Rich Table is basically the "neighborhood restaurant" that everyone pretends exists in their neighborhood. Luckily, this one is for real, and it's in your neighborhood now.
The chefs have serious pedigree. The plates are seasonal and composed. The drinks are great. The lighting is low. It’s also one of the high points of “California cuisine” - which has come to mean that fresh/seasonal/local/organic/sustainable/well-sourced vegetables are on the menu, as far as we can tell.
That said, is it the most exciting, interesting, or "inventive" restaurant in SF? No. It’s just really good.
If you’re down with that—and why would you not be?—plan on reserving a month out or sitting at the bar, because this train is going to be rolling for a long, long time.
Food Rundown
These three words may not make any sense together, until you understand that levain is dense, delicious bread, and the Riches have chosen to infuse it with the aroma and flavor of Douglas Fir trees. Somewhat absurd? Certainly. Tasty? Indeed.
Our favorite dish we’ve had here. These are light, savory, not overly mushroomy, and they come with a killer raclette cheese dip. So, so good.
One of Rich Table’s signature dishes, these are gourmet potato chips with a hole cut in them, filled with a nicely-cooked sardine. Sounds kind of weird? It is. Still pretty good, but the novelty of serving people small fried fish is what’s getting 'em talking.
The most unappealing dish name we've heard in a while. That said, this off-menu cup of hemp-topped buttermilk panna cotta is a LOT better than it sounds. Everyone at your table is going to want one.
Dungeness crab is a signature NorCal ingredient, and, as expected, it makes a great soup.
The third thing we’ve had here that had popcorn as a garnish, and they've all been good. I see what you’re doing here, Riches. A little crunch, a little salt, a little air. Works with almost anything. But seriously, this is high-grade fish, well-prepared. Get it.
This would convert even those deeply mistrustful of raw red meat. Not gamey...just excellent.
The pastas are consistently brilliant, but also consistently inconsistently available. Nothing from the menu the first time we went is still on there. Clearly seasonality is a cornerstone of the restaurant. The upside is that everything is fresh and delicious. The downside is that thing you loved will be gone next time. For us, that thing was Chicken Lasagna (with popcorn). A perfect square of al dente awesomeness infused with delicious chicken. Until next winter.
Well-cooked, amazingly fresh fish. We’d basically recommend getting whatever sounds good on the menu, because you can count on it being tasty, and it will probably be gone next time. The pastas largely tempt us away from the straight proteins, but your mileage may vary.
