Salt House, 545 Mission Street, The Financial District (BDYW)

I really like this place!  It's great for lunch and excellent just for a drink, but it's divine for dinner.


It's reputation is that it's a great bar in the Financial District that is also a great grill place, but I think there's a new emphasis on the food instead of the martinis. 






There's a new Chef, Vernon Marales, who has a resume of exceptional experience at some of the top restaurants in NY, Spain and California.  Salt is going through a metamorphosis and seems to be in the midst of getting it's new legs, so service may be a little slow, and the menu may need to be a little more cohesive, but what's hot is hot and Salt House is on fire!!

The ambiance is cool and understated, located in a old warehouse that was used in the early 1900s for printing presses.  The high ceiling and brick interior give it that NY loft effect and the place is always filled with happy, customers in deep conversation and appear to be feeling right at home.




Our staff photographer and I decided to take this experience slow and for you, our faithful readers, we tried all the courses.  We started with  the Pickled Quail Eggs filled with salmon roe and drizzled with horseradish crème.  They were gorgeous to look at and delish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! to boot.

To begin this feast, Rosalie ordered the "Peas and Heirloom Carrots" with rhubarb jam and pea shoots, served with green goddess dressing.  I decided on "Zuckerman Asparagus" with roasted strawberry,  wood sorrel & Idiazabal cheese.  I would rank this salad as one of the best things I've ever eaten in my life!!  The mix of flavors and textures were so amazing and the presentation was beautiful.

Salt house serves a homemade bread that you know you don't need, but the fresh baked aroma and that heavy cold European butter actually call to you.  Really heavenly!  Just have one bite!  Yeh, right, I know, I know!!!!!!

Our staff photographer conferred with our server and decided on the pork loin for her main course.  The "Coleman Farms Pork Loin" was beautifully plated with spring peas, rye berries, bacon and a black pepper sauce.








I enjoyed the "Double 'R' Ranch New York Steak", beautifully served with shitake mushrooms, asparagus, charred spring onion and potato puree.  Just how good can this experience get?!?

 

Although we knew we should call Uber and leave before we saw the dessert menu, it was too late........this is where we really fell off the wagon.............I ordered the "Olive Oil Griddle Cake" with Swanton strawberries and roasted strawberry ice cream with a red wine glaze. 

Rosalie conferred again with our server and ordered the Urban S'More, brown butter panna cotta, chocolate balsamic gastrique & an espresso marshmallow.

What a fabdelish dinner.  As usual, the pictures are worth a thousand words.  This is one of our top picks so far this year. 
You need to try Salt House because it is trully a fab dining experience. Take your time and enjoy every bite of every course!  A siesta is in your future and the only real exercise you have to do is  "blow the dust of your wallet"!

 

Universal Cafe, 2814 19th Street, The Mission (BDYW)

What a fabulous neighborhood find for " More is Less Mula"!  There are so many good little cafes in San Francisco, but when you come upon "Universal Cafe" on a Saturday morning, you're quickly reminded that cream always rises to the top.....and this place is sweet!!!!









The chef & owner, "Leslie Carr Avalos", has taken fresh, farm-like dishes and made them sophisticated and just different enough to be a newer, fresher, organic version of themselves.

Sitting quietly on 17th and Florida, partly hidden behind a wall of beautiful purple flowers and tall green grasses, is this delightful neighborhood cafe.  It is packed and although you have to put your name on the list and wait to be called to your table (patio or inside preference), no one appears to be impatient.  There's an atmosphere of "it's well worth the wait" and most are waiting with a mimosa in hand.

Rosalie  ordered the "Soft Scrambled Eggs" with tapenade, rapini, ricotta with toasted Acme bread and lettuces.  I had the most delish "Poached Eggs & Sage Sausage Gravy" served on Buttermilk Biscuits with orange marmalade-glazed spring onions and herb salad.  OMG!!!!!!!

Our staff photographer especially enjoyed the coffee and I couldn't rave enough about the fresh-squeezed Valencia Orange Mimosas.  (Was it the OJ or the champagne that I was smitten with?)

 

 

I know you'll find this hard to believe, but again, just for you.....our faithful readers, we also ordered the homemade "Cinnamon Cake Doughnuts" with peach leaf creme anglaise!  Ohhhhhhh yeh we did!!!!!!!!!   OUT OF THIS WORLD!

 

 

You have to try this little cafe in the Mission.  There's plenty of parking and we did leave a few doughnuts for you.

 

Well, we're off again, rolling along the streets (literally) of this "city by the bay" investigating our next food blog-find.  It's going to be tough to top this one!!

This place has just plain fabdelish food, friendly service and an atmosphere that reminded us of some little neighborhood place you'd find in Europe.  Maybe that's why it's named "Universal Cafe"!

 

 

délicieux! delizioso! delicioso! köstlich! вкусный!