Frances

One of the hottest new restaurants that has opened in San Francisco over the last year is Melissa Perello’s Frances in the Castro.  The quaint eatery has received numerous awards and recognition, with the restaurant garnering a James Beard award nomination for best new restaurant and making Bon Appetit’s list of Top Ten new restaurants in the country.  And the amazing thing is that it has been open for less than a year.  Quickly becoming one of the most difficult reservations in the city, Perello’s French-American cuisine and the pristine service have made Frances a must-try dining experience in San Francisco.

The restaurant sits on the corner of 17th Street.  The ambience has a nice, quiet calm to it, with a mix of natural art on the walls, high ceilings and small windows and almost a natural light throughout the restaurant.  It seats about 30 in the main dining area and another 10 around the bar.  

One thing I really noticed throughout my dining experience is the attention to detail from the entire staff.  Despite always being packed, there is never a rush for anything.  The dishes are never rushed in front of you, it gives you time to relax and savor each item.  Utensils and plates are replaced when needed, water and drinks are filled.  I also loved the “wooden trays” the staff used for everything.  They were designed by Perello’s father, who helped with the overall design of the restaurant.  Much of it was recycled items, such as the neat window pane on the front wall with a list of drink specials written on it; a really nice touch.  Plus, the service always came with a smile, which is always nice and can be a rarity when dining out.

Like most menus in San Francisco, the menu is ever-changing, depending on what items are available.  There is a nice mix of bouchees, appetizers and entrees, and an excellent wine and dessert list as well.  The bouchee portion of the menu featured items such as bacon beignets, panisse frites, a beet salad and grilled calamari.  Among the appetizers: an heirloom tomato salad, chilled white corn soup, chicken liver mousse and a ricotta gnocchi.  And the entrees: a Watson Farm lamb, grilled albacore tuna, Sonoma duck breast and saffron risotto.  It was very hard to choose which dishes to select as everything that came out of the kitchen looked so appetizing.

Bacon Beignets

I ended up selecting the beignets, the tomato salad and lamb.  The beignet was perfect, you could really taste the bacon all the way through each one and it came with a nice maple and chive dipping sauce.  But the bacon didn’t overpower the dish either.  The tomato salad was so simple, yet delicious at the same time.  A light and satisfying dish, the yellow and red tomatoes were so fresh and juicy, it was like they were picked from a backyard garden right before being plated.   Added with the baby lettuce and sweet herb vinaigrette, it was the perfect mix.  Finally, the lamb.  Three different parts of the lamb were served, along with roasted eggplant, salsa verde and arugala.  Each part of the lamb was prepared differently and each was marvelous.  Moist, tender, flavorful, it was a truly wonderful dish.  Washing all that down with a couple of glasses of a Talisman Pinot Noir, it came close to being the perfect meal.

Heirloom Tomato Salad

Frances is a high-class restaurant that doesn’t present itself pretentiously.  There are no white tablecloths, the staff is dressed in simple black shirts.  It really does have a quaint and homey feel to it.  It definitely deserves all the accolades it has received and will continue to receive in the future.

Watson Farm Lamb

Frances is located at 3870 17th Street and Pond Street.  They are open Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday from 5:00-10:00, Friday and Saturday from 5:00-10:30.  

Phone Number: (415)621-3870 

Prices:

Bouchees- $6.50 each

Appetizers- $9-12

Entrees- $17-27

Desserts- $6.50-7.50