For letter P of San Francisco Alphabet Dining, we were fortunate enough to dine at the chef’s table at Perbacco in the Financial District. Katie, wife of Nick’s friend Chris, was celebrating her 21st birthday and knew the chef from her work in LA’s restaurant industry. Perbacco is an amazing venue any day of the week, so to have a VIP table made for an extraordinary dining experience.
Perbacco Appetizers
Salumi Piemontesi – Salumi Misti
Mouths dropped at the introduction of the Salumi Misti, which was essentially an enhanced charcuterie plate. The waiter detailed the ingredients of each meat, which included foie gras, salami, and bacon, just to name a few.
This dish really raised the bar for how good meat can taste and the work that can be put into its preparation. It doesn’t have to be just a slab of ground beef with a side of fries; it can be varied, flavorful and exciting enough to be it’s own plate entirely.
Pesce Crudo
Melon, Hamachi, Figs
This Pesce Crudo was entirely refreshing and seemed to be some sort of nature’s candy.
Heirloom Tomato Salad
Our party was in agreement on our obsession with the Heirloom Tomato Salad. The tomatoes were impossibly fresh and ripe with colorful flavors. The burrata cheese that topped it all off was melt-in-your mouth delicious.
Perbacco Entrees
Stracci, Devil’s Gulch Rabbit Ragu, Roasted Carrot Agrodolce
Risotto, White Corn, Roasted Golden Chanterelles, Smoked Pancetta
Roasted Wolfe Ranch Quail Breast, Filled with Golden Chanterelles, with Farro Verde
Capicollo Arrosto – Pork Shoulder, Salad and Seasonal Fruit
Everyone was thoroughly satisfied with their entrees. I ordered the Liberty Farm Duck Breast, which was delicious but a little tough. The consensus was that the main dishes were great but the appetizers were spectacular!
Perbacco Dessert
And then there was dessert. We ordered the Brutti ma Buoni – “Ugly but Good,” Piemontese Hazelnut Cookies. They were served with chocolate syrup in the form of “Happy Birthday,” which Perbacco is known for often doing and is a great touch in my opinion. The cookies were absolutely scrumptious, though not the prettiest, just as their name suggests. They were crumbly and had a vanilla/white chocolate flavor to them.
Brutti ma Buoni
We were also brought some delicious dark chocolate and cookie pieces, one for each of our party. Another example of the great attention to detail.
Dining at Perbacco was, to put it simply, exquisite. The wait staff was attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable. The atmosphere was classy and upscale. The food itself was divine – you could really see the care and preparation that was put into each and every dish, from the intricate Salumi Misti to the simple Brutti ma Buoni cookies. Definitely worth a visit!
