Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Dinner at SPQR, San Francisco, CA
We'd been dying to try SPQR, Nate Appleman's new restaurant. However, we are lazy and since they don't take reservations we didn't want to go all the way over there only to find out it would be a very long wait. We finally got our butts over to the neighborhood and gave it a try and were pleasantly surprised to be seated immediately, albeit in a very tiny alcove in the front window.
We found the staff friendly and knowledgeable, the decor warm and inviting and the food good for sure, but not as good as A16. SPQR also boasts an interesting list of all Italian wines and since we know pretty much nothing about Italian wines, we found the waitress' advice to be quite helpful.
20 month San Daniele Prosciutto and Gaeta olives
The proscuitto was a bit thick in the cut, but was very tasty. The olives were surprisingly soft, but good.
Mozzarella Bocconcini with Spicy Tomato Sauce
These were a little bit disappointing just because the thing we love most about A16 is the mozzerella. These were strangely watery when you bit into them, but they were not bad by any standards. We certainly finished eating them.
Crispy Sweetbreads with Celery Salad
These were tender and the brightness of the dressing really cut through the richness of the sweetbreads.
Bucatini with Seafood $13
There wasn't a ton of seafood in the dish, but we weren't expecting that much, as the price was relatively low. The seafood that was on the plate was fresh and tasty, and the pasta was nicely al dente.
Whole Fried Chicken with Lemon and Salsa Verde $19
We rarely order chicken in restaurants, but this just sounded great. And it was. This was the star of the meal. The meat was juicy and well seasoned, the skin was crispy (and not breaded at all) and the accompaniments were delicious and cut through the fat.
Panino with Caramelized Milk, Pears, Shaved Chocolate and Sea Salt $7
I love Appleman's use of salt in desserts. It adds a complexity that you don't often see in desserts. This was an interesting idea for the dish and the middle was great, but the crusts were a little dry.
SPQR
1911 Fillmore St
San Francisco, CA 94115
Too New for Health Code Violations
We found the staff friendly and knowledgeable, the decor warm and inviting and the food good for sure, but not as good as A16. SPQR also boasts an interesting list of all Italian wines and since we know pretty much nothing about Italian wines, we found the waitress' advice to be quite helpful.
The extensive antipasti menu was divided into three sections: cold, hot and fried and was priced at $7 for 1, $18 for 3 and $28 for 5. We ordered 3, as shown below.
20 month San Daniele Prosciutto and Gaeta olives
The proscuitto was a bit thick in the cut, but was very tasty. The olives were surprisingly soft, but good.
Mozzarella Bocconcini with Spicy Tomato Sauce
These were a little bit disappointing just because the thing we love most about A16 is the mozzerella. These were strangely watery when you bit into them, but they were not bad by any standards. We certainly finished eating them.
Crispy Sweetbreads with Celery Salad
These were tender and the brightness of the dressing really cut through the richness of the sweetbreads.
Bucatini with Seafood $13
There wasn't a ton of seafood in the dish, but we weren't expecting that much, as the price was relatively low. The seafood that was on the plate was fresh and tasty, and the pasta was nicely al dente.
Whole Fried Chicken with Lemon and Salsa Verde $19
We rarely order chicken in restaurants, but this just sounded great. And it was. This was the star of the meal. The meat was juicy and well seasoned, the skin was crispy (and not breaded at all) and the accompaniments were delicious and cut through the fat.
Panino with Caramelized Milk, Pears, Shaved Chocolate and Sea Salt $7
I love Appleman's use of salt in desserts. It adds a complexity that you don't often see in desserts. This was an interesting idea for the dish and the middle was great, but the crusts were a little dry.
1911 Fillmore St
San Francisco, CA 94115
Too New for Health Code Violations
Labels: Decor: 2, Food: 1, Italian, restaurant, review, Service: 2
# posted by Giao and Alexis @ 7:15 PM 
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