Prospect – SoMa
300 Spear St (@ Folsom)
San Francisco , CA 94105
415-247-7770
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VdV Rating: 3.5
Food: Ca/american
PRO: Everything was good, fresh and well prepared
CON: Not much, but if anything the menu is a little small. Tip: small plates are better than entreés
Yeah, we kicked it at the “almost brand spankin’ new” Prospect the other night with our Rock ‘n Roll Uber and Duber Chef friends Spencer & Sarah the other night. Wait. I think I just said ‘the other night’ twice. At least I caught it before you did. Anyhoo, lemme tell ya fella S&S can be downright restaurant bitches (Gordon Ramsey step the F off) so we’re always on edge when we dine with them. So to take that edge off, we drink. What can I say.
So, I know, I know, you fluffy, filthy little kittens. You haven’t felt the love lately have you? “Oh yeah, VdV’s gone all International and all, reviewing Paris, Capri and other far reaches of God’s Green Earth. WTF are we San Franciscan’s gonna do to fill our pathetically lonely days and nights now?” Well, 1): That’s right. We’d drop your asses in a New York minute if a better gig came up. And b) ‘Nights’ in SF only really means until 10p, so just go home and watch Law & Order and quit pretending. There, there. It’ll all work out. Your parents still love you. If not, get some goldfish.
So. Let’s just dispense with the preamble, shall we? And dive right in. (Whew)
Prospect is a cousin….or a sister…hmmm…redheaded stepchild? of Boulevard, one of the top-rated restaurants in SF for years. Wait. I LOVE redheads! Anyway, VdV loves Boulevard too. Except that one time I had Skate Wing. But
really, that was user error, not theirs. WTF was I thinking?
So, this place is located in the Infinity Towers on Folsom. That ‘hood, if you can call it that, is slowly turning into a little more like a hood. Good for them. These people need to eat, too. The cuisine here is Cal-American, which means they can offer up anything from Roasted Chicken to Escargot Cracker Jacks and it fits the bill.
From what I heard, they’re going for a younger, hipper, way more sexy crowd than Blvd. Which is why they sent an engraved invitation and Bentley to whisk the four of us over there, bitches! Well, one of the two S’s had to ride in the trunk. Ha. But yes, back to reality. A younger crowd and slightly (read: slightly, the prices are lower but so are the plates) less expensive chow. Cool by me.
This place has a cool, sleek semi-industrial look and a cool vibe. Lotsa natural light, high ceilings, nice and open floor plan, and a nice bar area up front. Yada yada. You get it. Well done, a cool spot to see and be seen.
So, what was I saying again? About dispensing with the preamble? Oh yeah!
So this joint has a small menu. About 14 appys (‘small plates’ as they say these days) and 1/2 dozen entreés. Smart. You can always add menu items, but people start to bitch when you take away. And for a relatively limited menu, we liked what we saw. Here’s the rundown!
Golden Beets ($12) with sherry-honey vinaigrette, spiced walnut brittle and manchego cheese. I used to hate beets when I was a tyke. Hey, I said Tyke, smart-ass. But I love ‘em now, and this little dish was solid. A very interesting choice of surprisingly complementary flavors and textures.
More fish! What? Black Cod ($15), with a shiso shrimp fritter, shitakes, snap peas and red curry. See the theme? What a great combo of flavors, spices and textures. Tip o’ da hat to you, Chef! I love Black Cod, so expect a lot. I mean, have you ever had it at Ame? Go. Anyway, this lived up to the lofty VdV expectations, and the addition of the red curry gave it a nice, subtle kick. And that Shiso Shrimp Fritter? Bank!
Yellowtail Crudo ($14), with a wicked seaweed rice cracker, pickled cucumber, & white miso.
VdV likee! That miso made it. Just did. The fish itself was see-thru-thin, raw bitch! with some very nice flavor flav. Hey, it was super-fresh and very good, the cuc added some crunch and tartness, and these people rock the miso. And altho the other J shies away from anything remotely seaweed-ish, she came in on that cracker and dug it like a miner.
Still no meat! Porcini Mushrooms ($16), with a slow cooked farm (duh) egg, pancetta (aka BACON!), semolina and aged balsamic. Notice the $1 increments in our appys? No? Pay Attention!! I’d rename it to Bacon & Eggs Porcini Style or something. Whatever. Again the flavors all came together in a crescendo of tastiness. Yes. A Crescendo!
Then, outta nowhere, Buffalo appeared. Or should I say roamed? Anyhoo, Buffalo Carpaccio ($16 but I think it was free), with Fried Oysters, aioli and spinach salad. OK first. Spencer and I had a real go of it with oysters the size of car tires the weekend before up in Tahoe. So here were these…Oysters. Wow. It was seriously mental for both of us. I didn’t even want to see a pearl for at least a month after that last episode, and here arrives, without us ordering it, a dish with oysters. And more to the point: Buffalo & Oysters? WTF is this chef on acid?! Moreover, is he a Sadist?!
But hey, I do like the gamey nature of the ‘other’ red meat. I do think the addition of oysters was a little freaky though. I mean, it was like two separate dishes, nothing about ‘melding of flavors’ here. But I manned up (I, not Spencer) and tried one of the molluscs. Y’know what? It was OK.
Next? Petrale Sole ($24) with butter bean mousseline, bacon (BACON!), chanterelles, haricot verts, & yellow wax beans. Verdict? This was another excellent fish course. Perfectly cooked, good sized portion, and bundled with lots of fresh beans and mushrooms. But was ours halibut? It looked more like Halibut to all of us. Oh well, it was good!
OK, we went in for some more meat. Pork Cheeks ($22), with ancient grains, confit fennel, kumquats and toasted garlic. Ancient grains? Dang, gurl I think I saw a hairy mole on one of them. For whatever reason, I ‘liked’ but did not ‘love’ this dish. I wouldn’t get it again, but S&S both liked it more.
Desserts? Hells yeah, Sarah was with us! Root Beer something or other, Caramel Corn, prolly da best ever, and some Peach Pocket Pie type of gizmo. All good. Sorry for lack of detail and completely mutilating the names. Just take us at our word.
So bottom line? This place brings it. Cool vibe, a good dining/bar scene, friendly service and fresh, creative menu items that are well executed. It ain’t cheap, but don’t whine. Oh yeah…We’re back, bitches! You’re welcome:)
