By Phyllis Bowie
Julia Child's Potatoes - Yummy
Julia Child's Potatoes - Alfresco dining at its best at the Epic Steakhouse. Located along the beautiful Embarcadero with spectacular views of the Bay and the Oakland Bay Bridge, it is a must when visiting San Francisco. My friends and I were having a birthday celebration. They both ordered the lunch special: Steak and Fries - New York Strip with Fries and Spinach for only $18 what a deal. View Steak Video
Chicken Sandwich
Chicken Sandwich on fresh baked bun. Chicken Sandwich and View Video
I chose the chicken sandwich but the star hands down was Julia Child's Potatoes with Gruyere Cheese!! What I love about anything from Julia Child's recipes is it is French inspired but Child makes them approachable and real simple. The layers of thinly sliced potatoes, probably mandoline sliced, kissed with cream and gruyere cheese makes this side dish my favorite. I am inspired to prepare in My Kitchen. I need that cast iron mini pan for presentation, of course!
Oysters
We also ordered a dozen oysters. They were sweet and so fresh served with fresh horseradish and tomato cocktail sauce. We were celebrating my BFF's birthday and she had never tried Ceviche, even though she and I have traveled to Mexico many times and she never wanted to try it. Well, I was so pleased that this Ceviche was as good as the best I had in Mexico. The sashimi quality seafood was fresh, rich and creamy served with house-made tortilla chips. Perfection. Ceviche Video
Ceviche
Ceviche and Chip
Epic Steakhouse has an unfair advantage because the views are spectacular. I always sit outside even on a typical foggy City day. They have plenty of heaters. While enjoying great food I get lost in the tides of the bay and the grandeur of the Bay Bridge. Both are so close you feel like you can reach out and touch. I have dined at all the Kuleto designed restaurants and enjoy each one. Pat Kuleto did an extraordinary job with the interiors of Epic Steakhouse. If the goal was to have the interiors be an accessory to the main attraction which is the views, he was successful. So the open feel and windows gets a 4 star for ambience. The Quiver Bar made the perfect Maker's Mark Manhattan! We ordered many Manhattans and took a shared ride home. A great time was had by all.
Perfect Manhattan
Thank you Executive Chef Parke Ulrich, Chef de Cuisine Dirk Tolsma and the entire culinary team and our server Chris. A special shoutout to Pete Sittnick for your kind message. The front of the house is critical to giving guests an extraordinary dining experience. I had a small issue with the front desk at their partner restaurant next door at the Waterbar. I have a policy for all my restaurant reviews, that I will not write about bad experiences. But, of course it does happen. I am only mentioning it because I really appreciated how Jason from reservations accepted the compliant apologized profusely. I also received a very kind phone message from Managing Partner Pete Sittnick apologizing and letting me know what actions they have taken. Thank you Pete I will be back.
As an African American San Francisco native I am very sensitive to how I am greeted and the level of service at restaurants in The City. Unfortunately, in today's racially charged climate I have experienced passive aggressive racism. I do not write about it, I prefer highlighting the restaurants that do a great job of customer service. I am happy to say Epic Steakhouse was one of those restaurants where my friends and I felt like Nubian Queens!