food: Plum

busy kitchen at Plum

I've been hearing about Plum since even before it opened. The reviews from people I know have been very positive, and when I asked some folks after the Running Festival where I should go for an upcoming birthday celebration, they all said Plum. The only negatives I'd heard were that it's expensive, and they automatically include a 16% gratuity. With that knowledge in hand, K made reservations for dinner last week and off we went.

In short, we loved it. The food was beautiful, locally sourced, and thoughtfully prepared. The service was great, and we were fortunate to be sitting at the bar so we could watch the food being prepared. While the dishes are small, they're made with unusual combinations of ingredients and end up tasting wonderful.

young carrots

K and I shared everything, and as suggested by the waiter, we ordered 2-3 appetizers and entrees per person, for a total of 5 dishes. We started with the young carrots (with brown butter, pickled garlic, breadcrumbs and wood sorrel) and the beet boudin noir (with brussel sprouts, juniper and kolhrabi), and loved both.

We also had an asparagus dish (which I don't see on the menu, so I can't tell you everything that went into it besides asparagus and mushrooms), which was also great. There was a mix-up about the asparagus order so we had a short wait until one was prepared, but it was worth the wait.

For our main dishes, we had some yummy halibut, and an amazing slow-cooked farm egg dish (different than the one currently shown on the menu, as that includes chicken). All of this was accompanied by a flask of red wine, which was a perfect compliment to the meal. (The flask was fitting because it was also Robert Bunsen's birthday.)

The drinks menu has beers (including some Linden Street Brewery beers), wines, Blue Bottle Coffee, and a variety of other interesting drinks. The wine list isn't huge, but there's a good assortment of sparkling, whites and reds to choose from.

asparagus with mushrooms

The only negatives were the price and the somewhat uncomfortable (but beautiful-looking) stools. The price wasn't too high for the dining experience they deliver, but it is high enough that we can't afford to eat there too often. It's perfect for a nice dinner or a special occasion. I highly recommend getting seats at the bar so you can watch the food being prepared. The seats there are hard, wooden stools, but you get a great view of the process. The other seating is mostly at communal tables, so you'll likely be seated next to someone you don't know. The reviews on Yelp are mostly the "loved it" or "didn't think it was worth it" variety, averaging 3.5 out of 5 stars. Things are generally more positive on Urban Spoon, where 81% liked it. SFGate food critic Michael Bauer gave it 3 out of 4 stars (excellent), and more recently named it one of the top 100 restaurants in the SF Bay Area.

In any event, we really liked it, and we'll definitely go again.