As my birthday present to myself, the boy and I attended the Top Chefs Tell All panel at the Commonwealth Club last night, which was followed by a 5 course dinner with cocktail pairings at Mission Beach Cafe, where Ryan Scott, a former Top Chef contestant, is the chef/owner.
We started off with an aperativo of campari with fresh citrus. Beautiful color, and great if you like campari.
For the first course, we were served “Sweet Corn Soup with Avocado, Tomato Oil, and Pancetta.” This was absolutely fantastic. The pancetta was very crispy, almost reminding me of pork rinds, and they were really generous with the avocado which was in nice chunks. There were fresh corn kernels in the soup which really gave it a bright sweetness. Everyone at the table loved this soup and we were thrilled to see it is on the regular menu at the restaurant. This was paired with a “Cabo Wabo Blanco Tequila, sweet pepper syrup, cucumber, fresh lime” cocktail. We all loved this too; it was fresh and unique, with a slight hint of spice but not in an overwhelming way. A great start to the meal.
For the second course we had the option of either “Heirloom Tomato Salad with Cucumber, Goat Cheese and Mustard Croutons” or “Rocket Salad with Parmesan, Plums, Dates and White Balsamic Dressing.” The boy and I ordered one of each and then traded halfway through. The rocket salad was enormous – a full plate of arugula with four big chunks of sweet plums and a good dusting of parmesan with a few scattered dates. While it was tasty, there was so much that after a while I got bored of eating it.
The heirloom tomato salad had many different colors of tomatoes, and was absolutely stunning, like a platter of jewels. The tomatoes were so sweet, the cucumbers were very thinly sliced, and the goat cheese was creamy and mild. The croutons added a nice crunch but were chewy in the center. This was my husband’s favorite dish. I’ve never heard him choose a salad as his favorite course, and he normally doesn’t even like goat cheese, so that was a surprise, and speaks to the perfectly balanced composition of the salad.
The cocktail pairing for the second course was called “Skyy Infusions All-Natural Citrus, fresh citrus, organic basil, agave nectar.” The basil was definitely the dominant component of the cocktail, and it paired nicely with both salads.
For the third course we were presented with “Fusilli Pasta with Tomato Confit, Baked Ricotta and Toasted Bread Crumbs.” The pasta was clearly homemade, rustic and with a bit of chewiness. The breadcrumbs really made this dish – they somehow retained their crunch and added a very pleasing contrast to the soft vegetables and pasta. My only criticisms of the dish are that it was slightly underseasoned, and the cherry tomatoes should have been cut in half. Because they were left whole, when you bit into them, the juices nearly burned your mouth.
The most disappointing thing about the pasta course was the cocktail. This one was “Thyme and black peppercorn infused Jean Marc XO Vodka, fresh lemon, heirloom tomato water.” It was, to be perfectly honest, pretty terrible. One person at the table diplomatically said it was “not nearly as approachable as the other drinks.” The majority of people seated at my table did not finish even half of their cocktail. It tasted like a lemony bloody mary that had been diluted by sitting for far too long on melted ice. The thyme and peppercorn flavors were indetectable to me, totally overpowered by the tomato flavor. The clear flop of the evening.
Next up was the main course. Both the boy and I ordered the “Champagne Grape Stuffed Quail with Summer Squash and Roasted Romano Beans.” This description was totally inaccurate, as there were no grapes in the stuffing, but they were served as a garnish on top. The stuffing was made of bread and herbs, and was comforting and delicious, which was good considering a quail only has a few bites worth of meat!
The cocktail to match the quail was “Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey, Maple-Pinot Gastrique, bay leaf, fresh lemon.” I loved this one and would liken it to a sidecar.
The other option for the fourth course was “Wild Mushroom Crepes with Pickled Cherry Tomatoes, Pine Nuts, and Brown Butter.” We did not get a chance to taste this one, but people that ordered it were not impressed. I heard two complaints about dryness, one person said it was too eggy, and another complained about the mixed greens served on top of the crepe. The cocktail pairing for that was “Walnut Liqueur, a hint of Cabo Wabo Reposado Tequila, fresh orange and lime.” This was very well received and people commented that it was “a bit clovey” and “like strong cider.”
Finally we come to dessert, “Chocolate-Hazelnut Mousse with Salted Brittle and Summer Fruit.” This was not like any mousse I’ve ever seen, I think it would be better described as a pot de crème. It wasn’t airy at all, but incredibly luscious. The woman across from me said it was like “the best brownie batter you’ve ever had.” It was served with figs, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, whipped cream, and the salted brittle. I wish the brittle was salted just a bit more, but otherwise this dish was pretty much perfect. The woman next to me could not stop exclaiming over it (and moaning with pleasure, which was both funny and a bit distracting.)
The pairing for dessert was “Flor de Cana 7 Year Grand Reserve Rum, muddled bing cherries, apricot liqueur, allspice dram, Blue Bottle Brazilian chipada coffee diamantine.” Quite a mouthful, both in name and flavor. This was the strongest drink served in terms of alcohol flavor, and was far too intense for the woman to my left. I quite liked it.
All in all it was a lot of fun, and for $80, I thought it was a good value. Portions were very generous (in fact I thought many too large, and I’m not a delicate eater.) My biggest complaint is that the pace was too slow...we had to wait quite a long time in between courses. It was hot in the restaurant and the meal lasted over three hours. Lots of people were really drowsy by the end. Which maybe isn't surprising given the six cocktails served throughout the meal, although they were all quite small.
After the meal chef Ryan introduced his whole kitchen crew, which I thought was nice - giving credit where it is due. He also said that was the first big event they'd done as a team, so I'll give them a break on the time issues.
Since I live in the neighborhood, I’ll definitely be going back to Mission Beach Café – especially for the delightful corn soup.
Mission Beach Cafe
198 Guerrero St. (at 14th)
San Francisco, CA
415-861-0198
http://www.missionbeachcafesf.com/
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