corkage is $20.
I had a 1/2-bottle of 1997 Raveneau Montee de Tenerre Chablis and ordered from the four-course menu.
They started with an amuse served on a large presentation spoon: finely minced fresh fennel, green apple, and ginger, seasoned with champagne vinegar.
While I was waiting for the next presention, I thought about Daniel Patterson's New York Times article "To the Moon Alice" chiding the Bay Area restaurant scene for being stuck in a Chez Panisse rut. Perhaps the storm that the article whipped up had an effect. The amuse was more like something from Roxanne's than something from El Buli, and the menu displayed a notice at the bottom that boldly proclaimed that all ingredients were locally sourced and impeccably fresh. Had Daniel Patterson joined the Alice Brigade?
The next dish made that possibility a bit more remote. A bowl of chilled carrot soup was placed before me as a starter. It was very very flavorful, but also very light. Made from carrot juice - foamed of course - but carrot juice non the less, it was supercharged with infusions of cilantro and lemon grass, and the bottom of the bowl contained a julienne of pickled mango.
The first course was next, listed on the menu as: "sea scallops meyer lemon avocado radish McEvoy olive oil sel gris" The scallops were raw and sliced about 3/8 inch thick. They were drizzled with oil and sprinkled with the coarse salt, and garnished with paper-thin slices of avocado and radish plus appealingly colorful pieces of peppery nasturtium. The scallops were top notch, as fresh as a sea breeze and very creamy. This is an excellent dish. So long as they can find scallops that taste like this, everyone should order them.
The second course was "roasted monkfish yuzu kosho chinese broccoli." For those who don't know (and I didn't) yuzu kosho is a spicy Japanese condiment which comes as a rough paste, made from yuzu zest, chili and salt. There were four impeccably-seasoned pieces of fish, in a dish with the Chinese broccoli and a pond of deeply flavorful broth. Another good dish.
The third course was "baby lamb artichokes spring onions lavender." Served in a large covered bowl, the aromas jumped out when the lid was removed. There were three dainty cuts of lamb, respectivey from the loin, shoulder and leg, served with dandelion greens and slices of artichoke. This dish also came with a light but extremely flavorful broth. I was told that one or two of the lamb cuts had been prepared sou vide, but -- alas, I cannot remember which they were. Nothing to complain about here, either; it was delicious.
I finished up with a selection of three cheeses, which were perfectly adequate, though not impressive enough for me to take specific notes to use to track them down later.
Servers are attired in black with white shirts/blouses showing that COI is aiming for upscale professionalism. Another indication is the prospective employee questionnaire which includes such questions as "what are the seven Bordeaux varietals?" and "what is sou vide?"
The question of Chez Panisse vs. El Buli remains open. COI isn't taking sides. Patterson is clearly borrowing from both schools to deliver something which is deceptively simple but which has an added dash of depth and playful intelligence. I liked COI and will return for further exploration, it is at 373 Broadway at Bartol, just east of Montgomery. | |
http://www.sweetandsourspectator.org | |
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winebrat
Sacramento, Ca.
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2326
| | 05/05/2006 5:16 PM |
| | I have been hearing some lukewarm experiences with Michael Mina over the last few months. What is changing? I have had apps and wine in the lounge 3 or 4 times in the last 2 months and have seen no quality change. Can anybody confirm the dining experience lately? I suspect people are going in with too much expectation, when in reality it is just dinner, wine, and service and not sex. | |
"Everyday is worthy of a glass of sparkling wine" - Andrea Immer MS | |
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