Mike Berman’s Washington Watch

May 22, 2011 11:53 AM

Restaurant: The Richmond Restaurant & Wine Bar

The Richmond Restaurant & Wine Bar

615 Balboa Street (Btwn 7th & 8th Avenues)
San Francisco, California 04118
415-379-8988
Fax 415-379-3807
therichmond@sbcglobal.net
Debbie and I went to The Richmond with Howard and Jackie. This is a relatively small neighborhood restaurant. Our table was by itself, in a corner to the right of the entrance. Straight ahead is a small bar with 6 tall chairs. Another 4-top is snuggled in next to the bar. Then, in a small room to the left, there are six tables which seat a total of 20 people. There is draping in various places around the restaurant to provide a certain amount of privacy.

Jackie and Debbie started with the Harvest Salad & Pear Vinaigrette (mixed greens, poached pears, candied walnuts, dried cranberries & blue cheese). Howard had Potato Leek soup, and I savored the Roast Beets & Cardamon Carrot Salad topped with Laura Chenel goat cheese in phyllo pastry.

Jackie ordered Boneless Pan-Fried Chicken, substituting vegetables for what was offered with the chicken – baked Rigatoni & meat sauce. Debbie went for a Bone-in Pork Chop with potato puree & mushroom sauce. Howard selected the Seared File with Wild Mushrooms, substituting polenta for potato hash. I also picked the Pan Fried Chicken, substituting potato for the Rigatoni.

The restroom is quite small. There is barely enough room to turn around. A tiny triangle-shaped wash basin adorns the corner opposite the commode. The floor is covered with large grayish tiles. Smaller off-white tiles cover the walls to shoulder height. Above the tiles, the wall and ceiling are painted red. Above the commode hangs a framed front page of the San Francisco Chronicle from the 1980s when the 49ers won the Super Bowl.

The service left nothing to be desired.

Parking is a bit problematic because there is no obvious parking lot and the curbs are occupied by neighborhood cars.



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