Zare @ Fly Trap
606 Folsom St.
San Francisco
(415) 243.0580
See larger map and more nearby
VdV Rating: 4.5
Food: Mediterranean
PRO: ‘Hoss-some’ food, great ambiance & service
CON: Can’t think of anything
OK, apologies for the corny play on words with ‘awesome’, but I couldn’t help it. If ya don’t know what I’m talking about, catch up! Hoss Zaré is the chef/owner of this happenin’ neighborhood spot. Get it? Hoss + Awesome = Hoss-some. Oh, never mind. And what’s wrong with occasional corniness anyway? It’s been the basis of many hit sit coms.
Anyhoo, we hit Zaré at Fly Trap last night with our rock star friends Rachel, Sol and Kenny. We all had a blast, but y’know the real benefit? More people = more food. Woo Hoo! Bizarre, that’s 2 uses of basic math symbols already, and it’s still early (and this is looong review). But first, this place is cool. It’s small enough to be cozy, but also has a fun, good sized bar and overall has an ambiance of an upscale French Bistro. And the food has a French meets Mediterranean flair as well, which is executed excellently throughout the menu.
And surprise, we even sat at a table for this meal versus the bar. Which, if you know us, have ever heard of us, or know how to read English, will realize is a rare event. But with 5 of us, it made sharing and chit chatting more easier. Yes, I know.
So with a decent sized group of us 5 hungry slobs, we dove right in. I was a little too busy yammering, drinking and laughing (and eating) to take notes, so this is off the top of my pointy little head.
We started with some appys (duh), which included the famous Pistacho Meatballs ($12), served atop a Honey, Harissa and Pomegranate Glaze. Hmm. Shouldn’t a ‘glaze’ be on top? Maybe ‘bath’ would be more apropos. WTF cares about semantics though! Better yet, WTF am I to argue with Hoss, he could squash me with his pinky finger. Screw that. Bad way to go.
Anyways, we have these every time I come here. The meat is, I believe, a blend of beef and what tastes like a little veal. Perfectly spiced and cooked medium-medium rare, and that pomegranate glaze is the perfect accompaniment. Gave the balls a good kick (ouch) without overpowering them. Now that’s talent! We were all licking off the plate. Now, now: The plate, not the balls, smartass.
The Smoked Trout ($11) with Cucumber Linguine, Trout Roe and Dill Créme Fraîche was next up. This dish is served in somewhat of a salad bowl preparation, and it works like a charm, bitches. There’s lots of trout, and the fish is firm and moist with just enough smokiness, and the cucumber adds a nice texture and slight crunch, and along with the dill complements the trout nicely. Hmm. I just Googled ‘complement’ because I’m a spaz and sometimes space out complement vs. compliment (‘e’ vs ‘i’, people), and here’s what I got:
An adult ADHD ad! So if you never believed in targeted, behavioral advertising, this should change your mind!
OK, back to the matter at hand. The Wild Mushroom Cake ($12) with Asparagus and Lemon Confit was also a fave of the table. The shrooms, which were very fresh and tasted like a mix of Cremini and Shittake (don’t quote me on that), had an excellent texture, nice fresh taste and again, like it seems every f’ing dish they serve here, had a kick-ass complement to it in both texture and flavor. This time, with the tender asparagus and the acidity of the lemon confit.
Then we dove head-first into the (also) famous Lamb Burger ($14), served on a fresh bun with sumac, Persian (of course) pickles and fries. We’ve had the burger before, and we ordered it rare. Which for lamb is too raw, unless you are a cannibal. And we are damn close to that classification. They didn’t include that on the census form though. Go medium rare and you’re gonna be a fan. This is a big burger, and even though I left my scales at home, I reckon it weighs in at 1/3 lb easy. It’s tender, very juicy, with a nice grill taste and that special lamb gaminess that, if you like lamb even a little, you will love.
And the kicker? You want the kicker? Do ya, punk? This bad boy is served not with magic mustard, as we thought because it was so damn good, but no. It is Saffron Aoili and – I am not kidding here even though I love condiments rarely do they ‘make’ a dish that is except for Chipotlé tabasco – something about this dabbed on the burger sent it OTT. And great with the nice crisp salty fries too. We ordered extra sides of this stuff.
The “Ghormeh Sabzi” ($20), just a hunch that this means Gourmet Stew, with Black Cod, Fresh Herbs, Basmati Rice and Lime) was next on our list. You can get it with Short Ribs instead of Cod, and I’m glad Kenny opted for seafood, because it was prepared perfectly. Hoss is a stud with seasoning and texture and he pulled it off here as well. In addition to those ingredients, including some nice Fennel, there were some beans as well. Not sure what kind, prolly some Persian variety;) but a scoop of the tender, subtle cod, some rice along with the herbs with a little lime over it is a seriously yummy for the tummy mouthful.
Last and I think the highlight of my meal littered with highlights? The Baby Goat! ($22) That’s right, a leg from a young ‘un, nice and tender, not very gamey at all, served with some juices and melange of spices including Cardamom. Me likee Goatee. Opps, not goatees. Goats. Especially baby goats. “Come to papa, baby goat”. Hey if it creeps ya, call it Kid Goat. Wait, is that any better? Shit, I think I’ll just move on. But just to clarify:
Blah blah. Anyhoo, it was a special and once we heard about it reserved one of the 4 remaining the second we walked in the door.
Wines, wines. lest us not forget the vino. They have an eclectic list with lots of great values. We started with a nice Sicilian white, very unusual. Nutty, quite dark in color, almost gold with flavors of apple and quince. Ha. Anyway, relatively dry, with little to no acidity. Paired well with the Smoked Trout dish.
With the entreés we had a Grenache from Priorat (Spain), it was a little tight so we decanted it to let it open up a bit. This vino could have overpowered the dishes, but we went for it. And it paired very well, the slightly spicy nature of the Grenache did the trick, with nice fruit and a delicate finish with subtle tannins.
And then, Jesus H Christ, ‘someone’ ordered a table full ‘o desserts. Crap. Who was that?! Damn you to hell!! OK, I think I went into a food coma at that point so will hack this a bit. A Deconstructed Banana Cream Pie, Fried Torrijas (like doughnuts shaped like a big fat Cuban cigar) served with a chocolate dipping sauce, and this wild one, a Faloudeh with the shot of tequila. Guess which one was our fave? Ha, fooled ya. Even though the Faloudeh had one of our favorite ingredients (Tequila, fool), the Deconstructed Banana Cream Pie rocked it! But hell, we loved ‘em all like a fat kid loves cake.
Service is great as well, Valen behind the bar mixing up some awesome cocktails, Hoss making his presence in the dining room and our server was super nice, helpful, and attentive without being a pest.
Bottom line: This is definitely one of the best restaurants in SoMa, and one of the best Mediterranean spots in all of SF. Hell at this rate one of the best dining experiences in town. Go! We don’t give many 4.5s!
