Like many San Francisco visitors, I often find myself climbing the city's fog-mantled streets in search of new flavors. My latest discovery, which also happens to be the town's hottest reservation, is Spruce (right: image by Frankie Frankeny), a new, elegant and already grown-up feeling restaurant tucked away on Sacramento Street in the lesser-known Presidio Heights neighborhood.

After being seated at a prominent dining table in the rear, I took stock of Spruce's elegant details: Christofle silverware, amaretto leather chairs fastened with brass tacks, Baccarat crystal chandeliers, and German Rosenthal époque china are merely the set pieces to rakish Chef Mark Sullivan's cuisine. Our server Jennifer brought out an amuse bouche plate of savory cheese puffs called compte gougers, and proceeded to answer all my difficult questions with aplomb, including what types of grapes were in the Beerenauslese and the roasting method of the peony tea. Apparently, each server must complete a two-week course before working here, and I'm betting Jennifer came out at the top her class.  

She also informed me that 80% of the restaurant's produce comes from its own private farm (SMIP Ranch) just south of the city in the hills of Woodside. Dish after ornate dish that she brought abounded with flavor and a Proust-in-America sophistication. Honey-lacquered duck breast with cinnamon-spiced foie gras is served aside poached rhubarb; grilled bavette steak comes ladled with Bordelaise atop duck-fat potatoes (a house favorite), and hot and cold artichokes arrive aboard a bed of arugula and parmesan. Desserts were no less elaborate. Chef Greg Mindel's Cocoa nib Dacquoise was a caramel and chocolate knockout, bitter espresso cake came with salty-sweet peanut ice-cream, and madelaines -- the ultimate Proustian food -- came spiced with vanilla honey and rounded out the French-American theme.

No trip to Spruce would be complete with a trip to the in-house cheese café. Just ask Pete, the garrulous fromagier, and he'll talk your ear off about curds and rennet while plying you with samples of rare American cheeses like Old Chatham's Ewe's Blue and Midnight Moon Goat's Milk. He'll also tell you about the comprehensive in-house charcuterie program (all meats are house-cured). The café also stocks tasty plate-sized apricot-cherry oatmeal cookies, homemade marmalades and grapefruit comfitures, so be sure to grab a bagful of goodies before you leave.

Spruce
3640 Sacramento St.
San Francisco
415-931-5100

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Adam H. Graham is a contributing writer for this blog; his work also frequently appears in Town & Country Travel, both in the magazine and online.

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