1.22.2022. Sorrel. San Francisco. California.

A few people had recommended Sorrel to me and it was actually on my short list to check out. So when my friend was in town and had time to meet up for dinner for a proper catch up, I was thrilled that Sorrel offered outdoor dining (see cute parklet below). It turned out that she had also wanted to eat at Sorrel as well. It was meant to be! 

A little background story for you: Chef Alex Hong has cooked alongside Michale Tusk at Quince. I was drawn to Sorrel because we all know I am very into local organic produce and they even grow some of their own on their roof. Another fun fact for you: I actually do not prefer fine dining, as I find it mostly really stuffy and not that comfortable from an atmosphere and experience perspective in addition to the food all being perfectly the same more or less. So while I do some fine dining, it is actually not my personal preference and I typically find them to be a chore. So it actually takes a bit something extra for me to actually go do fine dining and write about it. Thankfully, my list is exceptionally curated by this point in my career. So lucky you.

Sorrel
3228 Sacramento St
San Francisco, CA 94115
415.525.3765

Please note that they are only doing tasting menu at the moment. Per usual, there are a few additions. We opted for the casoncelli with black truffles. Because, we cannot say no to pasta with truffles! While I was very interested in the duck (one of their signature dishes), it was more difficult to do also duck with our quail course. I was surprised by how foamy the entire tasting menu was: 3 out of 7 courses were foamy. I found that very interesting, but I definitely know people that are really not into foam food. So you may want to call ahead if that is you. Otherwise, enjoy! I think my favorite course was the Spanish octopus and I also loved the bread.

"snacks"

bread course

spanish octopus
sun choke, chorizo, succulents

raviolo all'uovo
lobster, preserved lemon, tarragon

casonelli
black truffle, honeycomb marscapone

devil's gulch quail
parsnip, koji, sprouted legumes porridge

chocolate bouchon
pistachio, smoke, chocolate bubbles

12.31.2021. Hilda and Jesse. San Francisco. California.

I had been meaning to check out Hilda and Jesse since they recently opened last year. Hilda and Jesse is upscale brunch all day, and you can even go there Monday night and get breakfast for dinner. I have to say, those pancakes have been on my mind too much since I had them. I am not going to ruined the surprise as to why they are so memorable, but just trust that those will likely be the best pancakes of your life. Not surprising since the chef owners hail from some of the best establishments in the Bay Area. If you are ever in the mood to celebrate with a decadent brunch in a happy space, look no further.

Hilda and Jesse
701 Union Street
San Francisco, CA 93133
415.872.7023

pancakes without boundaries
double stack of our buttermilk pancakes
grilled cranberry maple, butter pat

green eggs and ham
encina farms pork roast
nettle soft scramble, grilled ham hock jus