Ger-Nis INTERNATIONAL, LLC

New/Notable Restaurants

NOPA, San Francisco, Ca
560 Divisadero
San Francisco, CA 94117
415-864-8643
http://www.nopasf.com

Nopa is a San Francisco gathering place north of the Panhandle, serving urban rustic food and specializing in organic wood-fired cuisine.

NOPA (North of the Pan Handle) opened in 2006 and in its first year not only defined itself as one of San Francisco’s stand-out exclusive restaurants but also defined itself as the cultural icon of the up and coming hip neighborhood now eponymously known as, what else, NOPA. The neighborhood had long been known for low income housing and, among other things, its high crime rate. However, it has quickly become a hip and sought after place to live and eat. It is a fact that the NOPA restaurant has led the way to this neighborhood’s transition, and it is continuing both to attract diners from all over the Bay Area and become a place where artists, professionals and families are flocking to buy homes.

This iconic restaurant houses itself in an old bank, and the wine is stored in what used to be the old vault. The restaurant’s huge space has soaring, vaulted ceilings that create an energy that is relaxing yet exciting for the patrons. Upon entering, you are greeted by a long, thick, block wooden communal table which, along with the massive bar that runs the entire length of one side of the restaurant, is open for those without reservations. The entire length of the front wall houses a now iconic mural painted by a local painter that captures all the local landmarks of San Francisco. On the opposite side of the bar, there is a lofted space where around 15 small tables overlook the entire restaurant but still fit well below the expansive vaulted ceilings. In the back of the restaurant is a very large, very clean, fully equipped open kitchen with the trademark  wood burning oven that is at the heart of NOPA’s menu. The restaurant’s menu also focuses on a grassroots and green philosophy that spurs from the shared values of owners Laurance Jossel, Allyson Woodman & Jeff Hanak.

The Californian-Mediterranean cuisine is infused with green philosophy, and the restaurant serves local, seasonal and sustainable meats, fish and produce from around the Bay Area. Even the water served is filtered tap water and not bottled water as part of NOPA’s commitment to green and sustainable dining and living.

The service is just as exciting as the space with a group of eclectic men and women servers who are both electric and highly skilled. They are detailed, extremely knowledgeable, fun and courteous. They offer suggestions and valuable information on the local ingredients and about many of the artisanal craftsman whose wares they serve.

They offer an excellent array of drinks, wine and beers along with several exciting non-alcoholic options as well. The spirit menu, which they craftily refer to as their “Spirituals” menu, routinely features a new and unusual liquor from which a variety of drinks are created. When our group recently went to NOPA, the Spiritual of the moment was Nicaragua’s famous Flor de Cana Rum. From this Nicaraguan rum special we tried the Hemmingway, a mixture of rum, maraschino cherry, lime juice and grapefruit juice. Other “Spirituals” on the menu but not from the featured liquor included the Old Cuban which was a mixture of rum, mint, sugar, lime juice and cava.   The Blood & Sand was another we tried made with JMR Rich & Spicy Scotch, Italian vermouth, Cherry Heering and orange.

We never made it to the wine list which was rare for our party, but the drinks were so exciting that we just simply never did. Nonetheless, we noticed that the wine list was both extensive and diverse. They offer many excellent wines by the glass as well as a wide variety of bottles from all over the world. Their offering accommodates different price ranges, but we did notice they had many very expensive bottles on their list and a good array of moderately priced ones as well.

Despite how much we can rave about the ambience, drinks and service, the food definitely stole the show. The local ingredients were highlighted all throughout the menu and the taste of everything was very fresh and alive with flavor. A few of the appetizers we tried were the pimientos de pardon sprinkled with salt, wood roasted oven sardines with rocolla and spiced chick peas, and one of our favorites, the early girl tomato salad with purslane, oregano croutons and feta. The freshness and flavor were truly unbeatable.

We opted to split a few entrees and vegetable sides instead of each getting our own entrée because that gave us more to taste and enjoy, and the side dishes are too incredible to eat just one. The grass fed beef was truly a favorite of the restaurant, and locals raved about it and recommended it to us. We opted for the thick cut country pork chop, wood fired of course, with roasted apples and beans. The pork chop was thick, juicy and so exquisitely flavorful that we were perplexed by its complete deliciousness. Their apple and bean mixture was savory with a hint of sweetness yet still extremely rustic and natural. We chose the sides according to a few recommendations based on the local produce available at the beginning of fall. We enjoyed wood fired grilled broccoli with lemon and anchovy and herbed breadcrumbs, and the roasted corn and squash. They were both excellent and the flavors of the produce were highlighted magnificently by other ingredients used to enhance the flavors. The side dishes were really impeccable with an obscene amount of attention to detail that made the flavors pop!

Dessert is supposed to be the grand finale, and in truth, at NOPA it was like the ball dropping in Time Square because it was so superb. We chose the early fall apple crisp with burnt honey ice cream and the roasted corn ice cream with skillet bread and honey bacon brittle. Both, again, were perfect in flavor, and although we were a little skeptical of the roasted corn dessert dish, it was truly magnificent. The apple crisp with burnt honey ice cream was truly special.

They have a wonderful after dinner drink and digestives menu that we thought was pretty terrific as part of our finale. The drinks included house made early grey cream liquor and aged tequilas and brandies. We enjoyed the magnificent individual pots of teas with a splendid array of choices like wild mint from Greece and persimmon leaf from Japan.

The pricing was moderate and very fair. We felt that there were many options and many ways to enjoy the full plethora of offerings without going broke. At the same time, it would be easy to go crazy spending money if you chose to. The end price for our party (we sat at the communal table and really enjoyed it) was extremely fair and we were actually surprised that we left full, satisfied and a little tipsy with money in our pockets to spare!

Overall, the experience was top notch. It is very difficult to get a table there because of all the buzz; they accept reservations up to a month in advance. The communal table and bar are open to anyone but are usually crowded. Our advice to people without reservations, or the will to wait for the bar or communal table, is to go early on a weeknight. We had also heard and read that the noise factor was a problem but at the communal table by the bar we did not feel it was too loud to converse with our party. It might not be the best place to have an intimate one-on-one night but it is the perfect spot for friends, family and lovers to dine on incredible local and fresh foods in a beautiful and buzzing atmosphere.