One of my last days in San Francisco before heading to Boston, my friends and colleagues Ariela and Samantha took me out to The Vestry at the Chapel for ABC Dining, Letter V! The Vestry is located in the heart of the Mission, and offers both indoor and outdoor seating, which is a plus in the sunny Mission district. It is actually a former mortuary-turned-restaurant, which is kind of creepy but works in such a hipster district. Following a work event, we headed over to soak up the sun and dine on some New American cuisine.
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Samantha, myself, and Ari!
Marinated Olives
To start, we ordered Marinated Olives, which came in a darling white china set. They offered olives of all shapes, sizes, colors, and flavors. My favorite were the larger light green variety, although the dark green olives were a new interesting flavor – sharper, perhaps?
Chicory Salad
Ari ordered the Chicory Salad, which came complete with persimmon, pomegranate, and candied walnuts. I absolutely love when salads come with walnuts. They add a great crunch and earthy quality, not to mention their health value – they are packed with omega-3s! The pomegranates were fresh and delicious, which is tricky to do, so it was a special treat.
Bacon & Apple Flatbread
I ordered the Bacon & Apple Flatbread, baked with a light layer of laguiole cheese. I was thoroughly impressed by this dish. I had never experienced apples as a pizza topping before, and at the Vestry they were large, entire slices. They offered a sweet flavor, perfectly contrasting the savory bacon. Between the red apples and the whole bacon strips, my flatbread was at once light and meaty. Great for a midday lunch.
Prosciutto & Amber Bronx Grape Flatbread
Samantha got the Prosciutto & Amber Bronx Grape Flatbread. Just like the toppings on my dish, the Amber Bronx Grapes were added as large, entire grapes. Not only did they offer a sweet flavor, but they had a soft, bright texture to juxtapose the crunchy flatbread.
Overall Experience
My succulent soaking up the sun’s rays!
The food at the Vestry was exciting and delectable. The venue was casual yet sophisticated. My only complaint would be the start of the meal, when we waited about 15-20 minutes for someone to approach our table, even for water. This wouldn’t have been so bad, if it weren’t for the many waitstaff at the venue just standing around talking at the doorway. Samantha had to grab a bottle of water from the table next to us, as it was so hot and sunny outside and we quickly became parched. Luckily, once we hailed down a waiter and informed them that we hadn’t been helped yet, they jumped into action. Must have been a miscommunication. The food certainly made up for it. Note: The cute succulent you see on the table was brought by myself!
