Friday, August 24, 2007
Dinner at Spruce, San Francisco, CA
For a restaurant that's only been open for 3 weeks, Spruce seems to already have the kinks worked out. The food was great, interesting and well-executed. The service was friendly and knowledgeable, yet not overbearing. The decor was simple, elegant and welcoming. Although it was an expensive meal, the portions, especially the entrees, were very large.
Beet Chips with Herbed Creme Fraiche (gratuit)
The creme fraiche was subtle in a good way, allowing you to taste the subtle sweetness of the beets. The chips were thin, crispy and not at all greasy.
House-Cured Charcuterie Sampler $17
The variety of house-cured meats was impressive and most were very delicious. The duck rillette and the duck mousse with port gelee were the standouts. The headcheese was also delcious. The bologna and chorizo were not as interesting. The tongue was tasty, but without the salsa verde it might have been lacking in some flavor. The terrine in the middle of the plate was very good, although we can't quite remember what it was. Overall, this was a very tasty platter of cured meats.
Sweetbreads and Spot Prawns $13
This dish was very successful and was presented table-side with a carmelized pan juice sauce. The sweetbreads were cooked perfectly, as were the prawns and the sauce really tied the flavors together.
Preserved Foie Gras with Sour Plums $14
We didn't really know how foie gras could be preserved and we found out that by preserved, they really meant cured. Apparently they poach the foie gras in wine and herbs, then hang it to dry for a day so that it loses some of it's moisture. In the end, the torchon was a bit firmer than a standard torchon, which great flavor. The sour plums were a perfectly acidic contrast to the richness of the foie gras.
Duck Breast with Seared Foie Gras, Radicchio and Plums $28
The duck was tender and the skin was perfectly crispy. The portion was huge. The duck tasted more meaty than poultry-y which was neither good nor bad, just different. The dish, as a whole, was quite delicious.
Bavette Steak with Greens and Potatoes $20
The portion of this steak was also enormous. The steak was cooked perfectly and was very tender. The greens were a nice accompaniment. And while we generally are not fans of potatoes, these were earthy and crispy and delicious.
Cheese Plate $15
For the cheese course, we were given the choice of a plate of all of the American cheeses, or all of the European cheeses. We chose the European and most were very tasty. It was nice to get such a full range of cheeses.
Spruce
Ratings:
Food: 2
Service: 2
Decor: 2
Website
Health Code Violations
Beet Chips with Herbed Creme Fraiche (gratuit)
The creme fraiche was subtle in a good way, allowing you to taste the subtle sweetness of the beets. The chips were thin, crispy and not at all greasy.
House-Cured Charcuterie Sampler $17
The variety of house-cured meats was impressive and most were very delicious. The duck rillette and the duck mousse with port gelee were the standouts. The headcheese was also delcious. The bologna and chorizo were not as interesting. The tongue was tasty, but without the salsa verde it might have been lacking in some flavor. The terrine in the middle of the plate was very good, although we can't quite remember what it was. Overall, this was a very tasty platter of cured meats.
Sweetbreads and Spot Prawns $13
This dish was very successful and was presented table-side with a carmelized pan juice sauce. The sweetbreads were cooked perfectly, as were the prawns and the sauce really tied the flavors together.
Preserved Foie Gras with Sour Plums $14
We didn't really know how foie gras could be preserved and we found out that by preserved, they really meant cured. Apparently they poach the foie gras in wine and herbs, then hang it to dry for a day so that it loses some of it's moisture. In the end, the torchon was a bit firmer than a standard torchon, which great flavor. The sour plums were a perfectly acidic contrast to the richness of the foie gras.
Duck Breast with Seared Foie Gras, Radicchio and Plums $28
The duck was tender and the skin was perfectly crispy. The portion was huge. The duck tasted more meaty than poultry-y which was neither good nor bad, just different. The dish, as a whole, was quite delicious.
Bavette Steak with Greens and Potatoes $20
The portion of this steak was also enormous. The steak was cooked perfectly and was very tender. The greens were a nice accompaniment. And while we generally are not fans of potatoes, these were earthy and crispy and delicious.
Cheese Plate $15
For the cheese course, we were given the choice of a plate of all of the American cheeses, or all of the European cheeses. We chose the European and most were very tasty. It was nice to get such a full range of cheeses.
3640 Sacramento St
San Francisco, CA, 94118
Ratings:
Food: 2
Service: 2
Decor: 2
Website
Health Code Violations
Labels: Decor: 2, Food: 2, nouveau American, restaurant, review, Service: 2
# posted by Giao and Alexis @ 5:41 PM 
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