Trou Normand, Bar Agricole's SOMA Follow-Up

Grid View

The beauty of a space pictured above is Trou Normand, which opens tonight in SOMA's historic Pacific Telephone Building at New Montgomery and Natoma. In the works since November 2012 (and originally known as Whiteside Company), it's the concept its sibling Bar Agricole was meant to be, before the realities of its neighborhood kicked in: an all-day restaurant, going straight through from breakfast sandwiches in the morning to lunchtime to happy hour and dinner, with the outstanding cocktails from Thad Vogler and his team that have made Bar Agricole a nationally-known name in drinks.

Named for the Norman tradition of taking a small shot of Calvados between courses of food to clear the palate, Trou Normand's drink menu unsurprisingly focuses on Armagnac, Cognac, and Calvados, which have also been big players on Bar Agricole's menu in recent years. Much of the booze comes from barrels handpicked by the team in France, and incorporated into drinks like the Supreme, with Calvados, lemon, orgeat, and grenadine, or a Cognac old-fashioned with a duo of bitters. The drink menu shares the streamlined, elegant style of Bar Agricole's, with an emphasis on classic turn-of-the-century recipes. The wine menu is short but well-curated, emphasizing European producers.

As for food, Salvatore Cracco (Bar Agricole, Adesso) will have the use of Mangalitsa pigs raised exclusively for the restaurant by Devil's Gulch Ranch, which he'll transform into more than 40 types of charcuterie, served in platters for groups big and small. The menu is generally meaty and sharing-oriented, with large plates of braised pork shank, grilled pork chops, or roasted halibut with a la carte sides like polenta, roasted asparagus, and braised artichokes. Here's the full food and drink menu.

The space, designed by Boor Bridges Architecture with identity and art direction by Study Studio, boasts high ceilings and a light, airy feel. Come May, it'll open up to accommodate breakfast and lunch crowds (staying straight open from 8 am-1 am), but for now, expect to swing by Trou Normand after 5, when it'll open up to the after-work scene.

· More Details on Trou Normand, Bar Agricole's Latest [~ ESF ~]
· Whiteside Company Changes Name to Trou Normand [~ ESF ~]
· Whiteside Company Headed to SOMA [~ ESF ~]