The Other Critics

Bauer Not Super Impressed With Bottle Cap; Unterman Sings the Praises of Locavore

Bottle Cap
Bottle Cap Photo: Brian Smeets/Grub Street

Mr. Bauer takes first official crack at Bottle Cap (1707 Powell Street), the new restaurant in the former Washington Square Bar & Grill (WashBag) space in North Beach, and he’s not in love. He starts in on the decor, saying the reflected light from the pistachio-colored walls “makes everyone look as if they were recovering from a hangover,” and as for the overall vibe and the food, he writes, “I kept hoping its personality might emerge [over my three visits]. It never did.” He likes the fried chicken thighs, and the heirloom tomato salad with cured pork belly, but even the latter he says was “marred by stale croutons.” But he was otherwise nonplussed, and disappointed, with some dried halibut and service that wasn’t so terrific either. All told: one and a half stars. [Chron]

Patricia Unterman is in a far brighter mood about Locavore, the six-month-old restaurant in La Lengua — even though Patty’s probably not down with that geographic term. She was already a fan of chef Jonathan Merritt via his Portland restaurant Pok Pok which “happens to be one of [her] favorite restaurants in the world.” She’s most impressed with Merritt’s use of a whole duck in several dishes, and she also loves his tofu dish, his “velvety” meatballs, and says his cheeseburger is the best in town! She concludes, “[Merritt] brings energy, high standards and originality to a neighborhood restaurant that now deserves citywide attention.” [Examiner]

Bauer Not Super Impressed With Bottle Cap; Unterman Sings the Praises of