In our quest to eat at all 3000 San Francisco restaurants(500 plus
and counting), my wife Linda and I recently had the pleasure of dining at Bix
in charming Jackson Square. Owner Doug "Bix" Biederbeck founded it in
1988 and his passion for jazz, art and quality service fills the restaurant
with joy and elegance. Each night there
is jazz playing in the bar area and Bix's famous Martini's are served with
perfection. Biederbeck is also the owner of Florio in Pacific Heights and
Market Bar in the famous Ferry Building.
From the website, "BIX’s elegant, two-story
interior is distinguished by a graceful mahogany bar, fluted columns with
ornate capitals, stunning original art, plush banquettes, cozy booths, starched
linens, glittering glasses and polished flatware.
Through the years, BIX has been featured in
movies, magazines, books and commercials as the quintessential San
Francisco restaurant. The ambiance is pure 1930s and ’40s — tasteful art modern
reminiscent of the glory days of Cunard and French Line ships. Fashionable and
glamorous are the hallmarks. Trendy is simply not a part of the BIX
culture."
We were celebrating a birthday with good friends
and sat in the upper level of this warm and friendly restaurant admiring
the large piece of art over the bar and smooth live jazz resonating
throughout the restaurant.
We brought our own wine. Corking fee is 30
dollars per bottle with 2 maximum bottles. They also have an extensive wine
list and known for their great drinks. As a matter of fact, Bix wrote a book
called Bixology that has many of their drink recipes in it.
Our server was very knowledgeable and
recommended we start with an appetizer plate of deviled eggs, pork belly
sliders, cheese pinwheels and salmon mouse, which were fantastic. They
also offer steak tartar prepared table side and fresh oysters.
I ordered the
Zuckerman's Asparagus soup with saffron aioli and toasted
briochi that was steamy hot and very flavorful.
For the entree, Linda and our friend ordered
the Pacific Halibut with spring vegetable ragout, yuzu butter and mint
that was delicate and delicious and like eating food from
heaven perfectly prepared by angels.
The birthday gal and I ordered the Goodman Ranch
Veal chop pounded with king oyster mushrooms, garlic and parsley that looked
like a handmade Japanese fan on a plate. The pounded preparation made it very unique. As
a sidenote, if I ever won the famous Masters Golf tournament,
I would serve this Veal recipe for the main course at the
Champions dinner.
There is a wide of variety of desserts to choose
from. We ordered the coconut and
pineapple sorbet, creme brulee and a rhubarb tart for the birthday girl. They all topped off this outstanding dining
experience.
Definitely, put this on your "foodie
future" stops. Enjoying the great live jazz playing every
night makes the food and drinks taste even better.
For further information and to make
reservations, go to:
Click
here: Welcome to BIX Restaurant
