Moose's
1652 Stockton Street on Washington Square
Tel: 415-989-7800
Walking
into this stylish neo colonial bastion that overlooks and protects Washington
Square Park, the center of North Beach, I feel instantly at home, warm
and welcome. This is an institution that has in the few years since it’s
inception in 1992, become one of the most notorious and respected dining
traditions in the City. From the street, Moose's is not an imposing space.
Yet, once night falls the larger than life blue neon moose illuminates
the Square and reminds we mere mortals that Moose’s is a truly magical
address.
This most
recent visit, a business lunch I went to with some trepidation, instilled
confidence and well being in me the minute I entered the wide, powerful
portico. I 
surveyed
the large, masculine bar, the bustling exposition kitchen, the ebony grand
piano anchoring the spacious and club-like dining room; it was simple,
elegant, clean, traditional and modern, all at the same time. The first
person I saw standing at the rich bar was the original partner of Ed and
Mary Etta Moose, Sam Dietch, who together created and gave birth to perhaps
the greatest saloon and restaurant this City has ever seen, The
Washington Square Bar & Grill; just a football field across the
beautiful park from Moose’s.
Like the ‘Washbag,’ Moose’s is far more than a bar/restaurant: it is one of those rare places each city boasts that is the real home or base of power. Ed Moose, a big, warm bear of a man with a sophisticated wooziness and educated smile is perhaps the best saloon & restaurant promoter this City has ever seen, maybe the only restaurateur to outshine the legendary Toots Shor. Local leaders entertain State and National leaders of government, the arts and the commercial worlds in this timeless ‘plantation house’ that serves as an unofficial City Hall for many of the leaders of our community. Those supping, cocktailing and visiting for jazz are rewarded with great food, drink and music to boot, because all these things are taken very seriously by owner-hosts, and they do it with style and substance.
Ed Moose, his wife and his partner Sam first introduced their daily jazz performances nearly a quarter century ago at the Washbag, and it’s alive and well at Moose’s with Mike Lipskin, one of the original great musicians given a stipend and a tab for food and drinks in exchange for some really good music. Some of the legends that Ed, Sam & Mary Etta brought to our daily lives were Norma Teagarden, John Horton Cooper, Mike Frazier, Dick Fregulia, Vernon Alley and the late great Stan Getz.
Moose’s serves lunch Thursday and Friday, Brunch on Saturday and Sunday, and dinner every night of the week. Excellent jazz is presented every evening and on the weekend days to accompany the rich and rewarding dining experience offered here. I haven’t had a bad meal here, and most I’ve had have been very good. Readers familiar with my peculiarities know I rank producing a good hamburger as a requisite to producing any kind of memorable meal, and Moose’s is up there among the leaders in this category, offering a really fine burger, cooked expertly to order, served with excellent garnishes, scrumptious fries and delicious condiments. This truly remarkable burger is available at any time the kitchen is cooking, and I rate it up there among the best I’ve had anywhere. Also dynamite at lunch is the grilled chicken sandwich on focaccia with apple smoked bacon, pickled red onion & mustard aioli $9.75 and for two bits less the roast portobello sandwich with roast peppers, grilled onions, arugula & mozzarella. Other lunch entrees include a terrific penne with spicy sausage, roast tomatoes, eggplant & oregano $11.50, petrale sole with crème fraiche, mashed potatoes & grilled fennel-orange relish $13.50, and a very good sterling rib eye with excellent fries, roasted shallots, watercress & red wine sauce for $14.50.
Moose’s always has great salads and I’m particularly taken with their Caesar, which is a bargain $6.25 and a great deal with chicken breast $8.00 and $12.00 for the appetizer or full meal respectively. Mixed greens with a fine sherry vinaigrette is only $4.95 and a great buy. Dinner salads become more complex and a little more expensive, but worth every penny. I am particularly fond of their beets with bosc pear salad with various kinds of cress, ricota salata and a hazelnut & curry vinaigrette $7.75 or my all time favorite; watercress & endive salad with apple smoked bacon, roquefort & garlic croutons $8.50. The dinner menu, like the appetizer and salad selections is more of a reach than the familiar lunch presentation. This is most evident in their pastas which include what is described as Yukon gold potato & wild mushroom ‘lasagna’ with truffle nage $5.00, or chestnut fettuccini with wild mushrooms, grana & Italian parsley $14.50 and winter greens & ricotta ravioli in delicata squash broth also $14.50. An excellent risotto is almost always on the menu at around $15.00. Meat entrees include a terrific pork chop served recently with butternut squash gratin, worth a visit itself; offered $19.00, a bone-in rib eye with a choice of potatoes and a good fresh vegetable at $28.00. Fish is always fresh and well prepared and includes such familiar items as petrale, varieties of sea bass, mahi-mahi and ahi, some excellent shellfish and the more exotic varieties like monkfish and pike. Moose’s also offers one of the best half chickens available anywhere $17.00.
Desserts are not quite up to the high standards the kitchen consistently produces, but still worthy of accolades from the sugar lobby. Offerings I have liked and come back for include some unique and daring cheesecakes $6.50, creative ice creams & sorbets $5.75, a great bittersweet fallen chocolate soufflé cake with frangelico crème Anglaise and Gianduja chocolate ice crème $7.00, this is pretty wonderful and worth a visit on its own.
Another strong showing by Moose’s is brunch where I can enjoy one of he best corned beef hashes available anywhere in the country. Ed & Mary Etta & partner Sam served brunch almost from day one at the Washbag, and although it was never truly busy, they pioneered some of the great Sunday brunch items including this infamous corned beef hash with poached eggs.
In summary, Moose’s is great ambience, great food, great jazz, great drinks, great staff, great service and great people watching…It’s the ‘Town Hall’ of North Beach, and I highly recommend Moose’s.
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