Z. Cioccolato

Update Review, 2022

Z.Cioccolato is a landmark to me in North Beach.  I think I discovered it during one of my first visits, and, given that it is an emporium of chocolate, candy, and, zomg, popcorn (specifically, fresh caramel corn), it just stands out in my mind.  I finally visited again after several years, and must remember to do so again, as the products really are quite good. 

Caramel Corn. (Complimentary).

As I noted in my original review, the aroma when you walk in to Z. Cioccolato is *amazing*.  And that aroma?  The caramel corn.  Sure, I didn't love it before, but I was still thrilled to discover that my order included ... a bonus bag of caramel corn.  Since I had ordered online, it was not hot and fresh however.

As before, it was decent enough caramel corn.  Well coated, deep enough caramel flavor.  Not caramel *kettle* corn, no salty component to it, just regular caramel corn. 

Basically, good enough, but not particularly notable actually, which is surprising given just how good it smells.

***.

Caramel Corn. (Complimentary).

Another day, another order, another bag of free caramel corn automatically included with my order.

This time it came in a classic paper popcorn bag.

I always find this sweet, with rich flavored caramel, nicely crispy but ... somehow lackluster.  At room temp that is.

Then I pop it in my freezer, and DEVOUR it in one sitting a few days later.  Not sure what it is, but this one gets dramatically better once frozen.

But yes, very sweet, sooooo much caramel, and not caramel corn. **** when frozen.

Chocolates

The caramel corn however is not actually the focus of the shop.  They carry a wide range of candy, including tons of homemade taffy and fudge, along with chocolates, and chocolate dipped things.  Only some of the chocolate items are made in-house.

Dark Chocolate Creamy PB Cup $4.25.

I was seriously impressed when I saw the peanut butter cups.  Yes, huge.  Enrobed in what looked like quality shiny dark chocolate.  And all that sea salt on top?  YES.

Dark Chocolate Creamy PB Cup (Side View).

"HUGE Hand-Dipped, not machine packaged Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups."

They are not joking when they say this is HUGE.  My photo isn't great, but, um, this the the deepest peanut butter cup I've ever seen.  Like, 1/2 cup of peanut butter.  No joke.

The chocolate shell was good.  Very thick, smooth, dark chocolate.  A slightly sweeter style.  The touch of salt accented the peanut butter inside quite well.

I couldn't wait to get into it.

Dark Chocolate Creamy PB Cup: Inside.

"Hand Made with our own secret PB Filling recipe in our shop in North Beach."

The inside was ... well, peanut butter.  Sooo much peanut butter.

It was fairly thick peanut butter, smooth not chunky, but didn't seem particularly creamy.  It was fine, it was peanut butter after all, but, it didn't really compare to my favorite peanut butters.

On their own, these were all "fine" components, not extraordinary, but the end result was really pretty tasty, and fun to eat just due to its sheer size.

****, and I'd get this again.

Strawberry Truffle. $3.50.

"Summer fields of strawberries warmed by the sun. Nothing is better than fresh fruit picked off the vine. We’ve taken our favorite flavor, blended it with white chocolate ganache and wrapped it in a dazzling dark shell. Temptation is great and there is not a soul that can resist the abundance of a summer harvest. This combination of freshness and silkiness is a morsel of sunshine."

I actually pre-ordered a cherries jubilee truffle, but ... apparently they were out of those, so the guy substituted a strawberry truffle.  Not what I would have picked, at all.  Many of the other truffles sounded great, but strawberry?  Eh.  Oh well.  He also gave me some cherry cordials to make up for it.

This turned out to be pretty awesome, but not at all what I expected.  And not actually made by Z. Cioccolato. A little quick internet research led me to Le Grand Confectionary, in Sacramento, as the source.

Inside was smooth, creamy, white chocolate ganache, with subtle strawberry flavor, layered with some swirls of chocolate.  The shell, dark chocolate, was glossy, had a great snap, high quality.

The strawberry flavor wasn't particularly strong, and there was no obvious strawberry, no goo, no gel, etc, but, it did have a fruity sweetness to it, and the texture of the ganache was fabulous.

This is a fairly massive piece, hard to see in this photo, but certainly not just a few bites.  I liked it, but would really love to try a flavor I picked instead.

***+.

Cherry Cordials (Complimentary).

Inside my box was also bonus cherry cordials, one each, dark and milk.

It turns out, the cherry cordials are exactly what I was hoping for from the sold out Cherries Jubilee truffle, so, I was quite pleased when I (cautiously) bit in.

Dark Chocolate:

Inside was a juicy maraschino cherry, in a sweet cherry syrup.  Intense cherry flavor, intense sweetness.  The dark chocolate shell was a bit thicker than I expected, but likely necessary insurance against the insides pouring out too easily.  A sweeter dark chocolate style.

Overall, well, just a classic cherry cordial, and I enjoyed it. ***.

Milk Chocolate:

Very similar to the dark chocolate, although there seemed to be far less syrup inside, less of a flow of sweetness as I bit in.  Milk chocolate was average, not particularly notable.

Overall, kinda boring really.  **+.

Original Review, August 2016

If you've walked through North Beach, you've likely passed by Z.Cioccolato.  And if you were me, you'd obviously be drawn in.  Why?  Well, for one, the smell of fresh caramel corn floats out onto the side.  Second, also out on that sidewalk is a big sign saying "Free Fudge Samples!"  And third, if you peak inside, all you see is candy and sweets.  Oh yes.

Z. Cioccolato is a candy shop, self proclaimed "The Sweetest Spot in North Beach", which is likely true.  They have a vast array of candy, bins and bins of candy, mostly priced by the pound.  They also have bins and bins of taffy, that they make in house, in more varieties than you can imagine.  The front counter also includes an assortment of chocolate items, like giant peanut butter cups and many varieties of chocolate bark, and of course, the fudge with samples.  Oh, and gelato.

I've visited many times to pick up candy, and to uh, try some fudge samples (I mean, how do you not?)  They also used to encourage you to try all the taffy you wanted while in the store, a very dangerous offer given how long I'd spend browsing.  I always left with a ridiculous sugar high.

Anyway, the fudge is all fine, as is the taffy, but, I don't think I ever took notes on that stuff.  Its just candy.  But ... the caramel corn, that is another story.  You know how much I love snacks, and, popcorn in particular!

Caramel Corn.  Free!

When you enter Z. Cioccolato, there is an amazing aroma.  It is what drew me in the first time, as it wafted down the street outside.  Caramel corn.  Fresh popped caramel corn.  ZOMG.

I was really tempted to purchase a bag of it, as they had sealed bags of caramel corn displayed all around the shop, $3 each.  But I know that I'm a complete caramel corn snob, and I figured it wouldn't live up to my desires, and there were too many other sweets that I wanted instead.

But, luckily for me, it turns out, they give you a free small bag of fresh popped caramel corn with a $5 purchase.  Yes!

It was totally hot and fresh, literally right out of the popper.  Which, wasn't just lucky timing on my part, they actually pop it fresh every 15 minutes.  Clearly they realized the smell draws people in, and whatever isn't purchased immediately, they bag up, forming the bags I saw all over the place.  So, protip, don't ever get one of the pre-bagged ones, you can always get it fresher if you want it.

Anyway, it was decent caramel corn.  The caramel was a bit more on the burnt tasting side than I prefer, and it didn't have that strong of a buttery flavor, but the kernels were well coated, and it was hot, fresh, and free.  Hard to disagree with that.  I'm glad I decided not to splurge and get the $3 bag though, I would have been disappointed.  I won't buy it again, but if I'm offered a free bag again in the future, I'd obviously take it.

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Dianda's Italian American Pastry

Dianda's is a fairly well known Italian bakery in San Francico, opened in 1962, by Mr. and Mrs. Dianda.  I believe it was originally in North Beach, but now is located in the Mission, with a second site in San Mateo.  It is still family owned.

"Dianda's specializes in traditional Italian baking at it's finest. "

They are known for Italian cakes (all the classics, like Napoleons, tiramisu, black forest, etc), cookies-by-the-pound, and eclairs and cream puffs, however they also make a large lineup of croissants, danishes, turnovers, muffins, and more.  As a lover of baked goods, it is these items that I tried, but after learning more about Dianda's, I definitely want to try their cakes (particularly one from their tres leches lineup - like, mango!)

Visit #1: July 2021

Too Good To Go Mystery Bag:
Apple Turnover, Croissant, Raspberry Ring, Apricot Almond Shortbread.

I didn't actually visit Dianda's myself - my goodies came from Le Sandwich, a sandwich shop in North Beach, that carries pastries from Dianda's. 

I got my goodies using Too Good To Go, the service that lets you reserve a mystery bag for discounted price, to "rescue" food that may otherwise go to waste.  In this case, it was $4.99 for an assortment of pastries, and I needed to collect it after 1pm, when folks generally stop picking up breakfast pastries.  Still freshly made that morning by Dianda's.

My mystery bag was 4 massive pastries, all of which shared some similar attributes: clearly slightly not fresh, massive, and far above average quality.   Flaky, flaky, flaky, and sooo messy, but so very good.

I instantly wanted to learn more about Dianda's.

Croissant.

Dianda's makes several kinds of filled croissants, such as the twice baked almond croissant with frangipane inside, and a pain au chocolat, but my mystery bag contained a plain croissant.  It looked rather unassuming, aside from being a bit large, and I wasn't particularly excited by it.

But the moment I ripped off a chunk I realized I shouldn't have judged the simple croissant just based on its exterior.  It was a very good croissant.  Yes, just a plain croissant, but one of the most well made I've had in ages.  It had a lovely shine on top as well.

Croissant: Cross Section.

Here you can see a cross section of the croissant.  This what the interior of a croissant *should* look like.  Perfectly laminated.  It was this cross section that really showed me that Dianda's is not messing around!  It left flakes behind, just like it should.

Quality croissant, far above average for the US, ****.

Raspberry Twist Ring.

The next item I was actually most excited by, thrilled that it wound up in my mystery bag.  A traditional Italian pastry, the raspberry twist ring.  I wish I had another item in the photo for scale to show how big this was, the diameter was quite impressive.

It was crazy flaky, and made a huge mess as I cut off a chunk.  So buttery.  So flaky.  Again, quality pastry.  The raspberry filling was twisted in, fruity, but kinda too sweet.  It somewhat reminded me of the filling in a jelly donut.  It also had some streusel like bits.

Overall I felt slightly let down by this, as it looked so amazing, but I felt a bit bored by it.  Clearly, it was well made, again, sooooo flaky, but it seemed a bit dry, and, well, like it needed to be paired with a coffee, or perhaps a scoop of ice cream to tame the sweetness.

***.

Apple Turnover.

Next was another stunner, a lovely glaze on top, mighty size, and, serious heft.  A turnover, which turned out to be apple.  Picking this up was a shock: it was quite heavy, a reflection of both its oversized nature, and just how generously stuffed with apple it was.

The pastry was, simply put, perfection.  Epically flaky.  Epically messy.  The layers.  Oh the layers.  Such quality pastry.  I liked the sweet glaze too of course.

It had a little peekaboo hole that revealed the apple filling inside, chunks of apple, in a goo, well spiced.  The apples had a nice bite too them, not too soft.  It was very generously filled too, no skimping here.

Apple turnovers, or turnovers in general, aren't really items I get all that excited by, but this was a far above average version.  Even better when I warmed it up a bit, and added vanilla ice cream ... mmm, flaky apple pie a la mode!

***+.

Apricot Almond Shortbread Tartlet.

My final item I was slightly unsure of.  From the top, it looked like it should be a danish or tart.  But, it seemed to be a cookie.  A thick cookie.  With fruit filling?  And a ring?  And sliced almonds?

My research leads me to believe this is called a "shortbread tartlet", basically a thick, crumbly, buttery shortbread base, that could easily be a complete dessert on its own, a fabulous shortbread cookie, but then, a generous amount of sweet apricot preserves, like you'd find in a danish, a scattering of sliced almonds for crunch, and, a sorta crispy shortbread ring around the top?

It is certainly unlike anything I've had before, it reminded me a jam thumbprint cookie in spirt, except totally and completely taken to the max.  The cookie was huge, the filling was significant, it just seemed, like the turnover, ring, and croissant before it, supersized.

I was pretty fascinated by this, and enjoyed the quality shortbread and fruity filling, always a good pairing.  I wouldn't ever seek out a shortbread cookie, but, if I were to, I'd certainly be pleased with this one.

***+.

Visit #2: September 2021

My next visit was again actually to Le Sandwich, and was again through Too Good To Go.

Too Good To Go Mystery Bag. $4.99.

My Too Good To Go "mystery bag" was again 4 large size pastries, selected for me by the owner.

This time I got 3 croissants (plain, almond, chocolate) and a slice of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.  Of the assortment, only the plain croissant was a repeat from my prior visit, and I was glad to try new items.

All were again high quality, and tasted quite fresh this time.  The croissants were comically massive.  $4.99 for the loot was a great value, and I was quite pleased, although I preferred the treats in my previous bag more.

Plain Croissant.

The only repeat item I had, a plain croissant.

It tasted even fresher this time, but was otherwise the same - a light, fluffy, soft style, not a harder flaky style like more classic french croissants (you know the kind, they make a huge mess!).  It had a lovely buttery flavor to it.

Side note: I think, technically, this is a cornetto, not a croissant, as it seems to be the softer Italian style, not crispy flaky French style, and, well, is made by an Italian bakery.

***, a nice item, good for dunking in coffee, or making a breakfast sandwich on.

Almond Croissant.

The almond croissant was just slightly over-baked - the top a touch too dark, and the slivers of almond on top had a slightly burnt taste.  But otherwise, this was much like the plain croissant: light, fluffy, buttery, a decent base croissant.  It was also ridiculously large, bigger than the standard pastry bag it came quasi-contained within.

Inside was almond paste, which gave a nice subtle almond flavor, but was mostly just quite sweet.  There was no bits of almonds nor grit, it was a smooth paste, and there was quite a lot of it.

Overall, a fine item, but I usually prefer the "twice baked" style of almond croissant with far more generous filling and topping.

***.

Chocolate Croissant.

Dianda's makes two chocolate croissant items ... one, a pain au chocolate, that is not a crescent shape, and is filled with the expected batons of chocolate, and this one, which looked much like the almond version, just with a little bit of chocolate drizzled on top.

Again, much like the almond and plain versions, it was soft, fluffy, and buttery, and tasted quite fresh.  It was even BIGGER than the previous two.  I wish I had something to show the scale, but, this is easily the size of 2, if not 3, regular sized croissants.

I was curious what I'd find inside, given that I knew Dianda's made the traditional pain au chocolate too, and this had little embellishment on top.

Chocolate Croissant: Inside.

The outside of this croissant looked pretty boring, just a light drizzle of chocolate, so I cut into it, and found the expected chocolate filling.

The chocolate was not distinct bars like you sometimes find, and was ... fine?  I instantly knew that this would be better warmed up though.

Chocolate Croissant: Deeper Inside.

I cut off another section to heat it up, and was met with great surprise.

Oh wow.  They were not messing around with the chocolate!  It honestly looked like a brownie inside.

Since this item was sooo massive, it had sections that could appeal to those with different tastes - the very end was more plain, the center more filled.  I've never seen a chocolate croissant with quite this much filling.

***.

Chocolate Cake with fudge frosting.

The slice of cake was a nice change from the croissants, but it was a fairly lackluster cake.

Light, fluffy, not dried out, but not particularly deep flavor, and the chocolate fudge frosting isn't the style I prefer (I'm a buttercream girl!).

A fine item though, and I served it warm a la mode at home, so the frosting turned into more like hot fudge, and that worked quite nicely.

***.

Visits #3 and #4, March and October 2022

Too Good To Go Mystery Bag. $4.99.
March 2022.

After many months of not using Too Good To Go, I had a rare day off, the sun was shining, and I decided to take advantage of both to venture back to Le Sandwich to get some more baked goods.

Since my last visit, Le Sandwich had introduced new baked goods to the menu: Swedish buns, known as "fika", that they get through a local supplier who makes these and only these.  Reviewers love them, so I was hopeful my bag would contain some.  Note: while Le Sandwich, and the local baker, call them "fika", that term doesn't actually refer to a specific baked good ... but I'm going to use the nomenclature they do, just for ease.

I was delighted to look in my mystery bag.  I did indeed have not only one, but two different fika buns, plus a special hot cross bun (it was nearly Easter), and a big fluffy croissant (which I had before).  The croissant, and I think the hot cross bun, are produced by Dianda's.

Too Good To Go Mystery Bag. $4.99.
October 2022.

Again, many months passed, but I was in the mood for pastries, and selected Le Sandwich as my TGTG destination again.

As he handed me my bag, Elias, the owner, told me he put a fika in the bag, which I definitely appreciated.  I'd already seen him grab the croissant and pain au chocolate, and was pleased to get to try a muffin for the first time.

Croissant (March)

Every mystery bag I've gotten from Le Sandwich has contained a plain croissant, and this one was no different.  Again a nice item, not the flaky messy french style, but fluffy and buttery, and the flavor really shines.

Great for making breakfast sandwiches or even lunch sandwiches, or, as I tend to do, stuffing with ice cream or a fun spread like ube jam.

Reliable, fresh tasting, great buttery flavor.  ***+.

Croissant (October).

My next mystery bag ... yup, another croissant.  Like I said, he includes one in basically every TGTG bag.  this one seemed even more massive than the others, if that is possible, and was nicely golden.  Again, not a flaky style, but still quite buttery, and perfect for breakfast egg sandwiches, lunch sandwiches, or ice cream sandwiches.  I suppose probably good just toasted and spread with butter/jam/nutella/whatever, but I never tried that.  ***+.

Pain au Chocolat (October).

This was my first time getting the pain au chocolate - previously I had the chocolate croissant, which was a chocolate drizzled crescent shaped one, that was absolutely stuffed full of chocolate.  This was more the style I am used to, with 2 bars of chocolate running along the inside.

This was the first pastry from Le Sandwich that seemed noticeably rather stale.  The pastry was a bit chewy, and just not that fresh tasting.  I think if I had toasted it it probably would have been much better, but, I wanted the chocolate right away.  It was pretty average, clearly older, and I preferred the other chocolate croissant more, as it was so insanely loaded with chocolate.

I consider this a downside of TGTG though, and not necessarily a mark against Dianda's.

**+.

Blueberry Bran Muffin (October).

A muffin!  I hadn't ever gotten a muffin before from Le Sandwich/Dianda's.  And, while some might not be excited for bran, I was.

It was a good muffin.  Nice grit from the bran, few pops of blueberries, moist.  Not a great bran muffin, that distinction I'd reserve for one with a more complex flavor to the base, better distribution of blueberries, but, certainly a good one, and better than average cafe quality.  I'd get it again if in the mood for a bran muffin.

***+.

Hot Cross Bun (March).

Ah, the hot cross bun.  An item that reminds me a bit of fruitcake, in that it comes out only once a year, no one really seems to love it, and, well, dried fruit are an essential element.  And one that sometimes I do kinda like.

The hot cross bun, which I'm fairly certain is from Dianda's, was really a lovely specimen.  It had a great shine to the outside, a little light glaze, and was loaded with all sorts of dried fruits (currants, even what seemed to be some candied glace fruits?).  The cross on top seemed to be a custard, rather than traditional flour based marking.  It was fluffy, had a nice chew, lots of flavors.

Best warm, with a warm cup of beverage of your choice.

***+ for a hot cross bun, not an item I'm crazy about, but this really was a nicely made one.

Fika - Swedish Baked Goods

"Fika [fee-ka] is Swedish - a coffee break accompanied with baked goods; a moment of quality time to appreciate the good things in life! It's to pause, reflect and savor the moment! That is what fika is about. Take fika time."

I was not familiar with the concept of fika, but, I definitely am in support of it.  Le Sandwich carries a few kinds of fika - traditional buns, and, depending on the day of the week, cakes and crumble.

"I use Organic Cane Sugar, Organic flour, Premium European style Butter, Himalayan Salt, Yeast, Eggs from happy free-range chickens in Sonoma County.  Dark  Chocolate.  Always freshly ground spices.

I live and bake in San Francisco, and hope to send you a taste of Sweden!"

The fika are made by LoveFika, a San Francisco based baker, who uses quality ingredients and traditional Swedish recipes handed down from their family.  The buns come in 3 varieties: cinnamon, cardamom, and chocolate.  I was able to try two, and, well, loved them.

Chocolate Fika Bun. $4.75. (March).

"Bun with chocolate chips."

The buns are stunning looking.  Unlike an American bun that is simply rolled, these are twisted into a more complex shape.  At first I wasn't sure what kind this was, as I thought the white specs on top were large salt crystals, but they were in fact pearl sugar.  It had a lovely shine. 

This bun was unlike anything I've had before.  The edges where pieces connected were lightly caramelized and crisp, in a way that reminded me of a kouign amann.  The exterior was lightly crisp, inside was soft, but also layered.  It was like ... a croissant made with sweet enriched dough instead.  And between the folds was little chocolate chips.

It was fascinating, it was delicious, and even better when lightly warmed up.  If you are really looking for a chocolate forward dessert, this isn't it, as the chips were fairly minimal, but it was still a lovely, and unique to me item, and I greatly enjoyed it.

****.

Cardamom Fika Bun. $4.75. (March).

"A taste sensation."

Next I had the more traditional bun, cardamom.  It did not have the pearl sugar on top, and you could more clearly see the layers.  Really, something to admire.

Now, I'll admit, I am not normally much for cardamom, although the Dad's Cardamom flavor from Three Twins did grow on me.  And the cardamom here was strong.  But it was actually lovely.  It was complex, intense, and yet light at the same time.  Such a unique flavor.

The makeup of this bun was much like the other - slightly caramelized crispy exterior, amazing folds of enriched sweet dough, and just a delight to eat.  It too was best warmed up a bit.

I think it would pair amazingly with a scoop of pistachio ice cream.

I'm not sure which of the two buns I liked more, each had its unique aspects, and I'd gladly have either again.

****.

Cardamom Fika Bun.  $4.75. (October)

My next visit, my bag also contained another fika.  "I slipped a fika in there", said Elias with a smile.  I thanked him, and told him about my Swedish friend, and how much I liked it before.

It was again pretty glorious.  Still quite fresh, soft and moist sweet dough, lightly crispy exterior, fascinating flavor from the cardamom.  I couldn't resist getting into it right then, but I think it would be even better if I'd had a bit of restraint and warmed it up.  While I still don't love cardamom, this just just so good and so unique, I enjoy it quite a bit.

****.

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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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