Restaurant Review: The Stinking Rose

The Stinking Rose refers to the garlic - and this restaurant certainly has a lot of it! Located in the North Beach area of San Francisco, this is a fairly popular place, mostly among tourists. While not the best restaurant in the North Beach area of San Francisco, it does have its charm. I have often taken visiting friends here and they do enjoy its kitschy kooky charm. There's a second location in Beverly Hills as well.

The dining room itself is fun - all red and lots of memorabilia on the walls. The best part is the private dining tents in the back - a series of tents that enclose tables for more privacy. I can't imagine though why you'd want an enclosed space when eating garlic!

Note: Don't come here for romantic dinner with a significant other; it will kill the mood afterwords! Some people even report smelling of garlic for a few hours.
I first came here when a friend of mine came from Austria. We opted for some cool house white wine and some of their Shrimp Iron Skillet appetizer ($14.95). It was cooked just right and the flavors of the garlic were quite subtle. We tried dipping the bread in the garlicky oil and it was quite delicious. We also had the Garlic Hummus Cocktail ($8.95). The hummus was smooth and creamy, while the crostini was crisp. Thinking to reduce my consumption of garlic, I had some chicken and asparagus fettuccine ($17.95). The pasta was delicious and the pine nuts added a good crunch. My friend, much more adventurous than I, had the Italian Garlic meatloaf ($17.95), served with some mashed potatoes. I had a taste and it certainly was garlicky! The meat was cooked well and had a great sauce - pan gravy I believe. We were so stuffed at the end of the night we just couldn't have any dessert!

The next time I went here, I was with my sister who was visiting me. This time I had to try more garlicky items. The tureens looked good, as we observed from the people around us - we had the large garlic steamed clams ($35.95). You can really taste the essence of the garlic in the clams, but not so much its spiciness. It was in the entrée that I ordered - the Forty Clove Garlic Chicken ($18.95) that was the main garlic course for the night. They really did use 40 cloves, as I could taste it all over the chicken. I think they overdid it, but then garlic is the theme of the restaurant! My sister, who has somewhat a sick sense of humor, had a "Silence of the Lamb Shank" ($19.95), which was served with, you guessed it - fava beans! I think she enjoyed the fact that she ordered that, rather than the meal itself. Still both our meals were good, though our appetizer was a bit overpriced, in my opinion. This time I did have room for dessert and of course I had to top off this evening with some garlic ice cream! It was very interesting having a subtle taste of garlic with something smooth, creamy and sweet, but it worked well.

Over all the Stinking Rose is a good restaurant, albeit a bit overpriced for a regular dinner - some may say it's a bit of a tourist trap, but it's charming nonetheless. Take your out-of-town guests here and they'll certainly have an enjoyable, though malodorous, time!