Alphabet Dining, Letter D: Dobbs Ferry

A collection of our plates at Dobbs

Dobbs Ferry – Hayes Valley

For letter D of our Alphabet Dining, my friends and I voted on Dobbs Ferry, an Italian-American fusion restaurant located in one of my favorite SF neighborhoods, Hayes Valley. Hayes Valley is generally a more mature and upscale crowd, always bustling with people and filled with boutiques, bars and of course restaurants.

Dobbs Ferry fit right in with the Hayes vibe – upscale, trendy, very clean and great atmosphere. We were lucky enough to be seated directly under their skylight, and though it was dark when we looked up we could see the trees reaching towards the sky. I thought this was a nice touch, making it feel more open and relaxing within the fancier environment.

Our lovely view

Even the menus at Dobbs were trendy and modern – with wooden covers!

Our waitstaff was very attentive. Our water glasses were always filled, and they even brought us a complimentary appetizer. Apparently there was a large party dining at Dobbs while we were there, so they preemptively brought us some delicious chips and hummus to nosh on until our food arrived.

Our complimentary Chips & Hummus with bacon puree

Above you can see our complimentary Russet potato chips, with chickpea and bacon puree, garlic, scallion and chili oil. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never combined hummus with bacon before, and let me tell you it is divine. The chili oil added an interesting spicy kick to it as well.

The Meal

As an appetizer, I ordered the sweet potato puree, with brown sugar and honey butter.

Sweet Potato Puree, with brown sugar and honey butter

I would not call myself a puree person. I don’t get the baby food appeal, unless it’s in the form of hummus or applesauce. However, I do appreciate the mixture of sweet potatoes, brown sugar and honey butter. The combination is interesting, just like the hummus and bacon puree they brought us. While it did not convert me to a puree lover, I wouldn’t say it was bad either. If puree texture is your thing, you would probably enjoy this dish a lot. The honey butter was sweet, and with my sweet tooth I wish I could take it home and put it on something else, like sweet potato fries!

Entree Bonanza

My Short Ribs

I ordered the Short Ribs, the texture of which I enjoyed much more than my puree. It consisted of delicious and hearty braised boneless beef short rib, with caramalized leeks, polenta, and hedgehog and oyster mushrooms. The ribs themselves were perfect – not too tough, but not falling apart either. I easily cut through them with my fork. The meal was great filling comfort food, and I felt like I was chowing down on a fancy holiday dinner.

Griddled Dayboat Scallops

One friend ordered the Griddled Dayboat Scallops, which in my opinion had the best visual appeal. They sat on a califlower risotto and came with micro greens, tobiko and lemon oil. No complaints there.

Pan-seared Striped Bass & Manila Clams

Keeping with the seafood theme, another friend ordered the Pan-seared Striped Bass, which came with braised flageolet beans, Manila clams, sauteed kale, herb gremolata and chili oil. Between the fish and kale this has got to be the most healthy meal any of us got. Yum!

Side note: They brought her a gigantic spoon with her entree, which we were unsure about. We figured it was to scoop the Manila clams, but seemed excessive considering how small Manila clams are. It was entertaining though – the fact that it stumped us kind of made Dobbs Ferry feel even more fancy.

Mushroom Pizza

Alex N. went with the classic Mushroom Pizza. It came on a thin crust, topped with hedgehog and oyster mushrooms, mozzarella, marinara and thyme. If you’re a pizza and/or mushroom lover, this is the dish for you!

All in all, I was content with my dining experience at Dobbs. My short ribs were delicious and filling, and though my puree did not wow my taste buds, I appreciate the variety and interesting combination of ingredients found on the menu. Since it was a bit more upscale and on the pricey side, I probably would recommend it more for a birthday or holiday than for a normal weekday dinner.

I should also mention that at the top of the entree menu was a note specifying these meals were for the week of February 18, which means that they may change their menu every week! So if you have your heart set on one of the meals seen on this blog, I would check out their menu beforehand to see if it’s on the menu that week. You can see an updated Dobbs Ferry menu here: http://www.dobbsferrysf.com/menu.

Thanks for reading & Happy eating!