Isa Restaurant

Isa

3324 Steiner St.

San Francisco, CA 94123

(415) 567-9588

http://www.isarestaurant.com/

Isa is a predominately French, family-style, small-plates restaurant with a fully weather-proof patio, an uncommon batch of middle aged, male servers, and fantastic food.  We ate there on Monday, February 1 and, arriving at 6, had no trouble getting a table, though the restaurant was filling when we left.

We were led past the open kitchen (noticed a shelf of celebrity cookbooks and bottles of Sriracha) onto the back patio which, despite feeling like a backyard deck with planters and strings of light, is fully covered, and replete with heat lamps and antique sconces.  Happy Hour doesn't end until 7 so we each enjoyed a $5 glass of wine (specialty Soju cocktails also available).  A 2-course selectable prix fixe is $24, 3-course is $28 and includes much of the main menu, including the daily special.  On the other hand, items on the menu range from $7-23, so I would advise  you to do the math, especially because everything is served family style.

Prince Edward Island Mussels: The mussels were something classic, almost common, done exceptionally.  The mussels were tender, almost like the bellies of raw oysters.  The steaming liquid was unusually rich, with a little tang of wine, and far surpassed the normal parsley and butter.  The grilled bread served with the mussels was in fact burned, overpowering and inedible, but the warm sourdough baguette already on the table was a nice substitute.

Baked Laura Chenel Goat Cheese: This dish didn't seem that exciting, but, like the mussels, was pleasantly surprising and unusual.  Served on tomato concasse (peeled, seeded and chopped...I learned something new today) with basil, pine nuts and olive oil, the baked cheese didn't have breading or crust.  Instead of being dolled up, the goat cheese remained a strong flavor with a delicate whipped texture.  It, too, went well with the warm bread and I plan to attempt to replicate it at home.  Being a small and light dish, I think it should have come before the mussels, instead of just a few minutes after.  The restaurant's philosophy of serving lightest to heaviest seemed to be offset by kitchen timing.

Daily Special: Grilled Hamachi:  Hamachi grilled to a slight char like a steak, served with olive tapenade, clams and calamari.  A little much, no?  And it was, especially after cheese and mussels.  But I cannot fault them for how I ordered and the dish was good.  I am not partial to fish, but it was really nice and pink on the inside, and the tapenade covering it was mild.  The calamari was unbelievably tender, really, like custard.  But what I really enjoyed were the clams.  Like the mussels, they were tender, and each had its own little pool of buttery jus.

Dutch Valley Veal Sweetbreads:  The last thing to come, and by far the heaviest, was the veal sweetbreads.  The varied, wild mushrooms were all good, but mostly overpowered by the really overwhelming scent of truffles.  The sweetbreads were tender, creamy, and, thankfully, were cut to small pieces that looked less like brain.  This is my second time having sweetbreads and I'm really just not all there  yet.  The potato was smooth and soaked up the delicious, rich mushroom broth that turned to a proteinous blob in my refrigerator overnight (a good thing, despite the image).  Unfortunately, the potato pancake was very dense and not crispy, and didn't help allay the weight of the rest of the dish.

They recommended that we order two dishes per person which was really too much (as exemplified by the sweetbreads I just had for breakfast.  mmm) as both the hamachi and the sweetbreads were more than generous entree portions.  As a duo that usually tempers our appetites by perhaps sharing an appetizer, four dishes made for a giant doggy bag of food that doesn't necessarily reheat well (potato pancake).  I also feel that the dishes would be better served as courses taken away at completion, rather than a conglomerate of dishes.  At one point, all four were on the table at the same time which, besides being cramped on a two person table, did not showcase the food well.  Lastly, we ate no vegetables.  Most of the menu items had a base of mashed potatoes or mushrooms, and I'm all for umami.  But next time, I'll make room for a salad.

Overall, the food was exceptional, the service attentive but not obsequious, and, the highest compliment I can give: I would take my parents here.

-Arrive before 7 for Happy Hour $5 drinks

-Double check the Prix Fixe menu for prices

-Grab a mint on your way out.  They are anise flavored and each cellophane wrapper says "Bye."