Zuni Cafe: Perfection, Simple Perfection

Zuni Café in San Francisco is a classic American restaurant which flawlessly perpetuates the notion that there is perfection in simplicity and it’s a restaurant I wish existed at the end of my street.  Or perhaps I wish lived down the street from Zuni.  I’m confused.  

Exterior of Zuni Cafe on Market Street

Zuni has a simply appointed dining room with enormous windows and a bar that takes center stage as a rallying point for a Kir Royale or glass of bubbly as you wait for your seating.  Situated in a triangular building it seems as though there is no bad seat or bad view in the house, with most tables looking out on the street cars rolling down Market Street.  My first trip to Zuni came in Summer of 2000, a good 20+ years after they had been open, and I remember that night vividly, despite my attempts to the contrary (there was a LOT of wine involved).  At one point in the evening a friend turned to me and said something to the effect that it felt as though we had crashed a party and no one seemed to care.  In the dozen or so times I’ve been back to Zuni since then I’ve always felt the same way.  From the ease of the vibe to the spot on service to the large brick oven in the middle of the dining room to the comfortable seating, everything about Zuni is genuine and real.  No kitsch.

Bright, open, airy dining room

Side profile of the big brick oven, an addition made in the late 80's but it seems as though the restaurant was built around it.

The menu, however, is the real star of the show at Zuni and taking the spotlight is a whole chicken slowly roasted in their large brick oven.  Albeit a little sparse in terms of number of offerings, the menu nevertheless offers up other simple, yet perfectly done dishes.  Zuni was gourmet comfort food before it became the dining fad it is today, setting the trend while still staying grounded.  Surely the Southerner in me connects with the realness of the food at Zuni, flavors that are clean and true without a smack of West Coast pretense.  I was fortunate enough to have the chance to grab lunch there this week after my marathon wine tasting.  Rambling down from Jardinière to park my butt in the bench seat looking out over Market Street, thus began this mid-afternoon snack.

House-cured anchovies with celery, Parmesan, and niçoise olives

Drake's Bay (Point Reyes) and Pacific Hog Island (Tomales Bay) Oysters.

Becker Lane pork chop with brussel sprouts, sage-garlic oil, capers and red onion

Zuni is on Market Street between Franklin & Gough and its about a 15-20 minute walk from the Ferry Plaza.  They’re open for lunch and dinner every day from 11 to 11 (Midnight on weekends) and surely should be on your radar if you find yourself in The City by the Bay.

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