QUOTES

Citysearch05/01/06

“from hearty comfort food to light and artful”

EDITORIAL REVIEW

by Gina Goff

The Scene: Soaring ceilings, funky walls with cartoonish murals of San Francisco and a jovial din set the stage at this buzzing restaurant. Diners in possession of one of the few coveted, same-day-only reservations huddle around closely packed tables and snug booths in the two-tiered dining room, while those without settle for a seat at the long wooden communal table. An adjoining bar area hosts a crowd of stylish 30-something singles seeking flirtatious conversation and each other's phone numbers.

The Food: Friendly servers slither between tables, alternately offering suggestions from the rotating menu and delivering plates of organic, Mediterranean-influenced Cal cuisine. Appetizers range from hearty comfort food -- like creamy baked goat cheese served warm with a bottomless supply of crostini -- to light and artful, such as wild salmon carpaccio sliced paper thin. Entrees flair in the rib-sticking genre, like a juicy rotisserie chicken or medallions of spit-roasted London broil arranged alongside whipped potatoes and gently spicy horseradish creme fraiche.