Review: Nobhill

Dinner Sunday was good, just not as great as our first time at Nobhill. The restaurant has booths between the bar and main dining room. We sat there last time, it was quiet and intimate. This time we were in the main dining room. They seated us across from a table that was dining with kids, three total, all under five, one needed a stroller. Why on earth would you bring kids to Nobhill? They were fairly well behaved, but they did stare us down, ran around the chairs, nearly took out the waiter two or three times, and pushed the stroller around the table to amuse themselves.

It was the summer tasting menu that brought us back to Nobhill, we had our choice of three appetizers, entrees, and two desserts. All for $60 per person.

Frank ordered fondue, bacon wrapped berkshire pork loin and creme brulee. I had the hors d'oeuvres sampler, chicken tetrazzini, and strawberry salad. A selection of breads: olive, honey wheat walnut, sourdough, and flavored butters: sweet cream, spice and ginger started us off and we also had a complimentary tasting of mashed potatoes: sage, sour cream and onion, horseradish, butter, and sundried tomato.

The fondue was just as good as last time. We wanted more. Although, the single serving cooks too hot, the cheese started to burn. We had to grab the attention of the waiter to kill the flame. My sampler included crab truffles, beef skewers and duck confit summer rolls. The crab truffles were overshadowed by the other selections, they were simply delicious.

Frank's pork loin was served with honey glazed pork belly and a salad of mushrooms and carrots. The pork was smoky and tender. The pork belly reminded us of a mix of ham and bacon. It was too fatty for our tastes, but the flavor was good.

My tetrazzini was cooked to perfection, it was buttery, tender and very moist. We agreed that we liked it better than the pork loin. It was accompanied by truffled mac and cheese. The mushrooms were tasty and the flavor was tasted in every bite.

The creme brulee was decent. Neither of us our big fans, Frank took a few bites, I ate a bit more. Frank ordered a cappuccino, he said it was fantastic, one of the best he's had. My strawberry salad was excellent. It was comprised of candied fennel, pistachio streusel and topped with Creme Fraiche Sorbet. Fresh and light, a perfect summer dessert.

This meal was only a fraction of the cost of our first meal there, it turn, it seems we received only a fraction of the experience. Service was great to start, but it slacked off during dessert and we waited several minutes for our check. Next time we dine at Nobhill, I will surely remember to request a booth when I make reservations.