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ReviewFrisson

Page history last edited by Mark P 15 years, 3 months ago

Frisson Review

 

Frisson served generally good contemporary food and strong drinks in an architecturally unique setting. We felt components of some dishes reached for greatness, but we felt everything was flawed in some, usually relatively minor, way.

 

While deciding what to order, we noshed on some decent, fairly average, soft, squishy bread with a mild crust, served artistically in a nice wooden bowl.

 

We ordered an assortment of appetizers and entrees: 

  • Tuna tartare. Good tuna tartare served with a thin cracker. One person remarked how well they worked together, that the combination of the tuna with the salt in the cracker did it for him. Accompanied by what seemed to us to be a cucumber foam.
  • Scallops. Okay. Slightly seared. We could tell they were well cooked but were disappointed the scallops didn't have much flavor. Served on black lentils, with were also okay. One attendee said they added something to dish. (Perhaps it's taste?)
  • Green salad. Okay at best. Hard to eat because it was too salty, so salty the vinaigrette didn't even manage to cover it. Topped nicely with sliced almonds and clearly mixed with something like horseradish or wasabi.
  • Pork croquettes. Quite good, fried, moist triangles of pork. Oh so good and meaty. Served with a frisee salad with a dressing (according to the menu: a sherry vinaigrette) I didn't like.
  • Lamb chops (although the menu said rack of lamb). Good, nicely pink throughout. The best bites were along the well seasoned outer edge. Served with a satisfying mix of eggplant, red peppers, and zucchini. Some kind of white foam we couldn't identify accompanied this dish.
  • Short ribs. Good, with tender meat that split easily. Accompanied by some tasty horseradish mashed potatoes and collard greens.

 

For desserts, the waitress encouraged us to order the creme fraiche pancakes because they came with "smoked bacon ice cream." We passed and instead had: 

  • Warm cookies & cream. While the cookies were still out of sight, a minute before we were served, we smelled the wonderful odor of freshly baked cookies. Quite amazing when you realize the kitchen was at the other side of the dining area. The dessert itself didn't work as well as you'd think. While the cookies were good -there were three, all of different types; the peanut butter was probably the best- the cream tasted medicinal and we quickly decided to ignore it. (According to the menu, the cream was made from sassafras, an ingredient used in root beer. It's also used in perfumes, soaps, teas, and as a painkiller in dentistry.)
  • Chocolate souffle. Good, with a crust on the sides and top. Leaks more than most souffles. Only main complaint was that it had too much orange rind. Came with two types of ice cream: chocolate and coffee. Not surprisingly, those of us that don't like coffee didn't like the coffee ice cream.As for drinks, two of us tried some of their strong cocktails: a mojito martini, which was dangerous because lime juice hide the alcohol well, and a pomegranate manhattan. I can't tell you how this compared to a normal manhattan (as I can't recall having one), but this was strong like a kick from a horse and therefore lasted me the entire meal. I appreciate that. It was also nicely decorated with a long ribbon of orange peel.

 

The interior design was unusual. While waiting for our table to be ready, we sat on some divans and ottomans in the lounge/bar area. But this area wasn't what made Frisson unique. Rather, it was the 70s feel of the orange and pink couches that made up the circular dining area. A glowing dome decorated with orange and pink stars covered the center of the room. One attendee described the ceiling color as marshmallow-like, though I thought it more like cotton candy. We compromised and said it was some form of sugar. Although the dining area wasn't necessarily more open than most dining rooms, it somehow felt more open. Perhaps it was the lack of angles and therefore the plenitude of sight lines. Perhaps it was that the seats for all the central tables were all connected, centered around a large star-shaped couch with seating along every edge. Perhaps it was the partially open kitchen, a restaurant feature we haven't seen in a while.

 

We sat in a booth around a huge U-shaped table in the outer ring. The red sofa and overhead spotlights made it feel like it'd been transplanted from a sketchy bachelor's pad. We appreciated being on the edge, as it was noisy where we were and we guessed it'd be noisier in the middle of the room.

 

Even the bathroom was unique. It's one large, bizarre unisex room with a sink that looks like a bar in the center. A few small doors led to rooms with toilets. When I went looking for the bathroom, until I noticed the faucets, I really thought I'd found my way to a secluded bar, a feeling contributed to by the lack of a door into the room.

 

Incidentally, they did a good job refilling waters and coffees, a feat worth mentioning since it wasn't easy due to the size of our table.

 

Total was $54/person including tip and taxes but not including drinks.

 

Original Announcement

 

This Wednesday we'll try out Frisson, billed as a New American (read: novel but not ethnic dishes) restaurant in the north end of the Financial District. It's supposed to have good cocktails as well.

http://www.frissonsf.com/

 

Even if it turns out not to perform, we'll at least have dined at a restaurant with such a cool name.

 

Please tell me if you want to come.

 

Comments from Other Attendees

 

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