Cooking
Normally I only try to point my readers in the direction of worthwhile restaurants. But since I mentioned my desire to try Tablespoon as part of Dine About Town I thought I would share my experience.
First off, service was professional, attentive and friendly. The interior is much as it was in a previous incarnation as "Spoon", cozy and informal yet cool and refined. Unfortunately the consistency in the service and environment was lacking in the food. The Dine About Town menu had a wonderful starter, a smoky venison carpaccio that had a little garnish of greens and mandarins. My jerusalem artichoke soup was at best passable. It was woefully undersalted, and had an unpleasant oily taste. My entree which was described as "Braised Lamb Shank" was a lump of shredded overcooked flavorless lamb mixed with bits of mustard greens and sandwiched between two noodles. Not what I'd call a "lamb shank" and it was topped with chives and a grainy goat cheese that was just all wrong for the dish.
Lee's roasted pork tenderloin was much better, well-seasoned and served with some braised cabbage and carrots though it could have used some potatoes or polenta to round it out. The dessert included in the Dine About Town menu was a "Pumpkin cheesecake" but there was no crust. As a molded pumpkin pudding it was very soft and served with a nice huckleberry sauce. The accompanying whipped cream was badly overwhipped. In a neighborhood with tons of great choices, I was surprised at such sloppy executions in the kitchen. Sorry to say, I can't recommend Tablespoon.
- 1550 Hyde:restaurant Review Closed
What makes a neighborhood place a neighborhood place? My neighborhood has a lot of good and even some great restaurants but 1550 Hyde is a classic neighborhood place. Here's why I think it qualifies. It's cozy and warm and the staff greets you...
- Rnm:restaurant Review Closed
After all the festivities of November and December who wants to eat out in January? Well, I do! And you will too especially if you take advantage of Dine About Town a January promotion whereby you can eat in a whole roster of terrific restaurants for...
- The Helmand Restaurant Review
My first apartment in San Francisco was in North Beach, on Telegraph Hill. I thought I would be eating a lot of Italian food but what I discovered was that North Beach was a neighborhood in transition. New restaurants were opening up, not necessarily...
- Maya
Our last Dine About Town experience was with Maya, which Melissa suggested. Her aunt recommended it, and we rarely go out for Mexican food (let alone high-end Mexican), so she thought it would make for a nice change of pace. Walking into the restaurant...
- Expecting Something Offal
Melissa and I were excited to try Bizou for our second Dine About Town dinner. All the reviews mention their "rustic" cuisine. Which is to say that they feature a lot of organ meats and various odd cuts of meat (beef cheeks, for instance). Unfortunately,...
Cooking
Tablespoon: Restaurant Review CLOSED
Normally I only try to point my readers in the direction of worthwhile restaurants. But since I mentioned my desire to try Tablespoon as part of Dine About Town I thought I would share my experience.
First off, service was professional, attentive and friendly. The interior is much as it was in a previous incarnation as "Spoon", cozy and informal yet cool and refined. Unfortunately the consistency in the service and environment was lacking in the food. The Dine About Town menu had a wonderful starter, a smoky venison carpaccio that had a little garnish of greens and mandarins. My jerusalem artichoke soup was at best passable. It was woefully undersalted, and had an unpleasant oily taste. My entree which was described as "Braised Lamb Shank" was a lump of shredded overcooked flavorless lamb mixed with bits of mustard greens and sandwiched between two noodles. Not what I'd call a "lamb shank" and it was topped with chives and a grainy goat cheese that was just all wrong for the dish.
Lee's roasted pork tenderloin was much better, well-seasoned and served with some braised cabbage and carrots though it could have used some potatoes or polenta to round it out. The dessert included in the Dine About Town menu was a "Pumpkin cheesecake" but there was no crust. As a molded pumpkin pudding it was very soft and served with a nice huckleberry sauce. The accompanying whipped cream was badly overwhipped. In a neighborhood with tons of great choices, I was surprised at such sloppy executions in the kitchen. Sorry to say, I can't recommend Tablespoon.
- 1550 Hyde:restaurant Review Closed
What makes a neighborhood place a neighborhood place? My neighborhood has a lot of good and even some great restaurants but 1550 Hyde is a classic neighborhood place. Here's why I think it qualifies. It's cozy and warm and the staff greets you...
- Rnm:restaurant Review Closed
After all the festivities of November and December who wants to eat out in January? Well, I do! And you will too especially if you take advantage of Dine About Town a January promotion whereby you can eat in a whole roster of terrific restaurants for...
- The Helmand Restaurant Review
My first apartment in San Francisco was in North Beach, on Telegraph Hill. I thought I would be eating a lot of Italian food but what I discovered was that North Beach was a neighborhood in transition. New restaurants were opening up, not necessarily...
- Maya
Our last Dine About Town experience was with Maya, which Melissa suggested. Her aunt recommended it, and we rarely go out for Mexican food (let alone high-end Mexican), so she thought it would make for a nice change of pace. Walking into the restaurant...
- Expecting Something Offal
Melissa and I were excited to try Bizou for our second Dine About Town dinner. All the reviews mention their "rustic" cuisine. Which is to say that they feature a lot of organ meats and various odd cuts of meat (beef cheeks, for instance). Unfortunately,...