On the Boulevard

My first good impression was affordable valet parking as Adrienne and I pulled up to the restaurant a few minutes late for our 6:15 reservation. My second good impression was the beautiful interior of the historic (pre-Earthquake) building at the foot of Mission Street. We were meeting Dennis and Don for a double birthday celebration at Boulevard, whose chef Nancy Oakes is one of the best in California. They were on time and already had a wonderful French wine picked out. (Hoping Don will repeat in a comment his explanation of California taste vectors vs. French wine vectors, but this variety hit the "sweet spot" by not being too sweet.)

For starters, I had Arugula, Pear and Goat Cheese, an elegant salad of "shaved bosc pears in pear william syrup, pear crushed with pomegranate & balsamic vinegar, grapes, marcona almond pesto, bucheron goat cheese, pear & pomegranate vinaigrette." For main course, Adrienne and I both had the Local Petrale Sole -- "wild caught and pan roasted" with parsley & garlic mashed potatoes, fresh louisiana prawns, german red spinach, and shrimp nage (whatever that is).

Our sweet and quirky waiter crooned a few lines of happy birthday as he set out desserts. Yum!