Front Porch Serving Southern Hospitality, Mission Style
We have another new writer starting with us this week, SFist Christina. She's going to be doing sort of a jack-of-all-trades thing for us, starting off with this restaurant review. So, please welcome SFist Christina.
We had planned on going to the gym after work, but it was raining and cold and that type of weather is much better served being somewhere cozy and eating a big plate of comfort food. We couldn’t think of a more fitting place to eat than The Front Porch.
Every review we’ve read of Front Porch mentions the 45-minute wait, if you want to beat the crowds we suggest showing up on a Monday night before 7. About a half an hour after we had been seated the place started to fill up. There's something about the atmosphere of Front Porch that pairs nicely with a rainy night. We liked having to leave our umbrellas in the little metal bin right outside the front door. A note to anyone who goes there when it’s raining: if you are wearing high heels of any kind, walk very slowly on the red and black-checkered linoleum floor.
Image from Grits.com
On the walk to our table we were certain we were going to go sliding across the room, knocking over some uber hip couples bucket of fried chicken. It's true; you can get a bucket of fried chicken there. It's a movie popcorn bucket, which we have to say sort of throw us off at first, it feels cheap and a little cheesy- like they’re trying too hard to be kitschy and cute. We’ve shared that bucket of chicken with people and after experiencing the tender white meat that wasn’t a bit greasy; we wouldn’t have cared if it were served in a styrofoam bowl.
The chicken was almost as good as the fish and chips. Front Porch knows how to cook meat and more importantly they know how to fry it. One bite will make any former vegetarian bless the day they crossed over. Don't worry; if you’re dining with someone who has managed to avoid the temptation of bacon, they’ll have options too. How many times have you been to a soul food restaurant and been offered a vegan special? Well there’s one on the menu every night at Front Porch. From the looks of JJs lentil coconut mash with kale, maui onions and sweet potatoes all drizzled in garlic chili oil; we don’t think vegans get the short end of the stick here.
The prices our reasonable, and there’s a nice selection of wine and drinks to choose from. But if you are someone who goes to restaurants in part to fulfill your voyeuristic side, you may get a little frustrated here. We tried really hard to listen in on our neighbor’s conversation, but the noise level makes it near impossible to get any good eavesdropping in.
We made the mistake of ordering the dungeness crab and white corn grit porridge again. We were so taken with the creamy yet spicy dish the first time around, that we forgot how full we were half way through it. It’s just too rich. We looked on with envy as JJ licked her plate clean. We could barely stuff in the sides we had ordered, a trio of fries and black-eyed peas. On such a chilly night and with all the plants and candles hugging us we wanted to eat a meal that we could just devour. Sadly, We couldn’t even fit in dessert this time around; dessert has been the highlight of almost every meal there the past three times we visited. Don’t skip dessert. Our favorite so far was the yellow cake with chocolate frosting, which we were certain, was Duncan Hines from top to bottom. But the pickled peaches are light and refreshing, which feels good after all the heavy food. Last night they were offering a dessert special we had had before, brioche fried like french toast sandwiched with chocolate ganache in the middle, topped with crème fraise and a caramel sauce, which is so delicious they should just make it a permanent addition to the menu.
We have a feeling this place will be around for a while. Blame it on the experience of owner Josey White and head chef, Sarah Kirnon, of Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack fame. The food is solid and they pay attention to details. From the friendly wait staff to the open kitchen, the recycled jugs of water left on each table to the tin roof. We’re suckers for all of it. Sure, you may have to wait a while for a table as they don’t take reservations, but you can sit outside in a rocking chair with a drink in your hand while you do it. From the boxed wine to the vegan specials Front Porch has managed to bring something to the table that San Francisco still needed.
The Front Porch: 65 29th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110 (415) 695-7800
www.thefrontporchsf.com