Nico
Hearth Bread
Stone Fruit Colada – Rum, Coconut, Pineapple, Sage
Panisse – Squash
Duck Liver Pate – Asian Pear, Crouton
Potato – Egg, Porcini, Beaufort
Apricots, Pistachio Cake, Goat’s Milk Ice Cream
Port Poached Cherries, Brown Butter Cake, Yogurt Ice Cream
Salted Caramel
One of the hottest tickets in town and a reservation for which advanced planning is requisite given the restaurant’s small size it was to Pacific Heights’ Nico that I sat down for my first of two dinners on Saturday and featuring a well-culled menu of seasonal French small plates I was happy to find both service and cuisine befitting the praise. Tucked away on Sacramento Street and seating less than fifty amidst casual décor with a Plexiglas window affording full view of Chef Nicholas Delaroque’s gleaming kitchen it was mere moments after Nico unlocked its doors that I was welcomed to a cozy two-top and quickly perusing the menu of a man who honed his skills with Crenn and Kinch a five-course meal focused on Northern California’s glorious produce took shape. Clearly a kitchen already accustomed to serving at high volume and at times perhaps flowing a bit too fast it was with a slice of warm Manresa-esque bread and a lovely muddled-fruit cocktail that I began and moving next to a duo of appetizers the fried chickpeas with squash puree would prove light and crisp while terrine was coarse, rich, and complimented just enough to tame the expected mineral funk. Moving next to the night’s lone vegetarian entrée, a slightly overpriced $22 plate of creamy egg yolk melding crisp potatoes and tender mushrooms I was soon onward to dessert and with the clock ticking just past 6:30 my smile beamed bright, first at the intense sweetness of golden apricots over a toothsome cake seemingly made of nothing but ground pistachios and a bit of butter and then to a boozy mountain of cherries reined in by tangy ice cream and chunks of spongy cake, a duo from which I’d not be able to determine a favorite when asked by my server who soon delivered the check along with a buttery salted caramel and cheerful thanks for stopping in.
RECOMMENDED: Desserts were a highlight and a veritable steal at $8 while appetizers also shined at $6-$8 each.
AVIOID: Main courses, both mine and those at neighboring tables, seem to trend small for the price.
TIP: Online menus are described as representative of the restaurant’s cuisine and should be taken as such as not a single item from the website on June 14th was offered in house that day.
http://www.nicosf.com/
