Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Dinner at Rubicon, San Francisco, CA
We decided to head to Rubicon for an impromtu dinner out. It was quite a bit busier mid-week this time than it was last time, and the service, while, very, very friendly, was rather slow. We are attributing the slowness to the busyness and honestly, they were so nice we didn't care that much. Also, again towards the end of the meal, the chef came out to say hello, which is always nice. The food was stellar, just like last time. And what really impressed us, was that the menu was completely different. We only recognized one dish. We love restaurants with good food that change up their menu--that was we get to try a greater variety of dishes.
Goat Cheese Mousse and Mushroom Mini-Muffin (gratuit)
The first of 2 amuse-bouches, the goat cheese was tangy and the mini-muffin (I'm sure it was called something much more sophisticated) was soft and tasty.
Chilled Brandywine Tomato Soup with Pickled Fennel, Eggplant and Goat Cheese (gratuit)
We saw this on the menu, yet didn't order it. So it was a pleasant surprise not only to be served a second amuse-bouche, but that it was this soup, which we had been eyeing. The soup itself was smooth and perfectly tart. The pickled fennel was amazing. The eggplant was nothing special and the goat cheese was very mild and a little hard because of the chilled soup. Overall, this was a very good dish.
Oysters from Washington State $5
Giao was a bit disappointed with these, actually.
Deep Fried Duck Egg with Tomatos, Grated Cheese and Crispy Ham $12
A deep fried egg, with a runny yolk is a truly delicious thing. The tartness of the sweet tomatos cut right though the richness. So good.
Seared Scallops with Mushrooms, Spinach and Sesame Seeds $15
A tiny bit overcooked, but the flavors were right on.
Duck with Torchon of Foie Gras, Peaches, Onions and Brocollini $29
The duck was very tender, and the plate was packed with veggies and fruit. One is always a tiny bit disappointed to see torchon rather than seared foie gras, but it was tasty nonetheless.
Spinach Dumplings with Mushrooms, String Beans, Caulflower and a Curry Cream Sauce $25
The dumplings weren't all that special but the dish as a whole was really wonderful. I like that the chef really loads the dish up with veggies, rather than using them as a sort of garnish or afterthought.
Chocolate-Lemon Verbena Frozen Sabayon with Carmelized Puffed Rice and Pistachio Puree $10
Generally Alexis tried not to succomb to the lure of dessert on a standard night out. However, after having has Nicole Krasinski's desserts at the StarChefs Rising Stars Revue, she just had to order something. This dish was very good, although the lemon-verbena didn't come through very well. Also, the carmelized rice was a bit too sweet for our taste, but I'm sure most people would have loved it.
Rubicon
558 Sacramento Street
San Francisco, CA 94111
Previous Post
Goat Cheese Mousse and Mushroom Mini-Muffin (gratuit)
The first of 2 amuse-bouches, the goat cheese was tangy and the mini-muffin (I'm sure it was called something much more sophisticated) was soft and tasty.
Chilled Brandywine Tomato Soup with Pickled Fennel, Eggplant and Goat Cheese (gratuit)
We saw this on the menu, yet didn't order it. So it was a pleasant surprise not only to be served a second amuse-bouche, but that it was this soup, which we had been eyeing. The soup itself was smooth and perfectly tart. The pickled fennel was amazing. The eggplant was nothing special and the goat cheese was very mild and a little hard because of the chilled soup. Overall, this was a very good dish.
Oysters from Washington State $5
Giao was a bit disappointed with these, actually.
Deep Fried Duck Egg with Tomatos, Grated Cheese and Crispy Ham $12
A deep fried egg, with a runny yolk is a truly delicious thing. The tartness of the sweet tomatos cut right though the richness. So good.
Seared Scallops with Mushrooms, Spinach and Sesame Seeds $15
A tiny bit overcooked, but the flavors were right on.
Duck with Torchon of Foie Gras, Peaches, Onions and Brocollini $29
The duck was very tender, and the plate was packed with veggies and fruit. One is always a tiny bit disappointed to see torchon rather than seared foie gras, but it was tasty nonetheless.
Spinach Dumplings with Mushrooms, String Beans, Caulflower and a Curry Cream Sauce $25
The dumplings weren't all that special but the dish as a whole was really wonderful. I like that the chef really loads the dish up with veggies, rather than using them as a sort of garnish or afterthought.
Chocolate-Lemon Verbena Frozen Sabayon with Carmelized Puffed Rice and Pistachio Puree $10
Generally Alexis tried not to succomb to the lure of dessert on a standard night out. However, after having has Nicole Krasinski's desserts at the StarChefs Rising Stars Revue, she just had to order something. This dish was very good, although the lemon-verbena didn't come through very well. Also, the carmelized rice was a bit too sweet for our taste, but I'm sure most people would have loved it.
558 Sacramento Street
San Francisco, CA 94111
Previous Post
Labels: Decor: 1, Food: 2, nouveau American, restaurant, review, Service: 2
# posted by Giao and Alexis @ 8:25 PM 
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