Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Dinner at Rubicon, San Francisco, CA
We ended up getting a last minute free screening to a movie that let out around 9:30pm. Since we didn't want to wait another hour and a 1/2 for Alexis to go home and cook, we were tasked with finding someplace open in the financial district on a Wednesday night. We found Rubicon, a place we certainly know of, yet had never been to. We were very pleasantly surprised. The food was inspired and interesting, yet not gimicky. The chef used ingredients in unexpected ways, with great results. Everything was tasty. And the service was excellent as well. We were seated immediately with no reservation near the end of the night. Not only did the chef send out a course for us on the house, he also came out to speak with us (and he appeared to be making the rounds, speaking with everyone).
Amuse Bouche (gratuit)
Essentially and olive mini-muffin with a goat cheese mousse, sprinkled with salt and pepper. The mousse was amazing--airy, smooth, tangy. The flavor of olive bread sort of got lost in the goat cheese and salt though. However, it did what an amuse should do, and that's to awaken the palate.
Fried Duck Egg with Morels, Ramps and Watercress $14
Instead of being a flat egg, fried in a pan, this egg had the shape of a poached egg, which I would assume was because it had either been deep-fried. Anyway, it was tasty. The dish was also chock full of whole morels, which was a pleasant surprise. This was a solid dish.
Marinated Geoduck with Golden Beets, Pine Nuts, Mint and Olives $15
When we saw geoduck on the menu we just had to order it because we've never seen it at a non-Chinese restaurant. We were excited to taste it in a different style. This dish was interesting for sure, but we didn't love it. Giao didn't like the olives, Alexis didn't like the pinenuts (although we like these ingredients, in general), but both agreed that the mint really brought the dish together.
Yellowtail Sashimi with Dill, Peas and Quinoa $17
This was really, really good. The fish was fresh, the addition of a grain (quinoa, the "it" ingredient these days), was refreshing. Amazingly, the dill did not overpower this dish.
Shaved Porcini and Foie Gras with Blueberries, Smoked Salt, Basil and Vinegar
(Gratuit for us, as the chef sent it out as a gift, but generally $18)
You rarely every see the use of fresh mushrooms, uncooked, but these firm, thin slices paired perfectly with the soft foie gras. The halved blueberries added visual interest and also provided the subtle sweetness that foie gras begs for.
Roasted Guinea Hen $28
A surprisingly large portion of succulent, juicy poultry. This guinea hen was paired with a ragout of sweetbreads, bacon and more whole morels. We rarely ever order poultry in restaurants for some reason, but this time we were very glad we broke tradition.
Duck and Foie Gras with Toasted Fennel, Asparagus, Cipollini and Orange Peel $29
The duck was juicy and tasty, and the very thin (and it seemed poached) orange peel added a great flavor with surprisingly little bitterness. We weren't quite sure if the seared foie gras was blackened on purpose, but it was good just the same.
Cheese Plate $15
This was the best deal for a cheese plate that we've seen in a while. There was at least an ounce, maybe 2, of 5 cheeses we hadn't had before. All were interesting, and delicious, even if we can't remember their names.
Sesame Shortbread and Rosemary Truffle (gratuit)
A very pleasant send-off, the shortbread was crumbly and flavorful, and the rosemary stoof up quite well to the bitter tones of the cocoa.
Ratings:
Food: 2
Service: 2
Decor: 1
Website
Health Code Violations
Amuse Bouche (gratuit)
Essentially and olive mini-muffin with a goat cheese mousse, sprinkled with salt and pepper. The mousse was amazing--airy, smooth, tangy. The flavor of olive bread sort of got lost in the goat cheese and salt though. However, it did what an amuse should do, and that's to awaken the palate.
Fried Duck Egg with Morels, Ramps and Watercress $14
Instead of being a flat egg, fried in a pan, this egg had the shape of a poached egg, which I would assume was because it had either been deep-fried. Anyway, it was tasty. The dish was also chock full of whole morels, which was a pleasant surprise. This was a solid dish.
Marinated Geoduck with Golden Beets, Pine Nuts, Mint and Olives $15
When we saw geoduck on the menu we just had to order it because we've never seen it at a non-Chinese restaurant. We were excited to taste it in a different style. This dish was interesting for sure, but we didn't love it. Giao didn't like the olives, Alexis didn't like the pinenuts (although we like these ingredients, in general), but both agreed that the mint really brought the dish together.
Yellowtail Sashimi with Dill, Peas and Quinoa $17
This was really, really good. The fish was fresh, the addition of a grain (quinoa, the "it" ingredient these days), was refreshing. Amazingly, the dill did not overpower this dish.
Shaved Porcini and Foie Gras with Blueberries, Smoked Salt, Basil and Vinegar
(Gratuit for us, as the chef sent it out as a gift, but generally $18)
You rarely every see the use of fresh mushrooms, uncooked, but these firm, thin slices paired perfectly with the soft foie gras. The halved blueberries added visual interest and also provided the subtle sweetness that foie gras begs for.
Roasted Guinea Hen $28
A surprisingly large portion of succulent, juicy poultry. This guinea hen was paired with a ragout of sweetbreads, bacon and more whole morels. We rarely ever order poultry in restaurants for some reason, but this time we were very glad we broke tradition.
Duck and Foie Gras with Toasted Fennel, Asparagus, Cipollini and Orange Peel $29
The duck was juicy and tasty, and the very thin (and it seemed poached) orange peel added a great flavor with surprisingly little bitterness. We weren't quite sure if the seared foie gras was blackened on purpose, but it was good just the same.
Cheese Plate $15
This was the best deal for a cheese plate that we've seen in a while. There was at least an ounce, maybe 2, of 5 cheeses we hadn't had before. All were interesting, and delicious, even if we can't remember their names.
Sesame Shortbread and Rosemary Truffle (gratuit)
A very pleasant send-off, the shortbread was crumbly and flavorful, and the rosemary stoof up quite well to the bitter tones of the cocoa.
Food: 2
Service: 2
Decor: 1
Website
Health Code Violations
Labels: Decor: 1, Food: 2, nouveau American, restaurant, review, Service: 2
# posted by Giao and Alexis @ 10:14 PM 
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