Every time I go to Gitane (gypsy in French) and sit at the bar, look at the luscious décor and let myself get immersed in the sensual orange light, the openness of the space and the Andulusian influence, my energy changes and joy fills me up. If you are looking for a good meal with an escape, a sense of inner transformation, this is the place for you. Nothing here is left for granted. As you enter the door, your entire experience is calculated and cared for.
The night I was there, the music shifted from French lounge to Spanish, perfectly corresponding to the change of mood after the food and the wine started arriving. The three bartenders had their eyes set to the needs of the customers, shaking the cocktail mixers almost to the rhythms of flamenco. The wines on the list are mostly Spanish, Portuguese and Southern French, mirroring the concept of the restaurant. It was a delight finding a great selection of French cognac, armagnac, calvados and liqueurs, all lined up in colorful bottles, reflected in a mirror behind the bar!
The food has Iberian, Moroccan and Provençal influences, with a lot of flavor and spices. Mint, almonds, olives, and peppers add exotic tastes to the palate. The stuffed calamari (Calamares) with bacon and onion, Manzanilla olives, cherry tomatoes and heirloom potatoes were superbly delicious. The Tajine (spiced chicken breast, saffron tomato broth, green olives, cauliflower, almond, couscous) rivals the original Moroccan inspiration. The pan roasted rockfish (Peix Roca) with chickpea stew, eggplant yogurt and broccoli rabe was light and exuded the summer flavors of a Mediterranean meal. You can order the whole menu at the bar, which included other notable dishes such as Bastilla (sweet and savory pastry with chicken, spiced almonds, apricot fennel salad), lamb mergez, Bacon Bombons (stuffed prunes with goat cheese, spiced port glaze), etc.
The Beignets, perfectly French, perfectly fluffy, arrived with three dipping sauces – melted chocolate, naughty cream, and seasonal fruit preserves. The dessert, big enough to be enjoyed by two people, was the crescendo of the night. The bar at Gitane is definitely the place for pleasure seekers, bohemians, and nostalgia for the past, where time was cherished and fervently enjoyed with all the senses. And this is why Gitane is one of my favorite places in the city. Do I need to mention that the owner is French?
- Gitane restaurant, 6 Claude Lane, San Francisco
- Reservations: (415) 788-6686
- website
Why would you go to the Basque Cultural Center in South San Francisco if you are not a Basque and you don’t play pilota (handball game)? Because the food at the restaurant is so good that you would be amazed. Imagine eating home made food in a small village restaurant in the Basque country of France! It’s what you get.
I came to feast on a recent Saturday evening with a group of five friends. We had an early reservation at 5:30 PM. A gracious grandmotherly hostess in an elegant outfit greeted us at the door and led us to a round table with white linens.
The dining room is large and has an old-charm quality to it. It has big tables with a lot of room between the tables, and it is apparently conceived to host an extensive number of people. The restaurant filled up fast. We heard Basque language spoken at nearby tables. We saw faces that reminded us of the Basque country. It is definitely a place for a mature audience.
We ordered two bottles of white and red whine at $26 each and then looked at the menu. Most of my friends came for the rack of lamb. I wanted to try the veal sweetbreads, as I always order sweetbreads if there are any on the menu. All entrees come with soup and a salad, so we didn’t order any first courses.
We started with the soup (potage). I haven’t had such delicious home made soup since my days in France. It was made from leaks and potatoes. You could taste the leeks while the potatoes gave it just the right consistency. The waiter left a big bawl on the table for seconds. The bread was a sort of baguette, but it didn’t taste like a baguette. It was thicker and saltier, perfect for mopping up your soup bawl and enjoying with butter.
After the soup and the salad, we were full before the main courses arrived. The rack of lamb looked masterly done, the portions were generous and my friends were raving. The sweetbreads were tender and cooked in a thick earthy sauce. The dish was satisfying to my palate, and I enjoyed it immensely.
We finished the meal with the traditional Gâteau Basque, which tasted fresh and had the right amount of subtle almond filling. I also tried the chocolate mousse. A touch of liqueur made its fluffiness melt. By the end of the meal the wine was gone, and we were laughing and joking more than usual. The meal was worth the drive.
The Basque Cultural Center is an impressive building with parking situated in a residential neighborhood in South San Francisco. It opened in 1982, thanks to the contributions and efforts of the Basque community. The restaurant is one of the many ways the center gets funded, another being membership. According to the web site, the Basque Cultural Center counts close to 500 members. The Center boasts a pilota court, banquet rooms, and outdoor barbeque areas for festival times, which take place a few times a year and draw Basque expatriates from all over California.
- Basque Cultural Center 599 Railroad Avenue, South San Francisco
- Reservations: (650) 583-8091
Perched high above the actual tunnel on Stockton Street sits the Tunnel Top, an historic San Francisco institution. As I was crossing Bush Street, the dim lights were tempting me to go in. The original sign, probably from the sixties, still stands, and a massive oak door reads Merci when you get closer.
Welcome to the Tunnel Top, a European bar and lounge infused with the red and orange colors of the south of France, decorated with old antique shutters on the windows, 19th century SNCF (French railroads) lamps illuminating different focal points, and bottle racks in wrought iron (fer forgé). You can’t help but notice the impressive chandelier, a huge bottle rack (séchoir à bouteilles) that is actually an old replica of a Duchamp readymade, the first ordinary object found by Marcel Duchamp in the Bazaar of Paris in 1914 that entered the list of art objects – the readymades, as he called them.
As you climb the stairs to get to the mezzanine, a silent film is playing on the wall. The chandelier appears even grander, and your senses are buzzing. Groups of people are having a great time conversing on leather couches, feeling relaxed by the warmth of the décor. As you gaze at the art on the walls, you might wonder about the cross. This is actually an antique 1823 iron cross, one of many unusual pieces that make this place an artsy heaven.
Back at the bar below, Jean-Michel, the bartender, has a bright smile, busily preparing mojitos. The Tunnel Top offers outstanding cocktails made with fresh and organic ingredients. It has a stellar selection of Belgian beer and good French wine. Happy hour draws an eclectic mix of people, from professionals to strollers.
The bar is open from 5 PM to 2 AM, Monday to Saturday. A DJ, somewhat hidden from view in the mezzanine, plays every night. Mondays are Bossa Nova nights. During the week, the music can vary from Salsa to French musical icons. On Friday and Saturday, the style is Top 40. The weekends are the busiest time for the bar, and with all the action going on, don’t fail to notice all the details and good vibes that make this place a must-see!
- Tunnel Top, 601 Bush Street, San Francisco 94108
- (415) 986-8900
