Greens Restaurant in San Francisco

Before we even had our hotels booked, rental car picked out, or itinerary set for our California vacation, I had a list of “must go to” restaurants. Funk (and others) commented that “1/3 of our pictures from this trip are of food!” I reminded him that 1/3 of our trip WAS food!

San Francisco is a land of vegetarian and vegan fare where nobody looks at you funny if you request a meal without cheese and there are more veg options than meat. Top on my list of restaurants to visit was Greens in San Francisco, one of the premiere vegetarian restaurants in the country. Click here to learn more about Greens. This restaurant appeals to vegetarians and meat eaters alike and it was a packed house when we went on Friday night. We had some fabulous dinner guests with us that night, as Funk has family in San Francisco. They had been to Greens before and said it is the place to go to bring visitors.
The restaurant is located in a converted warehouse at historic Fort Mason with floor to ceiling windows that have a view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Unlucky for us, the bridge was completely blocked by the fog, but this didn’t lessen our dining experience one bit. The menu changes seasonally, based on what chef Annie Somerville finds at the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market. Everything was remarkably fresh.

We all started off with a first course, and I chose the potato cauliflower soup. Creamy and rich, it was the perfect way to start my meal. My dinner companions enjoyed the Ricotta Corn Cakes and a Green Gulck Lettuce and Little Gems (beets) salad. The Corn Cakes, which were similar to the savory pancakes I made a while back, were really fabulous.

Next we enjoyed our main course and I was in heaven with my Corn and Sunburst Squash Gratin with poblano chilies, peppers, grilled onions, cheddar and goat cheese custard. I don’t even have the adequate adjectives in my vocabulary to describe this entree besides YUM. It was served with a tomatillo sauce, grilled Ridgecut Gristmills polenta (something I need to try at home), Green Gulch rainbow chard and lacinato kale with pumpkin seeds. I was a happy diner. Others enjoyed the Fettuccine, Heirloom Tomato Pizza and Mesquite Grilled Brochettes. I had a nibble of everything and loved every bite.

Next was dessert we couldn’t pass up. Despite being “Thanksgiving Full” at this point, I was suddenly hungry for the Vegan Fig Cake on the menu. I love figs and sampling vegan baked goods. I wish I saved the description of this cake, so I’ll do my best to tell you about it. There were figs baked into a golden cake, which was slightly dry, but not in a bad way. The cake was accompanied by some berry sorbet which got soaked right up into the cake, making it melt in your mouth. On the side were some fresh figs, and I think they were glazed with some balsamic dressing. It was an interesting sweet-savory-tangy combination that I’ll have to remember for future recipes. Everyone else enjoyed chocolate cake and homemade sorbet.

It was a wonderful dinner with Funk’s family. I rolled right out of the restaurant stuffed to the brim with amazing vegetarian food.