(415) 777-1413
Parking: street parking
https://marlowesf.com/
Last Visited: November 29, 2017
Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 1 to 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$$
Walk in and see wreaths in the window and other items wrapped in a Holstein cowhide pattern. I came here with a party of ten for a business dinner and when we arrived early, we found a waiting list for the bar and every table was full. The restaurant was extremely packed, noisy, and dark (so dark that we had to turn on the flashlight app to read the menu).
After a quick aperitif at the bar next door, we returned at our reservation time, and after more than an additional thirty minutes of waiting to be seated and having our bar order lost, someone came to apologize and put the bar drinks on the house for that order. It was a rough start for the evening and the hostess had told us that our table was being set, but a quick look around the restaurant indicated that every table was occupied - what table was being set? This blatant excuse was disappointing. To speed the process along, we started to order appetizers so that everything would be ready when we sat down and warm deviled eggs arrived while we were still standing and waiting. Finally, after a total of forty minutes of waiting after our reservation, we were seated.
The dinner itself went reasonably well. We ordered a number of appetizers and the food came in a reasonable amount of time. Everyone was given lots of utensils (oyster forks, large knives, etc) and plates were changed twice during our appetizer courses. Clean bowls were placed in the center of the tables to help take away shells, bones, and other discards from our dishes, but some dishes sat in the area too long after they had been emptied which left a cluttered table. Between the appetizers and mains, the entire table was cleared of plates and utensils, the table was cleaned, and they began setting the table with appropriate dinnerware for what we ordered.
x- Warm deviled egg - The egg was topped with aged provolone, pickled jalapeno, and bacon - It was a good egg, but rich with the bacon. There was a combination of sweetness and savory to the bite. Just okay. $3 each
- Crispy brussel sprout chips - Lemon and sea salt season the chips. The brussel sprout leaves are separated and some were very crispy while others were not crispy at all. The little buckets used to hold the chips are cute, but you could also make this dish easily at home. Okay. $9.50
- Okra, baby artichoke, and shallot fritto misto with Sichuan peppercorn and habanero aioli. The batter on the fritto misto was excellent - crunchy, golden brown, and not too heavy. The vegetables were fresh, but the favorite part of the dish was the habanero aioli with its bit of spice. Good. $10
- Half Dozen Oysters - smoked mignonette and scallion - These oysters were pretty small, but the mignonette with pieces of shallots was nice. I didn't taste the smokiness, but at least it was fresh. Okay. Market price.
- Spiced jumbo gulf shrimp with hot and boozy cocktail sauce - Two sticks of celery protrude from the cocktail sauce that is presented in a glass jar and the shrimp (four or five) are lined up with their heads pointed towards the sauce. Unfortunately, I missed the sauce, but the shrimp was cooked right and the presentation with the heads was good (but maybe not desirable for everyone). Good. $18
- Duck liver mousse - Citrus marmalade, micro basil, and chives - Crostini are served with the mousse in a glass jar. I missed the marmalade, but the mousse was fine. Standard. $14
- Little Gem Salad - Mashed avocado is spread on fresh romaine hearts which serve as a base to lots of shaved red carrots, shaved beets, and other market vegetables dressed in a citrus vinaigrette. The portion is sizable and it's a colorful dish. It's fresh looking and tasting. Good. $14
- Charred Octopus salad - Smoked frisee, mizuna, crispy sunchokes, blood orange vinaigrette, and mojo picon (Spanish red pepper sauce). I really liked this dish because the slices of octopus were tender and the acid from the blood orange gave this dish a lot of brightness. Again, I couldn't taste the smokiness of the frisee, but the octopus reminded me of some of the great octopus dishes of Portland - it makes you want to go back for another bite. $16
- Roasted Bone Marrow - Crostini, salsa verde and fines herbes accompany the two halves. The bone marrow is nicely done, but it shrank into the bone so that there wasn't a whole lot of it. I liked the freshness of the salsa verde that contrasted the richness of the bone marrow. Good, but I wish there was more. $17
- Pan roasted cod, pork belly, littleneck clams, salsify, fennel, and tarragon beurre meuniere - First, this is a very rich dish - while you may think cod is going to be light, the pork belly and the sauce in this dish make the overall dish quite rich. The pork belly was a little overdone, adding a strong flavor, but the meat itself was a bit tough. There was only one littleneck clam which didn't add a whole lot to the dish - I would not have missed it at all if it had not been there. The two caper berry halves are a bit of a shock in terms of their tartness contrasting the heavy flavors on the plate. If it held up, I would cut it into quarters instead. The fish itself was cooked just right, and I liked the salsify and fennel that offset the richness. $29
When the main dishes arrived, there was only one error in providing the right dish to the right person, so there are opportunities to improve. Throughout the evening, I felt that the service was not steady, but more of a feeling of concentrated attention and then seemingly nobody. Servers that we interacted with were friendly and fairly accommodating though, paying attention to empty glasses and taking drink orders.
Considering our long wait time and abundance of appetizers, we skipped dessert, but saw items such as fresh baked cookies, an apple crisp, and gingerbread cake as options.
Overall, the food was flavorful and good, and the service at the table was ok, but the experience of waiting at the start of the evening was deflating and a bit disturbing - my take is that if you explain the situation or own up to your mistake, it's much better than telling us that a table is being set when there was none. Alternatively, make an exception and let the group jump the waiting list for the bar.
Lastly, the noise level was so high that I wouldn't recommend it for a business dinner unless you want to shout for most of the conversation.
