Stone’s Throw
Crispy Tomato Cream Wafers – Crushed Fava Bean Dip
Puffed Potato and Eggs – Cauliflower Mousse, Chives, Crispy Chicken Skin
Duck Pate and Mousse – French’s Mustard, Cornichons, Warm Soft Pretzels
Warm Octopus & Okonomiyaki Pancake – Bacon Dashi, Spicy Turnips, Marinated Mushrooms
Crispy 38 North Duck Breast & Duck Taquito – Roasted Fennel, Braised Rhubarb, Pistachio Butter
Chocolate Bananas Foster – Warm Brown Sugar Soaked Bananas, Frozen Chocolate Covered Banana Milkshake, Chocolate Brownies, Bubbling Walnut-Caramel
Peanut Butter and Jelly Donuts – Brioche Beignets, Peanut Butter, Milk Chocolate, Grape Jelly
Again planning a double-duty dinner it was mere moments before 5:30 that I arrived to find the doors of Jason Kirmse and Cy Hia’s Stone’s Throw already unlocked and although having missed out on Fat Angel during previous Bay Area dining adventures I entered with high expectations – two of my Saison servers having described Chef Jason Halverson’s cuisine as “so delicious, so fun” with desserts “like a fat kid’s paradise.” Deceptively large despite its tree-shaded façade on Hyde Street with an up-front bar, open kitchen in back, plus hip yet exceedingly well trained staff at every turn it was to a monthly-changing menu that I soon found myself challenged and with nearly every dish something I’d consider ordering elsewhere hard decisions were made – a half-dozen plates increased +1 by a gift from the kitchen without a single disappointing bite in the bunch. Divided largely into bites, appetizers, larger plates, and sweets it was first the gift of light tomato chips and creamed broad beans that I began and moving next to things more substantial both the molten centered puffs and silky liver would prove oddly reminiscent of simpler things refined – the former harkening a “loaded” baked potato while the later, slathered on a warm pretzel, invoked memories of Big Mac…but in a good way. Clearly leaning on concepts of ethnic comforts it was next in tender Pacific octopus grilled and set adjacent to a savory pancake served with condiments that I found my favorite savory of the evening and only slightly less impressed by rosy duck melded to seasonal vegetables by smoky nut butter it was onto desserts I progressed – that “fat kid” comment immediately making sense as a box at the bottom of the menu requested customer’s childhood favorites. At this point warned twice by my waiter that I had overordered it was at my insistence that a duo of desserts arrived and beginning with four pillowy beignets finding their flavor inspired by many kids’ lunch the light cocoa cream proved an admirable segue to the NOLA tilted brownie sundae – the flambéed sauce poured tableside to melt a frozen cylinder into a rich pudding far more interesting than anything I experienced at Brennan’s.
RECOMMENDED: Puffed Potatoes are a mainstay – order them – while the rest is subject to change. If you see the Okonomiyaki I’d strongly suggest it…and dessert(s)
AVOID: N/A
TIP: Taking inspiration from patrons for dessert the restaurant offers a free visit to concepts selected…I also have it on good word that brunch is fantastic and whenever I’m next in town I fully plan to disprove my server’s assertion that he has never seen anyone finish the butter-fried pancakes on their own.
http://stonesthrowsf.com/
