San Francisco Bay Area: July 2023: Day 1: Osito

SF Bay Area

July 2023: Day 1: Osito

I think we had 4 out of the 5 reds on the menu at the Pied Piper.

Pre-partying. Or is it pre-dinner-ing?

Pre-partying. Or is it pre-dinner-ing? Cheers!

Cheers!

Don't let Diana eat all the chips.

Trying to get the Pied Piper's famous artwork in the background.

Enjoying her wine.

The lobby (garden court) of the Palace Hotel San Francisco is beautiful, too.

Obligatory thirst trap photo.

The garden court of the Palace Hotel San Francisco.

Pre-dinner drinks at Liliana.

Found an Elaine!

The ladies.

I don't think we quite had expressions coordinated.

Pork rinds. Nom. Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Selection Belles Annees. Very crisp, not particularly fruity.

Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Selection Belles Annees. Very crisp, not particularly fruity.

Pouring a second round.

Moved to the lounge area at Osito.

Figs and caviar.

Meat-stuffed little buns.

Oysters.

I forget what this was.

Meat-stuffed little buns. Make them six times bigger and they'd be traditionally sized.

Cooking everything over wood fire.

Stemple Creek Ranch beef trachea, head, and tendon.

Diana photographing her food.

Blistered veggies and stone fruit.

Adding cream/yogurt.

Elaine delicately attacks her food.

Soup, excuse me, aromatic broth.

Porcini brioche, butter, aromatic broth.

Close-up of the porcini brioche.

Other customers, also very intent on their food.

I forget what this was as well.

I forget what this was, too. Cabbage? Lightly pickled?

Wilmer doing finishing touches tableside.

Similar to rice but not rice.

I think this was rabbit.

I forget what this was, too.

Semifreddo, pine nuts (?), and some sort of berry for dessert.

Dessert spread, including cocoa nib pudding at far right.

Elaine is listening, Diana looks hungry.

Blueberry oat cookies with tea creme.

Potato donuts: maple, fir, and stone fruit. Huckleberry, banana, and avocado.

Rice ball. Mildly sweet.

Chatting with Chef Seth Stowaway.

Posing in the kitchen with Chef Seth Stowaway.

Cooking everything over wood fire.

Explaining what makes Osito work.

Cocktails to go in the goodie bag.

Menu at Trick Dog.

More selfies.

Hamburger.

Actual hot dog, not a hamburger.

Elaine's expressions.

Excited/crazy Diana.

French fries hit the spot.

As did the chicken nuggets.

More selfies.

Elaine's expressions, part 3? 4? 5? 10?

When Cousin Marcus said Osito got their first Michelin star, we had to go! Ended up being a good excuse to finally stay at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco as well, and to enjoy their famous bar, Pied Piper. Not quite as sure about Osito in the end, but the Palace Hotel definitely lives up to its old-school name and reputation, including their elegant Garden Court.

Osito is perhaps the epitome (or one of many recent epitomes) of New American food. Chef Seth Stowaway has a communal table that seats 16 or so, with nine-course tasting menu, with pretty much everything cooked over fire. They're a bit of a haul away down in the Mission District, but the experience is polished and well-executed in all aspects, even if you don't always quite know what you are eating. Their associated bar next door, Liliana, is a somewhat less formal and decidedly less time-consuming affair, and we were lead from Liliana to a couch at Osito as sort of an advanced prep for our meal.

Dishes included an opener of caviar and figs, meat-stuffed buns, oysters. Throw in a course atop a pastry I did not recognize, then perhaps the most well executed dish, Stemple Creek Ranch beef trachea, head, and tendon. Blistered vegetables and stonefruit followed, a porcini brioche with butter and aromatic broth, then two dishes whose names I did not get. Rabbit was next, carved table-side, along with some sort of rice-like dish. Could have been excellent but portion was a bit too small.

Desserts came next: cocoa nib pudding, potato donuts, blueberry oat cookie with tea creme, and a sticky rice. Not quite sure how I felt about most of them, they were mild in flavor, perhaps an appeal to the Asian palette, but not quite as bold as expected. Chef Stowaway came out more near the end of the meal, as the night ended and the rest of the guests had departed, to chat. It's clear he's one hell of an artist in the kitchen, and to earn a Michelin star so quickly is a testament to his skill.

Wrapped up the night down the block at the Osito-staff-recommended-Trick Dog, where the very plebian hamburger, fries, hot dog, and chicken nuggets seemed to wrap up a successful and silly night!