Frances*

San Francisco, CA

The hardest reservation to get in the city? Arguably, Melissa Perello's restaurant Frances in the Castro. The newly minted Michelin recipient serves unpretentious California cuisine in a casual, affordable setting. No wonder it's so hard to get a reservation. The few reservations that you can get are usually at 5 PM when they open or 10 PM before they close. Located on a quiet street near residential homes, the place was packed when we arrive at 6 PM with a lone table unoccupied for us, perfectly isolated from the other tables, lucky us! The menu was small, with four options for bouchees, appitizers, entrees and desserts. But there was a good variety of options under each section which made choosing a challenge since everything sounded pretty good. We started with a couple drinks, the Magnolia Brewery weather report wheat, Haight & Masonic, a nice light finish beer on tap for a steal at $5 a glass. Chu-Toro went with APPLES & HONEY, (sparkling wine, house white wine, Bonny Doon Pommeau, Martin Gol). 

Grilled Calamari, preserved lemon, shaved fennel, radishes, wild arugula 

Our first bouche was the Grilled Calamari salad. The calamari was lightly grilled and perfectly cooked, a really nice flavored start. This is the kind of salad I could get used to, great balance, great flavors and fresh ingredients.

Applewood smoked bacon beignets - Maple creme friache and chives

The most ordered dish on the menu, the bacon beignets, were bursting with bacon goodness. The creme friache dipping sauce offered a nice balance to the heavy flavored bites, which were gummy and yummy inside, built with a crunchy bite sized exterior. 

Crisp Red Garnet Yams - Meyer Lemon, Parmesan, Calabrese Chili Aioli

After we ordered, we regretted that we didn't get the Yams, which we've been on a big kick for lately, so we  made a quick addition. It was a good one, although simply prepared, the standout flavor was the yam itself which was sweet and creamy. The slice of meyer lemon, was a fragrant and a perfect accompaniment. 

Parmesan and Ricotta Gnocchi - Boccalone Panchetta, Chanterelles, Napa Cabbage

Thinking back on when we first started ordering gnocchi, we recalled the awesome ones at Biba in Sacramento that turned us to the dish. However, since then, we've had some pretty big hits (Bottega) and misses (A16). So, I had controlled expectations for Frances. I was pleasantly surprised by the lightness of the well made gnocchi which made the dish very enjoyable. The panchetta bits and chanterelles added a nice earthly and salty combination, launching Melissa Perello's gnocchi to my top three list. 

Salsify and Pacific oyster chowder - melted leeks and creme friache

The oyster chowder was probably the worst dish of the evening, although "worst" is probably a really relative term. It wasn't a standout dish, but a solid offering, a surprisingly light chowder lacking the contents I'd hope to bite in a chowder. Instead, it was a thin oyster soup, but could not stand up to the one we've had at Hog Island, and pretty one dimensional.

Five Dot Ranch Bavette Steak - Toasted Farro Ragout, Maitakes, Fava Greens

We're learning that meats from Five Dot Ranch speak for themselves. The quality of the product is unbelievable, and really just needs to be well cooked to be appreciated. The steak was just that, perfectly medium rare, bursting with natural juices and able to stand on its own. I could've had the dish again if I wasn't so full. The toasted farro and maitakes presented a earthy tone to the dish, reminded Chu-Toro of the goat in whey at Meadowood. The quality of the beef also reminded us of the perfect steak we had at Benu. All in all, a very excellent entrée. The only downside was the wait time to receive the steak. It was a half hour layoff between our appetizers and the entrée. Our server was kind enough to notice and offered us a free dessert to make up for the delay.

'Malva' Pudding Cake - Toasted Almond, Fuyu Persimmon, Vanilla Bean Creme Friache

We chose the super moist malva cake, a almond flavored cake slice with a strong vanilla cheme friache to coat. It was a dessert that deviated from our norm of chocolate desserts, but was a nice light finish to an excellent meal.

It's hard to say it met all expectations, but Frances certainly did not disappoint. It's a perfect neighborhood restaurant that I'm sure we'd dine at once a week if we were within walking distance. The food is well prepared, staff is kind and attentive and the prices are reasonable. The flavors are very homey, and although, not going to surpass those of a Benu or Manresa, that's not what Melissa Perello is trying to do. She's cooking the way she wants, excellent fresh ingredients in a well presented, well flavored manner, placed in a casual setting and achieves that perfectly. If the evolution of fine dining is moving into a casual setting with lower prices and unpretentious service, Frances has embodied that with precision. It was surprising how excellent the service was, changing dish ware constantly, folding napkins, filling drinks, crumbing off the table, while maintaining an excellent, casual, comfort demeanor, which were all greatly appreciated. It's not a destination meal, but if you're looking for a bargain of excellent food, service and can catch an open table, Frances is a very good choice.

Rating 7.5/10

December 11, 2010.