Spruce SF: San Francisco

Date:  mardi 17 novembre 2009
Location:  3640 Sacramento St
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 931-5100
http://www.sprucesf.com/

Epitome of fine dining at its best.  This is an elegant restaurant in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco, one of the most expensive areas in the nation.  It caters to the neighboring old riche that walk a few blocks to dine at Spruce - oftentimes more than once a week.  I have been frequenting Spruce over the past two years.  It is by far my favorite restaurant in the world - consistency and quality in food, cocktails, wines (boasts an amazing encyclopedic wine list/book with aged wines/liqueurs from around the world), decorous and grand atmosphere without the snob appeal - and most of all - impeccable service without the pretension.  I suppose I love this place because aside from the orgasmic food and grand wine menu and sophisticated cocktail creations, I just feel beautiful stepping foot into spruce's sleek, sexy, dark wood atmosphere.  Regardless of what I am wearing (dolce gabbana, laboutin, gucci, vans velcro sneaks, jeans, even casual sweats and baseball cap...) I am still treated like a beautiful woman.  It is one of those places that I liken to my description of shoes...  a woman can wear the most beautiful Italian shoes on her perfectly well manicured feet - yet it is not until a gorgeous man tells her that her shoes are beautiful - beautiful on her - that the woman then feels that she has truly captured the essence of what it means to be an alluring woman.  After all, what is the point of wearing beautiful shoes in isolation...  Spruce is one of those places, that a lovely woman can walk into... be greeted by the elegant tall, dark, and handsome male staff, and just feel absolutely radiant and perfect. 

The gifted and extremely knowledgeable staff come from years of previous experience in high end restaurants and hotels.  Spruce evokes that certain mood appeal that makes you feel luxurious yet still human...  not superficial, gaudy, feigned or stuffy.  For me, the entire eating experience must be "comfortable."  That is, all perfect cues in place - yet without you even noticing that they are trying so hard.  Music is at the perfect decibel, just high enough so that you can feel groovy sexy - yet low enough that you can converse with your guest without so much as having to raise your voice. 

Since coming here, I have befriended the somms behind the bar.  Scott, Evans, and Josha.  Their Somms are incredibly well knowledged in wines and spirits from around the globe.  It is their second skin.  I wish I could live in their brain for just a moment... to be the master of all that amazing wine knowledge...  nothing would make me happier and feel more complete.  


Spruce was voted by Food and Wine magazine to be one of the world's best wine bars.  I concur, absolumente.  Madeiras over 60 years old (and older I am sure)...  Single malt scotch whiskys from the 1800s...  what more can you ask for.  The reaches of the imagination and tasting palate are limitless at Spruce.



I won't go into how perfect the food is here.  It completely goes without saying, that one does not enter into a restaurant such as Spruce without expecting the best of the best.  And getting it.