Quince: Ending 2013 on a High Note
I thought I would end my last blog post of the year with a fine dining experience. Earlier this month, I attended a holiday luncheon at Quince in San Francisco. I was super excited because it is fancy and my first time dining there. I took the San Francisco Bay Ferry on this beautiful day.
As soon as we arrived, there was someone to check in our coats and someone else to offer us champagne. Hor d’oeuvres were being passed to the guests. Some might think service is pretentious, but I could get used to this.
I captured photos of most of the hor d’oeuvres that were offered. They were elegant, delicate, and looked like food out of the tv show “Top Chef.”
This appetizer was designed to look like a chocolate truffle. It was surprising to bite into something expecting a certain flavor and getting something very unusual instead.
What I recall about this appetizer was that it was presented as a “gelée.” This was as fancy looking and tasting as the French word it is described as.
Bite sized cheese puffs were amazeballs! I could keep popping them in my mouth.
Spoon filled deep fried crab cake balls with a crisp coating on the outside and soft goodness on the inside.
After some time for socialization, we were seated for our lunch. The appetizer was a gnoccchetti pasta with mushrooms and rosemary.
We had a choice between beef, fish, or vegetarian. No one at our table had the vegetarian option which was a root vegetable torte. I heard afterwards that it was excellent. I ordered the fish which was black cod. It was complimented with cauliflower, black trumpet mushrooms, and Meyer lemon. I enjoyed this delicate fish and only wished for a larger portion.
I was able to taste the beef which was a Dry Aged Côte de Boeuf. This was served with mushrooms, turnips, and onion. The beef was extremely tender and perfect.
For dessert, I ordered the chocolate tartufo with chocolate mousse and salted caramel. It was dense and actually too sweet for me.
My friend ordered the poached pear that came with vanilla ice cream and violet. I wish I ordered this as it was excellent.
This was not the end of the meal. The waiter brought out stands carrying a variety of candies. We did our best to cut them and have tastings. It was quite fun.
Overall, I enjoyed my experience at Quince mainly because it was a party. It was filled with sophisticated food and service if that is what you are looking for.