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Incanto, San Francisco

Some chefs’ legacies extend far beyond their restaurants or cookbooks. Julia Child can be credited for making French cooking accessible to the home cook. Juan Mari Arzak spearheaded the New Spanish Cuisine; José Andrés made it popular in America. Chris Consentino will be known as a proponent of what most cooks leave out: offal.



Offal includes everything that, as the name suggests, falls off the butchering process; organs, entrails, brain, trotters and tongue to name a few. And while variety meats have been popular for generations in Europe and Asia, their presence in fine dining menus in America is now bigger than ever. They attract the more adventurous foodies and create a sense of bravery. In an era of home butchery and extreme cooking, offal is the ultimate manly trophy.

For some foodies, gobbling up a plate of tripe is as exciting as savoring a priceless Wagyu steak. For others, it’s akin to a reality show challenge in which bravery must be proved for self and social praise. As if ordering cod milt or veal sweetbreads was a definitive proof of epicure achievement. The Purple Heart of foodies. If you ever watched “No Reservations” with Anthony Bourdain, you know what I mean; it’s all about sucking the poor shrimp’s head.

I grew up eating skewered chicken hearts and many other offal items. But while I agree that many variety meats make exquisite delicacies (Range’s chicken liver mousse comes to mind), I don’t think you need to like every animal organ to say you like food. I certainly don’t. But if you think you can stomach it, you may as well try it.



Consentino’s passion for offal is contagious. The charismatic chef behind one of my favorite food brands–Boccalone is trading time in the back of the house to be in front of the cameras. His name doesn’t show up on IMDB yet but his TV appearances include "Iron Chef America" and his own show on the Food network, "Chefs vs. City"–a mix between Amazing Race and a hot dog eating contest.

Consentino is said to be writing a book on the joy of offal cooking and currently sells a line of branded merchandise under the "Offal Good" brand. His persona is as big as his appetite, and he’s not shy about it. The perpetual Twitterer often promotes his daily specials and public appearances to about 3,500 followers. But despite his booming career, the chef hasn’t abandoned the place where he still holds the title of Executive Chef.



As you enter the Noe Valley restaurant, an irresistible aroma of olives, herbs and cured meats blend together teasing your appetite. A poster stands on an easel promoting the chef’s TV show as Consentino himself stands behind the bar wearing a brand new Offal Good hat.



Incanto’s welcoming atmosphere is peppered with Italian clichés and ornaments of faux authenticity like the hanging Latin parchments posters. The dining room design is simple; solid wood tables and straw chairs under an arched ceiling. Nothing to be excited about. But this is a place to feel comfortable and eat well. If offal is acquired taste, Incanto is the place to acquire it.


The menu



The restaurant serves more than offal, despite Consentino’s passion, specialty meats normally appear in only 2 or 3 dishes every night. A special 5-course head-to-tail tasting option is sometimes available. The rustic Italian fare includes about 12 starters ($4 to $13), one of them is an Antipasto platter for 2 featuring Boccalone’s artisanal salumi ($20). Five pasta dishes can be ordered as appetizers or main courses (about $10 and $16). For entrées, 6 options include meats, fish and a vegetarian dish ($17 to $25).


The meal



Like many San Francisco restaurants, Incanto promotes its support for sustainability. Complimentary water is filtered and carbonated in house and served in reusable carafes. Most ingredients come from local purveyors.



To start, a tasty selection of bread and black olive tapenade.



Spicy trippa Napolitano, tomato, red onion & mint. A classic offal dish made with beef honeycomb tripe (from the cow’s second stomach chamber). After meticulously washed and cooked for hours in salted water and vinegar, the tripe is simmered in an aromatic marinara sauce that gives it a sweet and spicy flavor.

If you never had tripe, its tender, gelatinous, slightly spongy texture may be the biggest barrier to entry. But 2 ingredients in this dish add a welcomed contrast in both flavor and texture; fresh mint and onions. Try it with some bread; despite the large portion, you may find yourself asking for more. If not, you don’t need to eat the whole thing–I didn’t. Tripe is definitely an acquired taste; I’m still in the process of acquiring it.



Potato gnocchi, green zebra tomatoes, cherry tomatoes & basil. In total contrast to an offal dish, Consentino’s vegetarian gnocchi is creamy and tasty. Season’s peak sweet tomatoes and olive oil give it a fresh summer flair.


Boccalone sausage, cranberry beans, San Marzanos & soft cooked egg. From the chef’s salumeria, the pork sausage with a hint of fennel is flavorful and juicy. The soft egg yolk dissolves into the delicious sauce guaranteeing no been shall be left behind. A very successful dish.



Braised pork shoulder, grilled peaches, pickled baby peaches & rucola. A hearty meat dish contrasted by fresh accompaniments that highlight the pork shoulder flavor.

After a fulfilling meal, I was hopping for more appetizing desserts. Of the 7 options ($7 to $8), I can’t say anything is mouthwatering.



"Milk & cookies"-chocolate chip cookies & vanilla egg cream. The freshly baked cookies are good, served warm, gooey, they melt in your mouth. But the vanilla egg cream falls flat on the palate.



Prosciutto panna cotta, melon & maple. Unfortunately the prosciutto flavor is too subtle, almost imperceptible. Not to mention the not so flattering presentation.


In short

Chris Consentino’s flavorful Italian fare makes Incanto worth a visit. For offal enthusiasts this is a Mecca; for first-timers, there’s no better place to try. But if you are not ready for offal, no worries, most dishes on the menu are suitable for squeamish diners. Here, no guts doesn’t necessarily mean no glory.

Incanto is at 1550 Church Street
Online reservations

Contigo, San Francisco

Spain is one of my favorite gastronomic destinations. Its food is outstanding in absolute simplicity–like a slice of Jamón Ibérico de Bellota; or in the ever-evolving complexity of avant-garde molecular gastronomy.



And even though only 2 restaurants there made to No Salad, Arzak and Asador Etxebarri, many more live brightly in my memory. Among them, countless tapas and pintxos bars in Madrid, Bilbao, San Sebastian and Barcelona. On my last trip to Spain earlier this year, small plates were the bulk of my diet. How can you resist?



The neatly arranged arrays of bite-sized treats and appetizing tapas menus will make any foodie feel like a bride to be entering Tiffany to pick her engagement ring. The variety and approachability of small portions is an invitation to never stop eating. A feast of deliciousness in all kinds of carbs, fats, and proteins. But after 3 days, I began to crave something green. My kingdom for a broccoli! Let’s just say vegetables are not as popular in Spain, at least not in tapas bars. After each bite of chorizo frito dripping with oil and queso fundido melted on a slice of bread, I couldn’t help but long for San Francisco’s passion for organic produce. Only if I could have both.



Welcome to Contigo. The Noe Valley brainchild of Elan Drucker and Brett Emerson (Greens, LuLu, and Chez Panisse) is a much-welcomed addition to the city’s dining scene. This is not the only Spanish tapas restaurant in San Francisco but it’s the first one to get me excited about.



The lively atmosphere is welcoming. Its design, homey and modern with juxtapositions of warm redwood and dark concrete, patterned banquettes and stainless steal.



Reservations are only taken for parties of 6 or more but walk-in guests can choose between dining room tables, counter seats or a heated back patio surrounded by a vegetable garden and the firewood that feeds the restaurant’s oven.



With Brett running the kitchen and Elan managing the front of the house, service is friendly and sharp. The well-trained wait staff has the much-appreciated honesty of recommending dishes and wines based on what you like, not what the restaurant wants to sell.


The menu



Contigo’s menu features 10 appetizers including Spanish cheeses and artisanal hams (from $2 to $9). The restaurant claims to be the only place in the city you can order Jamón Ibérico de Belotta, the Kobe beef of hams ($29). There are 17 small plates ($6 to $12) and 4 or so entrée-sized options ($14 to $24). On the back of the menu, purveyors are proudly listed–a nod to San Francisco’s sustainable locavorism.


The meal



Dining at Contigo is a social experience. Dishes are meant for sharing; think of it as a continuous tasting menu or a series of conversation starters. The more you try, the more you want to go back to try more. You may not find Spanish staples like Gazpacho, Sangria or Gambas a la plancha but Emerson’s small plates are a fresh take on classic Iberian dishes



Before I wrote this review, I visited the restaurant 3 times. The following are some of my favorite dishes.



Pa amb Tomàquet – Catalunya’s National snack of toasted bread, tomato, olive oil. Crunchy, toasted to order firebrand bread topped with sweet tomato sauce.



Add Anchoas del Cantábrico for a special treat. Three fillets of the world’s finest cured anchovies imported from Cantabria.



Torta de la serena – raw sheep’s milk, soft ripened. A delicious gooey Spanish cheese from Extremadura served with Membrillo (quince paste), bread and hazelnuts.



Pork belly bocadillo with harissa allioli, pickled onions, chips. Presented like a miniature burger, accompanied by nickel-sized spiced chips, this is a very tasty dish in which the tender and fatty pork belly is further enriched by the flavorful allioli. If you are planning on sharing, order more than one.



Oxtail croquetas with pine nuts, raisings, Martin’s mizuna. Deep-fried croquettes filled with tender braised oxtail. Perfectly cooked, rich and juicy inside and crispy outside.



Albóndigas – pork and jamón meatballs in tomato sherry sauce. Mild meatballs in a tasty tomato sauce.



Calamares and pimientos de pardon a ala plancha. Tasty and tender, seasoned with lemon and olive oil.



Sardine and roasted eggplant escalivada toasts from our wood oven. The Fresh sardines are nicely complemented by the acidity of pickled onions and tasty eggplant.



Pulpo salad with cucumbers, pickled lipstick peppers, onions, capers, mint. A perfect summer salad of tender octopus and refreshing flavors.

Whatever you order, make sure to leave some room for dessert. Contigo’s sweets are sure to end any meal on a high note.



Chocolate caliente – cup of thick, rich Barcelona-style chocolate con churros. Let me be clear, this is no ordinary hot chocolate. This is a decadent liquid ganache of good quality chocolate served hot. Kept in constant stir and at a precise temperature, the drink is served with crispy churros that are, listen to this, fried to order and sprinkled with sugar crystals and a pinch of salt to highlight its flavors. This is a dessert (often a breakfast dish) I can’t resist ordering when in Spain. Contigo’s is second to none. One of the best desserts in San Francisco.



Dirty Girl strawberries in an almond meringue nest with crema fresca. Season’s peak strawberries served with whipped cream and crunchy meringue.



Flam – catalan-style vanilla custard with salted caramel. Deliciously creamy and tasty, Contigo’s flam is also exceptional.


In short

With a lively, welcoming atmosphere and a menu fit for casual diners and foodies, Contigo brings together Spanish flavors and San Francisco sensibility. It's like eating in Spain and feeling at home. In the Best of No Salad list, no restaurant made to the top on the Best small plates category. I’m happy to say that spot is now taken.



Contigo is at 1320 Castro Street
For reservations (6 or more) 415.285.0250

RN74, San Francisco

If you read this site frequently you may be tired of my complaints about San Francisco’s lack of original restaurant designs. So I’ll spare you the redundancy and go directly to the point. Welcome to New San Francisco. Welcome to RN74.

The ambitious Michael Mina venture in South of Market is the first restaurant in the city that is as exciting as its food. RN74’s interior, designed by the award winning AvroKO, is on par with some of New York’s most exciting projects. For San Francisco, it’s something long overdue.

In one of the world’s gastronomic capitals, design has always taken a back seat. While all the focus went on the food, ambience originality was often seen as less important, unnecessary and even referred to as distracting.



But the point is not how it distracts the dining experience but how it can complement and enhance it; much like the presentation of food can influence how you perceive it.

We live in an era where art and gastronomy blend in seamlessly. The idea of multisensory experiences has been explored by many avant-garde chefs creating surprising combinations of flavors, aromas and visual presentations. But why should your focus be limited to what’s under your nose and in front of your eyes, and not take into account what’s around you? It shouldn’t. The concept of distracting surroundings is only true when its design is poorly conceived.

Inside the Opéra Garnier in Paris, an amazing ceiling painting by Marc Chagall gives the audience an elevated sense of exclusivity and awe. At the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Frank Gehry’s architectural masterpiece gives artists an unparallel canvas for remarkable installations. Although the relationship between these buildings and the art it houses is subject of great controversy, one thing is clear: together they create a unique experience. An experience that, when successful, enhances one’s enjoyment of all its elements, with all senses.

Let me get this straight, I’m not saying RN74’s design project is a great architectural achievement nor am I comparing it to a museum or opera house. All I’m saying is that its design brings San Francisco a much welcomed originality that stands far above most local conterparts. And in no way distracts you from the dining experience, quite the opposite.



The restaurant is located on the ground floor of the Millennium Tower, a gigantic–at least for Bay Area standards– glass monolith that by itself is not particularly exciting. But as you enter RN74, what you see is pleasantly contrasting. Vintage lanterns hanging in chains create a delicate curtain that separates the bar on the right from the modern dining room. The all-glass façade is disguised with the privacy of elegant dark wood shutters.



The atmosphere is a casual chic blend of industrial coolness and modern warmth. Walnut tables branded in classic Helvetica, each with its assigned number. Topping each, texturized brown paper placemats, modern flatware and water glasses in the restaurant’s signature red. From the hangar-like ceiling hang perfectly aligned arrays of amber pendant lights. On the walls, the über graphic wine list designed like classic train station signage.



The space fits 186 people between the dining room, the bar and an ample lounge. Permeating them all is an outstanding music selection that is uplifting and cosmopolitan.


The menu



RN74 opened a few months ago with a very different proposition; a wine bar with fine dining small plates. But the idea only lasted a couple of days and Mina changed course (no pun intended) to reflect diners desire for larger portions. The wine focus hasn’t changed but now the restaurant offers regular-size appetizers ($11 to $17), main courses ($24 to $29), cheeses and desserts ($9). Curiously, the actual plates didn’t seem to have been updated as some of the dishes clearly deserve wider ware. Chef and winemaker Jason Berthold, who once worked at The French Laundry, created a modern French fare that, in good California fashion, celebrates each of its ingredients with respect.


The meal



Sliced sourdough and soft butter topped with fleur de sel start the meal.



Pâté de campagne. Burgundian mustard, cornichons, French prune. A delicate and rich starter from the “Anytime” menu.



Sautéed pork belly & manila clams. Spring onion, smoked paprika, parsley. An outstanding appetizer made with fatty, tender sous-vide-cooked pork belly that is then sautéed to achieve perfect crispiness. Served with tasty clams and a paprika butter sauce.



On the lighter side, Hamachi sashimi. Hawaiian hearts of palm, watermelon, yuzu, shiso. The fresh hamachi is served with hearts of palm in 3 ways and contrasted with the sweetness of compressed watermelon cubes. A dish that seems inspired by Berthold’s old master, Thomas Keller.



Liberty farm duck “cassoulet”. Barley, shiitake mushrooms, sweet carrots, spinach. This is RN74’s reinterpretation of the classic French stew–one of my all-time favorite dishes. Instead of white beans, barley and shitake serve as the base for the duck confit which is cooked for 10-hours, then crispied to order. The result is an original and deliciously flavorful dish, lighter than the classic cassoulet yet more complex in texture.



Bacon-wrapped pork loin. Corn, fennel, cornbread financier, mission figs, green peppercorn. The thin, golden brown bacon works like a crispy, tasty skin on the tender loin meat. Among the accoutrements, the sweet cornbread is hard to beat. A very good dish although it would have benefited from a sauce.



For dessert, Warm beignets. Mascarpone, blueberry, lemon thyme, ras al hanout sorbet. The small deep fried treats go very well with the creamy mascarpone and fragrant ras al hanout sorbet–a blend of herbs and spices popular across the Middle East.



Chocolate delice. Banana, caramel, brown butter-cashew ice cream. A deliciously rich dessert.



To end, black currant financiers with a touch of honey.


In short

RN74 is one of the most exciting restaurant projects in San Francisco. Beyond its very good food with roots in French cuisine and typical San Francisco flair, the interior and graphic design is simply outstanding. New York outstanding. Michael Mina managed to create a dining experience that, simply put, brings together the best of both coasts.



RN74 is at 301 Mission Street
Online reservations