Few chefs have such a meticulous focus on both product and technique. Unlike many chef-owners, it is rare to see Patterson chatting in the dining room; he prefers to stay in the background and let the food speak in his stead. And his subtle, intricate and cerebral food speaks volumes.
Patterson serves a nightly 11-course fixed price tasting menu ($120), with some choices, and each dish is crafted like a fine piece of jewelry. He'll use cutting-edge techniques but, much like Alice Waters, he is fanatically dedicated to ingredients; the techniques merely bolster the inherent qualities he finds in the food...With each venue he's added more depth to his cooking. Plus, two recent revisits to Coi have shown that his approach has continued to morph into a style that is not only highly individual, but could only happen in the Bay Area. I can't think of a single restaurant that has such a unique sense of place.
Unlike the controversy of the last four-star review, Coi's fourth star was a long time coming and pretty hard to argue with. Bonus seasonal note: Bauer declares the "galaxy of cherry tomatoes suspended in a gelatinous tomato water" the best tomato dish he's ever eaten, and we're thinking the man has indulged in his fair share of tomatoes. [Chron] More Reviews, Coming Up: B Star, Palace Steak, Portelli Rossi and The Elsewhere >>
In April we asked for candidates for the worst table in San Francisco, and you responded to the call of duty. On that note, we'll showcase our findings neighborhood by neighborhood, with a final showdown looming at the end. Vote early, vote often. And please be advised that we're still taking nominations.
This week's poll: North Beach and Fisherman's Wharf
The restaurant, even in its fledgling days, already must be considered one of the premier spots on Valencia's still-burgeoning restaurant row; its peer group consists of Range, Limón, and perhaps Bar Tartine, and if only because of the extraordinary atmospherics of the interior design (the architect was Stanley Saitowitz), its sheen is brighter than theirs.
But let's not forget the appeal of chef Justin Deering's food either. The man and his staff work in an exhibition kitchen that stretches like a stage across the back of the restaurant, and the menu they're turning out is a seasonal California one, yes, like so many others, but with an emphasis on butter and cream that reminded me of Traci Des Jardins's early menus at Jardinière and of Nancy Oakes's at Boulevard.
Reidinger also gives Conduit props for its price point (a step below its "downtown" counterparts), people watching and "expert" noise management. All in all, a very encouraging introduction to the review circuit for Conduit. Now, let's wait and see what The Bauer has to say on the matter. [SFBG] Frank Bruni Goes to Coi and the Rest of the Week in Reviews >>
Gastronomie chimes in Orson and wonders if SF will actually embrace it, confronting the molecular elephant in the room: "Ours has long been a culture of ingredient-driven food, and with good reason -- just stop in at any Farmer's Market and you can see why. But in that process, we've effectively denied our restaurant kitchens the opportunity to develop and cultivate the use of creative techniques, styles, and flavors. I think back to the wonderful and memorable Smoked Yogurt that accompanied our chocolate cake at Coi, and how it disappeared not long after our meal there because it was "too different". And yes, while I know that Winterland's location was cursed, it's still unfortunate that they closed SO quickly...How about the dishes that Daniel Humm was turning out at Campton Place? How could we have let a creative mind of his caliber run off to New York?" [G'nomie]
Not content with just NYC, one Frank Bruni takes it upon himself to rank his 10 favorite new restaurants across the country. His rankings will take shape out over the next month. Coi and Ubuntu make the top eight; Ad Hoc misses the cut, because of cookies, apparently: "Certain judgment calls — leaving Ad Hoc out of the top 10, for example — were tougher than others. I happened to visit Ad Hoc, which serves the same predetermined meal to every diner, on one of its every-other-Monday fried chicken nights, and I had some of the best fried chicken of my life. But the bean salad before it and the chocolate chip cookies after weren’t nearly as impressive." [NYT]
It's a monumental day on the review circuit, as the Power of Bauer initiates an eighth member into the holy realm of Bay Area four-star restaurants. Welcome to Olympus, Daniel Patterson: 
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