Sparrow
Sparrow is a restaurant with an odd, cold feeling -- set in a modern apartment building on Nob Hill. Despite most of the tables being booths, it felt like a hotel restaurant. The warmest part of the ambience was our fantastic waitress, Eloise, whose personality compensated for the setting. And the food was very good, very special -- and a good value for what it was.
The amuse bouche was a fairly large cup of cauliflour soup, very nice.
I had the Kaiseki -- you can choose three "Small plate" courses for $40 or four for $50, and the chef will take guidance as to your particular likes/dislikes. These were: a mixed salad w goat cheese deepfried fennel and grapefruit; seared diver scallop w ruffle oil and tarot; tuna w avocado caviar and fried potato sticks -- the standout; filet mignon in a spicy dark sauce that I adored and my BF found overpowering w fingerling potatoes and green beans.
My BF (Stewarts DinDin) had garlicky wok fried long beans that were terrific, then a seafood risotto where the lobster shrimp and scallops were perfectly grilled but the risotto was a tad overcooked.
Not that we needed more food, but we shared a chocolate/banana tart that was delicious. They also brought tiny chocolate/hazelnut tarts (petit fours size) that was a nice touch.
With a $35 Three Saints merlot, the bill was $129 and very good value for this level of cooking. Not sure we'll become regulars because of the setting, but the spectacular service from the sole waitress might draw us back.
