Let's Eat

Now OpenTable is tempting me with notifications of special dinner events. Recently I received an invitation to a tasting dinner at Heirloom Cafe, a small gem of a restaurant at Folsom and 21st. I’d not heard of it, but was tempted by the fact that it was started by someone who’d been touted as one of Food and Wine’s Top Sommeliers of 2011, Matt Straus.

When I took a look at the menu, it looked tasty enough so I signed up.

It was a casual event—people strolling in as the light got low. Matt came over and greeted us personally, which I thought was a nice touch. He seemed nervous, as if this was the first time he’d ever done it. I think not.

After a slow start—some of the guests were stuck in traffic—the evening was well-paced and relaxed. I particularly enjoyed the smoked trout. We didn’t know what sauce grebiche was, but googled it to find that it sort of boils down to a deviled egg turned into a sauce. Delicious!

Smoked trout salad

The green beans atop pickled dates were also refreshing. We weren’t sure what to expect with pickled dates but it was a perfect treatment. Usually dates are too sweet for my taste so the vinegar was a great foil.

Green and wax beans on pickled dates

The remaining dishes were also good, but the starters were my favorites. The wine pairing was nice too, and we didn’t end up feeling like we’d had too much to eat or drink. Nicely done!