Wow looks good!
Nice report @BradFord. Encouraging to hear that Saison’s casual spinoff is generally very good. In terms of execution, satisfaction, etc., would you say it’s like a Michelin 1 Star? Or more casual / less well executed than that? Thanks! 
Thanks - I’m not sure about Michelin these days; I think they’re rather over-inclusive and predictable. There are some in SF that baffle me, 1* in particular, so I’m not sure a Michelin 1* is that good a gauge of a great restaurant anymore, unfortunately.
What I can say is that I really liked the oysters & clams, tuna tartare, heirloom tomato, potato, and simple salad. (note that the tuna doesn’t have a ton of taste but the dish is well composed with the heirloom tomato water gelee and shiso buds; delicious overall). I’d go back for those. And the super smooth daquiri. I’d also like to explore more of the menu - the whole fish, for example.
There’s no tasting menu but the cost can get up there, naturally. Ingredients were very nice across the board, but if I’m going to nitpick, I didn’t care for the albacore (olives were too strong; the toppings kind of fell off when you pick it up, I guess you could fold it but it didn’t eat as easy as most “crudos”), antelope was nice but I prefer classic preparations of steak tartare, the citrus on the abalones was a little strong (perhaps that’s intentional), and the rabbit was juicy (it was wrapped with foie before frying) but the meatloaf-like texture was not quite what I expected. Now, I’m known to be quite critical, but I definitely want to try it again. I will do the oysters & clams (these are beyond reproach, and the seaweed vinegar is so interesting!), tuna tartare, heirloom tomato (beautiful smoke flavor and different textures and flavors of tomato), and maybe the whole chicken, whole fish, or whole steak. Overall, ingredients are very good and execution is nice - there are some great dishes to try there and I’m glad it’s an option in SF.
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There are 41 one-star restaurants on Michelin’s current SF list. None of the ones I’ve been to are bad, but it’s a very narrow selection.
Their Bib Gourmand list is a lot more representative of the Bay Area and has a lot more places I’d like to try or return to.
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Recently named the best new restaurant in America, angler is not inexpensive and calling it more casual and affordable than saison is like saying the lamborghini veneno is more affordable than the lamborghini veneno roadster.
Service was great and overall it was really good and i would return just for the pertral sole and soft serve sundae.
smoked salt
house-fermented hot sauce
great with the oysters
pickled peppers
oysters - pacific gold, shigoku, miyagi
shucking excellent
purple sea urchin
More of a lobster bisque with about three tongues of uni in it. Good, but not great and pretty small at $40. I wish they were serving saison’s uni toast instead.
amberjack, pickles, sudachi
good
big eye tuna
topped with a tomato water gelee, this was sweet, tart, fatty and delicious. thanks for the rec @bradford.
rice cracker, seaweed dust
parker house rolls
angler butter
sweet chicory caesar
petrale sole (half moon bay) #solefood
best dish of the night, cooked perfectly and served with a side of brown butter. better than dover sole i had at republique
hen of the woods
hot fried rabbit
this was more mild than it looked, with pretty earthy chipotle flavor. okay, but wouldn’t order it again.
angler potato
The exterior was sliced to give it more surface area and then fried, brilliant.
milk soft serve sundae, coco nibs, salted caramel
simple but perfectly executed. pro tip: ask for more caramel.
toto
Angler
132 The Embarcadero
San Francisco, CA 94105
415-872-9442
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Nice report @PorkyBelly. It sounds like there were quite a few OK dishes, but not great? Worth a visit focused on just a few items like the sole?
Thanks!
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i think it’s worth a visit, i would avoid the rabbit and sea urchin.
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the Website shows that it might be opening one up in LA?
Yep, unfortunately opening in the beverly center.
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…and pretty.
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if you missed bauer…
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Nice article. Did you know “A Plate of Ripe Fruit” is on the dessert menu? I love California.
NYT review today
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Also hit up Angler during our recent trip.
Had to sample the cocktails after all the accolades - here is the Don Lockwood
Condiments
Raw oysters - Pacific Gold, Beau Soleil, and Shigoku; as usual, you guys were right, and the Shigoku were the best - plump with just enough brininess
Sesame bread from Tartine bakery - outstanding!
Simple salad - bright, fresh greens with a subtle dressing that was just acidic and salty enough to bring out the flavors of the veggies
Sweet chicory Caesar - I always love ordering well-executed Caesar salad variants
Raw scallop with some minced(?) apples
We couldn’t decide between the petrale sole and the pasture raised chicken so ordered both! I liked this, but you really needed to keep pouring the sauce over the meat to enhance the flavor (and perhaps that’s the point). The grilled skin had a really nice texture, with charred, earthy, and oily flavors.
Embered beet - they roast the beet for several hours and let it dry out while the juices drip out, and then at the end, they infuse the juices back into the beet to “restore” it. We should have asked them more about the details, but the dish was rich and utterly satisfying - it reminded me a bit of the best BBQ pulled pork. I thought this was the best dish of the night.
Pasture raised chicken - Peking duck style; the skin was not as decadent as your usual Peking duck - it was less crispy/fatty and slightly chewier. The entire chicken had been brined, so even the breast pieces were extremely juicy. My dining partner thought this dish was a bit too salty, but I really liked it. Was my second favorite dish of the night.
Angler potato - I did not enjoy this as much as the rest of you. I did not find the skin to be as crispy and decadent as advertised, and the insides tasted like an undercooked baked potato.
We liked our meal here - the restaurant feels like a game lodge, as has been mentioned before, and the service is detailed and attentive but relaxed. Couple things though - the price does creep up on you, and I had read a Yelp review (I know, I know) comparing this place to Asador Extebarri in Spain, and that probably made my expectations a bit unrealistic going into the meal.
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Reminiscent of Saison’s “fire in the sky” Bull’s-blood beet which was smoked to dehydrate for a few days and then reconstituted with bone marrow, among other things (once had it with pickled rose and peach vinegar…paired with a very racy Kabinett, f’ing outstanding).
The Angler “embered tomato” a few months back was excellent, and it, too, was very reminiscent of BBQ. The way they coax out vegetables’ flavor with a judicious use of the live fire/smoke results in very concentrated and savory flavors.
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This foodie I know said he ordered the most expensive dishes and then as he saw the vegetables going by realized he’d made a mistake.
Rolls with butter ($12) I would have sworn came from sheep’s milk, but they swore it was cow’s. Habanero salsa and pickled peppers behind the weapon, not sure what they came with.
Radicchio ($16), before and after.
Embered Ruby beet ($18) with beet greens and was it walnuts? Indeed ended up tasting like barbecue sauce. Really good.
Fluke sashimi ($27), least interesting of the batch.
With two glasses of wine from the very short by-the-glass list it came to $121.91 with tax and SF mandate before tip. I don’t think it makes much sense for a solo diner.
Was way too sober to order a $45 glass of amaro.
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Starting next week, open for lunch Tuesday - Saturday, 11:30 am - 2:30 pm.
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I went for lunch last week. They’ve had lunch Thurs-Sat for a little while now. Menu is just slightly different. Wasn’t sure if they’d do Tues and Wed but it’s now another option when working around there. They are sensitive to time for workers’ lunch hours.
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