RtS: HOME

[Snowflake]

Rank the Swank - Restaurants and Bars


Overall Swank Rank

HOME
2100 Market Street
San Francisco, CA
February 17, 2007
http://www.home-sf.com/


The Lowdown
A gathering of the clan to visit with Michael and Reis visiting from Leipzig

Food
Decor
Service

__________________________________________________

The Gig
Dinner

The Grub
Meatloaf, brown sugar carrots and buttermilk mashed spuds
butterscotch pudding for dessert

The Scene
One of the gang organized a dinner for a mutual old, old friend visiting from Leipzig. I checked out the menu online and was feeling really meh about it. I like "comfort food" as much as anyone, but since we live in a restaurant mecce, I had hoped for better and I suggested Foreign Cinema (alas, the unadventuress host said no) and so HOME it was.

Located on Market street, the site of Church St. Station so many years ago (and several iterations since), it is very easy to get to by MUNI or BART since the station is right outside the front door. It is a short walk to the Castro from here (or for the lazy, one more MUNI stop) Aardvark books is a temptation across the street, happily open late, alas nothing for me this trip.

The place is hugely popular, it was packed, our party of 8 had a reserve and the wait time was minimal, even though there was a line of people out the door. The place was noisy, hard to hear anyone across the table, and we were off in the corner. Service was spiffy and attentive.

HOME is a bar and restaurant that features a slightly upscale home-cooked diner fare. So, I prepared for the restaurant by having a very light lunch, in anticipation of a heavy dinner to come. I was wise to do so and I was not disappointed.

I am told the cocktails were good. I did not partake.

As is typical of me when I go to a place of this ilk, loads to choose from, but I broke with the ranks ordering the pot roast (a HOME specialty, designated by a chef's toque on the menu) and stuck with my tester's dish of meat loaf. If you're going to do home-style comfort food, for me that means meatloaf!

So, of the 8 of us 4 had the pot roast (served with a horseradish sauce, gravy on a bed of buttermilk mashed spuds) - all declared it delicious. One had the pork chop served with swiss chard and au gratin potatoes and a peach sauce (wisely sauce on the side) that, too was declared to be yummy. One had the Saturday night special of pulled pork sandwich, fries and baked beans, also yummy. I can attest, since Burt sat next to me, I sampled some fries (crispy, not greasy and best I've had in a while) and the baked beans were not overly sweet with large hunks of bacon in it (very good bacon flavor, so noted for a future visit). One had the grilled salmon which I did not get a report on, but his plate was clean of any crumbs, so ai presume it was good. As I mentioned, I ordered the meatloaf, when they brought the plate it seemed like they put the entire loaf on the plate, it was a very large portion of meat. Baked with ketchup on top and then plated with gravy, mashed spuds and brown sugar carrots. The carrots were great, not enough of them, but tasty! I left about half the meatloaf on the plate, soon to be devoured by my seatmate.

Everyone ordered a dessert, most of whom went for the banana bread, bread pudding. I had the butterscotch pudding served with peanut butter cookies. It was yummy, but I have to say, after tasting the banana bread pudding, with bourbon sauce and fresh bananas, I realized I had made the wrong choice, should have gone with the group on this one.

All in all, I was expecting meh and got a very good comfort meal, came away full and happy and no regrets today.

[Alex]

I was moderately disappointed with my dinner there. It was all fine but not so good as everybody had raved and not quite worth the very loud environment. They may have had a bad night but I found the banana bread pudding to be pretty awful.

But I'm definitely open to a return, particularly earlier in the evening before it gets really crowded.

[Snowflake]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

I was moderately disappointed with my dinner there. It was all fine but not so good as everybody had raved and not quite worth the very loud environment. They may have had a bad night but I found the banana bread pudding to be pretty awful.

But I'm definitely open to a return, particularly earlier in the evening before it gets really crowded.

Hmm, maybe it's me. I came expecting meh, and was pleasantly surprised. Is it Boulevard or Fog City Diner? No, but I enjoyed it.

There is also a second location on Union Street, pricier, but then so is that neighborhood.