Boulette's Larder

San Francisco, CA

Boulette's Larder is quintessential Californian fare, fresh, seasonal, organic dishes, well prepared, a la Alice Walters philosophy. I've been to the Ferry building dozens of times for Saturday's farmers market, Hog island, Acme bread, Cowgirl creamery, Boccalone Salumeria and Premivera, but never noticed this place. How could this be? Maybe because on Saturday's they don't do a table service because of the market, and instead they sell hot chocolate for an astounding $6 per cup (like small paper coffee cup). Or maybe it's because the few times i have walked through, their display case reads with fine dining costs, very pricey. So what finally convinced me otherwise? Well it's been on my radar since Rick Bayless and Alice Walters both raved about it, and Chu-Toro opted to come here instead of Tartine Bakery in the mission. We arrive at 10 AM on a Sunday morning exactly when they opened and there was already a list of a dozen names on the reservation list. We happened to luck out getting an outdoor table for two. The brunch menu was compact with a handful of courses and beverages. We teetered between going with more breakfast-like items (eggs) or more savory lunch dishes. Per the server's recommendation, we went with a shared order of beignets, scrambled eggs with vegetable ragut (which at least one person at every table got) and poached eggs.

B L beignets

The beignets ($10) came with a shot of their hot chocolate, extremely rich and chocolaty, no wonder they only sell a small coffee cup on Saturdays. The donut hole sized beignets were excellent. Piping hot, crunchy on the outside but fluffy and almost custard like on the inside. Not a classic beignet, but a great addictive dish.

Poached Eggs

I ordered the poached eggs ($16.5), which were very hearty and tasty. I don't recall the vegetables, although I think it was swiss card, beans, and parsley, topped with shaved parmigiano-reggiano, but the combination of flavors exploded with each bite. It didn't hit me at first but it was a very filling dish.

Scrambled Eggs with Seasonal Vegetable Ragut

Chu-toro went with the scrambled eggs with the seasonal vegetable ragut ($18). The good sized portion of eggs were light, fluffy and eggy, but the star of the meal was the ragut. I recall sweet potatoes and baby radishes, but whatever else was in it was perfect as well. The vegetable concoction was bursting with flavor and really encompasses the philosophy behind this cooking style. By allowing the organic product to shine by its natural flavors yet combine them in such a way that makes you envious you can't make it yourself, is what really amazing Californian food is all about. Boulette's Larder showcases it perfectly and despite the heavy bill ($72 for two), it's definitely worth the trip. 

Rating 8/10

November 14, 2010

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