How this restaurant quietly became one of S.F.'s hottest reservations

San Francisco Chronicle​

4 days ago

To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, it's good to be Ernest.
My first visit was on a Saturday night, and the restaurant was a scene. The clientele appeared direct from central casting — interior, hip restaurant, night — with young couples on dates, a multiculti group of thirtysomething friends, a septet of men in slacks there to do Business. Aside from the VC party, the diners were noticeably fashion-forward for San Francisco, dressed for a special evening out. They had waited weeks for this primetime date with uni toast and an MSG martini, and they were making an effort in the form of strappy heels and denim bustiers.
Perhaps none of this would be surprising if Ernest were new. But the restaurant, tucked behind an industrial gate on a corner lot in the Mission district, celebrated its fourth birthday a couple of months ago. The three- or four-year mark can be a treacherous time for a date night spot that's no longer shiny and new, particularly in a turbulent economic climate in a region where even a bad month or two can have lethal consequences. Just ask Daytrip.
But Ernest is defying the laws of restaurant physics. Of all the San Francisco restaurants I've visited in the last year and change, it's one of the most challenging to book, particularly if you'd like a proper table in the dining room between 5:30 and 9:00 on a weekend. It's a success story in an industry that could use more of them. What's its secret?
The answer might not be replicable. If you've done your math, Ernest opened in March 2021 — not an ideal time to launch a restaurant. But Brandon Rice, who was chef de cuisine at Rich Table before striking out on his own, had been building out the space, formerly a coffee shop, since pre-COVID. He anticipated opening in spring 2020, then fall 2020. By early 2021, he realized he didn't have a choice. He had to open, even if it meant doing only 40 covers a night, outdoors.
As a business decision, it proved providential. New restaurants were scarce, diners were starting to get vaccinated, and we were all eager for something, anything to look forward to. Soon, Rice had over 1,000 people on a waitlist vying for those 10 tables on the sidewalk.
When I asked Rice about his recipe for success, he explained the unlucky-lucky timing, and then paused. 'But we also cook really delicious food,' he clarified.
He's right about that. Without the delicious food of it all, those thousand-plus would-be customers would have eventually checked Ernest off their lists and moved on to the next one. But Rice's food keeps them coming back.
On one visit I saw an elegant older woman hug our server goodbye. ('That must be Joan,' said Rice. 'She's so kind.') Another regular is so passionate about Ernest's signature cocktail, the makrut lime fizz ($17), that they know to stock up on its key ingredients before he comes in. He must have been in the private dining room on my first visit, when I watched a bartender line up a dozen coupes and pour several rounds of frothy, opaque, pale yellow liquid from a shaker. An improbable sounding concoction of cachaça, makrut leaf vodka, egg whites, soda water and sour cream, it's an aromatic, adult egg cream, and if you're imbibing, it must be ordered.
With the exception of a few core dishes, Ernest's menu changes with impressive frequency. During my three visits, only one main protein — a hanger steak ($47) with Bordelaise sauce and Robuchon potatoes, equal parts butter and spud — made a repeat appearance. If it happens to be on the menu during your visit, jump on it; it's one of the most flavor-packed steaks I've had in recent memory. Rice marinates the beef in shio koji, a fermented concoction powered by the mold behind soy sauce and miso, before hard searing it and then poaching it, low and slow, in garlic- and thyme-infused clarified butter. It reminded me of a dry-aged steak, basted with compound butter, but with the flavor turned all the way up.
A large portion of the menu is given over to raw fish, and anything from this section is a wise bet. A recent dish of San Francisco Bay halibut ($23), simply cured with kombu, was a delectable vehicle for the kind of ginger scallion sauce you might find served with Chinese poached chicken. Asian flavors make frequent cameos in Ernest's dishes, as in his photogenic sushi rice dish ($23). If I were Rice's editor, I would tell him he's burying the lede. What you get when you order the 'sushi rice' is a generous portion of beef tartare, topped with a generous layer of salmon roe. There is also rice, smacking of mirin and vinegar, as well as sheets of toasted nori for DIY hand rolling.
It's to be expected, with a menu that doesn't get complacent, that some dishes don't land as solidly as others. A riff on pork belly buns made with mortadella had a mantou-to-filling ratio that tipped towards the doughy. Artichoke and fava beans were overpowered by the accompanying anchovies, and I say that as an anchovy fanatic. But generally speaking, you are in ambitious, skilled hands at Ernest. Trust fall by springing for the $99 per person 'let the kitchen cook for you' menu, and you'll have a pleasurable evening.
The only problem with that tasting menu is that it likely won't include all three desserts, unless you're dining with a large party. Each is better than the last: the custardy Basque cheesecake, barely holding its form in the middle; the towering sundae with hazelnut praline and chocolate magic shell ($13), like Kinder Bueno run through a soft serve machine; the enormous kakigori, shaved ice the size and shape of Wilson from 'Castaway,' dressed up in seasonal attire (peaches with jasmine tea and boba, strawberries with crème fraîche and crunchy shortcake crumbles). Ernest is one of the best places to eat dessert in San Francisco, and you should return until you've tried them all.
Service is adept and friendly, as you might have gathered from the hugs, making the industrial space feel warmer than it should, and the playlist featuring Hot Chip and José González will make Millennials feel like they're back in the dorms. If you're waiting an unreasonably long time for the bathroom, sorry, it's me in there, parsing all the framed menus and business cards from international restaurants that Rice has collected on his travels.
No one sensible thought it was a good idea to open a restaurant in early 2021, and Ernest's initial popularity can certainly be attributed to its counterintuitive timing. But when we recently asked Chronicle readers about the most unforgivable omissions from our Top 100 restaurants in the Bay Area list, Ernest came up again and again. Scarcity and hype don't create that type of loyalty. Ernest has earned it.
Ernest
1890 Bryant St. Suite 100, San Francisco.
Noise level: Moderate to loud.
Meal for two, without drinks: $120-200; 'let the kitchen cook for you' option is $99 or $139 per person, depending on number of courses, and requires participation of the entire table.
What to order: The menu changes often, but some recent favorites include Parker House rolls with house cultured butter and buttermilk ($9); SF halibut with ginger-scallion sauce ($23); hanger steak ($47); all the desserts.
Meat-free options: Somewhat limited — maitake tempura with ranch ($19); Koshihikari fried rice ($23)
Drinks: A well-curated list of about a dozen wines by the glass, in addition to beer, sake and cocktails. The makrut lime fizz is a must; don't be scared off by the sour cream.
Best practices: There are two dining zones. Upstairs, open to the kitchen, is the main dining room, and downstairs, two tables and 10 seats at the bar. Book the former if you want a more traditional, and private, dining experience. Expect families with babies on Sundays at 5 and young folks ordering martinis on Fridays at 9:15.