Big Four Restaurant, 1075 California Street at Taylor (www.big4restaurant.com;771-1140)Who were the Big Four? Railroad barons who built the railroads and then built their McMansions on Nob Hill: Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins, Charles Crocker, C.P. Huntington. 19th century photographs adorn the bar and restaurant, except for Charles who weighed 300+ pounds and forbade anyone from photographing him. Have a gander at the huge panoramic photo of San Francisco taken in 1878 by Edward Muybridge outside the men's room. Sit in the lounge and listen to 20s,30s,40s classics by Michael Parsons tickling the ivories 6 nights a week from 5-11. He even throws in some show tunes.
I met Mike, an investment advisor from the little town of Ennis, Montana (Big Sky country; pop: 800) who was here for a conference at the St. Francis Hotel, on Union Square. We decided to meet early at the bar: a Cirque du Soleil San Fran style, with Ty preparing drinks for the creme de la creme.
My friends Lana and Barbara were already sampling Bistro Fare at the bar. (Their favorite: Chicken Pot Pie.(16). I introduced them to Mike, a divorced Irishman with a great sense of humor/joie de vivre/father of three. He had watched My Best Friend's Wedding that afternoon at the St. Francis Hotel and recounted the Billy Crystal joke. Man goes to the rabbi. "I think my wife is poisoning me. Help! What should I do?" "Don't worry, says, the rabbi, I'll talk with her. After 3 hours of conversation with the wife, rabbi goes back to the husband. "Take my advice: take the poison!"
The Big4 evokes an English gentleman's club: wonderful wood paneling, green leather, blue bloods perched at the bar. If you want to hobnob with the "new" barons, politicos, elites, this is the ticket, as Jon Lovitz would day. Our waitperson Ron, a photographer and SF historian (see website of his 25-room mcmansion filled with found objets d'art,1000's of photos of SF: www.ronhenggeler.com, and email him if you want a personally guided tour: sfbison@pacbell.net). Ron has waited on Willie Brown, Stephen Breyer's classmates, even eavesdropped on Michael Savage having dinner with Jerry Brown. Carol Burnett and Florence Henderson sang Happy Birthday on his 50th! Ask for his table in the corner, and listen to this raconteur, who is fond of sphinx cats, bison, San Francisco.
Mike and I decided to be fishmongers for the night and opt for the simpler fare. I have found that eating arrangements, such as sushi joints, for example, are as challenging as understanding a Tom Stoppard play at ACT. If you want bang for the buck at over-the-top expensive restaurant, go with the fish. Here are my recommendations at Big$4 (sic):
Knoll Farm's Organic Field Greens: Tossed in balsamic vinaigrette with dried cranberries, gorgonzola dolce, red onion, apples and candied walnuts. (10).
Dungeness crab cake. With corn salsa, crispy sunchokes, creamy caper vinaigrette. (15).
Big $4 loves is wild boar, organic chicken breast, filet mignon, but Mike & I preferred the Sauteed Petrale Sole with a pine nut-road garlic crunch, sweet corn-sundried tomato-basil butter sauce. (27) Did you know sole is named after the town which supplied this flat fish to London? The flesh of a cooked fish should be opaque and flake with a touch of a fork. If overcooked, it is tough and dry. The chef at this upscale restaurant has mastered the art!
Vegetarians/flexitarians/contrarians will love the porcini mushroom risotto made with root veggies,mushrooms, black truffles, cheese, and a lemon beurre blanc.(26).
Desserts are a must-have: we decided on the "healthy" one: blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries: Delightful with cream and coffee!
Chef Gloria Ciccarone-Nehls has worked hard to ensure that the high drama spectacle is on the food. For example, you don't need sonar to pick up any signs of anchovies in the Caesar's Salad. Outside, Mike and I saw a crescent moon big as a spotlight over Huntington Square (too late for sauntering). A perfect Ying-Yang evening and I'm sure Mike will cherish his memories of old San Francisco Mystique and the Big$4 Restaurant! Have fun in England in March and Bon Voyage!
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2 comments:
How great you bumped into Mike so you could report on the grub at the Big Four. The next guy you should try to nudge into Michael Minna. We want more reports on hte foodie palaces and not the old faithfuls and cafe divines.
Give me a list of your top 10 "food palaces", pls. Bon Appetit!
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