A door in a discrete wooden fence leads you into the parking lot adjacent to Commonwealth. It’s an unusual entry, but then again nothing at Commonwealth follows the norm. A disco ball’s reflection circles the room within a skylight high above the sleek, minimalistic dining room. Anchored with warm hickory wood throughout, it’s intimate yet embraces the outside with partially frosted floor to ceiling windows looking out to the rapidly gentrifying Mission district of San Francisco. It’s a neighborhood that has seen its fair share of change in a twenty year period from corners edged with barrio level bodegas then to new age cocktail lounges and restaurants now. Even when it was dicey to walk the streets here, however, it was cool and in San Francisco, a mystical haven for the alternative crowd, that’s saying something. Now, it seems the Mission district, which is just south of the Castro, has become the city’s mecca and lucky that Commonwealth got in on it. It’s been on the scene there for 3 years and was one of a few restaurants that changed the face of the neighborhood.
Commonwealth bills itself as a progressive American restaurant and we won’t argue with that. A full “food” bar (like a sushi bar) takes over half of the dining space and that’s a subtle clue in itself. This is a place you can pop in during the evening and have just a taste of the ultimate in today’s cuisine vernacular – a sign of the establishment’s true progressive nature. Hint: try to make a reservation, however, you may need it. Chef Jason Fox knows the ropes for folks who want to dabble in the epicurean unknown. His cuisine combines flavor palettes from around the world and his broad range of techniques means that he can create dishes that are almost one of a kind. Rather than focusing on any single ingredient, they are harmoniously layered like a beautiful symphony. His inventive tasting menus are an ode to good food lovers everywhere. Allow yourself to sit back and be dazzled by his ingenuity and as the wines being paired are tailored to the menu, don’t even thinking about skipping them.
House made potato chips with a malt vinegar mousse met us on the night we visited along with two amuses, a lovely fluke crudo and a chilled pea soup. A refreshing sparkling apple cider from Galicia, Spain (Ribeiro) was the perfect thirst quencher. First and second courses were international in scope and tasted fabulous—a salt cod brandade with meyer lemon and wild flowers and a delectable sea urchin, not usually a dish I savor but here almost magically it was something completely different. An Anderson Valley Chardonnay, Tous Ensembles, was perfectly restrained and acidic, just right for these two powerful tastes. Deliciously succulent scallops made quite an impact with their popcorn puree and yuzu kosho milk, the tartness reminiscent of far Eastern fruits, and a wonderfully balanced rose from Arnot-Roberts in Healdsburg was a winner with them. It was nice to see some greens come our way after the first few courses, always a nice treat in California and at Commonwealth the medley included rhubarb, artichoke, and hazelnuts with a fromage blanc and fava leaf pesto.
At that point Chef Jason had us hooked so when fresh mushroom dumplings appeared we were not at all surprised. Can one leave San Francisco without dumplings? Jason doesn’t think so and neither do we. His were super fresh and quite out of the ballpark for a city whose Chinatown is ubiquitous. I admit I wondered what direction the entrée would take and when it arrived I was astonished – light as air sweetbreads cooked in beeswax were served with parsnips, Asian pear and honeyblack truffles. It was a daring dish that dazzled us and a German pinot noir (Königschaffausen) was an awesome counterpart to it.
Can a chef this talented do dessert? You bet. The tasting menu’s chocolate ganache with a beer meringue, pretzel crumble and crème fraiche ice cream showed a prowess for subtlety, and that’s a good thing after a meal this adventurous. Parker, our server, watched over us like a mother hen while Stephanie, the sommelier, deftly described the characteristics and nuances of each and every wine poured. It was mind boggling how she knew them! We finished with a Prosecco of course, from Piedmont, and looking up at the disco ball I half wanted to dance out of the place.
While the food being served at Commonwealth makes it sound like a hushed temple of haute cuisine, in fact, it’s exactly the opposite —a down to earth approachable fine-dining experience and one that moves you. Come tomorrow night you may find yourself perched at that food bar waiting for just one more little taste.