This week’s dinner was at Petit Crenn. We’ve eaten at Atelier Crenn and Bar Crenn on various occasions over the years, but never made it to Petit Crenn. They were closed for the pandemic and only recently re-opened for a few months before the close permanently in September, so we had to try them out.
We had a 5:30 reservation at the counter. There are 10 seats at the counter and everyone is part of the first and only seating for the night. There are also tables around the restaurant available that can seat at various times, but the counter is only one time for the evening. The counter is always our preferred since we get to see the food being prepped and it is more interactive with the chefs, hosts, and fellow diners. To our left, we had a couple teachers from Phoenix visiting SF and this was their last dinner for their trip and to our right was a couple from the peninsula who were frequent diners at the restaurant.
The menu is prix fixe and is include of beverages (wine pairing or non-alcoholic pairings are both available). Menu is also pescatarian like the other Crenn restaurants and featured a lot of local (they have their gardens up in wine country) and very seasonal. The only supplement to the menu was the oysters for a starter which we did of course get. They were miyagis with caviar and melon, a very delicious start to the meal.
Andrea’s favorite dish was the first course of seasonal tomatoes…they had a great sweet freshness to them. The squid was grilled on their binchotan that was burning japanese white oak charcoal. The squid ink was very good, flavorful, and smooth (unlike others we’ve had in the past where it can be chalky/grainy with a overly fishy flavor). Carrots dish had carrots used several different ways with a sort of tuna “prosciutto” wrap which gave a nice savory component to go with the sweetness of the carrot.
It looked like the poached the halibut first and then finished it on the binchotan. The sauce was rich and I really like the side of polenta. Polenta is usually very one note, but this had layers of flavors and I’d say it was the best polenta I’ve had.
Dessert was jasmine ice cream and foam which was very rich and flavorful from the jasmine.
All in all, we actually enjoyed our experience here more than Atelier Crenn. It was more laid back, approachable, and honestly, more flavorful. Granted, the technique and ingredients are exceptional at Atelier Crenn, but we just enjoyed ourselves here more and it will be a shame when they close.
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