Q to Zed
In which SFist eats our way around the Bay Area in alphabetical order...
Do you know how many eating establishments there are in San Francisco that begin with the letter Q? The answer is not many. You could probably count them all on three fingers. Our first thought, and choice, was to try out the renowned Michael Tusk-owned restaurant, Quince, in Pacific Heights. Rumour has it he offers a wonderful chef's table and as we daydreamed about paying Michael a visit, images of us and our friends, all perfectly turned out and manicured with bouncy, shiny hair, laughing like actors and having a fabulous time in the kitchen with the chef, flashed happily through our imagination. Reality kicked in when we remembered we would need to plan such an exciting-sounding evening more than two weeks in advance. Not only that, we are meant to be tightening the purse strings and Quince's delicious-sounding three courses (before you even get to dessert), aren't exactly cheap.
Our next brainwave was to try and trick a Frenchman into eating a Quizno Sub sandwich. For comedic effect, we thought it would be hilarious to buy a dictaphone which we could hide and record his reaction to being faced with one of Quizno's over-filled subs. But then we remembered the sheer happiness we'd witnessed recently, in Paris, watching the same Frenchman enjoy his idea of a perfect sandwich and we just couldn't bring ourselves to be so cruel as to hit him with an ugly Quizno that we knew he would detest.
This left us with only one option, thankfully not regrettable. We headed off, in the direction of the Inner Richmond, to visit...
Q.
We visited Q, at its Clement Street location on a Monday lunchtime when it was very Q for Quiet. The first thing that struck us was the Q for Quirky decor. Black walls, strings of chilli-pepper lights and even a tree growing, inside, at the back of the seating area. We were invited to sit anywhere by the friendly host. This might not sound like too much of a difficult thing to decide, but since each of the tables is a glass box containing an eclectic objet d'art, choosing a seat isn't as easy as it might sound. Soon enough we were seduced by a beautiful glass-blown spider who we elected should be our lucky dining companion.
We started with a generous pour, each, of wine from a list that was surprisingly sophisticated for a casual American Diner. It's a good idea to get your drink order in straight away, if you can, because the food menus are long with many choices available. If you are not already familiar with all they have on offer, you will need Q is for Quite a bit of time to peruse them fully. There is something for absolutely everyone here. Salads, sandwiches, breakfasty dishes, burgers, the lot. Or how about some American comfort food - Macaroni cheese with Tater Tots, ribs or Meatloaf?
We tried one of their juicy burgers with a generous portion of thick, well-cooked garlic fries that hit the spot. An appetizer sized portion of Fish Tacos were really tasty and large enough to satisfy a smaller appetite as a main. Potato croquettes, another starter, accented with Asiago cheese and rosemary and accompanied by a smoky tomato sauce were equally flavoursome.
Throughout our lunch the service was casual but totally affable and even though there was just one host taking care of everything, delivery was timely, even fast. We would have gotten out of the place for under $40, had we not taken a fancy to one of the framed photographs, part of a local artist's exhibition, displayed inside the restaurant. But when art is that affordable, who can resist it? The little $50 black and white photo of a San Francisco doll's head now hanging in our bedroom will always serve as a pleasing reminder of this friendly, funky American Diner with a difference.