American Food Tapa Style, with Live Food Preparation Show
What to do? Just go ho-hum at home, with leftovers?
But it’s friday night.
Thus we started searching sfstation.com, looking for something new, something different, and something that’s local enough not to have to spend half an hour driving and half an hour parking.
Then David spotted “Brick” on new restaurant review. It’s perfectly walking distance, to Larkin & Sutter, about 4-5 blocks distance. Another eat-out friday evening was my dismay and yet I couldn’t think of any other plan and was a little too tired of Italian in North Beach or Sushi in Japantown.
David liked the fact that for a fancy restaurant there was no dress code requirement nor reservation required.
So at 6:30pm we walked over, no traffic nor parking worries, and promise of affordable yet good meal according to the online menu; online menu had most of food listed from $6 to $16.
There’s certain novelty in brick warehouse setting, for a fine restaurant. I vaguely remembered it being some hamberger or sandwich joint some 6months ago. That means the place got setup very quick; I’ve seen this sushi restaurant turned into tofu house not having opened up in 3months since I saw ‘Grand Opening’ sign up. It sparked my curiosity, to see how the transformation took the place.
Walking on Sutter from Laguna, we saw two girls walking down ahead of us with one on the phone talking about them going to ‘Brick’ before hitting the club. Apparently, it’s a new hip place. Wow, I’m impressed I thought, trying not to snoop more than I can help.
The U shape bar welcomed us as we walked in, leaving me somewhat dismayed. It’s not a restaurant and bar, it’s a bar and restaurant, and food couldn’t be all that good. There were tables for restaurant outside the bar area, close to brick wall, just like on the photos from website. We had option of waiting for a table or go to the bar that face kitchen in next room. I slowly discovered that the place is 3 room, the bar with tables, kitchen with bar facing kitchen and a bar facing window, then another small bar and table area. I wasn’t that crazy about sitting at a bar facing kitchen.
My poor view of seatting and food changed quickly, however, and I also got corrected on cheap eats. Oh my!
I found out that I got food and entertainment at the same time, with the kitchen view, and the food was actually very good.
The friendly waitress sat us, then told us that food are small in portion that we should expect to order 2-4 plates per person. So much for cheap eats.
Well, it was worth every penny. First we ordered bufflo wing, ribs, and a plate of skate. While waiting for food, we could see our order going out from our side of the kitchen, around the main room, to the other side of the kitchen where the chef inspects the order and tells cooks to prepare food. There are 3 cooks in kitchen, 2 for main course and 1 for salad and dessert. Chef casually walked toward us and said friendly hi, and cooks were also friendly and well aware of having spectators to their artistic work table. The guy who seem to be in charge of frying got our bufflo wing started. Quality-wise, it wasn’t what you think of when imagining a typical bufflo wing dish. There were 5 piece of tiny bone with meat around it that the cook dipped into sauce then into frying saucer, taking it out and put into spicy barbeque sauce then put on a plate. tiny portion in a large plate with pretty decoration, it was like a hot wing dish french style. Meat when tasting it was tender, and rather a unique taste, with no fat nor skin.
And, carrot slices and other vegetables to decorate dish were also tasty with sauce I couldn’t quite tell how it’s made with. Then came the skate, 2 slice of small fish filet on top of thinly sliced green totamoes fried, and sauce. I’ve only heard of fried green tomatoes. It was pretty interesting, how skate, the fish, looked and tasted like pastry piece. Then came the rib, which was pretty impressive for me. Cubic piece of ribs about 1.5inch width, depth and height looked just like well cooked stakes. I expected meat to be tough, sauce to be salty and vegetables it came with to be overcooked, and with only 2 slices of meat for $16 plate, my judgement was still out on this dish. It was tender as any well cooked ribs on rib-bone, and though I didn’t taste much of sauce it wasn’t just cooked meat, there was some barbeque sauce on it. I enjoyed it the most of three dishes we got. It was enough for 2, and yet, eye feast endused us to order more.
Waitress clevely left one of the menu with us, and we saw streams of orders coming in, and cooks preparing some familiar and some unfamiliar dishes with their skilled hand. We ended up ordering gnocchi, which was also very mild, not too thick nor heavy, very creamy and light. Pesto sauce with ground pine nuts, I ate it even though I usually don’t touch any pine nuts.
It was a unique experience. Small portion yet filling food like when I’m at spanish style tapas and watching chefs cook as if I am at benny hana or watching iron chef live on food channel.
We both agreed we’ll definitely have to frequent this place. Even with tight pursue, it’s unique and fun and just got to try it out.
