ONE MARKET

ONE MARKET 

San Francisco, California

April 2008

One Market, conveniently located across from the Ferry Terminal in San Francisco is a huge space. They were also recently given a Michelin star and are obviously extremely proud of this award since the minute you approach the hostess desk, the award is there to be seen and admired.

It was a Tuesday night when we were there.  The restaurant was packed.   I was nervous.  How would the kitchen handle all of these people? And where had they all come from?

That said, we were graciously seated in a comfortable booth and started the meal off with our favorite cocktail – two Stolis straight up with olives. We chased that down with some Miyagi oysters on the half shell followed by a Dungeness crab salad with a celery sorbet.  Even our daughter Rachel, traveling with us at the time, thought the dish was awesome.  Lynn had ordered a wild nettle ravioli with tiny rabbit meatballs with a rich parmesan foam. Unfortunately, the dish took forever to come out of the kitchen and when it finally appeared, the rabbit was a tad tough but the nettle ravioli was very good.

Lynn moved on to an entrée of grilled mahi mahi.  I had potato crusted and fried sole which was light and not a tad greasy.  Rachel had sliced duck.

The three of us split as a pre-dessert an overpriced cheese plate ($24 for four small cheeses — one cow, one sheep and two goat).  It begged the question as to why the Oregon Pinot Noir we were drinking was only a tad above the price of the cheese?

For dessert, Rachel had an old-school classic, an ice cream sundae.  Lynn and I split two little crème brûlées – one chocolate, the other espresso. 

The service was very good; the wait staff knowledgeable.  Perhaps they are trying harder now that they’ve been blessed by the Michelin gods?  My only criticism: the kitchen needs to step up to the plate (or hire more help) so there’s not such a long wait between courses.