Just Keepin' It Classy

A couple weeks ago we went to Bix for a work dinner and were totally unprepared. Yes, it's in the Financial District but it's only three $$$ on Yelp and San Francisco restaurants tend to be a little more laid back. This smaller, alleyway restaurant however is definitely working hard to keep it's classic feel (think piano and jazz singer in the corner, fluted columns and a whole lot of mahogany). I'll be honest, while most of the restaurant customers were in suits, we were rocking a collection of ripped jeans, fleece jackets and plaid. Great apparel for SF, not for Bix. Thankfully the bar area is right near the entrance and their martinis are quite superb.

However, it was hard to feel uncomfortable for long as the friendly hosts and servers chatted us up. We slipped into a comfy half booth, half table situation and assess the wine list, which is quite lengthy. After ordering a pinot noir we had a go at the starters menu. First must have on the list, potato pillows. How can you go wrong with something called potato pillows? These bite sized morsels were almost like gnocchi but a little more mashed potato-like. Topped with creme fraiche and caviar, they were decadent but strangely homey in a way. If you're going with a second appetizer (or you have no desire to try something called potato pillows which is just silly), go with the steak tartare. It's prepared table-side, so you get to watch them break up the running egg yoke into the steak, along with shallots, capers (a great addition to any tartare!), parsley and mustard. I also tried the pork belly banh mi (a Vietnamese style sandwich), which comes out in little bite-sized sandwiches and was surprisingly good for an American restaurant with no clear ties to anything Vietnamese. The deviled eggs were good (aren't they always?) but I think you can get better ones elsewhere. I can't recall what the oyster selection was that day but they were pretty gritty and I got a piece of shell in my mouth, so I'd pass on those.

After the little banh mi sandwich bites, I was in the mood for pork belly so I went with the pork loin and belly entree. The pork is served atop a warm potato salad with a mustard seed aioli, which gives the dish a punch of flavor. The pork was cooked perfectly. The belly was a good balance of soft and crisp and loin was moist. In retrospect though I wish I had ordered the Bix Club Burger, a black truffle cheeseburger. A couple people at the table ordered it and it looked amazing. It has a thick grilled onion on it that's almost as thich as the burger itself. I found out afterward's it's on 7x7's "2013 Big Eats" list.  I did manage to snag a couple truffle fries from their places, which were of course delicious.

After that you'd think we'd be ridiculously full, but what sane minded person passes on dessert? Especially when you have the opportunity to say "I'll have one of everything." After trying a bite of everything and it all being amazing, I can still recommend without hesitation the  bananas foster with dark rum and vanilla ice cream. While it didn't have the fancy flambe presentation, it melted into this creamy soup substance that we were literally trying to scrap the bowl for. To summarize, I'd recommend Bix just don't wear jeans. It's listed on Zagat as a top place for a date, so get dressed up and go with someone special.

As an appendix of sorts (it seems fitting for this review), I have to address this perfect article that I was recently told about. I live in a studio apartment and on nights when I'm not out at dinners like this I'm at home making scrambled eggs. People read my blog and incredulously ask me exactly how much I spend eating out. As I recently found out, being in advertising (and especially media), I'm lucky enough to be included in a special category called the "poverty elite." While I'm far enough in my career now where poverty might be extreme, I fondly remember the days as an assistant planner in Chicago, making $25,000 annually, living above a drug addicted landlord, buying all my clothes from Target yet having martinis at the newest, hottest restaurants in town. There's nothing more surreal. 

Claude and Claudine

No, these are not two French twins with matching berets. They are restaurants in the Financial District of San Francisco, just northeast from Union Square. As someone who lives right above Union Square, I often struggle when trying to find a place to eat. Everything is very touristy, kitschy and way too expensive for the quality of food being served. San Francisco is the capitol of the foodie crazy! We take our cuisines very seriously. Some of the best chefs in the world have restaurants here, we have fresh ingredients year around and feature a while range of diverse ethic food.

These two restaurants, along with an Irish pub and a pricy Southwest European restaurant (Gitane) make up Claude Lane, a cute little alley between Bush and Sutter, right before you get to Kearny St. Cafe Claude is a French style bistro that offers live jazz on the weekends. The outside looks like something you would seen in Paris and don't be afraid to sit outside, there are heat lamps! The inside has a vintage Parisian feel, with plants, vintage tables and chairs and French art and maps. We ended up sitting outside, as it was a chillier night in San Francisco and the wait inside was at least an hour. I started out with on of their 1920s inspired cocktails, the egalite (vodka, lillet blanc, st germaine elderflower, lemon juice), which was cripsy, refreshing and a good balance of the strong flavor profiles mixed in. I went with my mom and she ordered the pate de champagne, a pork pate seasoned with black peppar and red wine, served with a side of crisped french bread. I love, love, love pate so of course I stole a couple bites. It was one of the better pork pates I've had in a while. For my entree, I got the Thon (which correct me if I'm wrong), does not seem like a French dish. It's tombo tuna served ahi style on top of flageolet ragu, shaved fennel and winter chicories, with thinly sliced kumquats topping it off. While seemingly not French, it was actually a quite tasty dish. I liked the acidity of the kumquats with the tuna. My only thing is that Cafe Claude advertises being affordable, but I would give them $$$ over $$. And if I want to pay $$$ for French food, there are better upscale options (although not as close to Union Square).

The other restaurant Claudine, is owned Gitane, but is more affordable. They served New American and French food, with an emphasis on Northern Californian seasonality. They don't have outside seating, since they're located on the corner of the Lane, facing Bush. However, the inside is smaller and very modern. There's a cool circular bar in the front that you can sit around. They have wine on tap, so I was immediately a fan. A lot of the wine was local and the bartender was very knowledge and let us taste before making a decision. To eat, I got the half roasted chicken, with Yukon potato-artichoke mash and arugula. I was super excited about the mash and while it was good, it didn't live up to my expectations. The chicken was good, but nothing special. I think the best thing I tasted there was the cranberry-orange bread pudding with bourbon cream. I hadn't had a bread pudding before that had that edge of tart fruitiness, so it was very enjoyable. The prices are a lot more reasonable that Gitane. If I went back to Claudine, it would probably just be for a glass of wine and some of that bread pudding.