A speakeasy within a speakeasy - Wilson & Wilson

Password (of the day): Yale Standard  

House Rules:

1. Please Speak-Easy.

2. No standing at the bar.

3. Patience is appreciated.

4. No cell phone use.

5. No camera use.

6. Don't even think of asking for a 'Cosmo'.

7. Smokers, use back door.

8. Please exit Bourbon & Branch briskly and silently.

Hidden deep inside the cryptic rooms of Bourbon & Branch lies another password protected chamber, a password not easily obtained, or so it seems. After a tedious registration, the email confirmation:

Cute, isn't it?

If you've been to the speakeasy Varnish in Los Angeles, then you're familiar with the whole concept of 1920's prohibition theme, which, quite frankly, I'm a sucker for. Wilson & Wilson has taken this to a whole other dimension. Starting from the private detective email confirmation stamped with your name, to the password protected entry, to the flappers costume; I was as giddy as a schoolgirl.

So here I am, in front of the speakeasy entrance, Bourbon & Branch. Not a single sign. Just a bleak doorway with the only indication of it being anything besides a doorway is the doorbell. Once the doorbell is pressed a flapper comes out to greet you and asks for the password. We enter the dark mahogany bar only to be led to another locked door.

We now have Wilson & Wilson, which is exactly how I would imagine a speakeasy to be.

The drink menu is as extensive as a pharmacology textbook. Pages and pages of whiskey, cocktail, absinthe outline the tattered menu. With the pri-fixe menu, you get a choice of an aperitif, a "main course", and a digestif. As you can imagine, the drinks were en pointe, innovative, with enough kick to make you wish they served food. Alas, the only drawback, nothing to nibble on.

 

With an allotment of only 20 guests per evening, one feels like a Fitzgerald until you get ushered out after 1.5 hours which is the exact time you're allowed there. And punctual they are. No worries. Once the flapper escorts you out, the soiree continues into another room, the Library Room. It never ceases to amaze!

A few friendly suggestions:

Come with a full belly.

Order the pre-fixe menu.

Allow Wilson & Wilson to take you back into an era where bootlegging, covert rooms, and jazz come to life.

Wilson & Wilson
http://www.bourbonandbranch.com/?caseid=main

The Plate Shop - Sausalito

"Farm to table, nose to tail..."

That's the buzz lately on the locavore restaurant, The Plate Shop. Having never been a locavore follower, I've always found the whole Chez Panisse movement, dare I say it, boring? (There. I said it. Lynch me.)

But TPS sheds a whole new light on the concept of locally produced goods. It is the embodiment of farm fresh, with the progenitor of the immaculate poached egg just a few feet away clucking without a worry.

Tucked away in the picturesque town of Sausalito lies a hidden gem, The Plate Shop. And well hidden it is. With barely a sign, one can drive by many times without even noticing this tiny shop, as we did. The decor is whimsical, modern with a tinge of rustic. Service is impeccable.

The Plate Shop articulates with the seasons. Not only are the ingredients from their own garden, a few steps from our table, each bite bursts with flavors of summer. Freshly plucked sprigs of rosemary flavor the tender ribchop and the poached egg that adorn the rabbit livers was just laid by the hen I was chasing around in the garden.

                                                

                                                           Toasted Rabbit Livers, Poached Egg, Pancetta

                      Assortment of warm olives imported from Spain

                                                                          Ricotta Gnocchi, browned butter, hazlenuts

Ribchop, coleslaw

With that said, I'm here to stress this: All movements come and go, be it nose to tail, locavore, MoGa,  or street food. So please drop by and have some warm Spanish olives or better yet, sip on one of their artisanal cocktails, as I would like to see this one stay.

The Plate Shop

39 Caledonia 

                     Sausalito, CA 94965                    

                                                                      (415) 887-9047
                                                                   http://www.plateshop.net/

Limon Rotisserie

It feels like ages since my last "good" meal. I've been drowned in the mediocrity of Peninsula food, the Peninsula being the San Mateo area and such. Sushi is subpar and what Peninsula people stamp as the best sushi (Sushi Sam) is in reality...depressing. A few weeks ago I had an itching for chirashi, sashimi atop a bed of sushi rice, and J pronounced, "I'll take you to the best this side of town has to offer." The chirashi, disappointingly, contained PRE-CUT sashimi that tasted of wet mop - 3 days old wet mop. A few bites of the wet mop were forced in for good effort. But inevitably, I grumbled, "I... can't..I'm sorry" and meekly pushed the chirashi away.

Was the culprit really Sushi Sam's pre-cut sashimi? Or is this sushi snobbery stemmed from being pampered by LA's abundant supply of fresh and elaborate bowls of chirashi. I have a sneaking suspicion it’s the latter. But that’s my reality, right?

So after that episode I had lost my appetite, and hope, for good food. Finally, after what felt likes months, I was inspired to stick my head out the door, so to speak, and give it another shot.

Limon Rotisserie is Peruvian cuisine that emphasizes on its spit fire free range chicken. Word has it the secret recipe is the cumin garlic dry rub. There are around 7 ceviches to choose from but we opted for the Ceviche Mixto: tiger shrimp, fish, and Peruvian corn. Refreshing, tangy, a perfect ceviche.

Ceviche Mixto

With the name Limon Rotisserie, one would expect the chicken to be flawless. Strangely, it came out a bit dry. The silver lining were the 3 "aji" sauces that accompanied it- a chimichuri of herb and garlic; recoto mayo and aji amarillo. And the thick cut yucca fries top any gourmet truffle duck fat fries you can find. No joke.

Rotisserie Chicken

Limon Rotisserie should contemplate changing its name to Limon Short Rib because they really have this Seco de Costillas down to a science. The boneless short ribs fall apart at the nudge of a fork and its marble of fat and lean braised to a perfect umami makes this dish near un-wordly.

Seco de Costillas

Profiteroles

At 8 bucks a dish, you can get away with a 4 course meal for less than $30 a head. A rare find nowadays especially in the bay area. What it lacks in damage, it doesn't lack in flavor. Thus, earning its name in the pantheon of San Francisco's favorite dishes of 2011.

Limon Rotisserie

1001 South Van Ness

San Francisco

415-821-2134