South Park Café
108 South Park
Tel: 495-7275
| posthoc's Late Night Restaurant Guide |
When I first paid a visit to South Park, it was on an important French holiday, Bastille Day, so the fraternal, revolutionary spirit was in full rouge, blanc, et bleu splendor. Vive La France! We ought to be truly thankful for the "gallic frogs" enriching us with impressionist art(Manet’s ‘Le dejeuner dans le parc" is a start), perfume(l’eau de toilette, that is),wine (liquid manna), cheese (the best food bestowed to le monde gourmand), and the Tour de France (cyclists are immortal Gods). Need I elaborate any further? I will, though, for the benefit of French resistance and persistence!
Allow me to begin with the restaurant’s fascinating neighborhood. This borough of the city is SOMA’s artsy best. It imbues an air of Euro panache, the focal point being a tree-lined circular park, and shops and restaurants acting as an attractive circumference. South Park is one of these places on the periphery, and it has a pronounced and welcoming front exterior. I was drawn to discover the mysteries within.
Once inside, the entryway is quite small, but the pleasant interior décor and mood compensate. The walls are painted a light mustard hue, and the glow of the lights complement the color and the gallery-like setting. Tables are bistroesque-wooden with tablecloths, and close together to accommodate a narrow space and to facilitate intense conversation. A bar semi-circles one side of the restaurant’s walls, and a pretty bouquet is properly placed at its end, as well as at the front foyer. I love the floral touch.
So, our menage à trois arrived a little tardy for our privileged reservation; nevertheless, the hostess seated us readily. The patrons were a convivial bunch of media gulchers, French patriots and sympathizers, and food pundits (like us). Wine and babble were flowing at every table. The atmosphere hovered between casual and classy, and not a drop of tra-la-la farcical did I observe. And the servers were attentive and proficient, not being the slightest snubby. In addition, they maintained a courteous attitude, even though the restaurant was très busy and boisterous.
I scanned the specials board first, as it was on the wall next to our table. The one strange standout I noticed was that a few of the specials were identical to the dishes previewed on the menu. Maybe the chef wanted to emphasize the menu’s specialty items. Je ne sais pas. I decided to allay my redundant thoughts with an aperitif drink, choosing a kir royale, which consists of champagne and crème de cassis-Oh la la! The wine list appeared a little spartan for my tastes, though, the bottles are priced rather moderately.
Time for an appetizer to go along with my fruity bubbly and the fresh, crunchy on the outside, light and airy on the inside french bread. I ordered the sautéed pear and Roquefort salad with frisee, a medley of greens, and walnuts($7.50). This combination happens to be one of my favorites. It was delightful to my sight and taste sensors; the greens had crisp, the pears were sliced thin and a little warm, and the walnuts and cheese were a winning acoutrement. Magnifique! I willingly shared my satisfying experience with mon ami. Other starters featured were the house smoked salmon with mixed greens and caraway crisp ($8.50),the ahi tuna tartare with fresh herbs and mixed greens ($8.50, and a mussel soup with leeks and saffron ($6.50). Aqua-life galore!
For the main course, I chose the steamed salmon with herb butter, potato puree, and sautéed rock shrimp ($17.50), and I enjoyed every bite of it. The fish was cooked perfectly, exhibiting a coral pink pallor and soft texture. The potato mash was flavorful, and I even had some little green bok choys for health’s sake. Mon petit ami had the ‘special’ white sea bass, dressed in a red wine sauce and accompanied with baby carrots and potato gratin($17.50). He cleaned his plate, as a positive indication. The third Musketeer tried the roasted duck breast with lavender sauce and sautéed bok choy ($15.50);however, he was displeased with the dish because the duck seemed tough and fatty, and the seasoning was off. I had a chance to taste test it, and I was not laying an egg either.
Thus, it was time to follow Marie Antoinette’s proclamation of "let them eat cake," and sample a royal dessert. Our gracious waiter suggested we share the profiteroles ($5), a trio of brioche-like pastries with vanilla ice cream sandwiched in the middle and topped with chocolate sauce. Superbe finale. We ate it like it was our last meal before (be)heading to the guillotine. A crème caramel ($5) and berry sorbet ($3.50) were two other offerings on the menu, but I would be surprised if they could top our sweet choice.
South Park Café is a wonderful bistro French culinary adventure, and I would give it three stars for atmosphere, two ½ stars for food, and three stars for service. Dinner is served Monday through Saturday from six to ten pm, and lunch is offered Monday through Friday, eleven-thirty to two-thirty. I also heard that it’s open in the mornings during the week, so I am going to check out the latte scene on my merry way to work, and possibly, attempt to read a Franco newspaper mocking American rogue culture.
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