Gleaming cafe lamps anchor the white table-clothed tables at Cafe des Amis and an alto sax and tinkling piano in the background signal the jazz age feel of the place. Is it another night in Paris? No, just trendy Union Street in San Francisco. Such is the nature of our Paris of the West, a U.S. city that has the sensibilities of our favorite European capital. And this is definitively embodied in Café des Amis, where bistro staples are elevated to high art on an epicurean level. Forget that the whirling ceiling fans, red banquettes and classic bentwood bistro chairs imbue the restaurant with a sense of authenticity. Add to this the gas lamp sconces, which no doubt had to jump through fire code hoops to be allowed in the dining room, and you get a sense of a place that’s pushing the boundaries. This is apparent, too, in the food.
Opened in 2010, Café des Amis is one of the several restaurants owned by Bacchus Management Group whose team for Cafe Des Amis is comprised of Perry Butler, Tim Stannard, Andrew Green, and Chef Mark Sullivan. Bacchus has flourished as a restaurant and hospitality management and consulting group since its beginnings in 2001. Not only does the group own Café des Amis, but it also owns a string of restaurants in northern California: Mayfield Bakery & Cafe in Palo Alto, RoastCo in Emeryville, Spruce in San Francisco, The Village Pub in Woodside, and Pizza Antica in multiple locations. Recently, The Village Pub received a Michelin Star for the fourth consecutive year and Spruce received a Michelin Star for the second consecutive year. We’d heard that Tim had recently taken a personal interest in overhauling his Café and it shows in the menu. Chef Mark Sullivan is in top form here, plating fabulous French classics like charcuterie and cassoulet but executing them with a light touch and a taste of California, too.
We began with delectable oysters from British Columbia, no surprise as BC’s waterways are a treasure trove for the sweet and refreshing mollusks. A butter lettuce salad was enlivened with crisp tarragon leaves and perfect Dijon vinaigrette while a foie gras tasting was tres, tres bon. A crock of the Soupe a l’Oignon combined a heady beef shank broth with oxtail and caramelized onions and the pungent melted gruyere topping gave the French classic Left Bank status. Café des Amis stays true to its French roots with daily specials, from assorted wines by the glass on Tuesdays to Coq au Vin on Wednesdays, but it’s their foie gras stuffed Rossini Burger that is the house’s specialty. The perfect late night treat after a long evening of cocktail chatter, we paired it with a cassoulet, my own personal bistro favorite and that evening’s special. Dessert brought an assortment of perennial must tries – a sweetly pungent Meyer lemon tart, mousse au chocolat and a warm apple galette. We couldn’t resist all three and chose a luscious dessert wine from Chateau Pierre Bise, Les Rouannieres, to complement the range of tastes. The heady liquid sent us out into the San Francisco night, ready to brave the gusty winds of Pacific Heights.
If you are drawn to the allure of France, the complex flavors of its wines and the delectable food (but can’t quite rationalize a quick trip to Paris), then the elegant Café des Amis is your most obvious alternative. You just may never want to say au revoir.
Café des Amis
2000 Union Street
San Francisco, Ca. 94123
www.cafedesamissf.com