$50 dinner for young, hip sommelier who likes French food and trendy atmosphere

[albanyhunger]

Hi all. Longtime lurker, first-time poster here. I'd love your advice for the following. I'd like to get my friend (young, hip sommelier) a restaurant gift certificate as a thank-you gift. I'm looking for a restaurant in SF that has either a trendy or sophisticated vibe. In an ideal world it will also have a great wine menu, will have opened in the last year or so, and will get a girl through dinner on $50 give or take. Bonus points if the restaurant is in Castro, Cole Valley or surrounding 'hoods.

Thanks in advance for your advice... I confess to not having paid much attention to SF's restaurant scene for the past year (I tend to be all about the East Bay) and my own ideas are probably pretty stale.

[vulber]

Someone who knows more about wine than I do would have to evaluate their wine list, but Bisou in the Castro would seem to fit all of your other criteria.

Unlike Bisou, I have not been to Frances, but reports seem to be very positive, with lots of great comments about the wine. However, it is very difficult to get a reservation

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Bisou
2367 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94114

[pauliface]

One person can have a great dinner at Sushi Time in the Castro for $50.
The catch here of course is that they have sake and not wine.
And it's been open a while, but it flies under the radar and a lot of people don't know about it, even though it's the best japanese restaurant in the castro (and some of their dishes -- hiya yakkoo, oshitashi, tsukune, cucumber sunomono -- are the best in the city IMHO).

L'ardoise is great, in the castro, relatively new. But you can't do it for $50 if you include wine.

And then there's been a lot of talk about Frances, but I have not yet been.

Another idea would be a $50 gift certificate to True Sake.
This is an amazing store, and while it's just sake and not food, a sommelier might appreciate it.

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True Sake
560 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Sushi Time
2275 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94114

[vulber]

L'ardoise can definitely be done for $50 with wine.

However, while it's probably my favorite traditional French bistro in the city, it has more of a romantic vibe than a hip/trendy vibe.

[JasmineG]

Frances is perfect for this, and should fit all of your criteria. Though it's tough to get a reservation, it wouldn't be as hard for a solo diner to get a seat at the bar.

[absc]

Frances. Great food, very good wine list. Just ate there w/ a winemaker friend and he agreed on the list.

[stanbee]

try "Cav" on Market St ,same block as Zuni. Nice wine list. Good Halibut Cheeks Barigoule, Grilled Squid. It's hip with very good food and wine list.

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Zuni Cafe
1658 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

[albanyhunger]

Great suggestions- I'll look into Frances, Cav and L'ardoise. I know Bisou is one of her favorites, so I'm passing on that one, and she's not that huge of a Japanese food person (crazy, I know), so Sushi Time and True Sake are both out.
Thanks for your help!

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True Sake
560 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Sushi Time
2275 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94114

Bisou
2367 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94114

[vulber]

Are you sure you're thinking of the right Bisou? The one I mentioned has only been open for a little over a month. Note that it is the same chef (and nearly identical menu) as Chouchou.

Loretta Keller formerly had a restaurant called Bisou that is now Coco500, which might be what you're thinking of

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Coco500
598 4th St, San Francisco, CA 94107

Chouchou
400 Dewey Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94116

Bisou
2367 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94114

[wolfe]

Loretta Keller formerly had a restaurant called Bizou

[Robert Lauriston]

Second on Cav. It's not new, but the food is great, it's comfortable for solo dining, and the wine list is one of the most likely to please a jaded sommelier.

[carfeng]

I'd also suggest Contigo in Noe Valley. Or even Alembic in the Haight.

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Alembic
1725 Haight St, San Francisco, CA 94117

Contigo
1320 Castro St, San Francisco, CA 94114

[Windy]

I left Contigo hungry after $50. And based on the service, they would have preferred I'd spent considerably more.

L'Ardoise is less expensive than Frances, but agreed, it's not a great place to eat alone.

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L'Ardoise
151 Noe Street, San Francisco, CA 94114

Contigo
1320 Castro St, San Francisco, CA 94114

[nd06]

I would recommend Gitane.

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Gitane Restaurant & Bar
6 Claude Lane, San Francisco, CA 94108

[Cynsa]

We just enjoyed a spectacular evening at Baker & Banker - the restaurant's sommelier is a young and hip '32' and your friend can dine at the bar and I guarantee a wonderful time. We had the 2005 Georg Breuer Spatburgunder Pinoto Noir and the 2008 Thierry Puzelat 'le Telquel' Gamay. I'll post later. Bush and Octavia is Lower Pacific Heights and near Japantown. apologies for the out-of-focus pix of Collin Casey.
http://www.bakerandbanker.com/index.php/site/about/
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7008...

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Baker & Banker
1701 Octavia Street, San Francisco, CA 94109

[absc]

I agree that Colin is a great guy and has put together a wonderful wine list. But we spent a lot more than $50 per person there.

[Cynsa]

Dining at the bar alone for $50, I'd do a glass of wine and 3 Starters and be quite happy... or,

sample menu suggestion:
by the glass: 2007 Domaine le Sang de Cailloux Vacqueyras $14
STARTERS
French spring onion soup, shaved pecorino, extra virgin olive oil $9.50
or
Homemade ricotta and pickled cherry crostini, wild arugula, black pepper honey $10
ENTREES
Spring vegetable risotto, shaved porcini and parmesan salad $23
or
Hoffman Farm chicken breast, mini chicken pot pie, braised collard greens, natural jus $24

[absc]

I think it is doable but on your sample menu, I'd want a second glass of wine. Also a pity not to have something sweet to finish as it is a rare restaurant that has an exciting dessert list.

Bet the crostini are amazing!

[Cynsa]

amazing, indeed. housemade ricotta, black pepper honey, pickled cherries.
Collin shared stories and descriptions - I loved it - drinking a Hobbit wine from a punk wine maker. I think the friend who is the young, hip sommelier will feel at home.

[Thomas Nash]

I would concur that Baker & Banker is considerably more interesting than the other hot new places mentioned here that we have been to recently (Frances, L'Ardoise) and even than the always excellent Zuni. I think we paid something like $70/person and the extra could be justified for professional experience for a young sommelier...

BTW I was put off by the, to me unfortunate, name Baker & Banker... it suggested a partnership with a financial source but turned out to be the names of the chefs... Anyway the name was overcome by the excellent food, wine list, and ambience --

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Zuni Cafe
1658 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

L'Ardoise
151 Noe Street, San Francisco, CA 94114

Baker & Banker
1701 Octavia Street, San Francisco, CA 94109

[artemis]

Sophisticated, but definitely not trendy: Chapeau! $50, especially with the prix fixe, will comfortably cover one person's meal. The wine list is great, and the markups are very reasonable.

[whiner]

Why do I think I might be friends with this friend of yours...?? The 22yo girl I'm thinking of spends her nights at NOPA. NOPA has been open a while, but it fits your criteria.

[Cynsa]

Bistro Central Parc has an early dinner special/prix fixe for $17
560 Central Avenue
(between Hayes St & Grove St)
San Francisco, CA 94117
Neighborhood: Western Addition/NOPA
[phone]
Wed-Fri 5 pm - 10:30 pm
Sat-Sun 9 am - 10:30 pm
-go to Bistro Central Parc at Grove St. and Central for the early bird prix fixe - 3 courses for $17.50 if you request the special 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm menu. (call to see if this is
offered)

Bisou has a $26 prix fixe from 5:30 pm to 7 pm
http://www.bisoubistro.com/index.php?...
2367 Market Street

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Bistro Central Parc
560 Central Ave, San Francisco, CA 94117