Last week I dined at Quince, a two Michelin starred Italian/French inspired restaurant in the Financial District in San Francisco for my birthday. Many years ago I dined at their old location, which served primarily modern Italian food, so I was excited to see the space of their current location and to try their modern European cuisine.
At the restaurant, they offer two tasting menus: the Quince menu and Garden menu. We decided to order one of each to try all the dishes. The meal started off with numerous beautiful canapés.
Amuse Bouche.
Amuse Bouche.
Amuse Bouche.
Amuse Bouche.
Amuse Bouche.
Amuse Bouche.
Garden Menu: Achadinha Feta with King Salmon Roe, Cucumber, and Cherry Tomatoes (8.5/10).
Quince Menu: Black River Russian Caviar with Eggplant, Chickpea, and Sesame Seed (8/10).
Bread with House Cultured Butter (7/10).
Garden Menu: Young Corn Fritto with Wild Ramp, Nasturtium, and Finger Lime (7.5-8/10).
Quince Menu: California Yellowfin Tuna with Summer Beans, Wild Fennel, and Nasturtium (7.5/10).
Garden Menu: Wild Mushroom Tart with Spring Onion, Artichoke, Nepitella, Balsamic Vinegar (8/10).
Quince Menu: Spot Prawn with Red Corn Polenta, Chili, and Okra (8.5/10).
Garden Menu: Rotolo with Garlic Scape, Spinach, and Morel Mushrooms (8/10).
Quince Menu: Squid Ink Tagliolini with Big Island Abalone, Black Garlic, and Scallion (8/10).
Garden Menu: Busiate with English Peas, Bergamot Mint, and Bronte Pistachio (8.5/10).
Quince Menu: Triangoli with Rabbit, Saffron, and Tomatoes (8/10).
Surprise Course.
Corn Ravioli with Black Truffle (9/10).
Brioche Rolls (8.5/10).
Garden Menu: Maine Lobster with Celtuce, Almond, and Lemon Verbena (8/10).
Quince Menu: Spring Lamb with Artichoke, Zucchini Blossom, and Sunflower (8/10).
Strawberry Pre-Dessert (8.5/10).
Pre-Dessert (8/10).
Garden Menu: Peach Melba with Raspberry and Vanilla (8/10).
Quince Menu: Cherries with Cocoa Nib and Rooftop Mint (8/10).
Complimentary Birthday Dessert!
Petit Fours (8/10).
Petit Fours (8/10).
Yay for Extra Desserts!
The service and ambience at Quince was wonderful, a great place for a special occasion. All the canapés were beautifully presented and tasted great, the perfect way to start off the meal. Highlights of the dinner were Achadinha Feta salad, spot prawn, squid ink tagliolini, corn ravioli, and lamb. The salad was composed of frozen balls of salty Achadinha Feta cheese, creamy avocado pieces, refreshing cucumber, pops from the King Salmon roe, and sweet juicy cherry tomatoes. A great fresh summer dish. The spot prawn was sweet and tender, swimming in a pool of delicious seafood sauce on top on creamy polenta, and garnished with okra and chili. The squid ink tagliolini had a great texture tossed in a light sauce and pieces of abalone, topped with fava beans, finger lime, scallions, and garnished with an earthy black garlic sauce. The surprise pasta course, the corn ravioli, was a fantastic gift from the kitchen. Pillowy stuffed sweet corn ravioli tossed in a butter sauce and topped with shaved black truffle. Simple yet packed with intense flavors. The Watson Farm spring lamb main course was served three ways: lamb chop, lamb shoulder, and lamb belly, each perfectly cooked with a different texture and flavor. The dish was garnished with pieces of artichoke, zucchini, and squash, making it an overall light dish. Even though I enjoyed most of the dishes, I felt a few fell flat. While the other pasta courses looked amazing, some of them lacked flavor and needed an extra oomph to bring it to the next level. The complimentary birthday dessert, which was super tasty, was a nice gesture from the kitchen and great addition to the meal.
After dinner I was able to get a tour of the kitchen, super cool!
Quince was an enjoyable meal but nothing blew me away. Everything was executed nicely but somehow it lacked excitement for me. Therefore, my rating for Quince is an 8/10.