“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.