Arriving at Quince is a bit like coming to a new friend’s house for dinner.
In this scenario, your pal’s Pacific Heights pad is done up in shades of crème fraiche with velvet banquettes the color of rare old burgundy. Naturally, the hand blown chandeliers are Venetian. The flowers are beautiful but restrained: silver-leaved olive branches punctuated by explosive white chrysanthemums with spidery petals.
Three-year-old Quince is still a hard-to-get reservation–-but last Monday, when we unexpectedly arrived with a friend in tow, the staff seemed genuinely delighted to make room for a third. It was the sort of gracious welcome you might encounter in the home of an amiable but unfamiliar host, when both parties have the agreeable prospect of friendship. Everyone is on best behavior, the detritus of everyday life has been swept away, and an excellent chef has been hired for the evening. You feel cosseted and comfortable.
In its controversial 2007 San Francisco Red Guide, Michelin awarded one star to Quince as well as to 22 other beloved Bay Area restaurants including Chez Panisse and Gary Danko. San Franciscans were outraged at the measly number of stars awarded to local faves—in all the Bay area only the French Laundry won three, as opposed to New York where Per Se, Jean-Georges and Le Bernardin all received top accolades. Most of the city's top chefs are probably on tenterhooks at the moment, since the 2008 guide is due out in a matter of days.
Personally, I thought we had almost a two-star evening at Quince. Michael Tusk, an alumnus of both Chez Panisse and Oliveto, does a refined but beguiling take on mostly Italian cuisine. Tusk seems to be channeling, say, Emiglia Romana by way of Alice Waters and Paul Bertolli, but in the end, what comes out of the kitchen is pleasingly inventive. Dishes like Oxtail Sopressata, crisp around the edges, meltingly tender and meaty inside, manage to delight without startling and never strike a discordant note. This is comfort food at its finest. Match that with the choreographed but responsive service in the front of the house—the hostess even brought out the chef’s favorite olive oil when we inquired —and you have a recipe for a nearly perfect occasion.
Quince’s pasta usually garners stellar reviews, and the menu has a dozen delectable choices, including Pennoni Gratinata, giant tubes of penne stuffed with succulent wild mushrooms, smothered in a richly aromatic veal ragu. Fagottini, fragile beggar’s purses filled with a puree of sweet zucchetta rampicante squash, were served with browned butter and leaves of sage, simplicity at its delicious best.
Like his mentors, Tusk sources marvelous ingredients that don’t require too much razzle dazzle in the kitchen. This particularly shows up in dishes like juicy, rare-roasted Liberty duck breast, a variety of Pekin slow-fed on corn and other grains. The bird’s intense flavor was punched up by quince prepared two ways—some roasted to a sweet, jam-like consistency, the rest in a tart and spicy mostarda with citron. The Watson Valley Lamb Roast, a mixed grill which included sweet, grass-fed lamb chops, and the savory roulade of Devil’s Gulch Rabbit were equally flavorful. The sides are as intriguing as they are delicious. Delicately fried Ozette potatoes, creamy Peruvian fingerlings that have a place on Slow Food’s Ark of Taste, were a happy discovery, while the rich sautéed egglant that accompanied faintly smoked slices of Swordfish Carpaccio was set off by peeled cherry tomatoes, a simple but novel trick that brings out the fruity side of the vegetable.
Was everything wonderful? Unfortunately, the desserts did not delight. A pear tart was lackluster, while a big ball of vanilla ice cream rolled in crushed toffee and served in a puddle of dark chocolate was a bit odd. The wine, a red 2005 Sancerre from the Loire Valley, was less than exciting.
But I’d happily return to Quince. Good food, gracious service and smiles all around are always a recipe to be repeated.
Quince, 1701 Octavia Street, San Francisco, California 94109. Telephone: 415-775-8500. Web: www.quincerestaurant.com.