California French Bistro Cuisine
By
Carol & Joe Davis
Dining Detectives
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We
love to venture into the neighborhoods of San Francisco to soak
up the local atmosphere and of course taste the cuisine. Garcon!
is located on the corner of Valencia and 22nd Streets so the area
draws from the multi-cultures that make San Francisco so interesting
and vibrant. The restaurant's décor is Old World French
Bistro with a centrally located bar, well spaced tables, comfortable
banquette, French Poster Art and mirrored walls. There are windows
on two sides looking out to the street which gives the interior
an open feeling and there is also outdoor sidewalk dining when
weather permits.
We
ordered a bottle of Perrier Sparkling Water and some
wines by the glass and settled in to look at the menu. We started
with large and luscious Oysters on the Half Shell from
Nootka Sound in British Columbia which came with a tasty mignonette
sauce. Next, we enjoyed one of their Artisan Cheeses which was
a rich and creamy Blue Rogue "Crater Lake Blue"
fourme d'ambert. We knew that we had to try the French Onion
Soup made with Gruyere, a little Cajun spice and croutons.
It was divine! The Beet Salad with endive, watercress goat cheese
fondue, crispy shallots and sherry vinaigrette was refreshing
and one of our favorites. We also loved the Grilled Scallops
with braised lentils du puy, cauliflower-garlic puree, candied
bacon and red wine syrup. The Caramelized Veal Sweetbreads
with grilled mushrooms, pomme puree, capers and lemon brown butter
is a must.
The
entrees were both delicious. The Shellfish Bouillabaisse,
with mussels, clams, scallops, shrimp , cod, fregola pasta, basil
and paprika aioli and the 38 North Sonoma Duck Breast
with orange and ginger braised endive, Black Trumpet mushrooms,
parsnips and duck jus were both hearty portions. The wines we
enjoyed from Beverage Manager Brian Felley's
International Wine List included the 2008 Shipwreck Cellars,
Carneros Chardonnay, 2009 Domaine-Jean-Jacques Auchere
Sancerre, and the 2009 Melville, Verne Estate Santa Barbara
Pinot Noir.
The
Almond Semolina Cake with pear compote, honet crème
fraiche and toasted almonds and the Espresso Pot de Crème
made with milk chocolate, espresso and kahlua cream desserts were
both well worth the calories. An espresso and a 1945 Rivesaltes
Cuvee Amedee after dinner drink were an excellent finish
to a very satisfying dinner.
We
chatted with the Executive Chef Arthur Wall who
is a native of New Orleans and graduated from The California Culinary
Academy. He told us how pleased he is to be able to create French
Bistro classics with California interpretations using seasonal,
fresh, locally sourced and organic ingredients. His passion for
his food really shines through. Garcon! is our kind of restaurant.
It has great cuisine, excellent service and a really fun atmosphere.
They also offer a three Course Prix Fixe Menu for $32.00.
Garcon!
Restaurant
1101 Valencia St (at 22nd)
San Francisco, CA. 94110
415-401-8959
www.GarconSF.com