Michelin starred SPQR in Pacific Heights

SPQR has been on our restaurant list for years, but for one reason or another we hadn't dined there. It's premise is simple - farm to table fresh Northern Italian cuisine with one of SF's best wine menus. The menu changes daily based on the availability of locally sourced ingredients. This restaurant shot fame under Nate Appleman, who also oversaw A16 in the Marina. After his departure in 2009, Matthew Accarrino took the helm and elevated the restaurant to Michelin star level. From our perspective, very well deserved. One of the top restaurant we've been to in the city. 

The restaurant is located on Upper Fillmore amongst the stylish boutiques, contemporary furniture showrooms, and trendy restaurants. As you would expect, reservations are hard to come by, so plan ahead. We decided on a Sunday lunch over Labor Day weekend. The interior is warm and inviting, with rustic dark floor, cherry dining tables, and an open plan kitchen / wine bar. The menu had several vegetarian options after a few suggestions from the wait staff, we decided to share an antipasti and have separate entrees. After a few minutes, the dishes started coming out. 


Biscuits with apricot & wild fennel preserves and fresh butter - This was complementary and given to every table, probably because it was Sunday brunch time. The biscuits were warm and fresh out of the oven. Slight sweet with a hint of salt, the biscuits were crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The homemade preserves had chucks of apricot with a dusting of fennel. It didn't take us long to finish these off. As a first tasting, we were instantly impressed. 

Sweet carrot and lentil salad, medjool date and vadouvan curry crema - The plating was amazing, each component was meticulously placed around the Heath ceramic plate. Because of the plating, we didn' t know whether to combine all the component or leave them separate. We decided on the latter, which allowed us to vary the taste in each bite. The textures and flavors are hard to describe, which you would not expect from an Italian restaurant. It had more of a Mediterranean influence and wonderful balance - there was the earthiness from glazed carrots, crunchiness from a chickpea fritter, spiciness from the curry crema, and natural sweetness from the medjool date paste. Every bite was different and left us wanting more. For those curious, vadouvan is a derivative of an Indian spice blend.  


Creste di galli, rapini pesto, leek, fingerling potato and ricotta salata - A fresh rooster's crown hollow pasta prepared with a light rapini (broccoli rabe) pesto and shaved ricotta. The dish was light yet flavorful; and i really enjoyed the pesto - not overpowering, nor olive oily. The ricotta salata had the consistency of fresh mozzarella, but more airy. the potatoes were a nice touch and were probably the only heavy component.  Similar to the salad, this dish had strong earthy qualities from the leeks, rapini, and potatoes. The portion size was perfect as well. Overall, we both agreed, that this was a well thought out dish and fine balance and finesse. Case in point, without the ricotta salata, Sheila felt that the dish lacked salt. However with all the components together, the dish was in complete harmony. 


Tuscan kale francobolli, goat cheese, green onion and poppy seed - A thin ravioli stuffed with tuscan kale served bits of fresh goat cheese, lightly sauteed green onions, poppy seeds. The pasta was not overfilled with kale nor was it thick, so you could taste the slight bitterness of the kale. The sauce was a very light butter and as the goat cheese melted it formed a creamy sauce. The poppy seeds seemed a bit unnecessary, but at times added a slight crunch. Sheila felt this was a hearty dish without being overly filing and was pleasantly surprised at how much she enjoyed the fresh goat cheese on warm pasta. It was great sunday lunch entree. 


Tiramisu, espresso coffee, mascarpone and cocoa - Served in a glass tumbler with multiple layers of mascarpone, lady fingers, and cocoa, topped with warm espresso. This was probably the richest dish we had during the meal. The flavors were bold - strong espresso shot, sweet creamy mascarpone, slightly bitter dark cocoa, and moist yet crunchy lady fingers. This was not your typical tiramisu, almost had a deconstruction quality to it; and as well spooned each layer the depth of flavors came alive. We thoroughly enjoyed it, even with food coma setting in. 

All in all, SPQR is worthy of its acclaim and Michelin star. A wonderful treat in SF if you can get a table, and if not try the lunch. Farm to table and locally sourced ingredients have come to be expected at SF restaurants. We will most certainly come back to this modern Northern Italian restaurant to try a few more dishes from this ever changing menu. Bravo with a rating of 8.5 out of 10. 

Trishna, Michelin Starred Indian in Marylebone

Nowhere else can you find Michelin star Indian restaurants than in London, where curry is the official dish and Indian chefs reach celebrity status. Several years ago Sheila and I went to Tamarind in Mayfair for a tasting menu of 10 delectable dishes. One of the finest meals we've ever had. On this trip, we decided on Trishna in Marleybone, a chic neighborhood tucked between Regent Park and Hyde Park.

It's a relative newcomer to the Indian haute cuisine scene serving up Southern Indian coastal inspired dishes. The restaurant is unassuming but very charming - two adjacent walk ups converted into dining areas with painted white bricked walls, old Air India travel posters, and dimly lit chandeliers. As you can discern, this clientele catered to is not Indian.

First impressions, the food was good but not transcending; the service was spotty and often puzzling, the space was charming (wold love to buy a flat with the same bones), and the price was rather high (total bill with drinks was £82). Our recommendation, skip Trishna and try Tamarind or Amaya if you want elevated Indian fare.

Now for details, we decided to order two starters, two side curries, the naan basket, and dessert - aubergine chaat; tandoori paneer; spinach and corn curry; hyderabadi split pea daal; garlic, fennel, and plain naans; and a trio of ice cream (rose and white chocolate, pistachio, and mango).

Aubergine Chaat - probably the best dish we had all evening. Lightly fried aubergine cubes served with sev, mint chutney, tamarind and date chutney, yogurt, garnished with cilantro. Sheila is not a fan of aubergines, but the flavors were subtle and the texture crunchy. I enjoyed the balance, but it could have been better with some citrus like oranges or pomegranates.

Tandoori Paneer - had a nice smoky rub flavor and coated really well in tandoori spices. However, we found the individual pieces to be too large, and would have preferred to see each split into two. The paneer was solid but not memorable. The side corn slaw was refreshing and slightly sweet, but the pairing with the paneer didn't quite work. A tasty overall dish that we would order again if we happen to come back.

Spinach and Corn Curry - a bit bland lacking in spice levels you would typically find in Indian dishes. It kinda tasted like puréed spinach with a few corn kernels thrown in. This could have been a great dish of there were some cooked tomatoes, cumin, fennel, and chili powder. We'd pass on this dish again.

Hyderabadi Daal - a nice seasoning level but didn't have much heat. The daal was cooked well, the consistency was nice, the flavors were balance; but similar to the tandoori paneer it was not memorable. We found ourselves combining the daal and curry; it tasted better that the individual dishes.

The naan and  ice cream were divine, funny how the complementary dishes stole the show. The naan was flavorful, chewy, and a bit smokey. It was a great vessel to scoop up our curry and daal. The ice creams were fresh and not too sweet. Each of the three types (rose and white chocolate, mango, and pistachio) could stand on its own. I really enjoyed the mango while Sheila enjoyed the rose and white chocolate. Both dishes we would order again.

Unfortunately, the service was not up to Michelin standards. In typical Indian fashion, three separate waiters came by to ask us the same questions - ready to order food, would you like a drink? Clearly we were trying to relax and order leisurely, that was not possible. There was this notion that we were not worthy patrons and no real explanations when the dishes came out. Our bill also was wrong, as the waiter incorrectly charged a service fee twice. All the other patrons seemed to have a bit better service level, but even such I heard several of them complain about the service as well. Perhaps if the food was better, we would have felt differently. I give Trishna a disappointing 4.5 out of 10.

frances has a michelin star, really?

Michelin-started restaurants are usually uptight for us casual dining folk. However, we couldn’t pass an invite from the Laffs to join them at Frances, the highly acclaimed modern Californian spot in the Castro. Despite having only been open for a year, Frances received one Michelin star and requires reservations months in advance, partly because there are only 16 tables.

We joined the Laffs on a damp Sunday evening – Frances is located in an indistinct street just east of Castro St. Its décor is elevated casual, and good luck having a quiet conversation, tables are literally on top of each other. Unfortunately, I was not impressed with the food.

The menu is seasonal modern Californian, a hallmark of Chef Melissa Perello, a multiple time James Beard Award nominee and SF Rising Star Award winner. There bouchees, appetizers, mains, sides, desserts. We ordered a mix of items for pseudo “tasting menu” and here’s the review.

Crispy chickpea fritters – We were expecting free-formed fritters, a la India pakoras. We received were five mozzarella stick looking objects. The chickpea filling was extremely dense and had the consistency of whipped smooth mashed potatoes. There was an interesting aftertaste which the impression of added cream or eggs. Consensus was we would not order again.

Roasted red beet salad – Chunks of red beets with an accompaniment of greens. Despite being a bouche, the portion was huge and we were not expecting that. Overall can’t really go wrong with a salad, but Sheila and I would take the one at Delarosa or Beretta over Frances any day.

Grilled asparagus and chicory salad – This was the best dish of the evening. Asparagus was good through and had a light smoky flavor. Chicory and greens were light and fresh. Serving portion was right to share. My only complaint was that it was bit heavy handed with the salt and vinaigrette. We should have asked for it on the side.

Risotto with mushroom – A mix of oyster and chanterelle served on a bed of creamy risotto. It was Sheila first time having risotto, she thought it good. For my taste, it was a heavy handed on the parmesan, which coupled with the inherent saltiness of the mushrooms made it very difficult to finish. I felt dehydrated after 5 bites! This is pure speculations, but I think this dish caused the roller coasters our stomachs the next day. One of the best risottos I’ve had was at Aqua (now closed) in Financial District. Sheila should use Frances’ as the barometer, unless she wants to set the bar low.

Roasted squash sides – rings of roasted squash rubbed in salt, pepper, thyme, and other herbs. It would have been better if not for the Sodium overload experienced earlier. The squash was fresh and severed slightly crunchy. As a side portion, there were still leftover even though Sheila and I split the order.

Lumberjack cake with maple walnut ice cream – apple and date cake served with a scoop of Humphrey Slocomb (HS) ice cream. Who knew maple walnut could be so tasty as ice cream! HS, with its wacky flavors that can sometimes include tofu, vinegar, and beets, pulled off a great one with maple walnut. The cake was layered beautifully with apples. We’d all order this again, however something tells me it won’t be a Frances.

Chicory root panna cotta with mandarins and sea salt cookies – The panna cotta was silky smooth on its own and had an espresso layer at the top. And then you bit into the mandarins, and the sourness took over. I understand the concept of introducing citrus flavors to counter the sweetness in desserts, but this was a miss when combined. We ended up eating the mandarins on their own after picking them from the panna cotta. On the plus side, the chocolate sea salt cookies were divine!

Total bill for the four of us was $160+, not bad for amount we ordered. We all believed that the food would be elevated much higher based on the accolades pouring in. Perhaps it’s because we ordered vegetarian dishes? Perhaps modern Californian cuisine needs meat? Whatever the case, I'm surprised this placed earned a Michelin star. We’ll stick with our tried and true favorites instead.