
Scott
Howard
500 Jackson St.
Cross: Montgomery St.
San Francisco, CA 94133
415-956-7040
website
Mon-Thu
5:30pm-10pm
Fri-Sat 5:30pm-10:30pm
Apps
$8-$12
Entrées $21-$26
Desserts $8-$9
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NOVEMBER
7, 2006 | SAN FRANCISCO
There
is strange mojo around restaurants—sometimes things can't
be totally explained. Like why do people continue to line up for
an hour to eat at places that you can’t pay me to dine at?
(e.g. Nan King, Puerto Alegre. Unless you're 22 and just don’t
know better, why would anyone persist to eat in those joints, let
alone line up for them?) And then you have total gems, like ~SCOTT
HOWARD~, that just don't seem to get all the traction they
should. Because I'll tell ya, this man can cook.
A
protégé of Norman van Aken, and sporting a sweet North
Carolina disposition, Scott Howard is a hella nice guy, and one
hell of a chef. He recently re-jiggered the menu (larger portions,
smaller price points) so if you haven't been recently, I'd strongly
recommend a re-visit; compared to a lot of the food out there, this
place is now quite a steal. Especially when you consider the quality
of the ingredients he uses—he's truly a connoisseur. I know,
I know, it was a little pricey and precious when it opened, but
that's all changed, so think about it. They're also running a killer
special in honor of the restaurant's one-year anniversary, and it
will be available until the end of 2006: a $31 prix-fixe menu is
offered Mon-Sat from 5:30pm-6:30pm. Okay, I have finished my little
speech.
I
used to hang out at this bar a fair amount when it used to be Cypress
Club (back in tha' day)—it was when I was working in
advertising (yes, the dark years), and martinis were still novel
to me (I hadn't quite gotten into bourbon yet). The bartender
used to call me Mary Pickford—he thought I looked like her,
but maybe he was drunk too. After a couple cocktails, the whole
room felt like one big womb—no hard edges anywhere, there
were the big globular lights and fixtures… it was a trip.
There are still a few hints of the original décor in the
restrooms, and the handle on the front door. Then it closed and
morphed into 500 Jackson, a seafood restaurant that I never quite
made it to (times were tight by then).
When
the restaurant became Scott Howard, the spacious room was touched
up and modernized, and is now somewhat sparse: lots of wood, like
gleaming wood floors, and wood tables sans tablecloths (although
they do have the controversial woven placemats everyone comments
on. Love them? Hate them? Discuss.). There are a couple massive
floral displays and a large chandelier that add some visual interest.
To be honest, it's the food that will really command your attention;
the room, not as much.
There
are booths on the upper level that flank large windows that look
out onto the street; these seats are also a little detached from
the room, and therefore quieter. And perhaps a little lonely. (Feel
free to play footsie.) Otherwise, the sunken dining room area is
where the majority of the tables are placed, so there's a bit more
buzz. You can check out your fellow diners, who seem to be quite
the hodgepodge group, from classy older conservative types, to savvy
young urbanite couples, to businessmen tucking into a quality meal.
So
let's get to said meal, shall we? There's a raw/smoked/cured
section, with dishes like a spicy tuna tartare ($10), spiked with
sriracha mayonnaise and sesame oil, or a buttery slab of hamachi
($10) served with delicately pickled cucumber and a quenelle of
avocado puree, or smoked trout ($8), a decadent and slightly messy
(but worth it) affair that comes with truffled egg salad on crostini.
I came in for drinks one evening and enjoyed a couple of these dishes
in the bar area—it's a good-looking place to meet up
after work. Cocktails are pretty damned tasty. Sazeracs in effect.
You
simply cannot miss the trademark carrot soup ($8), a signature from
Howard's days at Fork in San Anselmo, which features a dollop of
chervil sabayon and a drizzle of black truffle oil. My dining partner
noted a weird Pavlovian response about wanting to chew the soup.
We were both making funny chewy faces while savoring it—the
soup features such intense carrot flavor you actually feel like
biting it. Howard confirmed that it takes three pounds of carrots
to make one bowl of soup. Just think of the vitamins.
Pork
belly ($10) fans really shouldn't pass up Howard's version,
which is brined and then cooked sous vide for 50 hours, and seared
to order. I know, like, whoa. Buttah, baby. It comes with a cider
vinegar glaze that truly smacks of his North Carolina roots, so
it's like hi-lo bar-b-que, and even comes with a side of sweet
corn.
The
Cal-French decadence continues, with dishes like veal sweetbreads
($12) that make you grateful they only come in a starter size. The
pillow of smooth Yukon Gold potato puree and the sprinkling of smoked
bacon on top just cinch you tighter into total submission. Yeah,
this dish is a total culinary dominatrix, dressed up in truffled
Madeira jus who makes you say, "Yes, thank you Mistress, thank
you!"
The
domme also has a partner in the dungeon, the veal cheeks ($10).
The description is a touch deceiving—it says it's served
with celery, but what arrives is actually a delightful little celery
salad made from the leaves, flecked with (mild) Serrano chile and
thinly sliced shallot that works as a refreshing counterpoint to
the richness of the cheeks. (Salve for the lashings?)
One
dish that really didn't do it for me was the black cod ($22)
resting on some heavily buttered abalone mushrooms. The caramelized
endive brought some bitterness I didn't care for (and for
the record, I'm down with bitter—I so heart rapini!).
Around the plate was a circle of orange and honey jus, plus a sprinkling
of sultanas and caper berries. Just way too much going on here for
me, like I was at a Last Call sale at Neiman's or something.
Duck
fans will enjoy this execution ($24), made with Liberty Farms duck
breast. It comes with roasted figs, whole black-eyed peas, and Serrano
ham jus that simultaneously deepens yet magnifies the savoriness
of this dish. Howard really knows his way around jus, emulsions,
and sauces—he could seriously teach a class on them.
The
mack daddy of all the meats has got to be the short ribs ($21),
and a large part of it is its back-up: the accompanying side dish
of orzo mac 'n' cheese. Be careful, because it will
totally make you its slave and get you right back into the dungeon
with the veal cheeks and the sweetbreads. Wickedly delicious.
As
you may have gathered, this is not exactly light food, despite the
Californian touches here and there. Howard's food packs flavors
that are deep, gutsy, and balanced. It's also a long menu—I
really can't believe the number of choices, although I will
say vegetarians will have to be a little creative in finding things
to eat. Hey, that orzo mac 'n' cheese will be a good
start, I can say that much.
The
cheese service (a choice of three for $12) is thoughtful and features
an array of accompaniments, like toasted almonds, truffled honey,
and apricot confiture. Unfortunately, dessert didn't totally send
me. Some folks adore the butterscotch pudding ($8), but I found
the serving a bit massive and too much of one note—plus it
was served too cold. We also wondered if it was a bit constarchy—a
friend told me butterscotch is supposed to be a bit grainy…
I dunno, my spoon just wasn't really wedded to it. The apricot soufflé
($9) comes with a lavender custard center that just struck me as
soupy, and a touch heavy on the perfume side of things. Perhaps
I should have tried the doughnuts instead. Anyway, dessert didn't
hold up to dinner in my opinion (it’s a tough act to follow)—but
judge for yourself.
Carl
Francis, who was formerly a sommelier and the beverage manager over
at Town Hall, is now here at Scott Howard as a bar manager, sommelier,
and working with wine buyer Corey Hamilton on the list. (Look for
a piece from him in "the
wino" soon.) He put together some perfect pairings for
us one evening, and even put some sake and Manzanillo sherry into
the mix (nice).
Those
looking for a place to host a group dinner should consider the spacious
private dining room here—it'll be a meal that will impress.
Otherwise, the restaurant is a prime spot to take your parents,
anyone with a good palate, business associates, a date, or is an
ideal spot for when you're doing something in North Beach
and want a nice place to eat. You're totally gonna end up
in some shackles, mark my words.  |