FOOD FRIDAY: Check One Off the Bucket List

Do you have a bucket list?  You know, a list of things you want to do, places you want to visit in your lifetime?  I have several.  One happens to be a list of American restaurants I would like to dine in.  I have checked a few off the list over the years (read about my French Laundry experience).  But it does seem to get longer these days.  So, on my recent trip to San Francisco I had only one requirement:  I had to eat at Incanto, American Restaurant Bucket List item #7.

www.incanto.biz

For the uninitiated, Incanto is the restaurant where nose to tail cooking reigns supreme.  In the kitchen, Executive Chef Chris Cosentino creates magic on the plate using every part of the animal possible.  He admits to loving the pig.  But the pig isn’t the only critter that appears on the menu here.  Chef Cosentino utilizes all of the local resources available to him:  the amazing farmers market produce, local seafood and wild game.  One look at this menu will leave you hungry.

Local marinated sardine salad with potatoes, San Marzano tomatoes & arugula (Photo by Gourmet Rambler)

Such was my desire to dine at Incanto, that I started stalking the reservations back in May as soon as my flight was booked.  It turns out getting a table isn’t that difficult if you try and try again.  But waiting until the last moment is ill advised.  The restaurant isn’t very big.  Tucked away in a sleepy neighborhood, it is inconspicuous and easy to miss but for the smell.  The delicious aromas wafting from Incanto permeate the air around it.  One could say, you could find it with your eyes closed.  My dining companion and I arrived at Incanto via a very scenic trip on the “J” Municipal train.  I highly recommend taking the “J”.  It runs underground first, coming up to street level shortly.  The views from the train are really incredible and it runs right down the middle of the street, allowing up close look at the neighborhood architecture.

But I digress.  Let’s talk food.  Between the two of us we ordered seven dishes.  What can I say?  We like to eat.  Given the option, I would have ordered one of everything but even Gourmet Rambler’s appetite isn’t that big.  Our server was very helpful in the selection process, pointing out things that were not to be missed and recommending a bottle of wine (rather modestly priced, I must add) that went nicely with our dinner.  Wine list here requires a special mention.  It is all Italian, which makes this woman’s heart sing.  I LOVE Italian wines! I have a substantial talent for ordering well, ask anyone who has ever dined with me.  This was no exception.  After asking a few questions, we narrowed our choices to four starters (two of which were specials and ALWAYS order the specials!), risotto, one entree to share and a dessert.

Crispy pig's trotter cake, foie gras, grapes, nebbiolo reduction (Photo by Gourmet Rambler)

What followed was truly a meal to remember.  This, folks, was one for the books.  To say that we were not disappointed in any single dish is to say nothing at all.  Our lovely server orchestrated our meal in a manner that allowed our experience to build.  Marinated local sardines dish and heirloom tomato eggplant salad gave way to pig’s kidney and a crispy pig’s trotter cake topped with seared foie gras.  By the way, the kidney served with duck fat braised radishes (greens still attached!) and blackstrap molasses sauce was my dining companion’s favorite dish.  And the one she was the most apprehensive about ordering because of kidney’s reputation for being bitter and rubbery.  I would be hard pressed to remember a better tasting kidney:  sweet and nutty with a lovely silky texture.  What followed the starters was the most robustly flavored risotto I have had in years.  Snails, garlic and chanterelle mushroom medley mingling with perfectly creamy rice.  This one was my favorite, a real stunner.  A lovely rosy duck breast with turnips and fresh verdant pesto rounded out our savory choices.  Home run!

Duck breast, turnips, grapes, cresta di gallo pesto (Photo by Gourmet Rambler)

We pondered dessert.  There were some unusual choices, one of which stood out to us.  Blueberry peach upside down cake with Douglas Fir ice cream.  In case you wondered, Douglas Fir is my annual choice for a Christmas tree.  Yes.  Christmas tree ice cream.  How could you NOT order that?  We did.  The cake was moist and full of flavor.  The ice cream really didn’t taste much like a Christmas tree, which is just as well.  It was just a lovely creamy and cool note to finish our meal.

As we walked to the Mission District, we pondered our experience.  We had had a beautiful meal, the one we may talk about for years to come.  Price tag?  Less than most of us spend on bar tabs any given Saturday.  This, my friends, was a no brainer.  Check another one off my Bucket List.  Oh, but for all of you – another item to add to yours.  Incanto.  Worth every bite.

Incanto
1550 Church Street, San Francisco, CA  94131
415-641-4500

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