As a foodie, there might not be a more interesting place to dine in San Francisco than Daniel Patterson’s well-renowned and highly acclaimed restaurant Coi. The epitome of the sustainable movement, Patterson uses the freshest ingredients available to him, serves up creative and artistic dishes and gives diners an elegant, but not overly stuffy dining experience.
The first thought many people may have about Coi is the area in which it is located. Located on the border of North Beach, it is surrounded by the lights of several strip clubs. While the area may seem somewhat seedy, when you walk through the doors, all those thoughts go out the window.
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| Lounge Area |
The restaurant is split into a comfortable lounge area in the front and a more formal dining room in the rear. The dining room is perfect for formal meals and offers a pre-fixed eleven course meal for $135. While some may scoff at the idea of that many courses, the portions are generally smaller in size. The mix of dishes changes throughout the year as Patterson combs the markets and nature for his ingredients. The lounge area is a more relaxed environment, with fluffy pillows in the seating area. There is a lounge menu and you also have the option of ordering separate items off of the tasting menu. The restaurant also has a nice array of wines, beer and sake to choose from.
Sitting in the lounge area, I was greeted by a very accommodating and well-versed staff. The service was spot-on. Nothing ever seemed forced and everything flowed perfectly during the meal. The menu is really a mix of unique dishes that all seemed so intriguing and appealing. I ended up ordering one item from the lounge menu (udon noodles) and one from the tasting menu (poached and seared duck breast). My main reason for trying the Udon Noodles was that I wanted to see Patterson’s take on the dish and how he would go about preparing it. The dish was prepared with a mushroom dashi and along with the udon noodles, it consisted of a mix of vegetables and tofu. I really enjoyed the broth; a superb flavor that really hit the spot. The dish really highlighted Patterson’s abilities. Although I don’t know if it was the best udon I have ever had, it showed that he is not afraid to try different things in his kitchen. The Poached and Seared Duck Breast went in the complete opposite direction. It was an absolutely luxurious dish, with foie gras ganache, figs, angelica root and tarragon. Beautifully plated, the duck meat was perfectly prepared. It really had so much flavor. The foie gras was terrific and I love figs.
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| Udon Noodles After a short breather, I decided to try one more dish: the Inverted Cherry Tomato Tart. I wanted something light to end the meal and this ended up being perfect. The cherry tomatoes were topped with a crispy, black olive wafer. The dish was so creative and visually appealing and had a ton of flavor as well. |
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| Poached and Seared Duck Breast |
Coi is one of those places I could continue to revisit and probably be stunned by something new each and every time. It is truly a dining mecca. Creative, imaginative, artistic with such a wonderful array of flavors. Daniel Patterson has created a wonderfully unique dining experience for San Franciscans.
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| Inverted Cherry Tomato Tart |
Coi is located at 373 Broadway in San Francisco. It is open Tuesday-Saturday from 6-10 pm.
Phone number: (415) 393-9000
Prices:
Eleven course tasting menu- $135 per person; Additional $95 for wine pairing
Lounge menu- $4-21 per item
