My husband and I recently met a friend for dinner at Cortez Restaurant in San Francisco. It was the third time there for me and I have enjoyed their food on all occasions. They have small plates so you get to taste a lot of things. This time we started with shots of white corn soup, followed by a foie gras terrine with a blood orange reduction, vanilla scented pineapple, a tarragon-celery salad and toasted brioche. Next we had their house-made ricotta ravioli with roasted baby shitakes, baby artichokes and parmesan leaves. Every dish was so flavorful and the combinations were extraordinary. Next we had their glazed long island duck breast with roasted endive and macerated cherries, as well as their pan-roasted hanger steak with swiss chard and spice-dusted crispy onions. We also ordered a side of their roasted summer squash. It sounds like a lot of food, but remember that the portions are small and we were sharing everything among the three of us. We had just enough room left to try their chocolate peanut butter truffle cake with caramel ice cream and peanut praline. It was absolutely heavenly and that alone was worth the trip! However, the rest of the meal was so good – I plan to be back there again soon.
Cortez Restaurant
550 Geary Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
www.cortezrestaurant.com