Last Sunday, my dad and I tried out Saison, a new spot in the Mission. It's an intriguing operation. Headed up by chef Joshua Skenes (of Carte 415 and formerly of Chez TJ) together with Markris Wine Group (sommelier Mark Bright of Local and formerly Michael Mina, plus business partner Kristopher Ezqueda), Saison is a once week event, and not exactly your typical restaurant. Every Sunday night, they borrow the kitchen, back room, and garden of Stable Cafe, and serve 2 rounds of dinner. They can seat about 25 per round, and every week has a 4-course set menu for $60, with an optional $30 wine pairing.
The idea is for Skenes to experiment a little with the freshest, local ingredients, and serve extremely high-quality food in a casual atmosphere. The price is kept low because they specifically accommodate a certain number of people each Sunday, and everyone prepays using Paypal. I assume they close off the reservations by Friday, and spend Friday/Saturday shopping for ingredients to craft the unique menu for that week. It's an interesting concept to say the least, and right up my alley.
I'd never been to Stable Cafe before, but it's a neat little place out in the Mission. Along the side, there's an open gravel walkway that leads to their back yard, where some dining tables are set up. It's a very serene setting given the location, and it almost feels like a slice of European countryside in the middle of the city. Upon arrival, there is a table set up with some bubbly for everyone to sip on while they're setting up. Shortly after, you are given a mini-tour of the kitchen which has an entrance on the side, and then led to the back dining room which also connects around to the yard. The dining room is great, and has the ambiance of a country townhouse with a few modern touches. It's definitely a very casual place (I along with everyone else was wearing jeans). I was digging the vibe right from the get-go. And when the food started coming, things got even better.
RAW LOBSTER - caviar, celery, avocadoWe started off with this beautiful amuse of raw lobster. It was pretty generous for an amuse - it took me more than one bite, and clearly had some careful thought put into it. The lobster was bouncy and refreshing, while the caviar's saltiness was balanced by the fresh taste of the celery and avocado. This was paired with the Allimant-Laugner Cremant d'Alsace Rosé, the bubbly we were served outside. It was an excellent, dry rosé I've never heard of (and available for purchase online at $18 a bottle, a total steal). A good start.
HEIRLOOM MELONS - Vadouvan spices, Bellwether ricotta, mixed herbsThe first time I encountered Vadouvan was at Ubuntu in Napa, in their signature cast-iron cauliflower dish. It's an Indian spice mixture that I expect we'll start to see more of in the near future. Here, the spices played off beautifully against the sweetness of the melons (a pristine combination of what seemed to be honeydew and watermelon types) and the creaminess of the ricotta. This was very creative and worked well - melons with kick, who'd have thought? And as you can see, the presentation and colors were beautiful. Paired with a Toni Jost Riesling Kabinett.
LOCAL HALIBUT - Pimentón de La Vera, shellfish bouillonNext up was a seafood course. The halibut was tasty and delicate, and yet had a beautifully crispy piece of skin. Chef Skenes said this was achieved by slow-roasting one large piece and breaking it down after. In any case, delicious. Pimentón de La Vera is a smoked Spanish paprika, which lended a little bite, but it was the shellfish bouillon that made this dish. The intensely flavorful broth mixed well together with the halibut and the lobster. This came with a buttery Domaine Marius Delarche white. Delicious.
SUCKLING GOAT - cracked hominy, white corn milk, natural jus, thyme, arugula with honey & lemonThe main course was a suckling goat - cooked quite rare, as you can see. I was expecting a strong gamey flavor, but it turned out to be much milder than I thought it would be. The corn foam stuff lended a nice counterpoint to the salt of the jus, and the hominy was a nice hearty grain to complement. A good dish overall, but not as good as the previous two. This one came with a Broc Cellars Syrah, which I thought was fine. My dad complained that it lacked tail, as he does frequently of non-French big reds...
LUCERO FARM STRAWBERRIES - muscat sabayon, hibiscus granitéDessert was a simple prepartion of fresh, sweet strawberries with a rich sabayon and some granit é. There's also a bit of shortbread in there. A great mix of flavors - almost like a fancy strawberry shortcake. Mark also brought out a magnum of Riesling that he shared with everyone in the room - a nice, not overly-sweet version that went very well with this. Shoulda taken down the name...
MIGNARDISES - chocolate espresso and lavendar salt cookiesThey finished us off with some cookies. Big contrast in flavor between the chocolateyness and the saltiness. I liked the chocolate ones a little better, as they had a nicer, chewy texture.
All in all, it was a great meal, and an absolute steal for the price. I've already made a reservation to return - I'll be taking Keith and Bart to congratulate them on finishing the Bar exam. I love the concept and the quality. I love that they are serving top-shelf food with none of the fuss, as I like to eat good food on more than just special occasions. And of course, I love that they are passing down some of the cost savings! I can't imagine they are making much money, but after speaking to everyone involved, it sounds like this project is more an outlet for them to be creative than a big moneymaking venture. That's good and bad: while I am positive that Saison is going to pick up a lot of steam, I'm also sure that the demand for this place will quickly surpass the supply, especially given their once a week model. Get there while you still can.