Where-To-Wednesday Adventure #26: Jackson Fillmore Trattoria

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? I never understood that. Of course it does. What kind of world of magical forests do people live in, who would even contemplate a question like that? In the words of Sweet Brown – ain’t nobody got time for that! Trees are heavy. Heavy things make noise when they fall. Question answered. Now…let’s move on to more important things, such as: where are we going to eat tonight? When the location for our latest where-to-Wednesday was announced I was surprised: Jackson Fillmore Trattoria. Think about it – Jackson and Fillmore. I’ve been to this area…I don’t know, a hundred times? How have I never seen this place? It must be new, was my first thought – expelling any notion that a restaurant would go unnoticed by my eagle eyes. Turns out it’s been around for 25 years. Oops. In addition to scheduling my latest eye exam, I anxiously counted down the days until we had our chance to try this neighborhood gem that has been able to fly under the radar whilst drawing a local crowd long enough to stay in business for decades. Move over trees…there’s a new question in town. If a restaurant exists right under your nose and you’ve never heard of it….is it a hidden gem? Check out our latest W2W adventure, planned by Lindsey, which myself, Joce, Elizabeth, Becky and Chelsea attended, to find out if the 25 year wait was worth it. Cheers!

Ambiance 5: We all remember Cheers. How can you not? It’s the place where everyone knows your name! Which is exactly how I think we’d be greeted here…had we not been complete strangers to this 25 year-old-staple in the community. It’s a no-nonsense, no-frills restaurant. You come here to eat, grab a glass of wine, and leave. Even the restaurant feels no need to go above and beyond that. There is food. There is wine. There are servers. But…there is no ambiance. We go out to dinner for the experience – meaning, sitting at the table for a few hours, catching up, telling stories and basking in a warm, welcoming ambiance around you. If you’re looking to do the same…this, my friend, is not the place. Attempt as you may, and you’ll get the stink eye from a dedicated local eyeing your seat from the 2x2 doorway/holding area for those that do not fit into this 20 seat capacity place. It is, for all intents and purposes, a diner of sorts. There are MAYBE eight tables in the restaurant, which spillover into the counter lined with patrons. With the exception of a few sad looking paintings placed sporadically across the restaurant, there is little to no décor. Unless you count the numerous wine boxes above the counter that double as storage. Er…nevermind, that’s just storage. But it’s wine. So…it’s cool. Speaking of….

Wine 8: Seeing that wine won the battle over wallpaper, I had high hopes for what lay inside those precious boxes. Unfortunately, I decided to take the month of September off of wine (I know, I know…isn’t drinking wine a job requirement for the blog?** Don’t worry though, I’m right back at it, so go ahead and breathe out that sigh of relief) so my friends were nice enough to taste for me (tough job, right?) and provide their thoughts which I’m relaying here for you…and for me to regret over. Awesome. Let’s get to it. We started off with Silvio Jerman Pinot Grigio – crisp, light, well-balanced and refreshing, it was a great start to dinner and paired well with the food as well. Later, we moved to the red, and selected the Mediterra Toscana (2009) which had deep blackberry notes and a smooth finish. Yeah, these sound great, but the water was out of this world!*

* As in “get me out of this world of water.” Boo.

**Turns out it’s NOT. Weird. I know. Don’t worry I’m also working on changing that. Obviously.

Food 7: YAY. Finally something I didn’t give up. Food. Bring it on! And that we did:

-          Mezzaluna Espinacci: I always thought mezzaluna was a kitchen utensil, but if it is…it must be made out of something amazing because apparently…YOU CAN EAT IT. Since I’m 0 for 1 against the wine at this point, I’m all for eating everything. So – mezzaluna…let’s do this. These turned out to be ravioli done al dente, filled with cheese and served in a sea of creamy tomato.

-          Carpaccio di Zucchini: This came highly recommended by everyone but…I’m not sure why. Maybe they had given up food for the month and this was their first dish?? ZING! I know, we haven’t had one of those for a while now. Well needed. Anyways. It kind of looks like a large dish of coleslaw topped with almonds, which…I guess it kind of is. Except by coleslaw I mean julienned zucchini… which in my book is exactly the same thing. So yeah, a name change is in order. And…so is a skip.

-          Burrata Caprese: Creamy, buttery topped with fresh tomatoes and spicy arugula. How can you not like this?

-          Eggplant Parmesan: Ooey. Gooey. Cheesy. This dish comes out looking like something from Grandma’s kitchen. With the eggplant on the bottom, there is a thick top layer of cheese that adds a whole new dimension to the dish. With tomato sauce swimming in between the layers and topped with fresh parsley, this hearty dish was an Italiano favorite.

-          Pesce Fra Diavolo: Local red snapper done to perfection, served with a spicy hot tomato sauce and topped with scallions for the perfect finish. I love tomato sauce with a kick, so that addition made this dish for me.

-          Pollo alla Noci: Great hearty dish of boneless chicken breast with deep, rich flavors stemming from the mushrooms, walnuts and pine nuts. A sauce combining sherry wine and cream added a rich savory aspect to every bite.

-          Gnocchi Scarmozza: Soft potato filled dumplings rest in a creamy, cheese sauce. Basil and fresh tomatoes add a kick of flavor, while the smoked mozzarella perfectly rounds out the dish with a rich depth of flavor.

-          Bombolotti Sugo de Carne: Large tubes of pasta in a spicy tomato sauce filled with veal, spicy sausage and mushrooms and finally topped with mascarpone cheese. This dish was simple, yet one of my favorites.

Dessert: Yes…it’s that time.

-          Zabaglione Freddo: Say that five times fast! Or just eat it…because you’ll be glad you did. Creamy custard is served up in a glass, topped with pistachios, crushed amaretto cookies and strawberries. I could not stop eating this. I would have rolled around in it if they would have let me. This dessert was absolutely delicious. And since I wasn’t drinking, I should have gotten two. I mean, come on. It’s only fair. Where are your manners JF Trattoria??

-          Fantasia di Cioccolata: I want to talk about this, but American Idol seems to be the only thing filling my head at this point. By the way, WHAT happened there? Try, just try, to make a bad decision today. Then look at her track record and realize that today you were a winner. See? Fist pumps all around. I digress… although this dish was a hot mess. Oh! Did it again. It’s too easy Fantasia. Except, well, it was actually a cold dish. And really not that messy. But…almost the same thing. But different. Anyways – it looks like just a slice of cake but it’s oh-so-much-more. Rich chocolate fudge torte filled with layers of cookies, served over chilled (I did warn you) custard with fresh fruit sauce.

-          Gelato: I mean..pretty standard stuff here. You’ve got vanilla. You’ve got chocolate. You’ve got pistachio. So..there’s that.

Service 8: Our server was very nice, gave good recommendations and brought out the food very fast. Can we talk about fast dishes for a second? Does anyone really like when their dish comes out quickly, except for those late night stops- i.e. Burger King? That scares the bejesus out of me. How do these things come out so fast? Are they frozen? Have they anticipated every order and are cooking EVERYTHING as we speak on the happenstance that we decide to order it? Are they practicing magic back there? Whatever it is. I don’t like it. I don’t like seeing the waiter walk away and the instantly walk back with our food in hand. It freaks me out and I judge that food before it even hits my mouth. And also makes me feel as though I’m taking way too long in my own kitchen to boil water. Overall, I felt pretty rushed from the get-go, but that’s likely because the set-up seemed to be modeled after a Coney Island. And I mean that in the nicest way possible*. Their ultimate goal is to get your orders as quickly as possible, so they can give you your food as quickly as possible, so they can get you out as quickly as possible and get someone else in….you guessed it….as quickly as possible. Is this the server’s fault? No…but I mean, I don’t have a “management” or “process” category here…mainly because that sounds boring…so, yeah, the service is going to get the brunt of this. I love to go to dinner and dine for hours – because to me, that’s the experience. The talking while our food is being cooked, the discussion of each dish as it’s served individually (not all at once), and the lingering at the end over last drink sips. Eating out should be a dining experience – not one where we are ushered in and out and served all our food at once. That’s…Coney Island. Fast dishes. In and out. On to the next. So yeah, bad feels all around. But the guy – our waiter – super nice. So, there was that.  

*Mainly because I love their Hanis. I even love to say the word Hani. And I love even more that you won’t know what a Hani is unless you go to the special Coney Island that serves it. That’s right. VIP Coney Island people. Jealous?**

**Never mind, don’t answer that.

Price 10: I knew there was an upside. $55 bucks each. Not too bad for sharing 11 dishes...and staring at wine boxes all night. Next time I’m breaking into one of those.

Noise Level 6: Let’s ignore the fact that there was a table of hyenas in the front, laughing hysterically and obnoxiously every sixty seconds…just so you would remember they were still there. Noted, hyenas. The place is small. Basically, the size of my family room – and packed with people and wine boxes. So, the acoustics pretty much suck. And maybe that’s all part of the design to get you out of there as fast as possible. Ah…it all makes sense now. Well played, JF Trattoria. Well played.

All About The Area: You’re in the heart of Pac Heights…in the heart of Fillmore street. Perfect place. A beautiful busy area, filled with gorgeous shops, fun bars, people watching, and tons of restaurant options…in case you decide you’d rather drink wine than stare at it. Too soon? Honestly though, this area is one of my favorites. It’s very safe as it’s a very busy and popular area, and home to great restaurants and bars. As long as you’re not going North towards Union (beware of a massive downward hill. Literally. Get your walking shoes on and do not blink), this area is great to bounce around, people watch, and soak up the night in San Francisco.

OVERALL GRADE: 7.3

Carpaccio di Zucchini

Mezzaluna Espinacci

Burrata Caprese

Eggplant Parmesan

Pesce Fra Diavolo

Pollo alla Noci

Bombolotti Sugo de Carne

Gnocchi Scarmozza

Zabaglione Freddo

Gelato

Fantasia di Cioccolata

Yep. Wine boxes...see 'em? Better than wallpaper, still....

Where-To-Wednesday Adventure #25: Radius

Moving here from LA, where hour commutes to *insert anywhere you need to be* were par for the course, I had no idea just how much of my life I was wasting in my car traveling from one side of LA to the other, until I arrived in San Francisco. Sure, those ‘learn Italian’ tapes sounded like a great idea when I bought them, but an hour of reciting phrases I would never use: “Martha makes bread” (silly Martha, why doesn’t she just buy it at Whole Foods like the rest of us?) while simultaneously uselessly yelling at cars at a standstill in front of me, only served to make me look like a crazy person in traffic and resulted in the incurred knowledge of the sole word: andiamo! 7x7. Who knew how sweet those three little letters would sound for my commute and yet how much culture, activity, eating, drinking…just life in general, such a small radius could hold? For seven dollars and ten minutes, a magical ride known as ‘the taxi’ (and later the Uber + two dollars and a snazzy ride) would drop me off at my destination within this small big city and for the first time in my life, I was *gasp* early. Who knew I had it in me? This 7x7 radius held everything I needed and although San Francisco is easily one of the largest cities of this country…this small circumference of land gave it the small town feel that brings out the charm and friendliness of each neighborhood: your coffee barista has your order ready as soon as you walk in…with your name on it, your local cashier at the grocery store spots you when you’re a short a buck, your dry cleaner smiles and reaches for your clothes as you walk in the door… And as a result – we root for our local neighbors. Five dollars for a latte? When it’s pre-made with my name on it, I say okay. Ever the San Francisco neighbor, our latest new Where-To-Wednesday destination: ‘Radius’ took this idea to heart – sourcing all of their food and wine from within a 100 mile radius. What a concept. Radius is making friends with the neighbors AND delicious food. You go, Radius…you go. Ironically and…well, completely unrelated to the premise of the restaurant naming convention, the waiters are all French and the cuisine has a French flair to it. What a twist. Perhaps a ….french twist?? It’s time to stop, isn’t it. I can already feel the French scowl my way. Okay…I’m wrapping up. At this Where To Wednesday adventure at Radius, planned by Becky, which myself, Chelsea, Jenny and Lindsey attended on August 7th – we enjoyed this locally sourced, French inspired, California cuisine. Yep…that’s a mouthful. And we had it all.

Ambiance 8: At first, I was a little taken aback. I mean sure, sometimes our restaurant selections are a bit on the casual side. But when I saw people were placing their orders (mostly for coffee) with the cashier up front and only then, taking a cue from the ‘please seat yourself’ sign, sitting down at little tables scattered amongst the  linoleum-tiled restaurant…I ran. ‘I ran so far away. I just ran. I ran all night and day’. Okay…I didn’t actually run away. I mean, come on, I was STARVING…how could I possibly have the energy to run…and ‘far away’ at that? Keep dreaming. (And for the record, neither did Flock of Seagulls. They’re in a house of mirrors for crying out loud…how does anyone REALLY run in a house of mirrors without a death wish? Get real, Flock of Seagulls. And choose your girlfriends a little more carefully before you take them to a carnival). But anyways, yes, that’s what I felt like doing. Instead, I kept turning around and around in a little circular dance by myself in the middle of the restaurant looking for…help. Finding none and seeing as though my crazy antics were falling on blind eyes here, I walked back outside, and stumbled upon…wait for it, wait for it…the REAL restaurant. Yes, tricky tricky. Neighboring restaurants – both under the Radius umbrella – one being the café, and one being the sit-down restaurant. As soon as I walked into the next door restaurant, I knew I had found home. Low lighting and candles illuminated the restaurant casting a soft glow, while the elongated bar in the front and graffiti-framed artwork told you to stop short of relaxing too much, because this place was about to get kicked up a notch. It seamlessly meshes modern with rustic and spits out a lively atmosphere that you’ll be glad you stopped in for…even if it did take you two tries.

Wine 9: With a similar premise as the food, the wine is sourced from a radius no greater than 50 miles. Looking at the wine list I’m reminded how damn lucky we are to live in such a close vicinity to amazing wines! With only one bottle over a hundred dollars and most resting comfortably in the forty-ish range, the list was just begging for us to dig in…and so, we did. We started with the Tres Sabores Sauvignon Blanc from Sonoma – smooth with hints of honey and chamomile it was slightly sweet without the tartness that Sauvignon Blancs can sometimes bring. Great starter and we probably should have stuck with what worked, but…we moved on to the Elizabeth Rose Chardonnay which was slightly oaky with a bit more fruit than is typical for a chardonnay. When your biggest problem of the night is drinking the wine that was almost as good as you expected, you know you should shut your mouth and sip on. Things could be worse. And soon enough though…it was time for the main event: Red. We kicked it off with Dashe Cellars Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley – velvety smooth with hints of peppery spice and oak. So good, we stuck with the Dashe for the rest of the night. In retrospect we probably spent a little too much time with Dashe….but hey, we’re really just getting to know our neighbors. And to quote the wise words of the leader in my day (and by ‘my day’ I do mean kindergarten) - Mr. Rodgers, himself – “would you be mine? Could you be mine? Won’t you be my neighbor?” (Trick question, Dashe – you already ARE. I win).

Food 9.5: So… locally sourced, French inspired, California cuisine. What does it all mean? Rest easy and leave your translation dictionary at home. You’ve got this.

-          Heirloom Salad: A perfect start to the meal. Fresh and delicious with a perfect consistency of succulent watermelon mixed with light, sesame crisp and topped with sweet tomatoes.

-          Flat Bread: Easing into the meal, this one was a bit heartier. The warm flatbread was topped with oyster mushrooms, dry jack, arugula and a hint of chili flake to give it kick. Now we’re getting into the good stuff.

-          Hommage a San Francisco: Well..the French do know how to butter us up. (For the record, actual ‘butter’ works well too, Mon Frere. Right Paula? It was too soon, wasn’t it….) The heirloom salad was light and juicy and if there was ever a salad-off…this one would take the cake. (I mean, not literally, because well – cake always wins. Those are just the rules. But…you get it). The Hommage a San Francisco was a very unique dish with a truly unique combination of flavors. This little gem salad was topped with pine nuts and foraged herbs and flowers (I know this sounds extremely hippy but just imagine the most aromatic spices that didn’t overpower the dish, dancing in your mouth amongst the greens…truly delicious. And yes…I do realize that sentence reads exactly the opposite of how I imagined when I started writing it). And to top it off, green goddess dressing was drizzled at the very bottom of the dish, and was bursting with flavors of chives, anchovy, tarragon, lemon juice, and pepper. Truly a dish that pays homage to San Francisco.

-          Trout:  Moist (I know…some people can’t deal with that word but here…you must) and delicious, the trout just about melted in your mouth. Slightly salted on the outside, it held a light crisp to the bite before giving way to the tender meat inside.

-          Broccolini: Roasted with crushed red pepper and topped with garlic chips…you’ll never want to pass over veggies again. Seconds!

-          Pork Chop: Tender, juicy, generously thick pieces of pork chop were arranged atop a bed of butterbeans, oyster mushrooms, and bacon white chocolate gastrique. This dish is bursting with peaks of flavor in every bite, as the gastrique marinates the pork chop in its savory sauce, bringing you back for another bite!

-          Potato Gnocchi: Fresh and light, each piece of gnocchi held a slight crisp before caving in to the soft potato. Immersed in a bed of fresh peas, confit mushroom and pancetta…this one is not to miss.

-          Fried Chicken: If chicken and a donut had a baby...this would be it. Imagine juicy chicken coated in sweet crumbs that melt in your mouth leaving the sweet taste of honey behind. Borderline a dessert....just spectacular!

Dessert: Oh yes we did....

-          Lemon Curd Tart: Light, tart Italian meringue sitting amongst of whisk of chocolate sauce with delicate, toasted marshmellow clouds atop. Candied almonds to the side added the perfect crunch addition to this dish to complete it's perfection.

-          Mint & Creme Fraiche Panna Cotta: topped with strawberry and rhubarb compote, the delicate mint panna canna was balanced with the tart of the rhubarb, and topped with honey brioche croutons it gave the dish the crunchy kick it needed.

-          Vanilla & Olive Oil Milkshake: I know some people would shudder and shake their heads at this ("olive oil in a dessert??") I know...BUT...get over that simple little fact and slurp up a taste of heaven. So savory and smooth, and accompanied with delicious dark chocolate shortbreads perfect for dipping, you can't go wrong.

-          Dark Chocolate Cake: chocolate cake laid upon salted caramel (if you're not already salivating...get ready), topped with a white chocolate granache (that resembled a light marshmellow layer) and finally sprinkled with cocoa nibs. Delicious!

Service 10: That's right, 10 - for 3 reasons. 1) the service was great. Our waiter was extremely helpful, patient and friendly. 2) He was French. I don't know why I feel like that's a reason for a higher score but...it just does. I think we felt important with that accent. And as René Descartes once said "I think...therefore I am." So, there you go, thanks to Franz, we ARE important. (Note: I do NOT know his name was Franz. But I mean, it SHOULD be so...let's go with that). 3) We liked the little chocolate shortbread cookies that accompanied the milkshake SO much, that we asked how it was made. And instead of humoring us with nonsense such as "a little flour, dark chocolate, milk..." which I would have expected, he actually excused himself and appeared ten minutes later with THE ACTUAL RECIPE. Oui! That’s right, we sure MUST be important. Now granted the recipe is chalk full of gram measurements which we'll need to dig out our old grade school conversion charts for, but hey...it's a small price to pay for chocolate.

Price 7: French waiters serving you locally sourced food with a French flair. Price: close to $100 each. Reality: it's cheaper than going to France. It's all about perspective, people. Do you really need a refill? Your glass looks half-full to me! See how easy that was?? (Truth: this applies to any drink sans wine. Let's be real here).

Noise Level 6:  We discuss all of our ratings at each restaurant, and when 'noise level' came up, I said: "They call it energetic on open table. I think it actually means "'loud.'" Response from the other side of the table: "It's loud in here, what did you say?" Exactly.

All About the Area: Well...it's not France. Soma is pocketed...with portions that are populated/fun/safe and portions that are vacant/sketchy/unsafe. Folsom itself in this vicinity is home to several bars/restaurants close by...but come 6th street, I would recommend halting quickly. Know where you're going and what areas are unsafe (i.e. ALL of 6th). So bring your street smarts, be aware and stop texting on your phone and looking down. Unless you're reading your latest dose of where-to-wednesday. Then..as you were*. 

*Kidding...seriously people, be aware of your surroundings. Read the blog at home. But I mean, as SOON as you get home. No lagging. Franz will not stand for that.

Overall Grade: 8.25

MERCI BEAUCOUP!

Front of the restaurant facing the bar area

Shot towards the back of the restaurant that opens to a larger dining area

Heirloom Salad

 

Flatbread

Hommage a San Francisco

Trout

Broccolini

Pork Chop

Potato Gnocchi

Fried Chicken

Lemon Curd Tart

Mint and Creme Fraiche Panna Cotta

Vanilla & Olive Oil Milkshake

Lindsey digging into the milkshake...mmmm!

Dark Chocolate Cake

Where-To-Wednesday Adventure #24: Heirloom Cafe

Growing up, my family and I would pack in the car and head to my grandparent’s house every Sunday for “lunch.” And by “lunch” I mean a four course dinner starting with a generous helping of pasta, ending with an overwhelming plate of chocolate desserts, as well as an array of cheese and fruit, filled with meats, potatoes and vegetables in between. We Italians do NOT mess around. Most of my friends who I invited to come along, would begin to scratch their heads when the meal began – their eyes darting around furiously, taking in the immense amount of food they were about to be presented with. “Where are the sandwiches?” they would ask. Sandwiches? Please. Do you think I would invite you over for a sandwich? Do you think my grandmother would LET me invite you over for a sandwich? No. Hell no. This woman has not been slaving all day, just to hand over a jar of mayo and a piece of bologna to you. And I think for me, that was always part of the charm, the mystic of going to my grandparents house: enjoying dishes that I couldn't spell but could recognize perfectly by smell; homemade tomato sauce fresh from the vegetables grown in the backyard; the humidity in the air emanating from huge pots of boiling water on the stove awaiting pasta noodles; homemade plum juice I termed “coffee” to sip along with the adults after dinner…  Those familiarities all combined to wrap me in the comfort of what I knew to be true. There’s something special about that – something unique, that everyone carries with them. And although nothing will ever take the place of going to grandma’s house, you might – you just might – get that familiar twinge of nostalgia when you walk in the door of Heirloom Cafe. At our latest Where-To-Wednesday Adventure planned by newbie Jenny - myself, Elizabeth, Chelsea, Lindsey and Becky walked in off of a busy street and stepped back in time – where everything was simpler, classic and familiar. Cleverly coined Heirloom Café, it feels a lot like what I would imagine Mayberry to be. And with the world we know full of crazy deadlines, packed schedules, and not enough time to sit around the kitchen table together - couldn’t we all use a little Mayberry? Cue the whistling Andy…let’s do this.

Ambiance 8:  While other restaurants have taken a grander approach to décor, Heirloom relies on a simpler idea: less fluff, more gathering. With minimal furnishings, the attention is drawn to where it’s meant to be – the people. The décor is more of a nod to the past with classic pieces that remind you of Grandma’s house: candle sconces adorn the walls; simple, yet elegant, lace drapery lines the windows; wild flowers light up each table; and wooden chairs with a slight discomfort keep you awake and conversing – taking the place of the verbal nag and reminding you, on your own, to “sit up straight”. (Did I just need new chairs growing up??) It’s charming, warm and quite frankly, feels like home.  Well, one bed short of being at home. Let’s work on that Heirloom.

Wine 9: Let’s be honest, wine is always a good choice. But when you’re at Grandma’s house? It’s the ONLY choice and I have to say, I feel damn good about that. Crisp, clean with earthy and herbal undertones, the 2011 Sancerre ‘Croix du Roy’ was a perfect start to the night. It wasn’t long before we turned to our good friend “red”, and started in on the 2010 Malbec from Catena. Smooth with darker hints of leather, cinnamon and spice, this one lingered…as it well should. Perfect alone, it held it’s own but also surprisingly paired nicely with the food, its stronger essences of spice taking a back seat to the brighter flavors introduced in the food. Hello new friend.

Food 9:  When we ate at my grandparents house, it always looked like my grandma had just won a fight with the table over how much food could be spread across it. She always won. At our latest Where-To-Wednesday, I must say, my grandmother would be proud. We ordered essentially the entire menu, sans the soup. But if soup could be split amongst 6…trust me, it would have been on that table.

-          Ahi Tuna Ceviche: Fresh and zesty, the ceviche was bright with splashes of lime, savory avocado and gorgeous red tomatoes splashed across the dish. Crispy plantain chips were lined up around the ceviche and proved to be the perfect accompaniment to the dish.

-          Fava Beans: I’ll admit, I tried to poo-poo this dish from the get-go. Fava beans? What a waste of space on this precious table. Please. Let’s make room for the real deal here. But alas, I lost the fight. And I must say, good thing I did because this dish was delicious. It should definitely be renamed so as to not be dismissed in the future – perhaps “Facking amazing fava beans? Try me now?” Just saying. It’s all in the marketing, people. It held a great combination of flavors and textures – the fava (read: boring) beans were dressed up with bright bursts of flavor from the feta, the hearty crunch of walnuts, the light and bright aromatic fennel and the peppery arugula. Read: delicious!

-          Burrata: I have never met a burrata I didn’t like, and here, was no exception. Much more colorful than your typical burrata, this buttery burrata was served on a crostini but topped with beautiful red and yellow baby marinated beets, pickled shallots and spicy pepper cress.

-          Bacon and Onion Tart: A flaky, buttery pastry crust was filled with ooey gooey cheese, carmelized onions and rich, juicy bacon pieces. A savory filling within the light crust was a perfect match. A must have!

-          Sugar Snap Peas: Topped with mint, the sugar snap peas were fresh and crisp, with hints of ginger and garlic giving it savory undertones to top it off. Good but nothing groundbreaking here. This dish would actually be a nice transition from the smaller appetizer plates to the larger entrée dishes.

-          Roasted Artichokes: Smoky roasted artichokes are mixed in with hearty vallarta beans, savory cheese, with a thick romesco sauce on the side, offering a rich nutty yet sweet flavor to add to the dish.

-          Asparagus: This was a spicy and sweet mixture of perfection! Topped with a spicy salsa, the asparagus also held deep notes of sweetness with hints of brown sugar and cinnamon mixed in. Delicious and unique!

-          Gnocchi: Soft potato-filled gnocchi was paired deliciously with rich crimini mushrooms, spicy cuts of fennel sausage, crisp English peas with creamy parmesan melted atop. Delicious, savory – yum!

-          Twelve Cheese Risotto: Thank God, because eleven cheeses would just not do here. The risotto is beyond creamy thanks to the generous additions of rich cheese, topped with earthy porcini mushrooms and crisp asparagus. Quite frankly, the dish just makes you want to sit back in your chair, close your eyes and smile as you savor every little bite. Phenomenal – absolutely amazing. If you’re sharing…I suggest eating fast to get your fair share. You will not want to miss out on this.

-          Roasted Salmon: Fresh and delicious, the salmon even looks gorgeous as it’s served up – exuberating a bright pink color, with green pea tendrils dancing atop alongside thinly sliced meyer lemon. It’s cooked to perfection with a slight crisp to each bite and even a hint of sweet nutmeg to add depth to the flavor.

-          Hoffman Chicken: I’m just going to call this “the Hoff” moving forward, because like Mr. David, this also needs its own nickname. And for the record, it didn’t have to take a cheesy role on Baywatch to get it. Zing! This is basically everything you love about Thanksgiving, in a dish. The best of the best flavors you can imagine are all rolled into the combination of flavors found here.  A generous serving of chicken, each bite envelopes salty and savory, as the crispy, buttery skin melts in your mouth. Served with herbed bread pudding pieces mixed in a sea of sliced carrots, celery and onions with a buttery base of parmesan consommé. Wow. I suggest celebrating Thanksgiving as often as possible here. Now, in true Thanksgiving style….someone crack open the booze.

-          Duck Breast Salad: A beautiful colorful presentation of thinly sliced carrots and spring mix, sprinkled with chopped pecans and savory duck breast. I didn’t particularly like the combination of flavors in this dish – when I eat duck, I want to savor it rather than have it masked by crisp lettuce. Pesky vegetables always getting in the way….

Dessert:

-          Strawberry Shortcake: Sweet strawberries and rich cream were sandwiched between sweet, crumbly shortcake bread. A light, delicate dessert that was perfect to our hefty meal.

-          Fresh baked oatmeal, walnut and chocolate chip cookie: I love when you get everything you love all rolled into one little package. This little cookie is like Christmas: a warm yummy cookie with crunchy walnuts, sweet chocolate chips and oatmeal. Although…I will say it could stand to be a little bigger. Okay, a lot bigger. As in – I wish I got more than a crumb.

-          Sweet Rhubarb Tart: And that is…100% accurate. Very sweet and although “tart” is a noun in the description, it’s also an adjective here. It’s very, very sweet and extremely tarty, so brace your lips for a pucker sans the kiss. Also…you best love you some rhubarb because this is essentially one big piece of rhubarb. So, count your fruit intake for the day complete.

Service 8: To be read to the sound of the State Farm commercial: “Like a good waitress, Diane* was there…” Kind of. Well she was. And then she wasn’t. But mostly she was. But only when we needed her. So Diane, I think you most definitely have a career in the insurance business if this waitress thing doesn’t work out. I truly only remember her being there exactly when we needed her. Like a little waitress genie. But she didn’t bring money like those lucky people in the State Farm commercial do. Just food. Which I guess was fitting. But money..well, money is just plain nice. Next time, Diane.                                  *Side note: I’m not sure if her name was Diane but, well, it just felt fitting. You know, like Jack and Diane. I think she was a waitress in the song…maybe…I might be thinking of Journey’s song now…. Truthfully, I’m not even sure what her name was. I know, I need to take better notes. What the heck am I doing over here anyways? Eating. That’s right. The food that Diane brought. Or whoever she is. And, we’ve come full circle.

Price 7: I’m not even going to lead up to this with some big “now don’t forget the rhubarb was hand picked and organic!”* reasoning. It was bloody expensive: $98.31 each. And hell yes I’m going to include the change, because you need to know the truth. YOU CAN HANDLE THE TRUTH. I know, basically, I’m much cooler than Jack Nicholson. I can’t sugar coat how expensive this is, so…frankly, I won’t. It’s expensive so if you’re coming here, just deal with it. Or maybe go to Flour + Water FIRST for the real sticker shock, and then come here and it’ll be a piece of a cake. Oh that’s right, I did. So, yeah, nevermind – it’s not that bad. It’s not lost on me, however, how many new pairs of sunglasses I would have right now if I didn’t eat out. But damnit, I’d sure be hungry.                                                                     *Okay so maybe it’s not organic. Come to think, it’s probably not. But really, what do I know about the rhubarb? If you have any more questions, please, direct them to Diane. And also, find out her real name.                                   

Noise Level 7:  Picture this. You’re at your house in your dining room, and fifty people come on in, sit down, and all start talking. (Ignore the fact that fifty people just walked into your house. Don’t worry, its fine. These imaginary people are all very nice.) So – what would you notice? It’s loud. Yes. Now imagine that same dining room but someone is cooking in it too. I know, I know. Why is someone COOKING in my dining room?? Where did they come from? They better not get anything on that white carpet… I know and don’t worry, they won’t. But anyhow, you’ve got all this going on in one area and…it’s going to get loud. But, not all is lost. If you’re at one of the communal tables, it could get loud with all the conversations happening next to each other. But, the good news is that there are several smaller tables where you can immerse yourselves in your own conversation. But still eavesdrop to take away some good nuggets of convo. And I mean, isn’t that what a good party is all about?

 All About The Area:

At first, the song sounds true. “Over the river and through the woods,” indeed. Who knew Grandmother’s would take so long to get to? Well…I guess the person who wrote the song so…forget that. But yes, it’s a hike and at first glance it seems the only other thing to do around there is watch your laundry go for a spin across the street. Bor-ing. Or play at the playground across the street. Which…with a glass of wine could actually be pretty fun. Oh who am I kidding. There is NOTHING there. Or so it seems. The brilliance of Heirloom is that it is tucked into a quiet little neighborhood filled with houses and parks, far from the humdrum (YES…I DID just use that word) of the typical loud and restless Mission life. So quaint and quiet, in fact, that you would hardly realize that you are just a block or two away from the likes of Limon, Flour + Water and Foreign Cinema to name a few. If we’ve learned nothing else from our W2W adventures in the different areas of San Francisco, is that this little 7x7 city holds many pockets. You can expect the unexpected and relish in the surprises you find along the way. So the next time you set off to do your laundry…keep you eyes open. You might just find your new favorite place.

Overall Grade: 8

Fava Beans with Shaved Fennel, Walnuts & Feta

Ahi Tuna Ceviche

Burrata Crostini with Marinated Baby Beets

Bacon and Onion Tart

Roasted artichokes with vallarta beans

Sugar Snap Peas

Roasted Asparagus

Twelve Cheese Risotto

Potato Gnocchi

Hoffman Chicken

Roasted Local Salmon

Duck Breast & Confit Salad

Strawberry Shortcake

Fresh Baked Oatmeal, Walnut, Chocolate Chip Cookie

Sweet Rhubarb Tart