Chef Lauren Kiino, who departed the Daniel Patterson Group a couple years ago and took their Ferry Building takeout venture, Il Cane Rosso (which she was a partner in) with her, has been plotting her own full-service restaurant for a long while now. This week it became a reality. Red Dog, on Second Street between Folsom and Harrison, made its debut last weekend, serving food along the same casual, Cal-Mediterranean lines as its sister restaurant, except now with a bigger menu and more options for dining in, and (eventually) cocktails.
As Tablehopper reports, there's an emphasis on bar snacks like Kiino's famed deviled ham Scotch egg, BBQ oysters, and a smoked trout pate. Both the lunch and dinner menus feature a classic burger with cheddar and smoky ketchup, with the lunch menu focusing more on the salads and sandwiches that made Il Cane Rosso so popular.
Also, here, there are express lunch deals like half a sandwich, half a salad, and cookie for $15.
At dinner you'll find more involved entrees like a chicken-fried pork chop with sweet and sour savoy cabbage, cherries, and mustard gravy; a roasted Pekin duck breast with smoked duck confit, farro and turnip salad, and rhubarb; and butter-steamed local black cod with melted little gem lettuce, sugar snap peas, and new potatoes.
As the Scoop notes, there are options for bar or counter seating, takeout, or more of a sit-down experience at all hours of the day. Also, there's an attached cafe called Fearless, where coffee and pastries are available starting in the early morning hours, as well as sandwiches and other stuff.
For now it's beer and wine only, pending the final approval of the liquor license, but here's the eventual cocktail menu for your perusal.
Red Dog - 303 Second Street between Folsom and Harrison - Reservations here
