Food Friday: Mason Pacific

Mason Pacific 1358 Mason Street

Mason Pacific, a quaint bistro located on the corner of Mason and Pacific, is unassuming to the eye, but filled with delicious bites and an extraordinary collection of wine. Once inside, your eye can't help but take you to the beautiful large glass windows, as classic San Francisco cable cars roll by. Chef Max Mickinnon crafted the menu, while sommeliers Dustin Wilson and Eric Railsback have curated the wine list. Mason Pacific recently reopened and I was thrilled to experience the restaurants brand-spanking-new dinner menu.

First off, Mason Pacific is the perfect place for many things - a dinner date (why not impress a first date with the romantic setting - cable cars, hello?), a catch-up session with your pal (hello, bar bites menu!), or an elegant dinner with family (if not for the new menu, then definitely for the impressive wine pairing, you guys). I chose to go the dinner date route with my beau - #datenight, heyyyy. As soon as we sat down at our table, we knew dinner was going to be a good one. We were welcomed with Mason Pacific's house made bread and butter, which I cannot say enough about. Prior to our visit, I had been (and continue to be on) a no bread diet. I struggled internally about whether or not I would taste the bread, but reasoned with myself that it was a special occasion and I could not provide a proper review without tasting it, so taste it I did. And, boy, let me tell you - that's some good, good bread. If you pop in for a visit, do not leave without ordering it, capische?

Okay, enough about the bread. We sampled a handful of starters including the scallop crudo, curried carrots and mussels, and summer corn with squid. While all three were deliciously light, the scallops and curried carrots were by favorite. I loved the unique pairings as well - curry and mussels, corn and squid? Definitely unexpected. For mains, we had the poached trout and braised lamb. Of the two, I much preferred the braised lamb - it was sous-vided, so the meat was tender and melted in your mouth. We ended the evening with the deconstructed lemon curd, which was just the perfect sweet note to finish off the meal. While the meal in itself was enjoyable on its own, I do recommend having the dishes with the suggested wine pairings. The various wines were absolutely delightful - my personal favorite was the red from Copain!

Mason Pacific is open for dinner Tuesday - Sunday. Highly recommend if you're looking for a sweet spot to try for your next dinner. Special thanks to Mason Pacific for having us!