Over on the inner edge of the Presidio, where it meets the foot of Greenwich Street at Cow Hollow, Presidio Social Club is still going strong, offering a kind of San Francisco version of a country club experience, complete with great cocktails and way above average, comfort-style cuisine. The heart of the menu remains the meatloaf and the 30-ounce oven-roasted ribeye for two, and you'll still find a menu signature, the delicious smashed peas and mint. Over the last couple years, the cocktail program has evolved and includes two barrel-aged options, a Negroni and a delicious twist on a rye Manhattan. And various parts of the lunch, brunch, and dinner menus change with the seasons, with recent spring options including a wild mushroom sugo served with a poached egg, polenta, and charred spring onion; and a roasted beet salad with feta, radish, and avocado dressing.

But one hearty, shareable entrée I appreciated most on a recent visit was the whole roasted fish of the day, which was an ocean trout that came topped with a bright, simple salsa verde, and comes with a choice of side — the buttery mashed potatoes can't be beat. The fish arrived perfectly cooked, with parts of the skin crisply charred, and was more than enough for one person, though I had no problem polishing it off.

In an era of dining when SF restaurants often seem to try to outdo each other with exotic mashups and California twists on multicultural dishes, the Presidio Social Club has remained true to itself as an airy, casual, yet old-school dining experience that always feels like kind of a special occasion. It's no wonder, with the greenery of the Presidio surrounding it, that it's become a popular wedding and private event venue, and under executive chef Wes Shaw there is some fresh polish to what was always an easily likable menu.

Presidio Social Club - 563 Ruger Street, San Francisco - Open daily for lunch, brunch, and dinner

Previously: Go Eat This: Nashville Hot Chicken At WesBurger 'n' More
Go Eat This: Fried Rice And Salt-Baked Trout At Mister Jiu's
Go Eat This: The Chef's Menu At Cadence, Now Open On Mid-Market

For budgetary reasons, SFist editors and contributors occasionally accept complimentary meals from restaurants and their publicists. More often, we pay out of pocket for our meals. While we refrain from writing formal reviews, we make every effort when giving opinions about restaurants to be objective, and to focus more on food and ambiance than service in order to make up for any possible bias.