In
an effort to dine at all 3000 San Francisco restaurants( 900 and counting), my
wife Linda and I
recently dined at the famous Zuni Cafe that remains a “City By the Bay”
favorite after 40 years of serving outstanding food and drinks.
This angular designed restaurant is located in the vibrant Hayes Valley District.
It is advisable to get a reservation but you can go early and sit at the elegant copper bar and savor the heavenly scents from the large wood fired oven and enjoy a unique people watching experience while you wait for your table.
We sat at the bar flanked by a piano player and many youthful patrons enjoying high energy conversations. They have an assortment of unique drinks, fresh oysters and appetizers to suit anyone’s desires.
The
restaurant is on Market Street with high ceilings and lots of windows to enjoy
the views and beat of
the bustling city.
We were advised to try Perdon an aperitif originating from many cafes in the passionate city of Paris. It is served in a cocktail glass with a decanter of water and glass of ice to mix to your taste buds delights. It is a refreshing drink that has a reputation of igniting many authors to write famous novels.
After a short 15 minute wait, we were seated and began our unique foodie experience.
We secured a table in the upstairs area of this restaurant overlooking the many happy patrons and deco art gracing the walls.
The Pedron was so good we decided to order another one while we waited for the signature roasted chicken dinner for 2. It takes about 60 minutes to make this famous recipe in their 700 degree wood fired oven and well worth the wait.
My friend told me that Pedron can be known as a “brain eraser” and to be careful as “one is fun and two you are done.”
While we waited for the chicken, we split their Caesar’s salad that was the best we have ever eaten. Fresh, chilled and painted perfectly with anchovy infused dressing and large acme bread seasoned croutons was a great way to start the meal.
Longtime chef Judy Rodgers passed away a few years ago and masterminded the roasted chicken recipe. The tradition continues as this is always on the menu along with many other unique choices to suit your foodie fantasies . The menu is changed every day.
The whole chicken is cooked in a 700 degree wood fired oven and exceeded its high recommendation and expectations by our knowledgeable and very attentive waiter. It was succulent and elegantly served in easy to eat pieces on a bed of perfectly seasoned dressing. It was definitely worth the wait and didn’t seem that long as the drinks, salad and restaurant vibes were very enjoyable to experience.
There are a variety of choices for desserts but we decided to pass as the chicken and salad were very generous proportions.
In conclusion, it is no wonder many chefs dine at this iconic San Francisco treasure that remains on the list of the top 20 dining establishments to enjoy before you die in the “Great City By the Bay.”
For more information and to make a reservation go to. Zuni Cafe. com.
