For Andy and I's last meal in San Francisco we decided to try Scott Howard's because we had heard about their $31.98 three-course tasting menu, and it seemed a perfect way to end the trip. The restaurant was already packed at 6:15 when we arrived, so we assumed that the tasting menu (which is only offered until 6:30) was quite good and worth more than it's inexpensive price tag. We both ordered three different items so that we would be able to sample 6 different dishes.
I started with the Chilled White Corn Soup with smoked extra virgin olive oil and chives:
This was phenomenal. I am usually not a fan of chilled soups, but this dish cold allowed the flavors to really pop. The light olive oil mixed with the creamy soup and crunchy chives redefined the way I look at soup.
Andy started with the Ahi Tuna Tartare with piperade, chorizo, avocado, esplette and vanilla bean oil. It came out much prettier than this, but before I had the opportunity to snap a photo, the waitress muddled all the components together because she said it tasted best that way:
She was right about all of the flavors needing to work together to make the dish, but even with all of the unique ingredients (especially the vanilla bean oil) the tuna was still the dominant taste- making the dish taste like most other tartare's I've had. The vanilla bean oil only crept up at the end leaving a strange cake frosting aftertaste.
For my second course I had the Saffron Linguine with maitake and baby shaitake mushrooms and heirloom tomatoes:
This was pretty bland. I couldn't taste much saffron- the sauce tasted like plain chicken broth to me. There was nothing exciting about this, and the presentation certainly didn't award itself any points either.
Andy had a much better second course with his Parmesan Risotto with lobster mushrooms and chives:
This dish had the flavors and the wow factor that we had been looking for when entering the restaurant The risotto was creamy and perfectly cooked, the broth was buttery, and the lobster mushrooms were the unique touch- both flavor and texture wise- that elevated the dish.
Sadly, the risotto didn't lead way to more fantastic dishes, and our third courses left much to be desired. I had the Sous Vide short Ribs with spring onions, baby carrots, and shiitake au jus:
Andy had the Scottish Salmon with baby bok choy and carrot, orange, and ginger jus:
Both dishes I thought I could make better at home. They were simple, basic dishes that didn't please in their simplicity. We were both disappointed, but we decided to get dessert anyway- hoping maybe that would give us the fantastic end we were looking for.
We went with the chocolate ice cream sandwich:
Good, but again, nothing exciting. The cookie itself was too airy so none of the chocolate flavor captured itself in the pastry, and the ice cream was left to fend for itself as the star of the dish.
I wouldn't go back to Scott Howard's on a next trip to San Francisco. When I go out to eat, especially to a restaurant that has received much praise for it's innovative cuisine and "sophisticated style", I expect a little bit more. It was fun to try so many dishes, I just wish they had all been as exciting and delicious as the risotto.
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