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Bix
56 Gold Street (in the alley off of Montgomery Street between Pacific & Jackson)
San Francisco, California 94133
(415) 433-6300
www.bixrestaurant.com
Cuisine: American, Californian
Loved: free live jazz, elegant 1930s décor, Chef Bruce Hill’s selection of hors d’oeuvres
To Die For: foie gras mousse, classic martinis
Prices: $$-$$$ (Moderate-expensive)
Hours: Lunch: Friday 11:30 - 2:00pm; Dinner: Monday-Thursday 4:30
- 11:00pm, Friday-Saturday 5:30pm - 12:00 a.m., Sunday: 5:30 p.m. -
10:00 p.m.
Noise Level: Tolerable
Service: Reasonable
Romantic: Yes
Reservations: Recommended, but walk-ins accepted
Good for Kids: No
Good to Know: Valet parking available after 5 p.m., personal wine accepted (with corkage fee), wheelchair accessible
Recommended / Rating: 3 Stars (0=Don’t Bother to 5=Highly Recommend)
For more than seventeen years, Bix has provided San Francisco movers
& shakers, travelers "in-the-know," and food lovers from around the
world an exceptional place to dine. Or that’s what I’ve been told by
several colleagues and friends. Naturally, I was intrigued, so I
decided to give Bix a try.
Atmosphere
Tucked in an alley between several high-end antique stores, Bix is
reminiscent of an elegant supper club from the 1930s. Upon entering the
restaurant, I stood at the enormous curved mahogany bar until my table
was ready. Service was efficient, although the bartender didn’t spend
too much time telling me about their special cocktails or bar menu,
which included firecracker shrimp with chipotle aioli ($11), tuna
tartare on olive toasts ($12), seared day boat scallops wrapped in
chorizo ($11). The tuna was excellent: fresh and flakey with just
the right amount of subtle fishiness, blending perfectly with the olive
toasts. The buttery scallops and plump shrimp also worked well,
although the chipotle aioli tasted like it had been prepared with
out-of-date mayonnaise. Oh well. After ten minutes, I was taken to my
table, which turned out to be a cozy, faux-velvet covered booth on the
second floor.
The interior of Bix is stunning. You’d expect to see Frank Sinatra at
the bar ordering a martini, or perhaps Jean Harlow sauntering down the
staircase to go "powder her nose." Other nice interior features
included fluted columns, starched linens and polished flatware. The
wait staff is dressed to impress in white jackets, which added a nice
touch to the already elegant ambiance.
The Food
Chef Bruce Hill’s 25-years of experience includes stints at some of
California’s finest restaurants, including Stars, Aqua, Oritalia and
the Waterfront. Of course, you’d expect all of his experience to
translate into an incredible meal from start to finish. And for the
most part, this was the case, although there were a few misses. The
chef’s selection of mixed hors d’oeuvres ($9.75 per person) was a
surprisingly tasty assortment of tuna tartare, foie gras mousse,
cauliflower panna cotta and truffled potato puree’ in crispy potato
cups. I could have done with a few more potato cups, which were crispy,
flavorful, and just about the best thing I’ve had in my mouth in quite
some time. On the other hand, and due to a childhood cauliflower trauma
incident, I wasn’t thrilled with the cauliflower panna cotta. The
chilled summer gazpacho of heirloom tomatoes, melons, and
cucumber ($8.25) was extremely light and refreshing, and really
set the stage for the next courses. Other excellent first courses
included arugula and nectarine salad with champagne vinaigrette ($9.75)
and the romaine salad with Point Reyes blue cheese vinaigrette ($9.25).
As for entrees, the Florida gulf prawns with potato gnocchi, sweet
fennel, tomatoes and bread crumbs ($26) were outstanding. Big and
juicy, the tender flesh of the prawns blended superbly with the
tartness of the tomatoes. On the other hand, and what I feel is a poor
description that should be clarified on the menu, is the Maine lobster
spaghetti with langoustine tails ($28). At first glance, one is led to
believe that there are going to be large chunks of lobster included in
the dish. Instead, the spaghetti is cooked in a lobster-flavored broth.
That’s right, no big chunks of lobster, for what is otherwise a lovely
pasta dish. Other entrees worth mentioning include grilled rack of lamb
with lentils and minted carrots ($32), and Kobe "Bavette" steak with
pommes puree, roasted spring onions and natural jus ($29). And then it
was time for dessert. As a confessed "chocoholic," I was quite pleased
with pastry chef Aaron Toensing’s warm chocolate brioche bread pudding
($7.75). Come to think of it, there’s really nothing better than
anything made with chocolate to end a great meal. Other desserts
included bananas foster with dark rum and vanilla ice cream ($7.95),
strawberries with brown sugar cream ($7.75), and Bix cookies, jellies
and ice cream sandwiches ($7.50).
If you’ve been looking for a great place for a romantic dinner
surrounded by elegant ambiance, Bix just might be the place you’ve been
looking for.
Bio & Past Articles
Past Articles
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Betty's List Restaurant Review
Columnist David Grabstald.
An enthusiastic freelance writer, editor and copywriter with marketing, media and daily newspaper experience, David serves as senior food critic for Betty's List. His articles have been published by Macy's Westbound, Mervyn's, The New Filmore, SF Examiner, Marina Times, North Texas Daily, And Baby Magazine and others. He is an experienced writer of grant proposals, documentation plans, feasibility reports, press releases, employee procedure manuals and other formats. David has written news scripts for NBC and produced video packages for the Irving Community Television Network. David can be reached at dgrabstald@gmail.com. His website is http://davidgrabstald.blogspot.com/ |
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