Only had one real dinner in SF before I went to Vancouver, and it was at a new place called La Suite. It took over the old Slanted Door location (the middle one along Embarcadero, not the Mission one), and serves brasserie-style French Provencal cuisine. The space is very large, with a dark wood interior.
kobe beef tartare with mustard, piment d'espelette, and croutons - $12
wood-grilled niman ranch entrecote au herbes de provence, with bearnaise sauce and pomme frites - $28
The beef tartare was great. They bring the various ingredients (beef, egg, mustard, capers, onions, etc.) and mix it tableside. The croutons (not pictured) were garlicky and crisp. Kobe beef works well with tartare, as you might expect. The marbled fattiness adds a wonderful soft texture to the dish. I ate a lot of beef at this meal. The entrecote (bearnaise sauce not pictured) was also very well done. I consider the steak frites a barometer for any bistro or brasserie and La Suite executes it well. The beef was very tender and flavorful, and nice and fatty like it should be. It was grilled just enough to give it a hint of that hot charred taste, but still very medium rare. The fries were well-seasoned and crispy.
La Suite has a huge and interesting menu. There were probably over 10 dishes in the appetizer list that I'd like to try. Certainly not the cheapest place for bistro-type fare, but I think I'll probably go back in the future. Let me also note that the service was very friendly. I went with Keith and my dad - Keith had a flight to catch, and we were late because of traffic, leaving us very little time to eat (less than an hour). The service was very quick and accommodating, and we got out of there quick.
kobe beef tartare with mustard, piment d'espelette, and croutons - $12
wood-grilled niman ranch entrecote au herbes de provence, with bearnaise sauce and pomme frites - $28
The beef tartare was great. They bring the various ingredients (beef, egg, mustard, capers, onions, etc.) and mix it tableside. The croutons (not pictured) were garlicky and crisp. Kobe beef works well with tartare, as you might expect. The marbled fattiness adds a wonderful soft texture to the dish. I ate a lot of beef at this meal. The entrecote (bearnaise sauce not pictured) was also very well done. I consider the steak frites a barometer for any bistro or brasserie and La Suite executes it well. The beef was very tender and flavorful, and nice and fatty like it should be. It was grilled just enough to give it a hint of that hot charred taste, but still very medium rare. The fries were well-seasoned and crispy.
La Suite has a huge and interesting menu. There were probably over 10 dishes in the appetizer list that I'd like to try. Certainly not the cheapest place for bistro-type fare, but I think I'll probably go back in the future. Let me also note that the service was very friendly. I went with Keith and my dad - Keith had a flight to catch, and we were late because of traffic, leaving us very little time to eat (less than an hour). The service was very quick and accommodating, and we got out of there quick.