This is Piperade, a fairly new Basque place literally 3 blocks from my building in SF. Keith was in town for a couple of days between coming back from the Philippines and going back to school, so he came along with my dad and I for lunch. I got really excited about the place after seeing rave reviews for it just about everywhere, and especially after reading about Anthony Bourdain's experiences in San Sebastian in his book A Cook's Tour. That really gave me a craving for some Basque food. Piperade did not disappoint.
bacalao fritters with piment�n aioli - $9
artisan foie gras sauteed with monterey squid, grapes and verjus - $17
garlic soup with rock shrimp, bacon, bread and egg - $8.5
We ate everything family style. Let me say, each of these dishes were excellent. Bacalao is salt cod, one of the staple items in Basque cuisine. These were little balls of heaven... perfectly fried with a delicious "filling" if you could call it that. The aioli was addictive and a wonderful complement to the fish. I think I could eat a whole plate of these myself. The foie gras and squid was superb. Foie gras and squid - sounds like a strange combination doesn't it? We thought so too, so of course we had to give it a try. I'm usually the type that prefers my squid fried, but in this case it was different. Simply put, this is one of the best squid dishes I've ever had. The squid was amazingly tender and bursting with flavor. A big chunk of foie gras is buried underneath there - not like a tiny appetizer foie gras as is commonly found, but a real slab of the stuff that you have to cut like a piece of meat. Taking a bite of everything at once creates a delicious combination. The taste of the foie gras mixed with the sweetness of the grapes and the sauce plus the texture of the squid... it was absolutely fabulous. I really think this is one of the must try dishes in SF. Do not sleep on this. The garlic soup also definitely held its own with a very robust and earthy flavor, much moreso than you expect when ordering "garlic soup." Simply fantastic.
pip�rade with saut�ed serrano ham and poached egg - $15
atlantic cod 'a la plancha' with potatoes riojanas, chorizo, thyme and onion jus - $17
roasted niman ranch pork chop with braised cabbage and apple & onion marmalada - $18
orange blossom beignets - $7
Piperade, the restaurant's namesake, is another typical Basque dish, a stew-like mixture of tomatoes, onions, and peppers. Very good as expected. A nice mixture of different flavors, and heartier than I thought it would be. The cod was less exciting, but did have a lot of ingredients going on as you can tell. The fish was very nicely cooked and the treasure trove of potatoes, chorizo and onions underneath was yummy. We ordered the pork chops per our waiter's recommendation and it came out very nice. Very tender pork (which is getting harder to find I think) accompanied by a pleasant but not overwhelming sweetness. Unfortunately the three of us were getting pretty full. The mains were all very good, but really it was the appetizers that made this place as memorable for me as it was. Anyway, we did want to try a bite of dessert, and the word "beignet" triggers a natural reflex in my system. It doesn't matter what the word before beignet is; I have to order it whatever the situation. I'm glad we tried them. They were hot, fluffy, not overly sweet (despite the sugar you can see), and slightly orange-y. All in all, it was a killer meal! I really want to go to San Sebastian.
bacalao fritters with piment�n aioli - $9
artisan foie gras sauteed with monterey squid, grapes and verjus - $17
garlic soup with rock shrimp, bacon, bread and egg - $8.5
We ate everything family style. Let me say, each of these dishes were excellent. Bacalao is salt cod, one of the staple items in Basque cuisine. These were little balls of heaven... perfectly fried with a delicious "filling" if you could call it that. The aioli was addictive and a wonderful complement to the fish. I think I could eat a whole plate of these myself. The foie gras and squid was superb. Foie gras and squid - sounds like a strange combination doesn't it? We thought so too, so of course we had to give it a try. I'm usually the type that prefers my squid fried, but in this case it was different. Simply put, this is one of the best squid dishes I've ever had. The squid was amazingly tender and bursting with flavor. A big chunk of foie gras is buried underneath there - not like a tiny appetizer foie gras as is commonly found, but a real slab of the stuff that you have to cut like a piece of meat. Taking a bite of everything at once creates a delicious combination. The taste of the foie gras mixed with the sweetness of the grapes and the sauce plus the texture of the squid... it was absolutely fabulous. I really think this is one of the must try dishes in SF. Do not sleep on this. The garlic soup also definitely held its own with a very robust and earthy flavor, much moreso than you expect when ordering "garlic soup." Simply fantastic.
pip�rade with saut�ed serrano ham and poached egg - $15
atlantic cod 'a la plancha' with potatoes riojanas, chorizo, thyme and onion jus - $17
roasted niman ranch pork chop with braised cabbage and apple & onion marmalada - $18
orange blossom beignets - $7
Piperade, the restaurant's namesake, is another typical Basque dish, a stew-like mixture of tomatoes, onions, and peppers. Very good as expected. A nice mixture of different flavors, and heartier than I thought it would be. The cod was less exciting, but did have a lot of ingredients going on as you can tell. The fish was very nicely cooked and the treasure trove of potatoes, chorizo and onions underneath was yummy. We ordered the pork chops per our waiter's recommendation and it came out very nice. Very tender pork (which is getting harder to find I think) accompanied by a pleasant but not overwhelming sweetness. Unfortunately the three of us were getting pretty full. The mains were all very good, but really it was the appetizers that made this place as memorable for me as it was. Anyway, we did want to try a bite of dessert, and the word "beignet" triggers a natural reflex in my system. It doesn't matter what the word before beignet is; I have to order it whatever the situation. I'm glad we tried them. They were hot, fluffy, not overly sweet (despite the sugar you can see), and slightly orange-y. All in all, it was a killer meal! I really want to go to San Sebastian.