Actually Pretty Awesome

Actually Pretty Awesome: The Meatloaf at Jamber

Photo: Andrei Riskin/Grub Street

We don’t know why, but the meatloaf was calling out to us the other night. We ordered it, along with a few other things at new SoMa wine pub Jamber (858 Folsom between 4th and 5th), because we were hungry and it sounded like it would go well with poutine. And let us preface this by saying that we don’t make such claims lightly, given the plethora of versions we’ve seen and consumed over the past decade of comfort food’s rise to dominance: But goddamn, this was seriously the best meatloaf we can remember eating in a long, long time.

It’s like, better than mom’s good. It’s got a rich, onion-y, meaty flavor and texture, enhanced by an incredible vinegar tang we couldn’t quite identify — a hefty hand with the Worcestershire? Actual vinegar? [Update: Jamber owner Jess Voss tells us the secret ingredients are whole grain mustard and homemade barbecue sauce.] Suffice it to say, it’s not sodden with bread crumbs and not leaden with fatless meat either. It’s excellently seasoned, just a bit peppery, it crumbles nicely, strikes the perfect balance of umami flavors and juiciness (it’s made with mostly buffalo meat), and, to top it off, it’s wrapped in bacon, which never hurts. And it comes with a side of buttery mashed potatoes, and some great glazed carrots.

We will be going back for more, especially when it’s rainy and cold outside and we’re in need of some comfort.


Earlier on Actually Pretty Awesome:
Carrots at Commonwealth
Turducken at Honor Bar
Beggar’s Chicken at Betelnut
Lobster Bread Pudding and Smoked Cod at Maverick
Sand Dabs at Bar Jules
Green Farro-Sausage Risotto at RN74
Vegan Charctuerie at Gather
Pickled Eggs at St. Vincent
Beef Tongue at Namu Gaji
Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken at Brasa
Green Garlic Bread at State Bird Provisions
A Dinner of Small Plates and the Duck Confit Salad at Frances
Duck Fat Chex Mix at Truck Stop Café
The Lamb Tongue Salad at Txoko
The Branzino and the Cucumber and Scallops at AQ
Dinner at Local Mission Eatery
Suckling Pig Sandwich at Sweet Woodruff
Crudités at Saison
The Roasted Broccoli Sandwich at Split Pea Seduction
George Mendes’s Partridge in a Pear Tree
The Buffalo Burger at Double Decker
A Preview of Dishes at Haven
Alicia’s Tamales Los Mayas
The Cocktails at Outerlands
The Meatball Gigante and the Honey Pie at Tony’s Pizza
Three New Gins from St. George Spirits
The Date Night at Sneaky’s BBQ
Crab and Dumplings at Pican
The Fried-Chicken Sliders at The Lookout
The Tripe and the Pickles at Bar Tartine
Fried Chicken and Cornmeal Doughnuts at Beast & the Hare

Actually Pretty Awesome: The Meatloaf at Jamber