Absinthe
398 Hayes Street (at Gough)
Tel: 415-551-1590
| posthoc's Late Night Restaurant Guide |
Absinthe radiates charm and excitement, is glorious to behold, and is truly an entertaining experience for the diner. The décor is the type of thing Pat Kuleto strives for and might achieve given a smaller ego and bankroll; it's vivid, bright, commanding and sensual all at once. The bar is striking, small intimate and oozing charm. The staff appears genuinely happy and eager to be a part of an ensemble entertainment experience designed for each guest.
The main dining room
From the host stand where a warm and gracious maitre 'd welcomes each arriving patron through the evening while one is served by bartenders, waiters, and busboys, everyone employed in this bustling gem is working to assure that one will not quickly forget their evening at Absinthe. I don't know how to simply put Absinthe into a category or type of restaurant, because it brims with imagination, enthusiasm and excitement, appealing to every simple and exotic taste I have.
We chose this visit to have a drink at the animated, lusty bar, rather than be seated right away, and found ourselves not wanting to leave and go to our table. A good bar is intoxicating in and of itself, and this is one of the best I've visited recently. The drinks were premium and generous, almost sublime, but leave we did, or I might be sitting there still.
There's a gracious allowance of space at each table, but most wouldn't be put off in tighter quarters, because the atmosphere is so charged with fun. The menu covers a lot of territory geographically and intellectually, and truly inspires guests to mix the familiar with the new. There were four in our party, we were all in festive moods amplified by the atmosphere, and decided to pick and choose things each of us wanted and to share. We decided to split two soups and two salads, opting for the classic French onion and the sorrel soup with bacon and tomato, each at $5.00, and a Caesar with fresh egg at $8.50, the Elstar apple, Belgian endive, raddichio and walnut salad at $8.00, followed by two orders of Italian ricotta dumplings with wild mushrooms, pancetta and parmesan cheese at $8.50 each. We shared a fair priced bottle of local Chardonnay with this portion of the meal and it was all sensational.
Service was sophisticatedly attentive and friendly, then came what we had chosen as entrees, grilled chilean sea bass with fresh herb vinaigrette, grilled veggies, pickled beets and marinated steamed potatoes at $17.00, sautéed New Zealand venison with huckleberry sauce, spiced quince, landaise potatoes and chard with honey (it came together beautifully despite the description) at $22.00, and the Absinthe cold seafood platter for two, consisting of dungeness crab, Louisiana white shrimp, Manila clams, Prince Edward Island mussels and fresh oysters accompanied by horseradish cream, spicy remoulade, aioli and rose Champagne mignonette at $36.00 for two.
I can honestly say that each of us tried almost everything served to us, and unanimously we loved each bite. This was a celebratory dinner, we experimented and were rewarded with a rich and exciting dining experience, and I can't think of another restaurant in the city that could do all they did so well. This is a sophisticated and eclectic restaurant with fabulous décor, stellar service and outstanding food and drink.
I highly recommend Absinthe.
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