Nopa

A couple weeks ago I went to Nopa with some friends. I had a good time and all, but honestly, I don't understand all the fuss.

The dining room is spacious and casual, and the service is acceptable. The four of us ordered a lot of small plates (olives, calamari, flatbread, giant white beans, pork ribs) and added a London broil and a side of fries. I liked the giant white beans pretty well, mostly because they were satisfyingly filling; they were cooked with tomato, feta, oregano, and bread crumbs. The pork ribs were delicious and tender, and the flatbread (with fennel sausage, garlic, artichokes, and feta) was good too, but I was disappointed in both the calamari and the London broil. For dessert we tried the "honey skillet bread, whiskey-praline ice cream, and bacon brittle", as well as a trio of sorbets. My favorite part was the bacon brittle; it reminded me a bit of the time that we had caramelized bacon for dessert at work.

Anyway, Nopa is pretty good value for an SF restaurant, and there were a couple really good dishes, but overall I thought the food was a bit inconsistent and I wasn't wowed. I don't think I'd make a special effort to go back, especially given the difficulty of getting a reservation.