San Francisco’s Blue Plate on Mission Street isn’t widely known, yet for foodies, they’ll gladly trek across town for its rustic, authentic ambience with its cute neighborhood back garden, and eclectic menu.
I, for one, wish they had a wider selection of big, bold reds by the glass (very limited), but my palate always leaves a happy camper regardless of what I order.
In the ‘full bodied’ category, I had a choice of Carmignano (Sangiovese) Ambra “Montefortini,” 2007, Tuscany, Italy and a 2008 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Owen Roe “Sharecroppers”. They might argue that their spicy Carignan Domaine Lingneres, “Le Signal” 2003 from Corbieres, France might be bold enough for their dish selection, but my plea would be: c’mon guys – broaden your range.
All of their Chardonnays were from France except for the 2006 Lioco “Michaud” from Monterey, California, which also wasn’t available by the glass.
When Blue Plate first opened, I was an early customer. Today, there’s a rustic but spacious room in the back of the restaurant behind the kitchen. Early on, their space was incredibly small, tables were on top of each other and because of the limited space and vicinity to the kitchen space, it was almost always noisy and there was always a wait. The additional room was a smart move and while still popular, you don’t feel as if people are standing on top of you waiting for a table, even if you get there early and want to have an appetizer and glass of wine at the diner-style bar.
A staple for me are their appetizer salads, romaine lettuce almost always served with nuts and the grilled monterey bay squid with lemon and parsley (ask for extra lemon). On the most recent trip, they were serving a fresh country line harvest summer lettuce mixture with frog hollow farm cherries, ricotta salata and spiced pistachios (nice touch).
I’ve also had their pan roasted California halibut with roasted yellow corn, hen of the woods mushrooms, wild arugula and tomato herb jam…..yummy, but could use a spice I couldn’t put my finger on to give the dish a little more edge……….it blended all a little too perfectly which didn’t give it that “Je ne sais pas” what the magic is, but its spot on feeling.
After filling up on everything else we had ordered, I did find that I couldn’t stop eating the gnocchi with braised spring rabbit. It was served with fava beans, pecorino crotonese and chervil.
What I didn’t try but am eager to sample on a future trip if still on the menu, is their coriander crusted lamb with gypsy pepper romesco tabbouleh with English cucumber and mint. Again, I’d like a few more reds to choose from for my lamb – cabs, merlots, sangiovese blends, etc.
They were originally known for their funky more modern variations of ‘southern fare.’ Examples still on the menu of what I think of as ‘comfort food’ include southern fried chicken with buttermilk dressing served with pickeled watermelon rind and noicoise olives and basil, meatloaf with mashed potatoes and green beans, and ribeye with chimichurri served with crispy fingerling potatoes and roasted summer squash. None of this would be complete of course with kale with garlic lemon topping and macaroni and cheese, which on their menu is called: macaroni and drunken Spanish goat cheese.
If you live in the Bay Area, try it out if you haven’t already and if you’re visiting, venture away from Pac Heights, North Beach, The Embarcadero and Russian Hill. There is another San Francisco, the neighborhoods in the South – be sure not to miss a more diverse experience and take in the Mission and Blue Plate Restaurant.
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.
