2049 Fillmore Street
San Francisco, California 94115
415-67ELITE
Each year, people from all over come to San Francisco's Fillmore Street to celebrate one of America's greatest cultural achievements: Jazz. The street is packed with a diverse group of music lovers who come to acknowledge the amazing musicians who allow us to relive the spirit that made Fillmore Street a lively hotbed for major musical talents during World War II.
As a jazz lover myself, I couldn't wait to step foot on the street that was once graced with the presence of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sammy Davis, Jr., Duke Ellington and Count Basie. Though times have certainly changed, one can still feel the passion for the great musical art form that unites people from around the world.
After getting my jazz fix on the street and at the Boom Boom Room, my beau and I headed to The Elite Cafe, where the food exhibits flavors of New Orleans. The restaurant, with its secluded booths, cozy dining area and beautiful mahogany bar is reminiscent of an old, small supper club without the entertainment.
We started our meal with Oysters on the Half Shell:
Steam Boat (WA) $2.75
Fanny Bay (B.C.) $2.75
Skookum (WA ) $2.75
Kusshi (B.C.) $3.50
They were very fresh and each were uniquely distinct in flavor. The Steam Boat oyster had a divine melon taste. The Fanny Bay Oyster with its firm flesh had a sweet/salty taste. The Skookum Oyster was plump with a cucumber finish. The Kusshi Oyster was meaty and sweet in flavor. They were served with Verjus Mignonette and Cocktail Sauce. We like having options and we found both sauces to accompany the oysters perfectly.
We also had the appetizer of Shrimp & Okra Fritters with Remoulade and Chipotle Mayonnaise ( $9.50). Incredible. It was served hot; the batter was crisp and flavorful; and most importantly, not only did we find both the okra and shrimp to be very fresh, they were not overcooked. They were perfectly seasoned and therefore, even without the remoulade or chipotle mayonnaise, this appetizer was a winner for us both.
For dinner, I had the Pan Seared Rainbow Trout "Meuniere Amandine" with Creamed Spinach and Citrus Segments. ($22.50) Trout Meuniere Amandine is a bedrock dish of New Orleans Creole cuisine and at The Elite Cafe in good ol' San Francisco, it is prepared to perfection. The addition of the citrus segments was a fantastic complement to the rich Meuniere sauce.
My boyfriend chose the BBQ Niman Ranch Pork Ribs, Cole Slaw and Warm Potato Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette ( $27.50). The meat being extremely flavorful and tender, fell right off the bone and not mention, the sauce.... just plain delicious. The Cole Slaw was fresh and delightful and even though the Warm Potato Salad wasn't our favorite, it was tasty (perhaps because of the bacon vinaigrette since everything tastes good with bacon).
To accompany our meal, we ordered the "Down-Home" Cornbread ($3.75) and I can't remember the last time I had cornbread this good. It was warm and sweet and moist. There's nothing worse than dry, crumbly cornbread and the texture of The Elite Cafe's cornbread was absolutely perfect.
As if we hadn't already eaten enough, I had to go for dessert. We opted for the Elite's Dark Chocolate & Walnut Mudslide with Vanilla Ice Cream and Hot Fudge Sauce ($7.50). Chocolate heaven!
The service was great. Our waiter, Doug, was extremely polite and efficient. With the help of the food runner, Luis, everything was brought to us in a timely manner making our dining experience that much more enjoyable. As we were leaving, we were bid a friendly farewell by the Sous Chef, Melvin who happened to be out in the dining room.
Dinner at The Elite Cafe was a great way to end an extraordinary day at the Fillmore Jazz Festival. Great music, excellent food, a wonderful time . I'm looking forward to the festival coming around again next year, but I certainly won't wait a year to eat at The Elite Cafe again!
