Moose's; 1652 Stockton Street; 989-7800; www.mooses.com; San Francisco. Ed Moose's classy North Beach icon has moved forward under new ownership with its "feel good" vibe and newly crafted American fare. Droves commend Travis Flood and his staff for their attempt not to sell you food as art. The comfortable jazz-infused ambiance makes it a no-rush, sublime place to hobnob with politicos, sports celebs or SF society. Plus you can't beat the views of Washington Square Park and Russian Hill.
Jeffry, an ex-New Yorker, talented artist-carpenter and interior designer of homes in the SF Bay Area was in an upbeat mood the night before America's Birthday Party. He met me for espressos at the hustle-bustle happy hour bar scene prior to dinner. I perused the menu which noted: "To do a common thing, uncommonly well, brings success." (Henry John Heinz. I knew the restaurant has a passionate following. We nabbed a coveted window seat and hoped the meal would live up to Moose's reputation. I know a lot of fakery is committed in kitchens and I hoped there was nothing phony about the food here.
The menu changes seasonably. Here's what I would recommend:
White Crane Spring Ranch Summer Salad: ginger, carrots, radish, crunchy tidbits, apricots, verjus vinaigrette (13). The salad has a delicious crunch & the dressing was a perfect 10.
White Corn and Roasted Tomato Chowder; celery salad; crunchy baguette (9)
Fettuccine: Parmesan creme, chives (grilled chicken $8 supplemental) 14. Jeffrey is a cook, makes his own pasta and pronounced this one sublime.
Wild Halibut: pea tendrils, turnips, ginger, spiced almonds, fresh pea sauce. (27). This exceeded my expectations and was one of the best halibuts I'd eaten.
Jeffrey grew up with an Italian father and Jewish mother and went to Hebrew school. I told him this joke:
A man dies and goes to heaven. St. Peter meets him at the door and welcomes him in, shows him around. First we have the Catholics. They like to build churches, attend mass, take communion. So we let them do that. Further along, we have the Baptists. They like to preach the gospel, spread the holy word, so we let them do that. Further along, we have the Jews. They like to philosophize, argue, discuss ethics, morality, so we let them do that. They move further down the path, and come to a tall brick wall. "What's that? Why do you have a tall brick wall in heaven, the man asked. "Shh...It's the Mormons, and they think they are the only ones here.
Jokes from the Jewish Joke list:
Q: What is a Jewish menage-a-trois?
A: Two headaches and an erection.
Q: What did Adam and Eve have a perfect marriage?
A: He didn't have to hear about all the men she could have married, and she didn't have to hear about the way his mother cooked.
Q: How does a Jewish wife cheat on her husband?
A: She has a headache with the postman.
Q: What is a Jewish nymphomaniac?
A: A wife who does her hair and sleeps with her husband on the same day.
Q: What is the technical term for a divorced Jewish woman?
A: Plaintiff.
Q: Define "genius".
A: An average student with a Jewish mother.
Jewish proverb: A Jewish wife will forgive and forget, but she'll never forget what she forgave."
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