I hadn’t realized I had actually been to EPIC Steak along San Francisco’s Embarcadero until I arrived at its doors on an unusually warm August night. Within the last year or two, I attended a VIP networking bash on one of its private decks and there we drank chilled glasses of Kistler chardonnay while doing meet-and-greets for a few hours one night.
While I knew they had epic views of the renowned Bay Bridge, I didn’t realize they had outdoor romantic seating with heat lamps and candlelit tables. While you can valet your car or park on the street, we opted to take the Muni, largely because I was so unfamiliar with San Francisco’s Muni system. Truth be told, driving or going via BART and walking the ten minutes from there would have been more efficient, but the Folsom Muni stop does unload you right in front of the restaurant.
Facing San Francisco’s scenic waterfront, the panoramic views of the Bay, Bay Bridge, Treasure Island and the San Francisco Skyline are simply breathtaking. Chef Ulrich focuses on sustainably-sourced meat and seafood, along with organically-grown produce, all of which we had a chance to try. Ulrich’s menu features modern interpretations of traditional steakhouse favorites, drawing inspiration from different preparations of meat from around the world.
While a couple of classic combos on the menu included EPIC Steak’s expanded 28 oz. Dry Aged Cote De Boeuf (for two) procured by Bryan Flannery, and the “Epic Meal for Two” featuring a 32 oz. Tomahawk Ribsteak and 2 lb. Maine Lobster, we decided to start with seafood and end with steak entrees, beginning with a combo shellfish platter, which included crab, shrimp, oysters and ceviche (it was a smaller version of what they typically serve to a table of 5 or 6, which normally includes lobster as well). A little teaser to begin.
The platter was topped with a sprinkle of cilantro and lime and the crab was mixed with a delicious avocado puree. Their oyster selection included the Beausoleil from Miramichi Bay (New Brunswick Canada), Kumamoto from Humboldt Bay California and the Drakes Bay from San Quentin Baja California. (yummy, large and briny with a touch of bitter herb). They serve them with Mignonette, Lemon and Crackers. We paired this with a buttery 2013 Lewis Chardonnay from Russian River Valley. Oh so delicious!!
They also offer American black caviar with fingerling potato crisps and sour cream croquettes, and a take on the classic shrimp cocktail can be ordered oven roasted with garlic, chilies and Meyer lemon or chilled with lemon and cocktail sauce.
If you want to go a little more traditional, they had a house made Charcuterie platter with Bresaola, Lamb Tarrine, Lardo and Soppressata which is an excellent choice for a table to share, particularly given their incredible wine list. While I didn’t order it, I wanted to try the Foie Gras Mousse, which they served with compressed melon, duck crackling and Shichimi Cracker. So much of the foie gras I see on menus today is from Hudson Valley New York, where we spent a chunk of time last year.
The wine list is extensive offering varietals from around the globe with plenty of white options to keep you on seafood all night long should you wish. They had a Grilled Hawaiian Spearfish with Avocado Gazpacho, Padron Peppers and Maitake Mushrooms from the coast of Honolulu and a whole roasted Branzino with sweet fennel, garlic confit and spicy tomato broth that our waiter bragged about more than once. That said, what EPIC is most known for of course is their steak.
I had a hard time passing up the Slow Raised Short Ribs however (Black Angus Beef from Montana), especially when I eyed their equally fabulous red wine list. And they had plenty of grilled steak options to choose from, including a classic Tomahawk Rib Steak, Tuscan Style Porterhouse Steak, Filnet Mignon from California and Whole Salt Roasted Prime Rib from Creekstone Farms in Kentucky. I was particularly keen on tasting the whole salt roasted prime rib until I saw the Miyazaki Wagyu Steak which is naturally raised in the prefecture of Miyazaki, Island of Kyushu Japan.
Because I had just traveled to Japan for the first time only last year, I had a chance to experience Wagyu steak while I was there, but it’s rare to find on an American restaurant menu. While you mostly think of seafood when you think of Japan and this is for the most part true — sushi and sashimi can be found pretty much everywhere and it’s incredibly fresh, the Wagyu Steak is special….and unique. It tends to be very rich so you don’t need much of it to be satisfied and for that reason, it’s pricey. They only offered it in 4 ounces and 8 ounces compared to a 20 ounce New York steak and a 28 ounce Prie Cote de Boeuf.
To put this into perspective, however, the richness and fatiness of the meat means that very little goes a long way. Below is a portion that we split with only a few organic raw greens on the side. YUM!!!
If you want to split another decadent choice for 2 (or frankly even 3), you could get the Tomahawk Rib Steak with a two pound Maine lobster. For another time I told myself, for another time…..
Above shot courtesy of EPIC Steak website.
In order to get a very different style steak than the Wagyu, we went for a Prime Dry Aged Ribeye Steak (pictured below) which is procured by Allen Brothers out of Chicago. Another great recommendation from our waiter, it was incredibly moist, juicy and cut just right, which they do on a wooden platter at your table.
They had wines from Greece, New Zealand, South Africa and Portugal, French Bordeaux, Super Tuscan reds from Italy, Sangiovese, plenty of Burgundy’s, and 2001 Borgogno Piedmont, Barolo Riserva I was dying to try, but it would have required decanting it for longer than we had that night and so I hate to admit that we played it safe, but we did and ordered a classic 2005 Silver Oak, as recommended by Chilean born sommelier Valentina Moyá who was a real hoot to talk to…I’ve never gone wrong with a Silver Oak Cab.
What’s nice about their menu is that you can build your own salad with a variety of different lettuce and toppings to choose from, and choose variuos sides you want to accompany your main course. Included on the menu were Julia Child potatoes, French Fries with Bearnaise Sauce and Spatzle Grain, all of which I skipped because of my current high protein/low carb diet. We went with the Seared Summer Squash with sweet basil (below) and the Chanterelle Mushrooms. You can also order seafood sides to go with your steak as well (Dungeness Crab, Softshell Crab, Lobster, Shrimp and so on), which I thought was a great idea.
The ever so tender and perfectly seasoned Chanterelle Mushrooms.
Easy to fit into my high protein diet was the Artisan Cheese plate to finish — I opted only for Midnight Moon Goat’s Cheese from Arcata California and Manchego Sheep cheese from La Mancha Spain. They serve it with a variety of nuts and berry jams.
Other options for those who are not watching their carbs so closely included the Nectarine Blackberry Crisp with Linzer Sables and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (ouch!), the Chocolate Decadence Bouchon with Black Mission Fig, White Chocolate Powder and Vanilla Bean Custard and a lovely Ginger Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with candied tangerine gems and brown-butter ice cream. Can you imagine? Something tells me I’ll be returning at a later date just to try that dessert alone.
Anthony who isn’t quite as strict with his carbs as I am and is a huge lover of ice cream went for the Build Your Own Epic Sundae option. While you might think only kids would get big eyes over an Ice Cream Bar “List” you can check off just like you do when you order sushi, think again! You can choose from one to three flavors so of course he had to get blueberry with vanilla bean which he topped with fudge, chopped almonds, sliced bananas and chocolate chip dough. OMG! You could also add things like blackberries, hazelnut streusel, brownie chunks, marshmallows, wet walnuts, toffee bits and butterscotch sauce. This dessert is not for the diet-conscious foodie among you! The result? I’m told it was pure heaven!
In addition to the exquisite food and top notch service from the moment you enter the restaurant, what we loved about this restaurant the most was its attention to detail and stunning views, which make it a great romantic dinner out choice as well as a fun group choice, including for a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary. Two thumbs up!
We would definitely return and hope to during a different season to see how the sun shines on the bridge a different time of year. See below for the soft pink lighting we experienced on our night out and remember that the photo below as well as all of the food shots except for the one noted below it, were taken on my iPhone 5, not the Canon we sometimes have when we do our restaurant write-ups. Not bad, eh? How’s this for romantic?
THE DETAILS:
EPIC Steak
369 The Embarcadero
San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone:(415) 369-9955
Note: We were hosted by the restaurant but all opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
