I spent my birthday in San Francisco this year, one of my favorite cities! A cadre of great dining, shopping and sight seeing that exists in a town without pretense. It’s always lively with all sorts of people walking everywhere. It’s electric!
I could go to new restaurants every time I visit without ever trying them all. This creates a certain amount of stress for me with so many decisions to make considering all of the possible options! Fortunately, my wonderful son, Nick took the reins and planned our adventure with a multitude of wonderful foodie experiences and physical activities to balance out all of our dining. Every experience was fantastic, but a definite highlight was dining on my birthday at 25 Lusk.
For a restaurant to hit the highest marks with me, it has to offer a complete experience. The service has to be more than pleasant and prompt. The wait staff has to connect with us offering recommendations, sharing a little history about the restaurant or owner/chef, have a working knowledge of the menu and bar offerings and allow their personality to show through. When I waited tables in my early working days, I found great satisfaction in knowing that my customers would walk away feeling that they had a dining experience and not just dinner.
The ambiance is another important piece for me. This does not require a fancy space or elaborate decor. What intrigues me most is a room that is well thought out, comfortable and unique, incorporating as much natural structure and integrity as possible.
Then of course, we have the all important food and beverage. My favorite restaurants do not try to be everything to everyone. Therefore I am not looking for a menu that is 10 pages long. I want a restaurant to do what they do best. Have a passion for their food and keep it succinct and in line with their theme, hopefully with a high consideration to local sourcing and seasonality.
25 Lusk hit every mark for me! The space was amazing incorporating the brick and timber history and creating a beautifully modern yet comfortable look. The acoustics allowed us to converse without an over abundance of background noise, which is most often a source of discomfort in restaurants. The service we got from our server, Michael, was impeccable with each detail attended to without being overbearing. Our food was exceptional. Creative, impressive and delicious.
And a finishing touch to the evening was a sumptuous bite of chocolate for dessert (all we had room to fit in) honoring my birthday.
Off the Beaten Path at 25 Lusk in SoMa, San Francisco you'll find a Great Restaurant!,