SF Underground

Earlier this week I met a friend in North Beach at the La Trappe Cafe. I'd never heard about it but my friend said it was one of her favorite places in the city, so I wanted to check it out. They advertise themselves as a Belgian Bistro & Trappist Lounge, which just sounds fun (albeit obscure/mysterious). When you walk into the restaurant at street level, it looks like you're walking into a small, cheesy, generic Italian restaurant. The scene completely changes once you walk downstairs. The lower level underground feels like you're walking into a Belgian grotto. All the walls are brick, it's dark and there's an old-world European feel. There's a seating area for people eating meals and a dark lounge area in back for those who prefer to drink their dinner. We sat at the bar because to quote my friend's mom, "you never know who you'll meet when you sit at the bar."

Here's the part of the review where I explain their beer offering seven though I don't drink beer, so bear with me on this. Since it's Belgian, they're know for their beer selection. The feature a lot of Belgian/Trappist brews (which cracks me up because I just visualize drunk monks). They also feature a lot of local reviews and actually host events for microbreweries in the area. Outside of the beer, the wine list is pretty good and they have cider. The bar staff is friendly and knowledgeable. They want to share their knowledge in a way that's approachable and not as snobby/aloof as a place like The Monk's Kettle.  

My favorite things about the cafe, outside of the unique ambiance, is the food. It's a mix of bar snacks, American comfort and Belgian specialties. I was immediately drawn to the mussels and fries dinners. Who could resist such a combination? With the mussels, you can pick from three different options: Mariniere (the most popular, white wine and beer reduction with lemon, shallots and herbs), Konkan (East Indian style, with Serrano chiles, turmeric, cumin, ginger and coconut milk) and Spicy Tomato (slow roasted tomato puree with rosemary and dried chili). I tried the Spicy Tomato, which had just the right amount of kick to it without overwhelming the mussels themselves and you get a giant kettle full of them. The Belgian fries are twice cooked, which means they're crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, which is my absolute favorite. With the fries you get to pick two of their ten special dipping sauces. I went with the chipotle and garlic mayos, both of which were flavorful and went quite nicely with the fries. Overall, a great experience and I will definitely be back, either for drinks or dinner.