Frances
Wheat Sourdough and Salted Cultured Butter
Unsweetened Black Tea
Applewood Smoked Bacon Beignets – Maple Chive Crème Fraiche
Panisse Frites – Chickpea Fritters, Preserved Lemon, Olive Aioli
Sonoma Duck Breast – Lacinato Kale, Fennel Agrodolce, Roasted Fig, Spiced Duck Jus
Ricotta Gnocchi, Nettle Pesto, Toasted Walnut
Lumberjack Cake – Fuji Apple, Nectarine, Coconut, Medjool Date, Maple Ice Cream
Spring Princess Peach ‘Vol au Vent’ Tart – Franquette Walnut Frangipane, Candied Ginger Ice Cream
Small, intimate, and exquisite would be a good way to begin a list of adjectives describing Frances and for those willing to make a reservation far in advance (or to show up early enough to snag a walk-in table) the rewards begin almost immediately on entry with a warm greeting, flawless service, and perhaps the best warm wheat sourdough in the city. With frequent visits to the dining room by Chef Perello and a daily menu of specials the first step I’d advise would be checking out a few signatures, specifically the creamy chickpea fries and smoky-sweet fried pillows that the restaurant calls beignets. With main courses all larger than one would expect one would next be advised to bring an appetite if they plan to order three courses (which they should) and with crispy skin overlying supple, rosy flesh the duck should be ordered if it is on the menu, particularly if the preparation includes figs and the all-day braising juices from the fowl and if contemplating a side dish it would be hard to think of one better than the gnocchi – the best textured I’ve experienced in California presented in a true “California cuisine” manner with herbal pesto and slightly sweetened toasty almonds. Moving last to dessert, the Lumberjack cake is a signature for a reason but choosing just one dessert seemed illogical as all five of the daily options sounded stellar and in the end my instinct proved correct as the light, buttery pastry surrounding fresh peaches was a rustic, perfect ending to a meal that exceeded all expectations.
