Nopa is a neighborhood restaurant. One that gathers locals around its communal table and attracts people from all around town who brave the parking-deprived neighborhood for a chance to feel right at home. “A San Francisco gathering place” is its official tagline. A bright spot in the arguably shady North of Panhandle–or Nopa.
As you leave the cheap liquor stores behind and walk into the restaurant, you’ll be surprised by what you find inside. An ample space, with a mix of industrial and welcoming materials not unlike the interiors of Zuni and Serpentine. But the enviable high ceilings and imposing windows give the room a much more impressive look.
In the dining room, there’s seating for all tastes. Diner booths, a communal table, 2 and 4-tops with banquettes or chairs, bar counter, kitchen counter and even a mezzanine with a view. The majority of them are good but a few of the freestanding tables are arranged too close together, so much so your neighbors may inadvertently share your appetizers.
But despite the large number of people inside–including the often packed bar, the noise level is surprisingly bearable. Thank the high ceilings.
The informally dressed wait staff is attentive and friendly. In that sense, Nopa is a casual, welcoming restaurant much like Beretta and Delfina. On the tables, country-style kitchen towels take the place of starched linen napkins, a homey touch that doesn’t go unnoticed. And that’s exactly the point; to make you feel at home. And the restaurant takes the idea to heart.
Beyond using local ingredients, Nopa promotes local happenings and talents–the interior design and mural paintings were created by nearby neighbors. Locavores, rejoice.
The menu
“Simple food created with seasonal ingredients sourced from local purveyors.” The phrase sums up what you’ll find at Nopa. A philosophy that has become a trademark of Bay Area cooking. Thank Alice Waters. The menu features some restaurant staples like the rotisserie chicken and an ever-changing selection of market-fresh appetizers, entrées and desserts. Even though nothing is said about it, a few dishes I tried had a clear Mediterranean influence.
The meal
To amuse la bouche, green garlic and capers crostini; fleur de sel to taste.
To start, Shaved asparagus salad, bacon, poached egg and kumquats. Mandoline-cut like long ribbons, fresh, crunchy asparagus. A sign that spring is upon us. Perfectly poached eggs and breadcrumbs on top.
Another appetizer worth trying is the Oven roasted sardines, grilled bread, hummus and salsa verde. The star here is not the sardines–although they are pretty good too; but the “fine dining hummus”. A luscious, creamy rendition of the classic Mediterranean spread.
As a bonus course–timely comped by our waiter as he noticed our entrées being late; Lamb and toasted farro soup, cumin yogurt. Tasty and hearty, with a hint of fresh mint, this soup is delicious. Ironically, what I didn’t order was the best thing I had.
For entrée, Braised duck legs, English pea risotto, Parmesan and mizuna. Generously portioned and tasty. Also with a hint of mint in the risotto.
A dish that got my attention on the menu was the Housemade pappardelle, nine hour Bolognese, kale flowers and pecorino. The sauce is made with pork and lamb, slowly cooked for the promised 9 hours. A hearty dish, but not as flavorful as I was hoping for. You know, after 9 hours of anticipation.
For dessert, the most popular item on the menu is the Sopaipillas with burnt orange caramel. Like hollow beignets shaped like inflated raviolis, by themselves these New Mexico deep-fried treats aren’t as good as their American or French counterparts. Enter the sauce. Bite off the corner and pour in the thick caramel. Satisfaction guaranteed.
In short
The ample dining room by itself makes it worth the trip. The attentive service and unfussy atmosphere will make you feel right at home. And most importantly, you will eat well. Generous portions of seasonally-inspired comfort food. Nopa is a restaurant definitely worth trying; it probably won’t blow you away but it will certainly not disappoint. Think of it as another fine option in Bay Area cuisine.
Nopa is at 560 Divisadero St.
Reservations by phone, 415.864.8643
Nopa, San Francisco
Appetizers, an à la carte tasting menu.
On a multi-course meal, the appetizer is often the most memorable course. Here are 3 reasons why:
As the first course, it hits your taste buds when they are still fresh, ready to absorb new flavors, open to new experiences. Think of it like wine tasting, it’s in the first sip that you’ll get most of the wine’s makeup.
Their smaller portions peak your palate before tiring it. This is the principle behind Thomas Keller’s tasting menus. Each course is portioned so it finishes before saturating your palate.
Finally, for the most part, you eat your appetizer at the peak of your appetite. When you are most hungry.
Appetizer-only meals seem to be more popular than ever. The reason though has less to do with taste and more with budget. But cost aside, appetizers can be a great way to experience a chef’s cuisine.
The concept of small plates dining is popular in Spain (tapas) and Italy (cicchetti). In the US, it’s a trend many restaurants made a business around it. Places like Beretta, Pesce and Bar Pintxo (pictured above) come to mind.
Creating a meal out of appetizers gives you an opportunity to sample the food but still stay closer to what you like the most. It’s like designing your own tasting menu, which can be a good or bad thing, depending on how you put together your meal.
Point is, nothing beats a great chef’s tasting menu. Beyond trying different tastes and techniques, the flow of dishes present a thoughtful progression of flavors that add to the experience as a whole. Even in à la carte menus, I’m the first to recognize the importance of a full meal with beginning, middle and end. Very few things are more satisfying than when an appetizer, an entrée and a dessert work together in a perfect meal.
But if you want to try a restaurant in a different way and design your own tasting menu, here are 10 places and dishes you simply can’t miss. In no particular order.
At Town Hall, start with the green fried tomatoes with tuna tartar or soft shell crab BLT if in season and then, without hesitation, go for the veal meatballs.
At Range, try the chicken liver mousse. An appetizer so good you can eat it for dessert.
At Pizzeria Delfina, starters change weekly and I have yet to try one that I don’t like. Highlights are the hand-stretched mozzarella and the fritti–deep-fried goodies.
Anchor & Hope’s curiously named “fries with eyes” are also a must. Deep-fried smelts with remoulade sauce.
If you like fish but would rather not see them eye to eye, Farallon’s champagne cured monterey sardines are fresh and perfectly cooked.
At Kokkari, get a few of the greek spreads with house-made grilled pita bread.
At Jeanty at Jack, trust me and go for the creamy tomato soup. It is served covered with a flaky puff pastry, baked golden brown.
At Craft, try the delicious roasted octopus. Definitely one of the best things you can order.
At Heaven’s Dog and Slanted Door, take the whole idea of sharing to heart and try staying on the first part of the menu.
There are few restaurants like Bar Boulud in NY where appetizers outshine entrées by far. The charcuterie selection for example is worth a whole meal. Daniel’s House made fromage de tête and other many pâtés are second to none; an indulgence of beautifully layered flavors and fat.
So next time you go out, consider skipping the entrée and going right back to the appetizers. The smaller portions will likely leave room for dessert. Which come to think of it, it’s like a sweet appetizer after all.
Entremet: Mercato Centrale, Florence
In the Italian capital of the arts, the central market is a sight to be seen. Built in 1874, the iron and glass structure is located in the San Giovanni neighborhood. One of Italy’s most beautiful indoor markets offers locals 2 full floors of food stalls. Outside, an equally large assortment of stands packed with faux Louis Vuitton bags –an indication that tourists are also popular here.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are displayed like colorful still life paintings, arranged in thoughtful compositions, ready to be picked or painted. Dried fruit laid out like watercolor palettes and beautiful aged cheeses from all over Europe sold next to impossibly fresh local buffalo mozzarella. The latter so good you can eat it like an apple, simply by biting into it.
But is the carnivore that may find there’s heaven after all. From filet to offal, no parts are spared; every bit is on display. Man surrounded my meat. Endless arrays of prosciuttos arranged side by side in shades of red and brown mirroring the Florentine clay rooftops seen from above. Rustic exhibitions of manly meat that only when sliced reveal their delicate, complex side. Slivers of cured Parma and San Danielle blending layers of flavor and fat.
But wherever you’re hungry or not, Florence’s Mercato Centrale is worth a visit; if not to please the palate, definitely to entertain the eyes.
Heaven's Dog, San Francisco
Before I moved to San Francisco, I used to go to Chinese restaurants more often. But when I got here and found myself strolling in the largest Chinatown outside Asia, the abundance of options had an opposite effect on me; paralysis by analysis.
Ironically, I work in the heart of Chinatown, where every day at 4pm the air is filled with the unmistakable aroma of steamed grease from the surrounding kitchens. Hordes of tourists empty tour busses and walk in suspiciously large Chinese restaurants sporting German signs at the door–Herzlich Willkommen. The local Chinese seem to opt for the more authentic holes in the walls, where English is barely spoken. Some have the characteristic underground feeling that would bring Anthony Bourdain to his knees. Greasy pans and sticky plates included, food poisoning optional.
When I heard that the talented Charles Phan was opening a Chinese restaurant in the city, I knew I had to try it. Phan’s family is behind one of San Francisco’s most original restaurants, The Slanted Door. Its contemporary Vietnamese cuisine is characterized by the use of fresh ingredients and pronounced flavors; its service and atmosphere rival many fine dining establishments. After years of success and many expansions, the Phans are going back to their roots; China.
Heaven’s Dog occupies the ground floor at the new imposing yet dull condo monolith known as SoMa Grand. The restaurant offers 3 dining spaces; the noodle bar, the lounge and the dining room.
The noodle bar is a bright, long room where diners sit at a black granite counter overlooking the shared kitchen. A more casual space, perfect for a quick meal alone or in small groups.
Inside the actual restaurant, the atmosphere is much different. Dimly lit and more intimate, both lounge and dining room. But despite the faint light, the interior design bears resemblance to a museum cafeteria with unoriginal choices in dinnerware and furniture. Instead of contemporary Chinese, the ambiance comes across as ordinary modern. The only exception is the long bar, cut in its full length by a bright trim light–very Blade Runner.
The menu
The noodle bar and the restaurant share the same menu. There are 3 types of dishes; small plates, wok and noodles. The first 2 are served family style and are meant for sharing. They are brought to the table when they are done in the kitchen, in no particular order. Much like at The Slanted Door, the appetizers here are great, probably the best things on the menu. Worth making a full meal of of them. The noodles are individually portioned. Phan also brought in his relationships with high-end purveyors–it’s not everywhere you’ll find Niman Ranch beef called out on a Chinese menu.
The meal
Some of the most popular orders are the cocktails. The bar offers an inventive selection of pre-prohibition era drinks made with San Francisco’s own “Small Hand Foods” ingredients. Like the Pan American Clipper. Calvados, lime, Small Hand Foods grenadine and absinthe.
From the Small plate selection, Shanghai dumplings, pork, rice vinegar, scallions. Each dumpling explodes in your mouth letting out its flavorful juices. For this reason, it’s advised to put the whole thing in your mouth. Taking a small bite, although a sign of good manners, can have devastating effects on the surrounding guests.
Another great choice is the Braised pork belly in clamshell bun, scallions. The tender, savory pork is nicely contrasted by the sweet sticky bun.
From the Wok selection, Salt & pepper squid, ginger, red peppers. I still think Betelnut makes the best fried calamari. This one is crispy although it gets somewhat rubbery as it cools down.
From the Noodles list, Rice vermicelli stir fry, Niman Ranch pork shoulder, shrimp, yellow curry. This is a good example of how high-quality ingredients can make all the difference in an otherwise common dish.
Spicy seafood soup, shrimp, squid, cod, scallops, wheat noodles. Here, fresh seafood brings delight to the palate and peace of mind. A mild heat adds a nice punch.
Red braised beef stew, wheat noodles. The rich broth is more colorful than tasty but overall this is a good dish, like the other noodles I tried. But in the end, I was hoping for more pronounced flavors.
There are 5 desserts on the menu but no traditional Chinese options like sesame balls. The best ones I tried were the ice creams.
Pineapple sorbet. A great, refreshing ending to a filling meal. Meringue sticks add a nice, crispy touch.
Thai basil ice cream. Creamy and rich with a subtle herbal flavor. The clementine segments on the other hand were completely out of place. I can’t see how the 2 things can go together.
For a more filling dessert, Chocolate-chestnut torte. Layered Devil’s food cake, chestnut mousse and croquant; finished with chocolate ganache and a candied walnut. A nice contrast of textures in a rich but not too sweet dessert.
In short
Heaven’s Dog is a great alternative to the tourist traps or potentially sketchy restaurants in Chinatown. In addition to a more modern atmosphere, Charles Phan brings fresh flavors and organic ingredients to the traditional Chinese fare. The food is good but it’s almost as if something is lacking. Maybe the kitchen still needs to find its voice; or maybe all they are missing is some extra grease in the pans.
Heaven’s Dog is at 1148 Mission St.
Online reservations
The Sentinel, San Francisco
The idea of renowned chefs branching out of their flagship restaurants to open more accessible spots is old news. Though it usually means a brand extension more than a side job–you won’t see Craft’s Tom Colicchio wrapping sandwiches at ‘Wichcraft. But that’s exactly what you’ll find at Dennis Leary’s new downtown sandwich shop. The talented chef that at night commands the small kitchen at Canteen seems to have found an even smaller kitchen to run. Every weekday, you’ll find Leary himself expediting and personally wrapping each sandwich in white butcher paper. Welcome to The Sentinel.
I usually don’t write about takeout sandwich shops but this one deserves a mention. First, because there aren’t many good options for takeout food in downtown; but most importantly, because someone is out to change the whole idea of a takeout sandwich in the land of takeout sandwiches. Welcome to America.
In nine out of ten sandwich shops you really don’t need to look at the menu; the choices are always the same. Tired, lazy deli classics like turkey club, tuna melt and ham & cheese; everything on it. Not at The Sentinel. Here, sandwiches are created and prepared like dishes in a good restaurant. With a point of view, thought and care. By a chef that has proven he can do it well.
The tiny space that used to house a cigar shop on the corner of New Montgomery and Mission streets works like a “walk-through” restaurant–enter through one door, leave through the other. Think a nicer “Soup Nazi”. Your order is taken by the cashier and pasted as a color-coded post-it in front of the chef. Sandwiches are made to order while you wait, but even with long lines, you won’t have to wait long. Service flows like clockwork.
The menu
The paper menu pasted on the door lists about 8 different sandwiches and 2 or 3 daily specials. All at very reasonable prices. Some of the sandwiches ($8) also change daily and the specials usually include soup, dessert and a 3-course meal to go ($11.50). In the morning, the shop also sells coffee cakes and muffins with Mr. Espresso coffee.
The meal
The Sentinel is mostly a sandwich shop and that’s what you should expect from it. The daily special dishes are sometimes better than others but are usually a good deal for what you pay.
The best sandwich is the Fresh salmon and smoked salmon, with fennel and dill, soft roll. A fresh combination of flavors that proves what Leary is all about–good food. The salmon is complemented nicely by the aroma and texture of dill and fennel and peppered by the contrasting acidity of chopped tomatillos.
Another great option is the Corned beef on flatbread with gruyere, cabbage, russian dressing. A tasty warm sandwich with juicy slices of corned beef and melted cheese.
Other sandwiches on the winter menu include Deviled pork loin with butter lettuce, cream cheese and walnuts; and Chicken salad with sesame, lemon, and chili. All of them come with a house-made pickle–a nice treat, although it is said that asking for an additional pickle may bring the chef to a fit of pique. “No pickle for you!”
Dessert options change daily and usually include oatmeal or chocolate-chip cookies. If you're lucky, a tasty Blondie that is almost a meal on itself.
The lunch special meals are served in 3-compartment clamshell containers. I tried the Veal and pork meatballs and Scallops ceviche. I can’t say they were great or anything I’d order again in a restaurant. But depending on how you look at it, this is not a bad deal–especially if you have a high tolerance for over-dressed salads and somewhat dry meat. It’s a 3-course lunch for $11.50 after all; dessert and tax included.
My favorite so far is the Pork shoulder with white beans, horseradish dressing + mint - pear crisp for dessert. The star of this dish is the tasty creamy white beans that together with the pork make a pretty good entrée. A small yellow beet salad and a crispy-indeed pear crisp bookend it nicely.
In short
The Sentinel stands out among a myriad of tired lunch spots in downtown San Francisco. The tiny corner store offers original options that bring welcoming new flavors to the “eating at your desk” dining experience. Lunch special dishes are okay, but I’d recommend sticking to the sandwiches. Point is, you probably won’t find a better takeout sandwich shop in the city. Maybe because you also won’t find another shop with a renowned chef wrapping sandwiches behind its counter.
The Sentinel is at 37 New Montgomery St.
Call early for pick-up 415-284-9960, check the menu here.
Raviolo di ricotta at 
