OT Review: Dinner @ Fifth Floor (Director's Cut)

As posted in the Tasting Notes, The Foodie had his BEST. MEAL. THIS. YEAR. at Fifth Floor. What made it so fre||ing good? Well, read on and find out...

REVIEW OF FIFTH FLOOR AS POSTED ON OPENTABLE:

"Despite a change at the top (Jennie Lorenzo replacing James Beard Nominee, Melissa Perrello), Fifth Floor remains one of the top spots on the SF culinary map. The menu is small (a handful of 1st, 2nd & Main) but well thought out. Twice (2nd Course & Dessert), I couldn't decide what I wanted and just ordered both! Virtually every dish is a work of art showcasing technique and attention to detail & with 100's of selections, the wine list is more like a phone book. Stand out dishes were the Waygu Strip with amazing "Tater Tots", perfectly cooked Hen Breast with Risotto, Prawns & Lobster Sauces poured tableside & the Fifth Floor Sundae with Popcorn Ice Cream. I will DEFINITELY be returning with friends to try the 6-course,$72 tasting menu!"

Overall: 5 Stars.
Food: 5 Stars.
Ambiance: 4 Stars.
Service: 4 Stars.
Noise: 2 (Moderate)

THE DIRECTOR'S CUT/COMMENTARY:

The first thing I had to cut was the Wines by the Glass: The selection is small but, like the menu, well thought out and had interesting choices while remaining affordable (at least by SF standards - several choices in the $10-$12 range).

Also, I had no space to mention the decor, which is nice enough in a modern sort of way, but nothing special. Then again, it's on the 5th floor of an old-school hotel, so it's not like they can have a vaulted ceiling or giant windows. The most annoying thing about the Fifth Floor's layout was the entrance to the restaurant is w-a-a-a-a-a-a-y past the bar/lounge and isn't readily apparent unless you've been there before (which we hadn't).

As for the dishes The Foodie couldn't decide on, one was the Kobe Beef Tartare with Wasabi and Ponzu that you scooped up with Taro Chips and the Foie Gras with Almond Pain Perdu and Orange Cardamom Gel. They both kicked serious @$$ (The Hottie liked the sweet/savory Foie Gras on French Toast so much, she said she'd get it for dessert if there wasn't anything that caught her eye, but since there were Fried Donuts with Stout Ice Cream, that didn't happen) and The Foodie would make the same choice again (i.e. no choice made...get both!). For dessert, there was no possible way to pass up on a "Sundae" with Molten Chocolate Cake, Popcorn Ice Cream and Malted Foam but the Strawberry/Banana dessert with Tapioca (they call them "pearls" but we all know it's tapioca), Fried Bananas, Plantain Chips, Banana Cake Croutons and Strawberry-Muscat Sorbet was too appealing to ignore. In the end the Sundae was the better of the two and, yes, the Popcorn Ice Cream really tasted like popcorn, just in a very cold, semi-solid form. It was a trippy, delicious dish that, like everything else that came out of the kitchen, reeked of the high-end modern cuisine (with j-u-s-t enough molecular gastronomy tossed in) that makes you re-think what food can be.

Suffice to say, Fifth Floor is in no danger of losing their Michelin Star.

EXPANDED ZAGAT-STYLE RATINGS:

FOOD: 27
DECOR: 22
SERVICE: 25
PRICE: E