The newest project from chef Daniel Patterson’s ever-growing empire is his second location of Alta in San Francisco.

Chef Daniel Patterson has really built an impressive and large restaurant group (DCG) within the Bay Area. I’ve dined at a handful of his restaurants (Coi, Aster, Haven, LocoL) but never made it to his original location of Alta on Market street. The newest location is in the Dogpatch and offers the same Californian inspired cuisine using fresh ingredients. They offer brunch, lunch, and dinner, where each menu caters to those meals.

Brown Rice Puffs with Avocado and Espelette (7/10).

I loved the delicate airiness of the brown rice puffs paired with the heat of espelette pepper and creamy avocado. I just needed more avocado spread for all the puffs!

Grilled Levain Bread with Dandelion Fromage Blanc, Peach, and Almond (7.5-8/10).

Delicious warm grilled levain bread was smothered with soft tangy fromage blanc. The juicy slices of peach almost seemed to be pickled but I would have preferred them fresh to allow their natural sweetness to shine.

Santa Rosa Plum Gazpacho with Smoked Trout Roe, Lemon Cucumber, Marcona Almonds, and Dill (8/10).

I’m not sure if I’ve ever had a fruit gazpacho (typically a cold soup made from tomatoes, peppers, cucumber etc.) but this was extremely well balanced. The lusciousness of the plum gazpacho soup with the crunchy pieces of lemon cucumber, Marcona almonds, and pops of smoked trout roe was just the perfect summer appetizer.

Monterey Squid Porridge with Peppers and Preserved Lemon (7.5/-8/10).

The richness of the squid ink porridge went perfectly with the tart vibrant strands of preserved lemon. The various peppers added sweetness and spiciness (some of them were a little too spicy for me) and the charred squid tentacles were delicious.

Strozzapreti with Summer Squash, Cherry Tomato, Pesto, and Wax Beans (7.5-8/10).

A simple pasta showcasing beautiful summer ingredients such as juicy cherry tomatoes, summer squash, and wax beans. A bowl of comfort.

Strawberry Shortcake Sundae (7/10).

A pretty substantial sundae with lemon poppyseed cake, creamy vanilla soft serve, and macerated strawberries. The poppyseed cake was slightly dry for my liking.

Candy Bar Sundae (7/10).

All the flavors I adore: toffee, salted caramel, and chocolate with chocolate vanilla soft serve.

While none of the dishes I had were mind-blowing or innovative, I liked the simplicity and freshness of all the food. The atmosphere was welcoming and casual and service was attentive and friendly. Portions were adequate and prices were quite reasonable (Alta is a no tip restaurant) so my overall rating is a 7.5/10.