San Francisco Trip with Mary and JacqueI shared earlier about the dinner at Contigo, but here’s more about my trip to San Francisco in February. Pictured above are my gorgeous friends Mary and Jacque, who I’ve been on many memorable trips with. The three of us have vowed to try to go on at least one trip together every year. Besides the fabulous dinner at Contigo, we also had a fantastic meal at The Slanted Door the first night we were there, but it was so dark I didn’t get any photos. I did love the food at The Slated Door, especially the perfectly cooked Baby Bok Choy with Shitakes and the Vegetarian Spring Rolls, and I’d definitely try to visit there again. The last night in San Francisco, Jacque managed to get a reservation at Frances, Melissa Perello’s new restaurant featuring seasonal California cuisine, and it was an amazing dining experience. Keep reading for more photos of the trip, and some shots of the food at Frances (with two table-top candles used for lighting and taken with my new Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1, which I’m having lots of fun with as a purse camera.)

We spent most of our time shopping, but one day we went to the Shanghai exhibit at the Asian Art Museum, and we really enjoyed the exhibit, plus a tasty lunch in the museum cafe.

Here’s another shot of Mary and Jacque, taken at the Asian Art Museum as well.

Now here’s a small sampling of the dishes we enjoyed at Frances. These were Crispy Chickpea Fitters with Meyer Lemon Aioli, and on the menu Frances gave me to take notes on I wrote, “Wow!” next to this dish.

Another great appetizer was these Applewood Smoked Bacon Beignets with Creme Fraiche and Chive, not for South Beach Dieters, but fun for a splurge!

This is Bellwether Farm Ricotta Gnocchi with Green Garlic, Broccoli di Cicco and Rapini. These were also melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Or how about Lacinato Kale and Crepe Cannelloni with Maitake Mushrooms and Andante Cadence? Another exquisitely prepared dish.

Here’s Jacque with her husband Grant who joined us for the dinner at Frances. (Apologies for the bad lighting here, but the tabletop candles were the only light I had.)

Finally, for an entree Grant and I both chose these Caramelized Atlantic Scallops with Toasted Farro, Baby Fava Greens, and Mushrooms. This was probably the most perfectly cooked scallops I’ve ever had in a restaurant. Overall the meal at Frances was one of those restaurant experiences you’ll be raving about for years to come, and this is another place I can’t wait to go back to.

Frances
3870 17th Street
San Francisco, California 94114
415-621-3870

Full Disclosure:
We paid for our meal at Frances, but the restaurant generously offered us a couple of items to sample for free.

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