If I could give a half-star, House would certainly be a 4.5 star venue. Not to say that everything wasn't excellent, but there were some small details that keep it from getting that last star.
Tonight, a group of five of us rolled in for our 7pm reservation on time - but as is typical these days, the table wasn't ready. Take note restauranteurs: make sure you're budgeting enough time for table turnover, especially in small restaurants. But I digress... we waited about 20 minutes, dodging obnoxious panhandlers who just didn't get the hint, before getting the table.
The food and wine was very good, possibly even fantastic but not outstanding. The very amiable waiter ran down the specials and brought us our bottle of 2003 Elk Cove Pinot Noir (only mentioned by name because it is a great Pinot for the price, and so I'll remember it in the morning).
I started with a classic Hot and Sour soup with Manila clams. This was a perfect hit, as I love good Hot and Sour soup and I love Manila clams - and the combination of both was unique and exceptional: spicy with a delicate seafood note.
The "Wagyu Skirt Steak with Mashed Potatoes" wasn't that at all, but it was still a fantastic main course. Instead, it was actually a Wagyu Flank Steak, cooked perfectly to my specification of rare, with a beef and truffle reduction and served with a small bowl of white rice, which was a much better starch for this dish than the aforementioned mashed potatos. A quarter point was taken off for the white asparagus, which was a little underdone, but it was still one of the best steak dishes I have had in a long time.
Dessert was a plum crisp with vanilla ice cream - a dish that is reminiscent of a Bavarian dessert whose name I can no longer recall - simple and very, very tasty. Take another quarter-point off for a lack of an espresso maker - de rigeur in San Francisco and especially in North Beach.
House won't give food lovers a life changing meal, but it is great food - better than ever expected in North Beach."
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