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Review content:
Restaurant Review
GASTRONOMIC TRANQUILITY COMES TO BROADWAY
By Carol Peterson
As Telegraph Hill/North Beach people, we are used to the casual and raucous dining environments that characterize favorite eateries as diverse as Tommaso’s and Moose’s. It comes as something of a surprise, then, that an elegant and upscale-- if unpretentious-- restaurant has slipped in under our noses. The lower Broadway establishment is named COI , French for tranquil. The chef and owner, Daniel Patterson comes to this new venture after the much lamented demise of his former restaurant, Elizabeth-David which had been one of my personal favorites.
Still an under-the-radar gem, COI, lives up to its name from the moment you walk through the door. The walls are painted milk chocolate and papered with earthy grass cloth, almost emitting an aroma of its own. The subtle art work, flowers, upholstered chairs, dropped faux ceiling of hand-made paper all flow together exquisitely.
The menu is prefixed, with a $75 Dinner and a $105 Tasting Choice. If you think the meal pricey, consider the cost of a good seat at a major theatre for three hours of entertainment. On both our visits to
COI, the presentation and meal took three hours, and the experience was as dramatic as a fine play.
The courses come quickly and time flies by. You are never bored. I wondered about the 18% gratuity, shared by the entire wait staff, but the friendly crew seamlessly glided from table to table, taking orders, explaining the menu, replacing silver and tending to every detail it takes to make a great meal ebb and flow.
The nine course Tasting Menu at first seemed intimidating, but the portions are very small, focusing on original combinations of foods, oils, herbs and other ingredients. The California Osetra Caviar portion was no bigger than two fifty-cent pieces but the flavor was a million dollars. Imagine sautéed bone marrow, topped with a dollop of caviar and beet gelee. I looked around to see if anyone was looking, as I wanted to run my finger across the plate for the last taste of beet. Unbelievable! Then the Sea Scallop Sashimi arrived, with minutely shaved avocado, radishes, and baby nasturtiums topping it. The scallop melted on my tongue and when I started to chew, a tiny piece of sea salt exploded in my mouth. Sitting back, I let the flavors meld before I took another bite. The first spoonful of the Chilled English Pea Soup, which was poured around a cluster of raw, fresh peas with ricotta yogurt, led me to close my eyes in sensual appreciation. The fresh mint in the puree transported me back to my childhood in my mother’s garden. Each of the following dishes was a joy to look at and more of a pleasure to eat.
The deserts are seasonal, with a few favorites left on the menu. There is a great variety for everyone’s taste from creations of fresh fruit, with sweet and tart flavors, to creamy chocolate that tastes like velvet on your tongue. On my first visit to COI, I sampled the lemon, three layered, pie in a tall tubular shape. It was beyond outstanding. I felt like crying when it wasn’t offered on the second visit.
For those disinclined to rob Fort Knox or take out a second mortgage on their home, there is another way to visit COI. One can enjoy the lounge menu without confronting the dining room prices. I have yet to have this experience, but some say the food is even better.
Chefs of San Francisco, stand at attention. Daniel Patterson has a winner here, and in my opinion, it is the best restaurant in San Francisco. And it is right here in our neighborhood!
COI, 353 Broadway, 393-9000
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