after dinner sneeze

t says:  g and I literally just ate at Petite Crenn last night … and it. was. fabulous.  Really.  Every dish.  Now, on one hand, we should expect it to be fabulous, as Dominique Crenn was just honored as “Best Female Chef” in the WORLD – the WORLD!!  (and the DLROW, too, for all my neurology friends)  But she really delivered!

Now, this post has no pictures – g was exceptionally self-conscious that evening, so photos were vetoed.  But take my word as to why I think that this is the first SF restaurant we’ve gone to that’s worth the fixed price meal:

1.  Service was prompt and courteous.  You think that that would be a “given” – but it was nice to see people serving us who appeared to be excited by the food – it was contagious!
2. The room is casual enough to make you feel at ease.  No white tablecloths.  No excessive silverware.  A higher-than-usual volume in the dining room allowed for more of a fun-night-out feel than a worship-at-the-altar-of-food feel.
3. The wine list was reasonable.  Ok – I take that back; I’m sure that it’s marked-up by a bajillion percent – but they’re bringing in things that are unconventional, so I’m ok with it (it’s like paying a “finder’s fee” for interesting wine).  g had an actually wonderful rose cava (that I can’t find anywhere else in the U.S. except one retailer in San Jose …), and I had a Sauvignon Blanc that rode this very interesting line between New Zealand power and French austerity.
4. Each dish was excellent.  From the bread course, to the oyster, to the gnocchi, to the fish, to the salad (salad!!!  the SALAD!), I was hooked.  It was like this magical mix of Little Fish and Talula’s Garden and Ottolenghi, where the hits just kept on coming.  The “weakest” course might have been the dessert, which was a mixed berry galette – but you know what – after so many other wonderful dishes, a humble berry tart which was nicely executed, was all I needed.
5. We saw Dominique Crenn.  Sporting her short hair, tattoos, and [we think] a dog in a pet carrier, it was like seeing Bradley Cooper in the wild (there’s more to this joke).

Even g loved the dining experience – and she’s as anti-fixed-price as they come.  She has decreed: “yea … I’d come back … how about for my birthday?”.  ‘Nuff said.