Michael Mina Revisted

I blogged about my Michael Mina visit back in June so I'll keep my revisit review short other than to say it was fantastic, fabulous, mouth-watering, drop-what-you're-doing-and-go good. I didn't want to leave. Please, Michael, bring a 7th course, just this once!

My main complaint last time was the service. Not the case this time. This may have had something to do with the completely empty bar, but regardless, the food and service nailed it. From the time we entered the bar area at 11:45am until when we left more than an hour later, we were the ONLY diners. Seriously, why isn't this place packed? Puzzling.

At $39 a head, the six-courser is actually quite a good value. Each of the six courses is a mini-meal in itself. My dad each and I each had a course of pork & shrimp spring rolls, tuna tartare (not pictured), lobster pop tart, halibut, steak & eggs, and a dessert (me: chocolate delice, dad: butterscotch custard). I waddled back to the office.

“I’m going to rip Wayfare Tavern a new one on my blog”

Those were the words spoken upon exiting Wayfare Tavern this afternoon. Yikes.

The Setup: It was a special occasion as Adrienne joined Friday lunch to meet my parents (or the “future in-laws” as we joke). I chose Wayfare Tavern because it’s one of the nicest most expensive restaurants in downtown San Francisco. More than a year after its opening, it still has significant buzz as Tyler Florence of Food Network fame is the head chef. I had a positive bar-side burger experience there last summer and remember liking the ambiance a lot. I also distinctly remember the free popovers, and I believed that in itself can save an even mediocre meal. I may have been wrong.

The Letdown: After going back and forth between the burger and the chicken, I opted to split the fried bird with my mom. As it was served to the table next to us, our server touted it as the house specialty and something about the ingenious recipe. The generous portion (five pieces) was also a selling point. Now here is where I am confused. I am not a regular fried chicken expert, and maybe too many childhood trips to KFC have ruined me, but shouldn’t the skin be thick, oily, and heart-attack inducing? To me, this was more like the healthy, “baked fried” chicken they advertise on www.cookinglight.com. The skin was thin and gently fried. There is a time and place to be healthy, but fried chicken is not one of them. To add insult to injury, the pieces were COLD. And the meat was dry; didn’t have to wipe my fingers on my napkin even once! And there was no dipping sauce (I had to ask for BBQ sauce, which was brought as I swallowed my last bite). There are no sides. Simply put, it was a bad meal. I have no tolerance for this when the price tag is $22 (plus $8 if you splurge for a side - which I probably should have done).

Colonel Sanders: 1. Tyler Florence: 0

Looking on the Bright Side: The atmosphere cannot be beat. The restaurant has a great, long bar to the left as you walk in. Behind it are a few booths and four-tops. Upstairs, you’ll find another, smaller bar and a large dining room. The busy wallpaper and chandeliers create a festive feeling; I felt like I stepped into another time era for an hour. Despite a full dining room, the noise level stays at a pleasant level so we could have a pleasant conversation in our indoor voices.

The Verdict: The free popovers are still pretty incredible (especially when they bring a second one sans prompting) but they can’t carry a meal. Wayfare Tavern has moved into “watering hole” status to me. I’ll take the drinks and the ambiance but skip out on the food.

*The first picture is pulled from the San Francisco's Chronicle review. My chicken did NOT look like that. Obviously, my picture quality is much poorer, but I think you can see how the crispy skin is nonexistent.

Reddy For Next Time

I am pleased to announce I have created a monster. As I blogged in April, I asked Adrienne to join me to Gary Danko for my birthday dinner. Since that meal (or precisely when took the first bite her deep fried poached egg), Adrienne has become a completely different diner. Phrases such as “I only do wine pairings” and “does it have a Michelin star?” have come out of her mouth (only somewhat in jest). So, for her birthday we had to find a spot up to her new standards. Both our expectations were exceeded at Redd in Yountville.

Diners can choose between a la carte items or the five-course tasting menu. Unlike other prix fixe menus I’ve tried, I had no say in each dish at Redd. Given the fact I’ll try anything, I had no problem with this; I was actually excited by the unknown and not having to endure selection stress. I can see where picky diners may not be comfortable with this route. Also, each diner gets five different dishes, so I really got to try ten different plates.

As I have learned is standard with multi-course menus, our first dish was raw fish. I had a sashimi of hamachi served over sticky rice, edamame and ginger sauce. Adrienne was brought the yellowfin tuna tartare. In hindsight, this was my least favorite of the five. Raw fish just doesn’t rile me up like a good slab of beef does. That being said, the pieces of edamame were tasty, beautiful, and a creative pairing with the fish.

The next few dishes were some of the best I’ve had. I noticed each had something special to give it the “it” factor; whether it was an unusual spice (the pork belly), thoughtful accoutrements (scallop), or to-die for flavor combinations (chocolate peanut butter beignet) - there was always a thoughtful touch to separate it from similar dishes I've had elsewhere. Going into the night, the one thing I really wanted to try was the pork belly - ya just can’t beat fatty pig in my book. Chef karma was on my side, because out it came in all its fat glory. The pork belly was fall-apart-at-the-touch as it should be, but it also had an addictive barbeque sauce glaze. The sauce was sweet and savory at the same time; I confess to wiping up the remnants with my bread. My scallop also presented an image and taste I won’t soon forget. While it was just one scallop, it was enormous and juicy. I also loved the crisp cauliflower and golden raisin salad it was served with.

I was apprehensive when I was served the duck. The few times each year I eat duck, I always walk away disappointed but the chefs at Redd have found a duck convert! Prepared two ways, one variation was literally a square piece of duck with an interior that was juicy, delicate, and tender while the skin was crispy (no knife necessary – a big plus). The mild taste matched well with the bed of lentils underneath it. I can’t really describe the other preparation, other to say that it also did a fine job in endearing duck to me.

My only complaint about the dessert was there wasn’t enough of it. It consisted of homemade peanut butter, rich chocolate sauce in a fried dough beignet. Chocolate and peanut butter is one of my very favorite food combinations, so needless to say, the meal ended on a positive note.

The sleek and modern interior creates a hip, young ambiance (unlike other high-end restaurants where I feel the need to be on my best behavior). Upon leaving, I was surprised to find the restaurant bar occupied primarily by 20-somethings. The service was also excellent – well-paced and friendly without a hint of pretentiousness. While Redd certainly ain’t cheap, I found it to be a very good value especially considering it has a Michelin star and I left fat’n’happy; most restaurants in its class can run twice or three times as expensive.

That Burger is soaked in bacon fat!

My perpetual quest to find the perfect burger almost came to a happy conclusion last week (but I’m no quitter so I will soldier on). Like many good things life, this burger appeared where I least expected it: Don Pistos, a “Mexican Street Food” spot in North Beach. Never thought I’d have an amazing burger at a Mexican restaurant in a neighborhood famous for Italian – but I’ll take it. Thank you Sarah and Ryan for convincing me not to stay in on a Friday night and thus creating such a wonderful burger memory that I will carry with me forever.

The beef’s flavor is its differentiator. As the menu indicates, the meat is marinated in BACON FAT before grilling (as Sarah reminded me about ten times throughout the meal). Being the miracle food that bacon is, it should come as no surprise that this adds a wonderful smoky dimension to the burger. If the patty is the star, its cast of supporting characters also delivered an amazing performance. The bun is lightly toasted and perfect density to showcase the meat. The slab of guacamole is the perfect finishing touch. We initially ordered one burger to split but after one bite new an additional order was necessary.

The other plates we ordered – fish tacos, chips and guacamole, and an ahi tuna platter – were great too. The chips were exceptionally good. I prefer a thicker chip, and Don Pistos’ variety is exactly that. They don’t skimp you, either. A large bowl is provided to each table and the servers are excellent about keeping it full. Like all good guacamole, their take is thick, creamy, and chunky.

On top of great food, the restaurant is simply a cool place to be. The brick walls, open kitchen, flowing sangria, and simple wood furniture create a festive experience. I also eyed a fun bar area where I know I’ll be back soon.