It takes awhile for a brand new restaurant to work out the kinks. Whenever I get the chance to visit a few weeks after opening, I am always prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt.
RT Bistro doesn’t need it.
On a gray and drizzly Tuesday evening, stepping into their mountain cabin-inspired digs, all warm and filled with the kitchen’s intoxicating scent, feels like coming home. The restaurant is a sliver of a thing, just 37 seats, but even with every party at their own blond wood, marble-topped table, there’s a buoyant dinner party vibe.
From a spot at the back corner, I’ve got eyes on everything photos of the space fail to do justice: the reclaimed Douglas Fir planks found during the renovation and redesign by Todd McCrea of Fine Root Design; the subtly carved relief map of Kirkwood Mountain on the back wall; the muffin-top metal chandeliers; the almond and fig firewood stashed in cubbies under the banquets for future use in the kitchen’s grill-smoker-oven; the antlered skull that hangs like a mascot near the front door.
Shinko pear with chevre, housemade pancetta, lemon, and thyme(Robbie Gomez)
I’m one of the rare few San Francisco foodniks who’s never been to Rich Table (199 Gough St., Hayes Valley), the beloved, hyper-seasonal California restaurant by sensational chefs Evan and Sarah Rich. I know, I know: I’m not proud of this glaring gap in my culinary experience. In this case, though, it comes in handy. I have no expectations weighing down my first taste at the team’s more laidback spin-off headed up by chef de cuisine Bill Wang, the former sous chef at Rich Table, with the Riches serving as executive chefs.
RT Bistro and I meet each other mano a mano—and my god does it make a good first impression.
Though not as precisely day-to-day and week-to-week seasonal as Rich Table, RT Bistro stays true to California harvests, and the winter menu is a collection of comforting, cozy dishes that start with bites and appetizers. Dungeness crab makes an appearance, of course, the body of the crustacean carved out and re-stuffed with a thermidor-style matrix of crabmeat and tiny mushrooms in a miso-laced sauce that’s topped with the mellow tartness of pomelo.
At the Bistro, there are, and will be, occasional crossovers from Rich Table, including the famed dried porcini donuts, accompanied on this menu by a kind of dipping extravaganza made up of kaluga caviar, hard-boiled egg, and Douglas fir ranch. Despite being one of the more expensive dishes on what is overall a very reasonably priced menu, it’s 100 percent worth the splurge.
Two pasta dishes hold their own against a series of meaty entrees. One is the one-layer lasagna, a creation not unlike a giant ravioli that general manager Jonny Gilbert expects to remain a year-round staple with fillings that change with the season—the savory-sweet honeypatch squash, black truffle, and Point Reyes Toma of winter potentially being traded out for things like asparagus in spring or fresh corn in summer. No word on whether a version of the brassica scampi will stick around long term, too, though the buttery sauce with Meyer lemon garlic and long, wavy chow mein-type noodles is savory enough to have the same kind of staying power.
One-layer lasagna with honeypatch squash, black truffle, and Point Reyes Toma(Shoshi Parks)
The entree I choose, the Mt. Lassen trout, is another of the night’s standouts. While, on paper, its pomegranate tartar sauce sounds slightly suspect, on the plate it is excellent, robust enough to act as a creamy side rather than just a sauce. Honestly, paired with the juicy, meaty trout, it’s damn near perfection. I don’t doubt that the braised oxtail, SF duck “l’orange,” dry-aged NY strip, and bistro burger are just as well executed.
Desserts “nod to Sarah Rich’s childhood,” reads RT Bistro’s opening announcement and, with options like chocolate cake with cocoa nibs and vanilla ice cream, it’s easy to see the connection. Icebox pie, a casual take on the filled confection that comes layered in a cup, is also on the seasonally changing menu staple track. The current variety, a creamy lemon with graham cracker crust and a dollop of whipped cream, is simple, satisfying, and hard to stop eating. RT Bistro’s crème brûlée steps a little farther outside the nostalgia box, marrying together the French treat with Humboldt Fog in custardy, cheesecake-y matrimony that’s not too sweet, a little funky, and silky enough to melt in your mouth.
Drinks combine a selection of lesser-known local wines with cocktails featuring Northern California spirits, a program helmed by bar director Marisa Miller. Rich Table’s clarified milk punch crosses over here alongside unfussy classics like the NBD Manhattan (Redwood Empire bourbon, house-preserved cherry leaves, Japanese Sakura bitters, and Spanish vermouth).
How does RT Bistro compare to Rich Table? I honestly couldn’t tell you. What I can tell you is that it’s been awhile since I’ve visited a new restaurant at which every single thing I ordered was excellent.
RT Bistro doesn’t need to rest on its Rich Table bonafides to be part of SF’s culinary conversation. It’s darn close to perfect all on its own.
// RT Bistro is open daily from 5pm to 10pm; 205 Oak St. (Hayes Valley), richtablesf.com
Dried porcini donuts with kaluga caviar, hard-boiled egg, and Douglas fir ranch(Robbie Gomez)
