Funfeasts: Commonwealth, San Francisco

The website proclaims Commonwealth is a "progressive American restaurant in San Francisco". But what would a progressive American restaurant serve? New versions of pot roast? Short ribs or mac n' cheese? All good, all favorites but the food definitely goes in a much different and more interesting direction.

A good sign is the service; efficient, warm and knowledgeable about the food. I love it when I ask "what's your favorite?" and the person shoots back the what and why they love a particular dish. We followed the recommendations with success:

Porcini churros with thyme and huckleberry jam. Lightly fried and paired well with the jam.
Asian pear, chicories, pomegranate, cured ham, idiazabal cheese and long pepper. The cheese had the sharp flavor of cheddar but the texture of a fine, pricey burrata. Wow.
Kabocha pumpkin, black kale, yuba, sprouting broccoli, coconut milk and peanut. Don't miss this one - the flavors really work!
Squid and pork belly, jidori egg salad, potato croutons, herb vinaigrette. Another winner.
Grilled lamb cheeks, chanterelles, cauliflower, almond crumble and douglas fir.

Undoubtedly the combinations are a bit overwhelming because it's hard to tell exactly what the final dish will look/taste like. If you are open to suggestions and being surprised by the menu, this is a fun and inspiring place to dine. Oh, I almost forgot about dessert!

Yuzu curd, olive oil cake, huckleberries, pinenut brittle, creme fraiche ice cream. With the exception of the olive oil cake (this isn't a favorite of mine in general although I like the concept) this is a light and refreshing dessert. Especially notable was the yuzu curd (that elusive citrusy flavor from Japan!)
Cinnamon mille-feuille, cardamom, marshmallow, chocolate ganache, burnt honey ice cream. This is a winner (but I love anything with marshmallow).

I hear reservations are scarce so I'm glad I was able to tag along with the "haves" here!

Commonwealth
2224 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA
415.355.1500