We are nearing the halfway point for our Alphabet Dining! Letter J brought us to San Francisco’s Jasper’s Corner Tap & Kitchen not far from Union Square. Jasper’s is known for it’s wide selection of poutine fries (they even have an entirely separate fry menu) so this was an exciting one!
Jasper’s Corner Tap & Kitchen
Mussel Hot Plate (Large)
Stone Cali-Belgique & Citrus Steamed, Green Garlic, Fresno Chili, Rustic Baguette
I ordered the Large Mussel Hot Plate, with stone cali-belgique and citrus-steamed mussels. They came swimming in a delectable sauce of green garlic and fresno chili. A couple piece of rustic baguette was the perfect post-mussel sponge for the yummy sauce! I ate these so fast I forgot to let my friends have a try. They got to sop up the sauce though, which is the best part anyway. Definitely recommend these to seafood lovers in the city.
Sweet Potato Poutine Fries
Smoked Paprika & Brown Gravy with Mushrooms
Jasper’s Corner is known for it’s fries. Let me be more specific: Jasper’s Corner has an entire separate menu dedicated to fries. Narrowing it down even more, their fries menu has an entire section devoted to poutine. Poutine, for those unfamiliar, originated in Quebec and is a topping of cheese curds and brown gravy on french fries. Aka foodie heaven.
As some sushi bars and burger joints (like The Counter), the fries menu is a checkoff list, with essentially 3 categories:
- Pick Your Potato – thin, thick, sweet
- Pick Your Seasoning – sea salt, smoked paprika, garlic/salt/pepper, truffle/parm/herb
- Pick Your Poutine – brown gravy w/mushroom, smoked cheese fondue, chef’s choice
I went with sweet potato fries, seasoned with smoked paprika, and topped with brown gravy and mushroom poutine. The warm hearty gravy was great against the cloudlike poutine and the sweet potatoes. It may not be pretty, but when you take a bite you just don’t care. As at Per Diem, I consider these the gourmet animal-style fries. YUM.
Trio of Deviled Eggs (Large)
Green Goddess, Pickled devil, Salmon Asparagus
Alex N got the large Trio of Deviled Eggs, ranging from Green Goddess, to Pickled devil, and Salmon Asparagus. The presentation on these were stunning. They belong in a museum rather than in someone’s belly. But that’s half the fun.
Trio of Deviled Eggs (Small)
Green Goddess, Pickled devil, Salmon Asparagus
Rayna got the small Deviled Eggs Trio. 2/2 of my friends who got this dish enjoyed 2/3 of the eggs on it. Apparently the Pickled Devil and Green Goddess were scrumptious, but the Salmon Asparagus made them make ugly faces. I didn’t try it myself, nor would I want to after seeing the faces they made. Maybe that one is better off in a museum after all.
Thick Cut Poutine Fries
Sea Salt & Brown Gravy with Mushroom
Rayna also went for the fries. This time they were thick cut french fries, with sea salt and brown gravy with mushroom. Her plate was just as delectable as mine!
Seared Tuna Steak Sandwich
Local Albacore Tuna, Iacopi Beans, Arugula, Piquillo Peppers, Olive Aioli, Mixed Greens, Deviled Egg
Becca got the Seared Tuna Steak Sandwich, with Local Albacore Tuna, Iacopi Beans, Arugula, Piquillo Peppers, Olive Aioli, Mixed Greens, and a Deviled Egg on the side. We adored the presentation, mainly for the tiny pickle staked to the sandwich!
If I were to rename Jasper’s Corner Tap & Kitchen, I would call it Deviled Eggs & Poutine. They seem to be recurring culinary themes here, which is fine by me. I thoroughly enjoyed our meals, and the wide spectrum of the menu. It goes from poutine cheese curd fries, gnarly looking but finger-licking good, to pristine deviled eggs and tiny pickles atop a tuna sando. Only in San Francisco, and cheers to Mike Ransom for it.
One drawback we encountered was our curt waitress, who seemed to be having somewhat of a bad day.
Another was the layout of the venue itself. The front was a brightly lit bar, while the back was a cramped, dimly lit restaurant. Seems to me it may make more sense the other way around. I assume this is because the bar stays open later and thus needs to be streetside, but it makes for a somewhat awkward layout.
Overall, though, I would recommend Jasper’s for those in the area and for poutine/deviled egg fiends. You will probably love it.
