I became entranced by the choreography of the kitchen. Waiting for our table, standing not three feet from the chef's station, I was unable to look away from the agile movements of the cooks. As I calmly sipped my "Turkey Trot" cocktail (which contained whiskey, butternut squash, honey and meringue) the frenetic yet deliberate actions taking place nearby were hypnotic. And it was while watching the plates come to life that I turned to my husband and almost without thinking said "we're having the tasting menu," to which he responded with wide eyes and a childlike smile that said, "hell yes, we are." And thus began our evening at Rich Table.
After being seated at the rustic wood table in the busy yet casually chic and warm dining room, the wine started flowing and we put ourselves in the hands of the "Chef's Picks" menu. I slowly began to feel that despite the restaurant's name (inspired by Chefs Evan and Sarah Rich) and the pedigree of the purveyors, this was a comfortable and approachable space. We would be experiencing a rich meal but on an attainable level.
We began with a cornucopia of strong appetizers. The standouts included the homemade potato chips woven with whole sardines and sitting atop a horseradish cream. We were almost speechless while devouring the chicken liver mouse sprinkled with confetti of crunchy puffed rice and dollops of sweet and tart pomegranate jelly; the range of textures along with the sweet and savory flavors made for an awe-inducing bite. The salad of roasted beets, pomegranate and chocolate shavings allowed us to momentarily skip to dessert before being pulled back to the savory again, all in one mouthful. The next course consisted of perfectly al dente
yet buttery soaked pastas conveying seasonal meats and herbs touched with traces of pungent cheeses. The final savory courses, artful trout almondine atop spinach and wild greens, and hearty strip streak with chimichurri and white mushrooms, rounded out the meal and completed the gamut of flavors and weights. The evening ended with a refreshing yet whimsical milk ice cream and chocolate cracker all kissed by mint chocolate cream.
Perhaps it was the
KickStarter-funded backstory
that we learned about which made our experience so inviting, but something kept this extraordinarily rich meal down to
earth. The food was ambitious but not intimidating. The preparations were daring but not overwhelming. The flavors were delicious but not exceedingly complex. Our evening was rich but not more than we could afford.
Rich Table
199 Gough @ Oak
San Francisco
