Rubicon

558 Sacramento Street

Tel: 415-434-4100

I don't care who owns this place or how many people's eyes glaze over in envy when you mention this restaurant to them, Rubicon is most certainly over-priced and under-loved. Ain't a doubt about it. You can yak away about the sonnelier and the designer list of froo-froo wines but it still doesn't make up for the fact that I came away from dinner here feeling robbed! However, having said that, if you're taking a client out for a meal and you personally aren't forking out for the bill, you'll do alright to eat here. It's predictably decent. And if you are into names (even if they are a bit "last year,"), go to Rubicon and wallow. You certainly won't be rushed which is always a plus.

The crowd is a pretty good mixture of business folks, celebrators, food snobs, straight and gay. The most intriguing note about Rubicon (and that does include the food) are the Dr. Seuss-like glass flower sculptures in the main dining room downstairs. You've seen them in the window of Gumps, wondered who the hell would buy them, and there they are right up by the ceiling, a cornucopia of glass flowers. Other than that, the atmosphere in the restaurant leaves much to be desired being neither cosy nor hip but like the waiting room in a first class lounge at the airport.

Rubicon on Sacramento Street

We all started with mixed greens and split a plate of oysters. Fine, good, unremarkable. For our main course, we had rib eye steak which had fabulous flavour. It was sitting on a "medley" of veggies which tasted quite good even if they looked rather undistinguishable. And, let's just pause for a moment to wonder who in their right unpretentious mind uses "medley"? I only mention that because we began to wonder ourselves at dinner. I ordered the lamb which was tender and had good flavour. It was tiny, though, which was rather disappointing. Three little lamb bits, that's all there was on my plate! Dessert was winner. Absolute winner. My mother always told me that the sign of a good restaurant was their crème brule. And, I've gotta tell you, Rubicon did not go amiss here. Their crème brule melted in our mouths faster than cotton candy. And that's saying something, isn't it?

On some final notes, parking is easy: You can either park in the Embarcadero lots which are very reasonable (on the Stockton/Sutter price range) or pay $6 for valet parking. Also, we'd recommend that you request a table on the ground floor as the higher level dining room does tend to get rather hot and sticky.

Susan MacTavish Best

Reproduction of material from posthoc is prohibited without written permission.

Copyright 2002, Posthoc, Inc.