Yip on Bacar
Bacar * 448 Brannan St. @ 3rd/4th * San Francisco, CA 94102 * (415) 904-4100
Cuisine: California
Neighborhood: SoMa
The Scene
Nested in SoMa, the decor in this restaurant is near flawless; modern but also warm, not cold or sterile. Walls flanked with exposed brick and old loft-like windows, there are also beautiful oversized floral arrangements at the entrance and throughout the dining room. The music was also pleasing, as we were there on a Sunday (the only day of the week they don't have live music).
The Menu
There is no way to write about this place and not acknowledge the superb wine list. First of all, they have the most extensive by-the-glass list I have ever seen, probably over 100. Then the "real" wine list is over 35 pages. It's a bit overwhelming to say the least, with wines on this list that could easily break the bank (I saw a few that were $600+/bottle!). But they have a very helpful and non-pretentious Sommelier, who helped make a couple of great appropriately priced recommendations. The food menu had just the right number of choices, though I was disappointed that two choices I was enticed by they were out of. It was a Sunday when we dined and the waiter informed us they had quite a few more patrons the evening before than expected.
The Food
Our table for four ordered all different meals, which lucky for me (and for you readers) means lots of tastes and lots of opinions. We started with the fritto misto with chili aioli (fried calamari with a few other treats) and the mesquite grilled jumbo artichoke with lemon aioli. The artichoke was one the best I have ever had. Usually the outside pieces are less than edible, but every piece of this was dee-lish. Between the four of us, we ordered the mushroom pizza, the salmon, the halibut, and the pork chop. HANDS DOWN, this pork chop was the best I have ever had, and others at the table agreed. I had food envy, wishing I had ordered that instead of the halibut, which admittedly was seared perfectly, but tasted a little fishy. For dessert, they decorated the plate with a candle and some chocolate icing proclaiming "Happy Birthday" to celebrate our dining occasion. We had chocolate crunch bar with raspberry garnish and a peach cobbler-like crumble. Tasty desserts and timely coffee refills.
The Service
With the sommelier and the waiter's recommendation of the best pork chop of all time, the service was really excellent. They even replaced my friend's soiled napkin with a fresh one when she left the table to use the ladies room.
The Bathrooms
I had been here a couple of times and remember the downstairs bathroom having something special about it -- a nice sink or something. But on this occasion, there was a private party downstairs so we used the upstairs bathroom. It was generic; clean, but nothing special.
*************
In a spoonful, this place is great for both a special occasion or a more casual Sunday night meal. Food is rich and plentiful, so the ideal way to go would be a couple of salads or apps to start and then split an entree. READ: (broken record) get the pork chop!
Yip gives it 5 spoons.
_______________
UPDATE: I wrote this review the same night after my meal. But some circumstances had changed, and I feel that I must make an amendment to my highly coveted 5 spoon rating. I mentioned I thought there may have been some problems with the fish. Unfortunately, both my friend and I felt sick later that night, and we ordered two different fish dishes. We both called the management team the next day to discuss the issue, and the manager was skirting the issue and wouldn't take responsibility that their food made us ill. He casually mentioned that I could ask for him the next time I was there, and he'd try to accommodate something. I wasn't satisfied with this response, nor did I think it matched the level of service I had come to expect from Bacar.
Cuisine: California
Neighborhood: SoMa
The Scene
Nested in SoMa, the decor in this restaurant is near flawless; modern but also warm, not cold or sterile. Walls flanked with exposed brick and old loft-like windows, there are also beautiful oversized floral arrangements at the entrance and throughout the dining room. The music was also pleasing, as we were there on a Sunday (the only day of the week they don't have live music).
The Menu
There is no way to write about this place and not acknowledge the superb wine list. First of all, they have the most extensive by-the-glass list I have ever seen, probably over 100. Then the "real" wine list is over 35 pages. It's a bit overwhelming to say the least, with wines on this list that could easily break the bank (I saw a few that were $600+/bottle!). But they have a very helpful and non-pretentious Sommelier, who helped make a couple of great appropriately priced recommendations. The food menu had just the right number of choices, though I was disappointed that two choices I was enticed by they were out of. It was a Sunday when we dined and the waiter informed us they had quite a few more patrons the evening before than expected.
The Food
Our table for four ordered all different meals, which lucky for me (and for you readers) means lots of tastes and lots of opinions. We started with the fritto misto with chili aioli (fried calamari with a few other treats) and the mesquite grilled jumbo artichoke with lemon aioli. The artichoke was one the best I have ever had. Usually the outside pieces are less than edible, but every piece of this was dee-lish. Between the four of us, we ordered the mushroom pizza, the salmon, the halibut, and the pork chop. HANDS DOWN, this pork chop was the best I have ever had, and others at the table agreed. I had food envy, wishing I had ordered that instead of the halibut, which admittedly was seared perfectly, but tasted a little fishy. For dessert, they decorated the plate with a candle and some chocolate icing proclaiming "Happy Birthday" to celebrate our dining occasion. We had chocolate crunch bar with raspberry garnish and a peach cobbler-like crumble. Tasty desserts and timely coffee refills.
The Service
With the sommelier and the waiter's recommendation of the best pork chop of all time, the service was really excellent. They even replaced my friend's soiled napkin with a fresh one when she left the table to use the ladies room.
The Bathrooms
I had been here a couple of times and remember the downstairs bathroom having something special about it -- a nice sink or something. But on this occasion, there was a private party downstairs so we used the upstairs bathroom. It was generic; clean, but nothing special.
*************
In a spoonful, this place is great for both a special occasion or a more casual Sunday night meal. Food is rich and plentiful, so the ideal way to go would be a couple of salads or apps to start and then split an entree. READ: (broken record) get the pork chop!
Yip gives it 5 spoons.
_______________
UPDATE: I wrote this review the same night after my meal. But some circumstances had changed, and I feel that I must make an amendment to my highly coveted 5 spoon rating. I mentioned I thought there may have been some problems with the fish. Unfortunately, both my friend and I felt sick later that night, and we ordered two different fish dishes. We both called the management team the next day to discuss the issue, and the manager was skirting the issue and wouldn't take responsibility that their food made us ill. He casually mentioned that I could ask for him the next time I was there, and he'd try to accommodate something. I wasn't satisfied with this response, nor did I think it matched the level of service I had come to expect from Bacar.
posted by SoCalATA at 8:35 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home