South Food + Wine Bar

Date & Time: Friday, March 27, 2009 @ 9:00pm
Company: Steve
Crowd: Trendy 30-something SOMA crowd and business commuters (as Caltrain is across the street)
Decor: Surprisingly small space decorated in a decidedly modern fashion. The colorfully tiled bar is Maori-inspired (Maori are the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand) and the eye-catching bent plywood overhead light fixtures add a touch of "down-under drama"
Service: Although we reserved a table, we chose to sit at the bar because that meant we would be getting service directly from Jared, the General Manager (and Aussie)
Devour: Tasmanian ocean trout with beans and salsa verde; Asparagus with prosciutto on the side; a "silky" Pinot Noir

South Food + Wine Bar is San Francisco's first and only Australian restaurant, opened in October 2007. The cozy 50-seater consists of modern white chairs and barstools, and a 16-foot communal, table. Due to its size (and quality food), the restaurant remains busy into the night.

The traditional table-bread is presented alongside dipping bowls of olive oil and a dukkah blend. I usually skip this descriptive part of the meal because, obviously, bread is not the friendliest of options for the gluten intolerant. However, I thought the dukkah would be worth mentioning because a) Steve could not stop oogling over it, and b) it's gluten-free! Dukkah is a dry mixture of chopped nuts (either hazelnuts or chickpeas) with sesame seeds, pepper, coriander, cumin and salt. Besides being a common dip for olive oil-soaked bread, it can also be sprinkled on salads or used as a crust or "breading" for fish or chicken.

As it turns out, Jared (the General Manager & native Aussie) has a few friends with Celiac, so he felt very comfortable pointing out possible dining options for me. He said the lamb and trout were his two favorite entrees, so I selected the Tasmanian trout. To ensure the meal was gluten-free, Jared told the kitchen to prepare the dish without its traditional broth - and, when the dish came out with the broth, Jared made the server do a quick 180 degree turn and sent it back to the kitchen. He was very apologetic, but the wait was well worth it - the trout was delicious, especially with the "salsa verde" which can be likened to a pesto sauce. I skipped an appetizer and instead just opted for a side of asparagus with proscuitto.

South also has a rotating selection of boutique wines from Australia, New Zealand and even South Africa. Interestingly enough, their wine menu is separated by style - for example, "silky" and "gutsy" - rather than varietal. Jared recommended a silky Pinot Noir, and I'm embarassed to have forgotten the name because I enjoyed it so much! Is it odd that it tasted like candy? Either way, South Food + Wine Bar was a very cozy, enjoyable spot - and I hope to let others in on the secret very soon.

http://www.southfwb.com/
330 Townsend St, Suite 101
San Francisco, CA 94107
415.974.5599