Hops & Hominy: A Hidden Gem
I had dinner with two of my coworkers in the City on Friday night at a restaurant called Hops & Hominy. It was my first visit to Hops & Hominy (H & H) so I was excited to try another restaurant serving Southern food. Although the restaurant is located in the popular Union Square, it’s not easy to find as it’s hidden at the end of a pedestrian alley.
We started with some drinks. I ordered the Lola, which is a cocktail made with whiskey and cherry cola bitters. The bartender at H & H makes the bitters. It was so good I had a second and my coworker switched drinks.
The waitress brought out complimentary cast iron pan cornbread and whipped butter. I thought it was a bit bland, but dousing it with butter helped. If I were to make a recommendation, I would ask the Chef to add jalapeños to the recipe.
We ordered two appetizers to share. The first one was black-eyed pea fritters. Black eyed peas are blended and mashed with peppers, leeks, onions, and celery and then deep fried. They were crispy on the exterior and soft and creamy inside. The fritters had great flavor on its own, so I did not think it needed the guacamole it came with. My coworker would probably disagree since she ate up the guacamole.
Our waitress recommended the spicy chicken wings. This is no ordinary chicken because it’s cooked in duck fat. The sauce was similar to what you would find in a spicy buffalo wing. These were so delicious, I ate more than my share of them.
One of my coworkers ordered the fried chicken which came with garlic mashed potatoes and a buttermilk biscuit. It came with three pieces of chicken, so I was offered the fried chicken drumstick. It was good, but turned into great very quickly after dipping it in H & H’s homemade hot sauce.
My other coworker ordered the summer squash ravioli that was served in a tomato cream sauce. I didn’t try it, but she left her plate clean so I’m pretty sure she thoroughly enjoyed this dish.
I ordered the country fried steak which came with garlic mashed potatoes, heirloom carrots, mustard greens, and alligator gravy. A thin flat iron steak was used and coated in a batter like fried chicken. It was the best dish of the evening.
We each selected a dessert. I ordered the French vanilla ice cream with olive oil, toasted almonds, and sea salt. This is one of my favorite flavor combinations. One of my coworkers also chose an ice cream. Her chocolate ice cream came with dulce de leche and pecans. These both felt like mini sundaes. I was happy.
The final dessert was the chocolate mousse crunch which came with hazelnuts, brandied cherry, and cherry coulis. I took a small bite since I wanted to eat all my ice cream. I liked the variety of textures and the focus on cherries in this dessert.
Hops & Hominy is pretty awesome. It’s a hidden gem that is worth finding in San Francisco. I look forward to coming back.