San Fran

Dave and I just returned from a long weekend in the wine country of Sonoma, California. I can’t wait to tell you about all the fabulous food we ate and wonderful wineries we visited.  But before I can even think about that, I have to share with you an absolute gem that we stumbled upon on our arrival night in San Francisco – Gitane Restaurant & Bar. You absolutely have to go the next time you are anywhere near Union Square! I am in love with this place and now my mission in life is to recreate the dishes we had there!

“Gitane” means gypsy woman in French. Additionally, Gitane is the name of a French bicycle manufacturer and also a brand of French cigarettes. This place is exotic and ultra-sexy, exactly what you might expect from a gorgeous romanticized gypsy image. It is hidden away on Claude Lane, an almost alley-like, side street between Sutter and Bush in one direction and between Grant and Kearney in the other.

It is gorgeous inside, think of an Anthropology store in overdrive, so warm and inviting, 60’s cool, yet blinged out to the max.  All that is fine and well, but what about the food?  It fulfills its destiny – a mix of the best of Portugal, Spain, Morocco, and the South of France and you have heaven on every plate. We had the hardest time deciding what to order, we wanted it all! So we went the small plate–sharing route. As each one arrived, I just wanted more! Here is a little taste of what I mean…

Bacon Bonbons – prunes stuffed with goat cheese, wrapped in smoked bacon, in a spiced port glaze

That port glaze hiding in the bottom of each little cup put these babies in an entirely different league than your usual bacon wrapped “whatever”!

Catalan Flatbread – lamb merguez, sweet peppers & onions, cilantro

I’d never even heard of lamb merguez before and had no idea what it was, but I didn’t care. Upon further investigation, merguez is a fresh sausage made with lamb, beef or a mixture of the two. It is heavily spiced with chili pepper or harissa, along with other spices such as sumac, fennel, and garlic.  I’ve already looked online and found that you can buy lamb merguez HERE… believe me, I’ve already ordered mine so I can make this flatbread ASAP!

Calamares – stuffed with bacon & onion, manzanilla olives, cherry tomatoes, heirloom potatoes

If you think calamari is only the fried stuff with the rings and the tentacles (not that I’m complaining, I love that fried stuff!) you are in for a treat with Gitane’s calamari. Instead of slicing the bodies into rings, they are left whole and stuffed. Out of this world delicious!

We washed it all down with their Seasonal Sangria, a perfect blend of red wine, pear, apple juice, cinnamon, and orange zest. All I can say is “Gitane, I’ll be back!”