on the scene

A couple of weeks back, E and two of his friends decided to have a very late lunch and since one of them works at the old Hawthorne Lane now reincarnated as Two, they decided to eat there. The bar is open all day and so is the kitchen. I was lucky enough to be invited to tag along after work. When I got there they were already on their second bottle of Chilean Pinot Noir (Tobiano, Casablanca, Chile, 05) . The decor was very organic; it was more approachable as opposed to when it was Hawthorne Lane that was stuffy. The lightshade over the bar is made from coconuts and I also saw an overhead light using antlers. The food was outstanding: slow roasted marrow with bread (they had this before I got there but E said that it was outstanding); spaghettini with sea urchin and garlic (I thought what a weird combination but the flavors worked well with a slight fishiness that was complemented by the spiciness of the garlic); braised lamb cheeks with creamy polenta (velvety texture braised with red wine); pan fried pork schnitzel (the meat was somewhat dry but the sauce was still good); brussel sprouts in brown butter with bacon (anything with bacon is good); duck confit pizza with caramelized onions, Crescenza cheese and fried sage (good combination but there were other things on the menu); and though not on the new menu, I also ordered the spicy tuna tartare served over fried nori (a favorite). Though not advertised, I overheard the bartender telling a customer that between 3pm - 6 pm is a sort of happy hour with drinks at either $5 or half-price and the food is discounted as well. Feeling quite happy, we decided to continue our fun and have drinks at another restaurant.

Next stop Perbacco to say hello to Umberto whom they all worked for previously. The place was packed and it seemed that the San Francisco elite was there that evening. It was interesting to note that most of the female clientelle that evening were of the matron society in designer wear. The Bay Cafe guy whom they knew was there and said hello (he has a new book coming out this year). The exposed brick walls complemented the modern bar. Can't comment on the food as we only had drinks there.