One Market Restaurant, San Francisco

Update Review, September 2022 Visit

A few months ago, I visited One Market Restaurant for the first time in several years.  I had a casual meal in the bar area in the evening.  As you read in my review then, I left with the same mixed feelings as I had previously - there are plenty of positive notes about One Market, but, it wasn't particularly memorable nor worth going back to, especially considering the price point.  And yet, I did go back, this time for lunch with a co-worker.

My opinion remains basically unchanged.  One Market is clearly striving to get their Michelin star back, but, it falls short.  The service standards are nearly there, but there are misses.  The price point is high, and the food didn't live up to the prices either.

Exterior.

On a nice day, there is outside seating available, but, given SF weather, we didn't take that gamble, and were seated inside.  We had a great booth along the window, and, in terms of location and atmosphere, One Market did shine.

The service was also nearly there - the hostess was very attentive, the staff worked well as a team, they were all well groomed and it was clear who had different roles (e.g. servers had their white aprons tied at the waist, bussers had full aprons, etc).  But that said, there were times we had to pour our own water refills, we were largely ignored as we ate and sat quite a while before being acknowledged that we were done, my cocktail arrived after my food, etc.  Lots of little misses, although it was clear the service level was expected to be higher.

Lunch Menu.

The lunch menu at One Market is a mix of their pandemic born Mark 'n Mike's deli concept (sandwiches, latkes, sides) and classics from the more formal dining menu, but geared towards lunch with items like a burger or fried chicken sandwich, alongside steak and grilled fish.

Special Cocktail: Le Fée Vert. $14.

"Absinthe, Green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, fresh mint."

To go with my meal I opted for a cocktail found on their special Moulin Rouge menu.  This full special menu is available for dinner, but, I was able to request this cocktail even at lunch.

It was the highlight of my meal.

The cocktail was exactly what I hoped, very strong in the anise flavor.  It wasn't sweet, it wasn't too boozy, but, it was heavy in the licorice department.  I loved the taste, and found it remarkably well suited to pair with food too.  It was a good cocktail to sip on, and it was nice paired with both sweet and savory cuisine.  I wish it was always on the menu.

I'd get it again, and it was one of the most memorable cocktails I've had in a long time.  ****+.

One service miss however - it took 19 minutes for my cocktail to arrive, and it was a good 5 minutes after my main course when it finally came.  I would have liked to sip on it as I settled in, and certainly to have it before the main food.

Starter: Chickpea Fries / Harissa Aioli. $10.

I've heard great things about One Market's chickpea fries, a menu staple, for years.  I knew I wanted them, even though I don't actually like chickpea all that much.  They sounded like a unique item and signature dish, I was willing to "risk it" and try something I wouldn't normally order.  When I ordered, my server said he'd get those out right away so we'd have "something to munch on".  But since my dining companion was not getting a starter, and wasn't planning to eat these, I asked for them to be served alongside my meal.  This request was easily accommodated, and they were served with everything else.

The chickpea fries were really quite interesting.  These were large rectangular logs, not thinner like a regular fry.  I really liked the coating on them, a bit crunchy, and unlike anything I've had before.  The inside was light and fluffy, really a unique texture.  They were very savory, and tasted much like falafel or hummus, just, a bit more mild.  This makes sense given their chickpea base.  They were not oily nor greasy, while they were "fries", I think they may have been oven baked?  They came with a harissa aioli, a nice mediterranean accent, and I appreciated having something to dunk them in.

I was glad to try these as I've kinda wanted to for years, but, I wouldn't get them again, just due to my own personal preference of not loving chickpeas. They also weren't served particular warm, even though I ate one the moment they hit the table.

**+.

Main: Seared Tombo Tuna Salad. $25.

"Grilled romaine lettuce, charred scallions, finger limes, green olive-fennel relish."

I was really torn when it came to order my main dish.  If it was dinner time, I certainly would have gone for the grilled trout.  I eat a lot of cooked seafood for dinner.  But at lunch, I really like awesome salads.  As in, salads that I load up with ingredients of all kinds - crisp and fresh veggies, roasted or grilled fruits and veggies, lots of pickled things, nuts, seeds, crispy quinoa or rice, fried shallots/onions/garlic/capers/wontons, spices, often yogurt or cottage cheese, and of course, dressings ... calling them "salads" sometimes makes me laugh, but, they usually do have a base of greens, just, a lot of other things going on.  But that concept is what my body is used to at mid-day, so even though I do like grilled trout, and the loaded latkes did look pretty good, they just aren't what I wanted at noon.  At noon, it was time for my "salad".  I had several choices on the menu - the appetizer "Bradley's ceasar salad", a dish that has been on the One Market menu ~forever, and has followed the namesake chef (Bradley) around his career for years.  I like a caesar salad, but, it sounded a bit too simple and boring to really be an entree, and, it wasn't supposed to be.  There was also a "Summer Bean Salad", which had appeal with puffed quinoa and pistachios (there are my crunchy elements!), but, I had seen photos, and it really was just beans, no greens.  I wanted a base of greens.  And again, that was more of a side dish, not an entree.  And thus, I really had only one choice, the single entree salad, a seared tombo tuna salad.

I read the description, and it sounded pretty good.  I do like grilled lettuce.  I liked the sound of the charred scallions.  Yay to finger limes.  I was lukewarm on the green olive-fennel relish (yay fennel, eh to olives), and I don't really like seared tuna all that much, but, it still held promise.

When my dish was sat in front of me my heart kinda sank.  Um, where was my salad?  The lettuce component was exactly 6 pieces of romaine, arranged in two piles of 3 pieces each.  The lettuce was grilled as described, but also smothered in some kind of vinaigrette.  It was soggy, wilted, limp, and extremely off putting to eat.  The lettuce element, both not what I was looking for in ordering a salad, but also, just really not tasty at all.  My dining companion thought it was asparagus, not lettuce, it was that odd looking.

I pressed onward.  The charred scallion I believe was the darker sauce on the plate, and that had ok flavor.  The relish too was fine, I liked the chopped bits of fennel.  Luckily I didn't taste olive.  Both these components were fairly oily though, much like the vinaigrette that smothered the lettuce.  The herbs on top were literally the only fresh tasting component.  I ordered this looking for vegetables, freshness, and, yeah, that I did not find.

And then there was the tuna.  Four slices, seared on the edges, and the two end pieces were also seared on the backside.  The portion was large, this was definitely a tuna dish (far more than it was a salad), but the tuna, also, not very good.  One piece was really extremely chewy, and there was quite a bit of sinew.  It didn't seem particularly high quality, which surprised me both because of the nice atmosphere and my expectations at One Market, but also, given the price, it was one of the most expensive lunch items.  It also was quite under-seasoned and plain.  Yes, there was plenty of oil drowning the soggy limp lettuce, and I could kinda scoop some of the relish onto it, but, it ate dry and plain.  I really wanted a drizzle of soy sauce, an aioli, just, anything really.

Oh, the finger lime was a nice touch, a few pieces on top of the tuna, little pops of flavor.  

Overall, I truly disliked this dish.  It didn't match what I was in the mood for, it was a complete miss in terms of texture and over-dressed-ness, and the tuna quality didn't seem high.  Honestly, I wished I'd given up after a few bites and just ordered a ceasar salad. I chocked down enough to be polite-ish, and knew I'd need a second lunch soon after.  Sigh.  Do not recommend, obviously. *.

Main: Meat Combo Sandwich, add Havarti, Rye. $23.95 + $1.95.

"Brisket and Pastrami."

My dining companion went for a sandwich from the Mark 'n Mike's deli section of the menu.  He couldn't decide if he wanted brisket or pastrami, and so, went for the "why not both?" option.  Sandwiches are available on your choice of rye or challah, my guest choose rye.  The server asked if he'd like cheese on it, and offered havarti or swiss.  This wasn't mentioned on the menu anywhere, and my guest agreed, asking for havarti.  We learned later that this was an upsell, an extra $1.95 for the offered cheese.  He was also asked if he'd like mustard, which he said yes to.  This was complimentary.  The server also let him know it came with no sides, and asked if he'd like to add something like fries.  He declined.  It came with two pickle spears as well.

I'll admit that I wasn't particularly impressed when his plate was set down in front of him.  It was, well, a sandwich.  I somewhat had expected the bread to be toasted, for it to be more loaded with meats, just, well, something to make it look like not a totally average sandwich, that just happened to be put on a nice plate.  It was sliced in half, but not all that well, with a corner torn off and hanging in front.  My companion said it was fine, but, yeah, just a sandwich.  There was nothing about it that warranted the >$25 price tag, particularly given that it came with no sides.

I tried it as well, and found it highly underwhelming.  The meat was tender and fine, the bread seemed fresh enough, but, again, nothing special.  The highlight was the mustard, a strong aggressive mustard.  There are too many great delis in SF that put out much better sandwiches to really recommend this. **+.

Press Pot. Decaf, Small.  $4.50.

To go along with dessert, I asked for a decaf coffee.  A individual press pot was quickly brought out, and plunged tableside.  The coffee was fine, unremarkable.  I think the decaf Americano I had with dinner was better, but this was average enough. ***.

Valrhona Chocolate Pot de Crème | Whipped Cream. $9.00.

Since I was visiting at lunch time, I took advantage of the earlier hour, and went for the chocolate pot de creme.  I normally don't order this as I avoid caffeine in the evenings.

It was an absolutely fine pot de creme.  It was thick, it was rich, it was intense chocolate flavor.  I liked the cocoa nibs on top, and the quenelle of cream.  I kinda wanted something more to really make it pop, and sprinkled a little salt on top which certainly helped.  Fresh raspberries I think would have paired beautifully.

Well executed, but no frills, classic good pot de creme.  ***+.

Famous Butterscotch Pudding. $9.

"Mexican wedding cookie, chantilly cream."

My dining companion went for the signature, "famous", butterscotch pudding, that I've had many times.  I didn't ask to try it, but he seemed to enjoy it well enough.  It is usually a solid reliable choice at One Market.

I was curious if we truly had different cream components, as this is described as "chantilly" and mine said "whipped" cream.  I suspect they were the same.  I also found it curious that both were the same price, although his included the "bonus" cookie.  It felt like he got more for the money.

Original Review June 2022 Visit

I have mixed feelings about One Market restaurant.  When I last visited several years ago, with a group of co-workers, we had a truly fantastic meal.  Everything was exceptional - the appetizers, the mains, the desserts.  I work really close by, and have kept an eye on the place, drawn in by the menus regularly.  But, it took several years for me to finally return, I'm not really sure why.

But I think my experience may be common.  One Market had a Michelin star from 2008-2012, and was always bustling.  Even after they lost that star, it was a common venue for the business power lunch, or a diner experience with wonderful views of the Bay Bridge.  And then the pandemic happened, downtown cleared out, and, One Market had to pivot considerably.  They did, transforming into a casual deli for a while (Mark 'n Mike's NY Style Deli), and eventually reopened the regular restaurant.  But the crowds didn't seem to come back.  When I pass by, it isn't vacant, but it certainly isn't the vibrant, busy restaurant it used to be.

For this visit, I was alone, and choose to dine in the bar area, which was available for walk in seating.  In addition to standard bar seats, there are also a few tables in this area serviced by the bartenders.  I opted for a bar stool, perched at the end of the bar.

The bar was worked by 3 different staff members, two in standard One Market uniforms (grey vest, checkered shirt, purple tie), and one in a green sweater, who seemed to be more of a manager.  They all were attentive, friendly, and welcoming, even to a solo diner like me.  The bar area overall had a comfortable, casual feel, with TVs quietly playing the ballgame for those interested (not me!), and non-offensive music at a pleasant volume.  I enjoyed my time there, and would recommend it for solo or small group casual dining.  The food was decent, but not nearly as great as I remembered.

Drinks

Since I was seated at the bar, it seemed only proper to start with a drink.  I was presented with a drink menu (and Happy Hour menu) immediately upon sitting.

Beverage Menu.

The beverage list at One Market is a full page, with beer (on tap and in bottles), specialty cocktails, and wine (by the glass/bottle, with a longer bottle list available as well).

I almost ordered a glass of wine, my usual evening drink, but decided at last minute to get a cocktail.  After all, I open a bottle of wine every night at home, but I rarely make a cocktail.  I should take advantage of the skill of the bartenders!

Cactus Flower Margarita. $14.

"Espolón Reposado Tequila, lime, prickly pear, grilled jalapeño, piment d’espelette-sea salt rim."

I ordered a regular margarita, and the bartender asked if I'd like the standard well tequila, or something specific, or if I'd like the special Cactus Flower margarita.  I asked if that was fruity and sweet, and he said that it was actually spicy.  I said I'd go with that.  He passed my order off to another bartender.

My drink was made quickly, handed over to me within 3 minutes of ordering.  I was also offered water.  The drink was beautiful! Such a vibrant color of pink, with plenty of sat on the rim.  The slice of lime garnish completed the attractive presentation.  It was served with ice, not too much to water it down, but enough to chill it properly.

The drink however was sweeter than I wanted.  While not fruity, it was sweet.  I also didn't really taste any tequila.  It did have the promised spice on the finish though, which was nice.

Overall, a well made, very attractive drink, but, not really what I wanted as I was in the mood for something more alcohol forward and less sweet.  I was glad to try it though, and it was a unique play on a margarita.

**+.

Savory Food

I picked One Market partially because I knew the menu was featuring one of my favorite spring ingredients: asparagus!  Yes, I had just gotten back from a week in Munich where colossal white asparagus was everywhere, and I literally ate it every day, but, I wanted more asparagus.  Of course, I knew it would be green asparagus, but I was still all in.  

Dinner Menu.

The dinner menu at One Market evolved quite a bit since the pandemic began.  It still has all the signature One Market items, like the chickpea fries, Bradley's caesar salad, etc, a seasonal soup, and all the standard steak/chicken/seafood options.  No a la carte sides.  I was pleased to see an octopus starter still on the menu (although very different from the one I had my previous visit), and a great sounding halibut.

But the menu now has a section devoted to ... east coast Jewish deli favorites.  Yup, during the pandemic they pivoted to doing deli takeout, with house made pastrami, brisket, etc, classic deli sides like potato salad and slaw, and of course, homemade matzah ball soup.  People loved it, and thus, alongside all the fine dining choices, yes, you can get a reuben.  It makes the menu look a bit odd, but I love that they kept it.  

Zuckerman Farm's Asparagus Salad. $20.

"Egg mimosa, frisée, sherry vinaigrette."

I started with the asparagus dish I sought out, the asparagus salad.

The salad was a wonderful light start to the meal.  The frisee was fresh and crisp, lightly dressed.  There were a few tiny edible flowers for attractive garnish.  The asparagus, green asparagus from local Zuckerman's farm, was warm and clearly freshly grilled, with visible grill marks on it.  The pieces were about a half stalk each, some tops and some stems.  It was perfectly cooked, not too soft.  Also on top was a small amount of chopped hardboiled egg, which I guess was the "egg mimosa"?  The egg was a slight miss just in that there was very little of it, and it was easily lost in the frisee.  I'd love to see stronger egg component - perhaps in the dressing instead of just a vinaigrette?

The really remarkable thing about this salad was how well seasoned it was.  The salt & pepper level were just perfect.  I was provided my own individual shakers, but did not need them.

Overall though this was a very well executed salad, a great celebration of spring.  It showed clear care by the kitchen on getting the dressing level, seasoning, and garnishes right. ***+.

Grilled Spanish Octopus. $22.

"Roasted fennel, kalamata vinaigrette, grilled meyer lemon, pickled fresno chiles."

Next I opted for the octopus, which technically was another starter, but I had it as my main dish.  It too was delivered by bartender #2.  He instructed me to drizzle the lemon over it, to complete the dressing.  He also described the dish as he brought it out, noting the kalamata olives.  It arrived about 20 minutes after my salad first hit the table, or 10 minutes after I finished nibbling on the salad, nicely timed.

The presentation of the octopus was quite attractive, with chives on top, the lovely charred lemon slice on the side, and the octopus tendril laid out almost like a seahorse shape.

This dish was a mixed success.  The octopus, two pieces, one curled piece with the suckers, one larger and meatier, was quite tender. If anyone thinks they don't like octopus because it is chewy, they need to try this!  So very very tender.  I liked the lightly smoky flavor to it from the grill as well.  The octopus itself was a success.

The fennel under it however was really, really overdressed.  It was oily and felt very weighed down.  This was a stark contrast to how well (lightly!) dressed the asparagus salad had been.  The level of dressing was just over powering, and I really love fennel, but had a hard time eating this.  Maybe with some bread to cut the oil?  I did like the bits of pickled fresno chile in there for a tiny bit of heat.

On top was a plentiful amount of the kalamata olive, and, more oily dressing.  Again, this just felt heavy, and over powered the rest of the dish.

The octopus though, the star of the dish, was well prepared.  I'd definitely get octopus again at One Market, just perhaps with some different garnishes.  *** for the dish overall, **** for the octopus.

Dessert

If you read my blog regularly, you know that I kinda have a thing for desserts.  I grew up in a household that always had dessert after every meal (lunch and dinner), usually homemade.  The concept of not having dessert after every meal is foreign to me!

And thus, I clearly had to have dessert.  I was a bit apprehensive though, as I know the former pastry chef, and am a huge fan of his work, and I hoped his legacy lived on, but, I knew it wouldn't be the same.

Dessert Menu.

The dessert menu at One Market has a few "classic" items that have been on the menu ~forever.  I've had the famous butterscotch pudding and chocolate pot de creme before, and, as a pudding lover, I can vouch for them being decent.  The other classic, chocolate crunch cake, does get great reviews.

The other desserts change out seasonally, the winter/early spring lineup was strawberry shortcake (but, with chiffon cake, boo) and apple pie, in addition to a few house made ice cream options.

I decided to follow the meal with a trio of desserts - the apple hand pie, signature butterscotch pudding, and chocolate crunch cake.  Covering all bases!  And yes, of course I planned to take some home.

Famous Butterscotch Pudding. $9.

"Whipped cream, Mexican Wedding Cookie".

The butterscotch pudding, always a classic dessert at One Market, was everything it should be.  Simple, but perfectly executed.  Creamy, smooth, sweet but not cloying, real deep legit butterscotch flavor.  It reminded me of my grandmother, who always made homemade, labor intensive, butterscotch pudding pie when I was growing up.  And you know I adore pudding in general.   I loved the sweetened whipped cream on top.

This isn't life changing pudding, but, just classic item, done well.

I'm not really into Mexican Wedding cookies, so I don't have much to say about that, except it was a reasonable version of one, and I do see how they could go nicely with the pudding.

Reliable choice at One Market. ***+.

Chocolate Almond Toffee Crunch Cake
w/ Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. $10.

"Chocolate layer cake, sour cream-chocolate fudge icing, house-made toffee almond crunch."

I'm not usually one for chocolate desserts, but the chocolate almond toffee crunch cake gets rave reviews.  So I had to try it. It comes with a tiny scoop of vanilla ice cream as well.

It was ... ok.

The cake itself was average chocolate cake.  Not dry, but not particularly moist, not particularly rich, mild chocolate flavor.  Fine, but uninteresting.  The cake was two layers, with a thin layer of chocolate fudge frosting.  The frosting was good, nice and fluffy, not too sweet.  I didn't taste the underlying sour cream as described though.  Pretty average cake.

But, the cake was really only one part of this.  It was coated in the toffee almond crunch.  This is where it got interesting - big chunks of sweet toffee, sliced roasted almonds.  I definitely liked the textures and tons of crunch from these elements.  The fee was very sweet as you'd expect, but the toasted almonds balanced it out nicely.  

The plate also had a drizzle of average chocolate sauce, a little chocolate soil, and a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.  The ice cream was fine, again, fairly average, not particularly strong vanilla flavor.  I think a sour cream flavor ice cream, to better combat the sweet elements and compliment the aforementioned sour cream frosting, would be a nicer choice.

This was a unique token chocolate dessert - certainly more interesting than the standard molten lava cake.  I didn't think it came together all that well though.  I love cake and ice cream as a pairing, and I did really like the crunch coating, but all together ... less good than the individual parts.  Really, I enjoyed the ice cream + soil + crunch coating as a sundae more than the cake parts.

***.

Apple Hand Pie. $11.

"Vanilla bean ice cream, apple cider maple reduction."

Since two of my desserts both came with vanilla ice cream, and I knew One Market also makes four other flavors (hazelnut, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or caramelia), I asked to have one ice cream swapped out for the caramelia.

I really wanted to link this dessert more than I did.  I was totally craving apple pie.  I had just returned from Germany, the land of apple dessert (apple strudel, German style apple pie, apple all the things!), and, I was not sick of apple desserts.  Plus, I hoped it would be served warm (it was) and I just love pie and ice cream.

But ... it just wasn't actually that good.  The pastry is where it fell short - it wasn't particularly flaky nor buttery, and was quite crisp, lightly caramelized in places which was nice, but also borderline on dried out and over cooked/burnt.  Given the form factor of the item, the crust was a key component, and thus, it really let this dish down.

Inside was apple bits, not larger chunks as is more common in apple pie, but they seemed appropriate for the smaller "hand pie".  They weren't too mushy and were reasonably well spiced.  Not particularly noteworthy in any way.  There was a crumble on top and under the ice cream that added a bit of crunch as well.

The winning element of the dessert was the apple cider maple reduction.  It may not have looked like much, but the flavor was intense!  Sweet apple cider, in a lovely sweet sticky sauce.  I adored that sauce, and it went nicely with ice cream.

Speaking of ice cream - the scoop provided alongside here was tiny!  It was enough for 2-3 bites of pie only.  I also thought the caramelia went better with the chocolate crunch cake dessert than the apple pie, so I'd recommend sticking with vanilla for the apple pie.  Once I ran out of ice cream, I stole the whipped cream from my pudding to keep eating the pie, as it really needed something.

So, great sauce, mediocre pie.  **+.

Decaf Americano. $4.75.

My desserts were kinda letting me down, and eating quite sweet, so I asked for a decaf Americano to balance them out.  It was quickly made by the bartender (the espresso machine was behind the bar).

I was impressed with the Americano - double shot so nice and strong, and it lacked any decaf funk.  I really enjoyed it, the best part of the dessert, really.

****+.

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Dinner @ One Market Restaurant

Sigh.  Yes, another fantastic restaurant dined at (this time, when co-workers were in town visiting San Francisco, rather than me being on a business trip myself), but, yup, another dining experience in the midst of a very busy work week, a slew of social events, and thus, no time to write up my review after each dining adventure.  Of course though, I took great notes so I could write it up a few weeks later, but ... yup, another set of notes lost along the way.

So I present another mostly photos only "review" of a small group dinner at One Market, a Michelin starred restaurant in San Francisco that I had been to once before during SF Restaurant Week, always has a great menu, is located close to my office, AND had a pastry chef I knew.  It was a very easy choice for my dinner recommendation.

If you are familiar with it, it was at one point part of the Lark Creek Restaurant group (yes, like the Lark Creek Grill at SFO), although they had parted ways before this visit.

A Very Delicious Feast!

Our group of 3 opted to share everything, so I got to try 3 appetizers, 2 mains, and, uh, 5 desserts, and for the most part, they let me pick all the dishes.  I remember being blown away by literally every dish - flawless execution that lived up to the tempting sounding menu, fantastic sauces, and, yup, fabulous desserts.

I'll return in a heartbeat.

Setting

One Market is located at, um, One Market Street, right where Market Street meets the Embarcadero.  One whole side of the restaurant runs right down Embarcadero, with plentiful water and bridge views.

Dining Area.

One Market is a quite large restaurant, and it feels very spacious inside.  Seats along the window all have a waterfront view.

Rotisserie & Grill.

The concept is fairly open kitchen as well, with the grill and rotisserie right on display.

Place Settings.

Tables all came with candles.

Dinner

One Market is open for both lunch and dinner, every day, the former being the destination of many a power lunch, as it is regularly filled with suits, given the proximity to the Financial District, and its Michelin status.

Dinner Menu.

The menu at One Market is particularly large for a restaurant of its calibre, with a dozen starters, an equal number of mains, and additional sides.

A menu this large could be a bad sign, but, luckily, it was not.  Picking what to order however, was a challenge!

Bread & Butter.

 Bread and butter was served after our drinks, but I don't really recall much about it.

Starters

To start, we got 3 items to share.  It was remarkably hard to pick just 3 from the dozen options, as the menu was full of ingredients I love - chestnuts, crab in multiple dishes (local crab, it was in season, <3), accents like ponzu, quince, and even ... gingerbread, fascinating "pancetta vinaigrette", oh, and duck liver mousse of course ... so many great dishes to pick from.

Luckily, my dining companions trusted my judgement, and let me pick the 3 we would share, so I got my top 3 picks.

Roasted Autumn Squash Agnolotti. $16.

"Brown butter-balsamic reduction, gingerbread, hazelnuts."

I know, trendy foam aside, this was actually a fascinating and complex dish, housemade squash agnolotti, with insanely delicious brown butter-balsamic reduction, and, yup, gingerbread spicing, plus crunch from complimentary hazelnuts.

We were all impressed.

Hand-picked Dungeness Crab Salad. $18.

"Miso, citrus, seaweed."

Because I love local crab, and it was in season, of course we had to get it in some form, and I opted for the salad, to have a light dish, and really highlight the crab.  It featured a sauce I adored.

Grilled Octopus. $18.

"'Chorizo' purée, avocado chimichurri, parsley."

And finally, the one I was most excited for, the grilled octopus.  I really really love octopus, and it is fairly rare to find on menus, and, hard to get right.  As you can see, we had the avocado chimichurri on the side, as I'm allergic, but I still wanted my dining companions to get to experience the full dish.

It was beautifully grilled, smoky, and not chewy, everything I wanted it to be.

Main Courses

Since we had 3 starters, and had big dessert plans, we decided to just got two mains for our party of 3.  This too was a very hard decision, as the menu had a dozen main dishes too, and a slew of sides, and, much like the starters, there were highlights all around.  I had to look past the bacon wrapped tenderloin, the gnocchi, the swordfish, and even the halibut with sunchokes (zomg, such a Julie dish!).

Pan-Seared Red Snapper. $33.50.

"Kohlrabi kraut, apple purée, caramelized apple cider."

The group had a slight preference for the red snapper over the halibut, thus, I went with the group decision, and it did not lead us astray.  The crispy skin was beautiful, although, the wet kohlrabi kraut on top did somewhat defeat the purpose (Gordon Ramsey would NOT be pleased!).

Pan-seared Day Boat Scallops . $33.

"Persimmons, parsley root, asian pear."

You know how much I love scallops, and, persimmons, so this was a no brainer.  Perfectly seared, delicious and unique sauce.  Yes, yes, yes.

Dessert

I often say dessert is a highlight for me, but, in this case, I did actually pick One Market for the dessert, as I was familiar with the pastry chef, and couldn't wait to see his work in this setting.  Luckily, I had a group as execited about dessert as I was.

Dessert Menu.

The dessert menu is broken down into 4 sections, which I really appreciate.  First, the "Singular Sensations", with 5 options, sized smaller than traditional restaurant sized desserts, available as singles for $7.50 or a trio for $19.50.  I adore everything about this dessert size - perfect for when you just want a smaller treat to finish a big meal, or don't have anyone else at the table who wants to share desserts, or, when you do want plentiful dessert, but want to try a few.  Singular Sensations meet all those needs.

Then there are the "Signature Desserts", basically, large format normal restaurant desserts.  For one person, but, you know, larger size, often shared.  Next is the section devoted to "Frozen Treats", and then ... "Take me Home", yup, treats designed just to take home.  I think I love the fact that they include take home treats even more than the great portion size options!

Table of Desserts!

I was very happy that my dining companions were as willing as I was to indulge in desserts.  Two large, two smaller, for just 3 people was reasonable right?

Signature Dessert: Roasted Pear Galette. $11.

"Blackberry compote, vanilla bean ice cream."

First up, one of my picks, the seasonal fruit galette, served warm, with ice cream, and plenty of other goodies.  I remember loving the sauces and the brittle in particular.

Signature Desserts: Pumpkin Tart. $11.

"White chocolate-pumpkin mousse, bourbon caramel, pecan-praline cremeux."

Next, a super unique one, the "Pumpkin Tart", which, looked nothing like a classic tart.  If you expected just a small personal pumpkin pie or something, this was certainly not that.

It did actually have a tart base, and there was something sorta akin to a pumpkin pie layer inside, but, there was much, much more.

Pumpkin Tart: Inside.

Here you can see all the glory - the tart base, the pumpkin layer, but also it was all surrounded by the white chocolate pumpkin mousse (so fluffy!), there was a pecan-praline cremeux dome inside as well, plus the stunning glossy enrobing.  Throw in some bourbon caramel, snow, candied nuts ... and, yeah, swoon.

Clearly so much love (and likely R&D!) went into this. 

Singular Sensations: Mint Espresso Cheesecake. $7.50.

"Mint cream, chocolate sauce, chocolate streusel."

We moved on to the cheesecake, this one a "singular sensation", so as you can see, it is still a perfectly adequately size dessert, one that most folks would feel completed their meal well, and wouldn't consider it mini.

Singular Sensations: Bradley's Butterscotch Pudding. $7.50.

"Chantilly cream, pecan wedding cookie."

And last, this is the most famous dessert at One Market, it has been on the menu ~forever, a signature item from their head chef, that has followed him from restaurant to restaurant.  And since I adore pudding, you know this was a must-have for me anyway (and, I've had it before, at one of their sister restaurants).

It is a signature item for a reason, textbook consistency, not to sweet but plenty sweet, and the pecan wedding cookie on the side pairs remarkably well.

Caramels.

And yup, of course we got caramels to take home!  Soft, sweet, buttery, <3

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The Blind Pig, London

A hidden speakeasy.  Reservations required, far in advance.  Amazing cocktails, including ones that come with mini kettle corn containers attached to them.  Bar snacks by a Michelin starred kitchen.  Um, yes?

The moment I heard about The Blind Pig, the upstairs cocktail bar that shares a kitchen with the Michelin starred Social Eating House, I knew I wanted to visit.  I quickly worked it into my plans for my few days in London.  It also seemed like a great place to bring a small group of coworkers, as the cocktail program is a highlight and bar snacks seemed like crowd pleasers.

So, weeks in advance of my visit, I made a speculative booking for Friday night for six of us, and knew I could fill the seats.  I easily did, and we found our way there on a rainy, dreary, London evening.

Crazy Cocktails, Amazing Bites.

Overall, it was a success.  The cocktails tasted as good, or better, than they sounded or looked.  Service was fast.  The food was excellent.  But ... the place is not designed for groups, so, we did have a bit of an awkward evening with the seating.  Still, I'd gladly return.

Setting

"Opticians" Sign.

The Blind Pig, is, sorta a hidden speakeasy.  I say sorta because it isn't *that* secret.  There is no signage for the actual establishment, and it is reservation only, but, as I said, it is well known.  It is located above the Social Eating House, which does have a real sign.

I knew what to expect though, so the random "opticians" sign, plus the pig knocker on the door, didn't take me by surprise.  Of *course* this is where we were going.  After 6pm, there is also a doorman, with a strict guest list, blocking the entrance.

Quote from The Eagle, Alfred Lord Tennyson.

To reach The Blind Pig, you go up a stairwell, with a quote from Alfred Lord Tennyson glowing in red.  I'm not sure the connection.

The restaurant is on the ground floor, the bathrooms, wine cellar, and I think the kitchen, below.

Bar.

Given that the cocktail program is the big focus of The Blind Pig, the bar is a constant flurry of activity, with multiple suspender-clad bartenders in constant action.

There are a handful of seats at the bar, but these too are by reservation.  You don't just walk in here.

Interior.

The place is small, and it is cramped.  Most seats are tables for two, with small wooden tables, appropriate for having a cocktail and a little food.  We were a group of 6 however, and, uh, we had a smaller table, really, just a tiny cocktail table, barely large enough to hold 6 drinks, let alone any food.  I clearly hadn't done my research well enough, as I thought that we too would have a table, but, there really were not any bigger spaces.  Just tables for two, and a handful of coves like we had.

The interior of the restaurant featured wood everywhere - wood floors, wood tables, wood chairs, even wood walls and ceiling panels.  Dark tones, and dimly light with candles on the tables, and fancy lights with exposed bulbs that had visual filament.  It somehow didn't feel that trendy though, as it had some kind of elegance to it as well.

How I failed to get a photo of our table is beyond me, but, we basically had a curved leather bench for four of us, a itty bitty little table in the middle, and two more wooden chairs.  It was certainly an awkward setup, on a number of levels.  For one, the table was lower than us, so, all eating required bending over strangely to reach.  Second, well, as I said, it wasn't big enough for our drinks, and certainly not for food.  Our server did bring a second, even tinier table that he perched near the two in chairs that helped at least move their drinks off the main table, and we strategically ordered food slowly so that we'd only have one item at any given time (all was share plates), but it also meant that we had absolutely no room for any share plates, turning the entire meal into finger food ... when it wasn't necessarily designed to be that.  More on this soon.

So, yes, awkward and not ideal for a group.  I'd recommend a visit with only one other person, but, we made it work.

The room was also very loud.  Our group was close together, given our teeny tiny table, but it was still hard to hear each other.

The service was great though.  As busy as the place was, and as complicated as the food and drinks were, everything came out at a reasonable pace.  I really expected that we'd order cocktails and wait 20-30 minutes, and even ordered my second one before I was done the first, as I expected a lot of lag.  They really have service down here, and we were never left wanting for anything, well, besides a bigger table.

So the downsides were all due to the setup.  The cocktails, food, and service totally made up for it though, and I had a great time.  I'd love to return, just, uh, with a smaller group.

Bathroom Sinks.

Yup, I'm including bathroom photos, which you know means I have something to say about the bathrooms.  First, look at the sink area.  Maybe this is just old London style, but the tiles and woodwork were really quite striking to me.

Stalls.

But even more striking?  The stalls.

Each located behind a wooden paneled door, with more tile work, and a wooden toilet seat (!).

Pull Chain Flush.

It took me a moment to figure out how to flush.  The tank, as you saw, is elevated about the toilet.  Hanging from it is a wooden handle on a chain.  I thought that must just be for looks, and assumed the little toggle on the wall was the actual flush.  Nope.  Pull chain it is.

Cocktails

The Blind Pig is, at its core, a cocktail bar, so that is where we began our evening.  

We only had a table for <2 hours (we arrived a tiny bit late), we were all able to order several cocktails, and everyone was impressed with their drinks.   The cocktail menu was unique and quirky, but, the drinks tasted good, even if they looked a bit ridiculous, and that is what mattered.

Cocktail Menu.

The cocktail menu is quite impressive.  I wanted nearly every drink.  Every single one had interesting elements, ranging from avocado puree, broccoli tincture, and tortilla chips in the Wholly Guacamole to Skittles washed Ketel One vodka in the Kindergarden Cup.

They even had a section for "Designated Drivers",and they weren't just fruit juices.

Silver Screen. 10€.

"Popcorn infused Buffalo Trace bourbon, Bespoke-a-cola reduction, “3D” bitters, lemon oils, snacks."

The Silver Screen was the drink I had my sights set on before I visited.  I saw photos in advance, and I knew that it came with a little container of kettle corn (!) attached to it.  Plus, um, how awesome does popcorn infused bourbon sound?  I'm obsessed with popcorn ...

But once at The Blind Pig, I read the full description more closely, and saw that it had "bespoke-a-cola", which I assumed was caffeinated, and thus, not for me.  In fact, far too many of the awesome sounding drinks had caffeine in them.

Anyway, one of my dining companions ordered the Silver Screen, and I was able to steal a little of the kettle corn.  It was pretty standard kettle corn, but still ridiculously fun to include clipped onto the drink, in its own mini popcorn bowl, attached via a tiny clothespin.

One diner said the kettle corn was his favorite dish of the night, but I think he was slightly exaggerating. 

Porch Side. 9.5€.

"Buffalo Trace Bourbon, grapefruit, lime, raspberry."

For my first cocktail, I went with the Porch Side, a bourbon drink with grapefruit, lime, and raspberry, garnished with a big slice of fresh ruby red grapefruit.  I selected this mostly because I was quite curious how the bourbon would go with all the fruity elements.

I was pretty surprised by the result.  Somehow, I was able to taste grapefruit, lime, and raspberry, all distinctly.  It was a fairly balanced drink, not too fruity, not too boozy, and I thought it was good, until I had my next drink ...

Are you a Mexican or a Mexican’t? 9.5€.

"Olmeca Altos blanco tequila, Aperol, grapefruit, lime juice, elderflower, Tabasco salt solution."

For my next cocktail, I went tequila based, for a drink that sounded a bit odd, and I'm really not sure why I picked it, besides that I was sorta feeling in a tequila mood (hmm, that happens?)

I loved this cocktail, one of the best cocktails I've ever had.   There was a ton of flavor, with each element perfectly complimenting the others.  The "tabasco salt solution" gave it a slight kick, but just in a way that enhanced everything else.  It was just this hint of spice that gave it quite a complex undertone.  The grapefruit and lime made it quite sour, in a way that made my mouth pucker, but, then there was some sweetness to balance that too.  And of course, the tequila, plenty boozy enough to taste the tequila, but just enough to appreciate it, not regret a long night of drinking.

 It came garnished with another slice of grapefruit, plus a large chunk of lime and a little flower.

I really, really liked this cocktail, and would get another in an instant.

Buck Stops Here. 9.5€.

"Bulleit Rye, Fernet Branca, lemon, maple ale reduction, ginger ale charge, Benjamin Franklin."

I didn't try this one, it belonged to a dining companion, but, seriously, little tiny $100 bills were attached, using the same mini clothespins.  The drinks may look like they were kinda silly in the garnishes, but, they delivered in taste, so I don't care.

Designated Driver: Due Dill-Igence. 9€

"Seedlip Garden 108, elderflower cordial, ginger syrup, fresh dill, cucumber, smoked salt, lemon juice."

Our non-drinking diner tried several Designating Driver drinks, and I didn't manage to take photos of the others, nor even try them.  To be honest, I was too busy with my amazing cocktails, or, with the elaborate garnishes on others.  This one was cute though, again with a mini clip, this time holding on a sprig of fresh dill.

Food

The Blind Pig shares a kitchen with the Michelin starred Social Eating house.  I had high hopes for their elevated takes on bar snacks, even if the menu still read as fairly standard offerings.

The cuisine lived up to my hopes.

Food Menu.

Amusingly, the food menu is a fraction of the length of the drink menu.  Again, cocktail focus, but, that does not mean the food was an afterthought.

The menu is arranged as "Bites", nicely shareable bar snacks, "Jars", dips and spreads that come in jars, "Steaks", uh, steaks, and "Sundaes", some token desserts.  Steaks seemed totally out of place on the menu, and, since we had no space for food in the first place, we certainly couldn't order a steak, so, we skipped that section of the menu entirely.  We also skipped the desserts, even though I'm a dessert lover, the Pimm's Sundae with orange sorbet didn't really inspire me, and the only other option was a very chocolately B52 Sundae with a chocolate brownie and espresso syrup, both of which I didn't want at night (although, the Bailey's ice cream certainly sounded great!)

So, we stuck with the Bites, and, one selection from the Jars.

Bites

The majority of the food menu is "Bites", which includes small little bar snacks, like olives, prawn crackers, and fried padron peppers, plus some fun things like a chorizo dog, fish & chips, and fried chicken.

We started with a few Bites, some of which I doubled up on in our initial order since I knew the dishes were small.  Some were so good that we immediately ordered more.  All the dishes came quickly, so it was easy to keep ordering more as we figured out how much more we wanted.

Duck fat chips, curry aioli. 5.50€.

The first thing I ordered for the group was simple: duck fat chips.  Nearly every review of the food at The Blind Pig mentioned these, so, it seemed like we needed to get them.  Plus, um, perfect bar snack.

The chips arrived piping hot.  Like, burn your fingers as you picked them up hot.  They were super thick, large format chips, with a perfectly crispy exterior, and a very fluffy interior.  They were a touch oily, but only in a I-just-came-out-of-a-fryer way, not in a greasy way.

The curry aioli was, well, curry aioli.  I am not a fan of curry, so, I was a bit sad no other dipping sauce came with them.

Overall though, nicely executed, and a fairly classic British offering of nicely prepared chips with a Indian curry influence.

You can see a sense of scale here though with our tiny table.  Yes, these were large chips, but, the chips, the curry, and the little candle that were on the table took up the entire table.  There were 6 cocktails on their way (the chips actually arrived before our drinks), and more food soon to follow.  We did away with the candle, and the one plate/knife/fork we were provided, and covered our laps with napkins.  Most of us managed not to spill *too* much, but, uh, Ojan's shirt did not escape unharmed.

Beer battered fish & chips, vinegar powder, Tartare sauce. 9€.

Soon after the chips, our drinks arrived, and our table was overflowing.  And then the fish & chips arrived, which I had wisely doubled up on.  As soon as the first one of these hit the table, we realized how awkward the food situation was going to get.  I demanded that someone finish the chips, to at least clear that dish off the table.

The fish and chips came with large chunks of fish, battered and fried, plus more of the same chips.  Had I realized that the exact same chips would come with the fish & chips, I would have skipped the initial order of chips, and wish the server had warned us.  This dish came with a bowl of ketchup and a bowl of tartare sauce though, no curry aioli, so, maybe he thought we really wanted that curry aioli?  It also came with lemon to squeeze over the fish.

Anyway, the fish and chips was fascinating.  The coating was unlike anything I've had before.  It was sorta like tempura, yet lighter, more airy, if that makes any sense.  Yet it was crazy crispy.  I really can't explain it.  The fish inside was moist and mild.

The tartare sauce was nicely done, thick, loaded with little bits of pickle and I think capers.

Everyone was very impressed with this dish.  One diner couldn't get over exclaiming just how notable the fry job was.  How fresh it was.  He loved it, and quickly had us order another round.  This was a very easily sharable dish, since we could all take our own fish chunks and chips, and reasonably priced at 9€.

This was the favorite dish of 2 diners, and the popcorn lover's second (um, behind the popcorn).

Chorizo dog, Monterey jack, onion jam, fermented cabbage. 8€.

And then ... something far less sharable, but, I adore hot dogs, and I needed to try this chorizo dog.  Of course, I doubled up on these as well.

Our server brought the two chorizo dogs, and started to walk away.  "Uh ... could we have a knife?", I suggested.  I'm really not sure what he thought we were going to do with two chorizo dogs, no cutlery, and no plates.  He had told us everything was for sharing and would come as it was ready, and we had indicated we were sharing everything.  Each chorizo dog was a full size hotdog, a bit strange to have as something considered a "Bite" on the menu.

He returned with a knife and fork, and we used them to cut each dog into thirds, somehow managing not to totally mangle it, and I'm not really sure how.

On the side were two little squirt bottles, that looked like ketchup and mustard, but we were quickly told that the orange one was paprika aioli, not mustard.   The wooden plank was a cute serving vessel.

Chorizo Dog: Side View.

As we awaited our silverware, everyone admired the chorizo dogs.  One person made a comment about a pickle spear on it, but I assured him there was no pickle spear.  Others agreed that there was something just under the cabbage layer that looked like a pickle.  I quickly identified it as the mozzarella, an element they all forgot was part of the dog, but of course I had written down.

So, what did we have here?

A thing of beauty, really.  A soft fluffy, slightly sweet, brioche bun.  A chorizo dog, topped with a layer of ridiculously flavorful, delicious, onion jam.  A thick layer of melted Monterey jack cheese.  Tons of flavorful, crispy, slightly fermented, cabbage on top.

This was actually really delicious.  I loved the soft fluffy bun, I loved the flavorful onion jam, the gooey cheese, and the fresh cabbage topping.  The only thing I didn't love?  The chorizo dog itself.  It was a thin thing, and I didn't like the texture, which seemed kinda gristly to me.  Others liked it though, so, maybe I just got a bad chunk?

Even so, this was my favorite dish, along with two others, so, the overall top dish.  I would have gladly had more than my third, or another chunk, but we opted not to order another, just because it was too annoying to split.

Fried chicken, ponzu, mirin, soy. 7€.

I don't eat chicken, but, the others were all eyeing the fried chicken, so, we put in an order for it.  It came with 4 chunks, for our group of 6.  It was no problem since I didn't want a chunk, but, the other 5 did.  I really felt our server could have a done a better job guiding us here.

Anyway, I didn't try the chicken, but the others liked it, said it was crispy and moist.  They ordered another round.  It was the second pick for one diner.

I still didn't try the chicken, but, I did try the jalapeños (yum!), and the dipping sauce.  You can't see it, but, the entire bowl that the fried chicken skewer is setting on is filled with a ponzu/mirin/soy sauce.  The sauce was very flavorful as you'd expect given those ingredients, and a bit salty.

Jars

The "Jars" section of the menu contains 5 different jars.  Most are spreads or dips, like duck rillette (spelt "rillet" on the menu), salmon rillette (this one spelt "rilette"), and hummus.  Those are all served, in jars, in the main restaurant too, as starterts.

But there was also ... mac & cheese.  In a jar?  Obviously, not a very sharable item, but, I had heard great things about the mac and cheese.  A version of this, not in a jar, is served in the main restaurant as an actual entree (yup, Michelin star mac and cheese), so, even though a bit strange to order for a group, we did it anyway.  Granted, if we had any share plates or any space, it really would not have been a problem.  But of course, our server just brought us the jar, with one set of silverware, and started to walk away.  I at least asked for more silverware, not that I had any idea what we'd really do with it.

Then I remembered that we had been brought a jug of water and little cups.  We didn't use them, since we didn't have space on the table, but I figured they would work to serve some mac into.  Except, lols, we were only given 3 cups for our group of 6.  Still, 3 cups, and the one big jar, got us closer to 6.

Mac & cheese, shaved mushroom 9€ + truffle (7€).

The mac normally comes with shaved mushrooms on top, but there is an option to add on truffle.  Our truffle-hater inquired if it was real truffle, not truffle oil, as you know he loathes truffle oil.  We were told that it was real truffle, shaved on top.  So, we added it, because, why not, right?

Our mac came with a decent portion of shaved truffle on top.  It was very fragrant.  While we sat waiting for silverware, we enjoyed the earthy aromas.

Under the truffles was a layer of other mushrooms.  The menu said "shaved mushrooms" but these were not shaved mushrooms.  The menu for the main restaurant lists girolles too, aka, chanterelles, and I'm pretty sure that is what these were.  They seemed ... dried?  Fried?  I'm not sure, but they were super crispy, and added a crunch on top, as you'd expect to come from a bread crumb topping.  Several members of my group actually thought there was bread crumbs in here, but I'm pretty sure the texture all came from the mushrooms on top.  The chanterelles were also crazy salty.  I liked the salt level, but, I can easily see it being a big much for some.  Chef's palette required.

The mac was very large elbows, nicely cooked, in a fairly creamy sauce.  It wasn't super cheesy, but I think that is just me being used to fake cheese powder and its intense flavor.  It also wasn't stringy.  The sauce tasted more like actual cheese and cream, plus, uh, truffle oil.  I'm pretty sure there was truffle oil in here too.  Doh.

Overall, I thought this was fairly tasty, a very grown up version of mac and cheese, which really should be called something more like "elbow macaroni with truffle oil infused Monterey Jack cream sauce, topped with crispy chanterelles" ... or something.  It wasn't really mac and cheese, but that isn't a bad thing.  Still, no one's top pick of the night.

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