Restaurant Review: Zuni Cafe, San Francisco

Zuni Café

1658 Market Street (between Gough and Franklin)

San Francisco, CA 94102

www.zunicafe.com

415.552.2522

There are literally thousands of restaurants in San Francisco, giving the die-hard foodie with a long weekend in the Fog City too many choices to consider. Just by chance, we were stuck in late afternoon traffic on Market Street right in front of the Zuni Café. The unmistakable aroma of wood smoke drifted into the car. I noticed a set of diners seated by the window, as they enjoyed a huge pile of French fries stacked haphazardly like Lincoln logs on steroids reaching toward the ceiling. That was it. I directed my son to find a parking place.

A short walk later, we entered and were led to an upstairs table. (This was a Wednesday afternoon, and I would suggest making reservations for anything later or on the weekend.) The Zuni is eclectic, with wood floors, a real-live piano player and linen tablecloths and napkins. We were dressed quite casually, but this is California.

I'd heard of the Zuni before. There's the famous Zuni cookbook "The Zuni Café Cookbook: A Compendium of Recipes and Cooking Lessons from San Francisco's Beloved Restaurant" (a mouthful right there), which is available at the restaurant signed by the author for $34.95. While it's currently not a reference in my kitchen, it soon will be. The food here is California cuisine at its finest.

The restaurant has a funky feel, but it's also inviting. The bar looks like the kind where the mixed drinks are inventive and fun. There's a very decent wine list, with plenty of choices by the glass or split. The menu is brief and to the point. The specialty of the house is a roasted chicken prepared for two. My son decided on a house salad with inventive dressing, and flank steak, prepared rare. Although he's more of a house-salad-with-ranch-dressing kind of guy, he loved the salad, and proclaimed the steak excellent. I chose a trio of local oysters for a starter, and roasted sea bass. The oysters were served with a champagne vinegar and shallot dressing, and were fresh and delicious. The sea bass was perfectly prepared and the accompanying sauce and beans complemented the fish.

A friendly couple from Ohio was seated at an adjoining table, enjoying the roasted chicken. They had already tried this recipe at home. Both pronounced their dinner excellent as well.

For dessert, my son and I shared a flourless chocolate cake topped with heavy cream. The cake was scrumptious and not heavy at all. It was a perfect finale to a beautifully prepared dinner.

Service was quick and friendly. The portions are not small, but they're also not hearty. By the time we left, the Zuni was filled with diners.

There's a web site at www.zunicafe.com, but at the moment it is under construction and doesn't reveal much about the menu or the restaurant. A diner's best bet would be to call the establishment directly at 415-552-2522 to inquire about menu choices and reservations.

The Zuni Café is one place I will definitely revisit!