Cuisine:

• Others
• Californian
• Contemporary

Murray Circle Description:
The Cavallo Point resort and its gem of a restaurant are set in restored barracks on majestic old military grounds at the northern base of the Golden Gate Bridge. (Outside, a deck flanked with Adirondack chairs provides an impressive view of San Francisco.) In each of the two intimate main dining rooms, tables are spaced for comfort under a restored, tin-plated ceiling. Chef Joseph Humphrey delivers distinctive and original locally-sourced California cuisine in small tastes; the menu lists the regional sources of ingredients, pinpointed, in some cases, to the precise farm or boat. A seasonal, ten-course tasting menu is a great bargain at $75. Standouts include an inventive plate of fowl eggs (quail, pheasant and partridge), poached, hard-boiled and fried, respectively, and presented elegantly on a long, narrow plate. The poached quail egg served in its shell topped with black truffle and Parmesan is smoky and rich with a delicate creaminess. Flavorful roasted halibut is served over fig leaves with sassafras and an orange-fennel brandade. Squab and lobster salad with savoy spinach and Zinfandel marmalade manages to be complex, light and savory. An extensive international wine list features many notable choices under $40, and the sommelier provides expert guidance. Watermelon carpaccio with salt-and-pepper ice cream and butterscotch soufflé demonstrates pastry chef Ethan Howard's inventive, visually delightful approach to dessert.


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