Rubicon, In Brief

So Mr. Food Musings and I have an informal dining out club - it's really just four of us who, in a desperate attempt to keep up with all the new restaurants that are continually opening in SF, pledged to eat out together once a month at a spot none of us has visited. So far, our best meal has been at Limon.

Anyway, this past Saturday we headed over to Rubicon. I've never been a fan of the place - despite being owned by Robert de Niro and Robin Williams, it's a little lacking in atmosphere, borrowing neither a sense of drama from Bob nor a sense of playfulness from Mork. But Michael Bauer, the restaurant critic at the Chronicle, recently included chef Stuart Brioza in a list of top Bay Area newcomers (he's a recent transplant from somewhere in the mid-West - Michigan?) His partner, Nicole Krasinski, works the pastry counter, and both got the nod from Bauer so we decided to give it a shot. (NB: I wasn't planning on writing anything about it so I didn't take notes. Hence, a lot of the food descriptions are hazy. Sorry.)

The sommelier, Larry Stone, rocks. He recommended a white Burgundy to Mr. Food Musings, but came back to the table with a different bottle - and a sincere apology. "Someone forgot to restock the wine," he confessed, and offered us a $150 bottle of another white Burgundy for the much lower price of the one we'd ordered. Classy. That wine and the Pinot Noir we ordered later were both excellent - I'm ashamed that I can't remember what they are but that's really Mr. FM's department.

The food was inconsistent. Mr. FM's appetizer (seared scallops served with mussels, with a chiffonade of shiso and a few cool bites of melon) was wonderful; my monkfish cheeks with oxtail salsa and jalapeno crema were good, if a tad overdone. I had the rabbit for dinner; it was moist and flavorful (name ONE thing that isn't good when wrapped in bacon?) but not extraordinary like the rabbit I've had at Bistro Jeanty. Tom's squab was an embarassment - the portion would not have satisfied a toddler, much less a strapping guy like him - and moreover, he got much less than the rest of us. Portions just weren't consistent. The rabbit was a moderate portion but the veal - oh man, the veal was enough for two people. Erin and Mr. FM could have shared.

Dessert was interesting. I think Nicole has a few tricks up her sleeve. The poached pear with balsamic vinegar ice cream and bleu de Bresse tart sounded overly savory (and, frankly, a touch odd) but it was nothing short of heavenly. Tom ordered it and our waiter brought a second, complimentary one to the table - a very charming gesture. I nabbed it first and ate it all, as well as my own dessert (an apple Napoleon, also pretty good). Mr. FM and Erin each had a cheese plate, and got a very generous helping. Again, my memory fails me - can't tell you what was on the plate.

The service was awesome - right on top of things, very friendly, happy to chat with a slightly drunk patron about their informal weekly wine gatherings (sorry, folks, apparently it's for the trade).

For four of us, we spent upwards of $600 (not including tip) which I thought was a bit much, even with two bottles of wine. If Brioza can get the food and portions to be more consistent, he might be able to justify the prices. And the decor could use a bit of attention.

Grade: B

Rubicon, San Francisco, 558 Sacramento Street, 415-434-4100