First thing’s first: I love jazz. I love live music in general, so I’ve been looking forward to this reservation at BIX for MONTHS.
The unofficial dress code is “classy”, but it’s San Francisco. Hoodies, blue jeans, and hats with an embroidered "P" on the front for Playhouse World are accepted.
Before ordering a classic wet martini with a twist, stirred, and straight up for the first time, I turned to Yelp to find out what the people had to say about them. There were lots of complaints regarding the size and style of the glasses used to serve the martinis. And out of all cocktails, I must agree that martinis should be served in an upper case v-shaped glass.
Classic martinis are either made with vodka or gin, dry vermouth, and either an olive or lemon twist. Everyone has their preferred variation: wet (more vermouth), dry (less vermouth, perfect (sweet & dry vermouth), dirty (olive juice), Gibson (garnished with an onion). Then we have the obvious experimental martinis like Cosmopolitan, Espresso, and Lemon Drop.
By the time I ordered, I was too shy to rattle off all those specifications so they shook mine table-side before pouring it into a tiny glass. I had hoped the lemon twist would take the edge off of the gin and bitter vermouth, but no! It instantly brought me back to the first time I had alcohol at house party; Bombay with grape soda was not easily drinkable either.
Considering the elegant lady I am, it won't be my last martini but it'll take some time getting used to. I'll stick to my Gin & Tonics for now.
In the mist of taking photos, my waiter stopped by to inform me the Potato Pillows were better hot. I could see why she said that, however, my phone eats first — not the kids or the man.
It didn't take long for the four of them to magically disappear. Can you blame me? When it comes to potatoes, the limit of what you can eat is endless.
Truthfully, I chose the pillows for the caviar, and was relieved that the tiny beads didn't have a strong oceanic flavor.
I was on the fence between a Caesar or Market salad but the ingredients list sold me on the market’s. It was my kind of salad, ideal for the end of summer: acidic, sweet, and crunchy. The arugula and frisée mixed in with the peaches, pistachios, and goat cheese created the perfect balance. I even found some onions that made it even more flavorful. I started to get full towards the end, but one thing about me, I'm going to finish my food.
About an hour into the experience, the Jazz trio took a break before adding a clarinetist to the group for remainder of the performance time. The sounds of the trio/quartet filled the space, so it was surprising to hear all the chatter in between their breaks.
I had my heart set on the lobster pasta originally, since I’d been craving it since Kalii came out with that dang song. Unfortunately for me, the reviews said the spaghetti was either bland or dry. Uh, no thanks! The Veal Pot Pie, however, caught my attention.
Whenever I try new restaurants, I like to order items I wouldn't regularly eat otherwise. If they can add more variety to my appetite, I'll most likely return.
I discovered veal tastes similar to pork, and didn't enjoy it much in this instance. The rest of the filling and puff pastry were what you'd expect from a pot pie.
Before I knew it, it was time for the main course: dessert.
In a perfect world I would've ordered the Blueberry Tart with Candied Ginger and Pistachio crumble, but I'll do anything to avoid mascarpone so I had the Strawberry Shortcake instead. The cake wasn't ground-breaking, but you can't go wrong with strawberries and cream.
Overall, the meal was well paced and the service was what you'd want from a swanky supper club. The beauty of restaurants with live music is the energy from the musicians and patrons is enough to make you feel less alone if you’re a solo dinner like myself.
If I were to visit again I'd sit at the bar to enjoy a couple drinks, and maybe get the potato pillows before or after a reservation at another restaurant in the area.
Thanks for reading, happy eating!
56 GOLD ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133
OPEN: MONDAY-THURSDAY 5:30-11PM, FRIDAY/SATURDAY 5PM-12AM, & SUNDAY 5-10:30PM