Boulevard Revisited

Whenever a friend or acquaintance has asked me for suggestions on places to eat in San Francisco, my first suggestion is almost always Boulevard.  It has a classic, old-school feel with a modern and wide-ranging menu.  The service is excellent, food is always very good.  I love the counter seating where you can see the chefs preparing all the delicious dishes right in front of you.  I decided to revisit the restaurant recently to see if my first review was on the mark.

First off, if I were to have rated Boulevard on my first visit alone, I probably would have given a grade in the mid to high 90s on a 100-point scale.  But that is the importance of a lot of these restaurants that I visit.  To really be at the top, they have to perform each and every time.  Many of the places I have visited more than once; others I figure I will visit again and just add on to what I have already written.  In the case of Boulevard, something was just a little off on my second visit.  Although I would still rate it highly on my list, there is still room for improvement.

Visit #1

I have a link to my longer review of Boulevard here.  Just to recap, my first visit was one of those days where I was just starting my new job in San Francisco and wanted to reward myself.  I had wanted to go to Boulevard for awhile, having heard so many great things about the place.  I immediately got a seat at the counter in front of the open kitchen and was just wowed from start to finish.  The service was absolutely impeccable, from the hostess to my server.  I never felt like I had to ask for anything, I felt like the timing of the meal was perfect, dishes came out at a good pace, wine and water were filled when necessary.  It didn’t feel like they were hovering over me, but just paid great attention to detail.  And the food was an absolute home run!  The buffalo carpaccio appetizer was perfect.   Thinly cut slices of meat, melt in your mouth goodness.  The pork prime rib chop was cooked to perfection.  So much flavor and tenderness in the meat.  Sitting at the counter, it was absolutely amazing watching the chefs at work.  It really seemed like a very organized, well-run assembly line as they prepared each dish.  Although you could see possible chaos, they all handled it with aplomb, cool as a cucumber.  From start to finish, I really enjoyed everything about the meal.

Visit #2

My next visit occurred recently after work.  I have wanted to try it again just to see if it held up to all of my hype and it really was as good as it seemed.  I again was seated at the counter in front of the kitchen, ironically in the same exact seat.  The hostess was very pleasant when greeting and seating me.  My server was excellent as well.  I ordered a glass of vino and decided to get the heirloom tomatoes and game hen.  I definitely wanted to try two completely different dishes to get the full effect of the menu.  Before getting to the dishes, I love the bread here.  It is so fresh, the butter has a touch of sea salt on it, I love the fact that they have the bread hanging from a wall near the kitchen.  It may sound funny, but really good bread can add so much to a dining experience.  It is usually the first thing you eat and should leave a good first impression.

Heirloom Tomatoes & Italian Bufala Mozzarella

The heirloom tomatoes were excellent.  Served with arugula and mozzarella cheese, it was a nice, refreshing dish.  But it just didn’t knock my socks off like the buffalo carpaccio did on my first visit.  It was a very satisfying dish, just missing something that I can’t put my finger on.  

Field to Family Cornish Game Hen

The Cornish Game Hen was up next.  This was cooked perfectly, prepared with roasted baby artichokes and a truffled artichoke puree, polenta fritta, scaglizzoli and spigarello and chard with garlic.  I loved the fact that they separated the pieces of meat, the pan roasted breast and stuffed leg, both of which were excellent.  It didn’t quite match up to the pork prime rib chop, but was very close.  The meat was tender and juicy.  It was another winner in my book.

It was getting late, but I felt I had to try a dessert since I failed to last time.  I had the apple tart with sorbet and a glass of Moscato.  After stuffing yourself with dinner, the dessert menu is just like a little devil on your shoulder poking and prodding at you for more gluttony.  But it was so good!  Absolutely prepared to perfection.  Great end to the meal.

Now my complaints.  For some reason, it was jam-packed when I went it.  It must have been about 8-8:30 on a Thursday night.  This didn’t severely affect the service, but I felt like there was less attention to detail than in my first visit.  Someone grabbed my fork after one of the dishes and failed to replace it when my next dish arrived.  I heard from the staff that several dishes were returned because they were either too salty or not cooked properly.  I don’t know, maybe it was the fact that they were slammed, but everything seemed just slightly off.

I would still suggest Boulevard to my friends.  It is pricey, but comes with great food and service.

Boulevard is located at One Mission Street in San Francisco.  The restaurant is open for lunch Monday-Friday from 11:30-2:00, dinner Sunday-Thusday from 5:30-10:00 and Friday and Saturday from 5:30-10:30.

Phone number: (415) 543-6084

Prices: 

Appetizers: $14-27

Entrees: $26-40

Desserts: $3.50-11

The 10 Dishes I Crave in SF

Sometimes you get tired of just writing reviews and more reviews.  Since everyone loves lists, I decided to try to narrow down my ten favorite dishes in San Francisco.  It was very difficult to leave off some of the items that I remember so vividly and that tasted so good.  But my main criteria was simple: if a friend asked me where to eat and what to order, each of these would be at the top of the list.  So here it is, in no particular order.

1. French Onion Soup - Absinthe

There are a lot of great things to order on both the lunch and dinner menu at Absinthe.  Plus they have a terrific cocktail menu and wine list with wonderful drinks.  But my absolute favorite is the French Onion Soup.  To me, it truly represents the most basic comfort food, especially for those cool nights in San Francisco.  The soup is absolutely spot on in both taste and texture and the presentation is terrific, with the cheese just hanging over the edge of the bowl it is served in.  I could literally order bowls and bowls of this soup, grab a few cocktails and be completely satisfied for the rest of the night.

2. Nigiri - Sebo

If you read my previous review of Sebo, you know how much I love the place.  You can tell you have found a great sushi spot when you can order pretty much anything off the menu.  That is exactly the case whenever I come here.  I put the general tag of Nigiri as my favorite.  They have so many different types of fish to offer that it would be close to impossible to pick just one.  My suggestion: sit at the sushi bar, talk to the chefs and get an idea about the fish, then mix and match and try different pieces.  You may be surprised by what becomes your favorite.  Either way, it is hard to go wrong with anything you order.

3. Fried Chicken and Waffles - Farmerbrown’s Little Skillet

This was just a recent discovery, although I have wanted to go to Farmerbrown’s for awhile.  This is not the main restaurant, but a food window where you can order great southern food.  It is literally located in a narrow street with no tables, just a few benches and people sitting on the sidewalk, enjoying the delicious food.  While there are plenty of options on the menu, I had to go with the chicken and waffles.  First the chicken.  It was cooked and seasoned perfectly, with crispy skin, just the way I like it.  The meat was perfectly tender and juicy as well.  The waffle was terrific.  I still can’t get over how great the syrup was.  I could eat this for breakfast or lunch every single day and would never get sick of it.

4. Pork Prime Rib Chop - Boulevard

Boulevard is one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco.  It really starts from the minute you enter the building; from the service to the decor to the food.  It is really one of the best dining establishments in the city, through and through.  While the menu is filled with wonderful items, the Pork Prime Rib Chop is absolutely out of this world.  I don’t know if I have ever had meat that was so tender and perfectly prepared.  You could literally see it just falling off the bone.  I couldn’t put my fork and knife down.  It is one of my favorite entrees that I have ordered.

5. Lamb Shank - Aziza

Aziza is another one of my favorites.  This Moroccan restaurant has a terrific menu (I suggest the tasting menu), wonderful and innovative cocktail list and just a really cool vibe.  While everything is really tasty, the lamb shank stood out to me.  Like the dish at Boulevard, you could see the meat literally falling off the bone.  The flavors and tenderness of the meat... amazing!  A virtual tie for one of the best entrees in San Francisco.

6. Smoked Salmon - Swan Oyster Depot

I love this gem.  It really is a true San Francisco establishment with great history.  But as much as I love the other seafood items on the menu, I always will come back begging for the Smoked Salmon.  Served perfectly like three or four little sandwiches, with bread, onions, capers and thinly sliced pieces of smoked salmon.  Wash it down with an Anchor Steam and I am in heaven.

7. Sea Urchin - Anchor and Hope

I am not a big fan of uni.  In fact, I rarely order it in sushi restaurants.  Something about the texture really doesn’t do it for me.  But I have heard a lot of good things about the Sea Urchin at Anchor and Hope.  After some of my dining neighbors ordered it, I knew I had to try it.  And it lives up to its billing.  Perfect mixture of sea urchin, lobster and lemon beurre blanc.  Not too heavy and actually quite refreshing.  The mix of ingredients matched perfectly.  And it comes in a perfect sea urchin shell, spikes included, a lovely presentation.  A wonderful dish.

8. Warm Egg Salad Sandwich - Il Cane Rosso

This just might be the best sandwich I have ever had.  I like egg sandwiches, but this one tops them all.  It is almost like the egg is prepared as a mix of hard-boiled and scrambled eggs.  The cheese and anchovy garlic butter just match perfectly.  And it is served warm.  And the bread is wonderful.  I could go on and on, but just stop by the Ferry Building and try it yourself.

9. Lobster Salad - Bar Crudo

This was a tough one because I love so many different items on the menu at Bar Crudo.  The crudo plate is awesome, as is the Seafood Chowder.   But my first experience with the Lobster Salad was unbelievable.  I had it with tomatoes, which were perfectly ripe and juicy.  The lobster was mixed in nicely.  But the real star of the dish is the burrata cheese.  So creamy and a perfect mix with the lobster and tomato.  If you get the seafood chowder, this salad is perfect as a refreshing starter to your meal.

10. Brussels Sprouts - Bocadillos

A rather simple dish to end things.  But I love the Brussels Sprouts at Bocadillos.  You may not see them on the menu as it is a seasonal dish, usually reserved for the fall and winter.  Just really simple, cooked to perfection.  One of the many really good dishes at Bocadillos.

Hopefully, pictures are coming of the rest of the dishes.  There are really so many other great dishes that I have been fortunate enough to enjoy in and around San Francisco.  But for my taste, this list really satisfies everything that I need and am looking for when I want to go out for a great meal.