Go-Go to COCO
COCO500 is my favorite restaurant that I regularly patronize. This stands in contrast to Isa, which is my favorite restaurant that I no longer regularly patronize. Great place, Isa, but too far away now that we live in SoMa and parking’s way too difficult in the Marina.
Getting back to the point, what’s truly amazing about my love for COCO500 is that they commit four-and-a-half party fouls out of my Ten Things That Make Me Grumpy (2008). Double-digit cocktail prices? Check. Double-digit salad prices? Double check. Weird pizza? Got it. Sweet’N Low? None to be found. Outrageous burger prices? High, but not exorbitant, so we’ll give ‘em a half foul on that one. Yet, I love the place.
Why?
For starters, the kitchen staff at COCO500 can flat-out cook. Some menu items may seem a bit pricey but the money shows up on your plate. The ingredients are top-notch. The execution is very good on a bad day and extraordinary at its peak. They didn’t miss a beat when chef/owner Loretta Keller surrendered the stoves to executive chef (and Top Chef: Chicago contestant) Jennifer Biesty. In fact, the kitchen may have ratcheted things up a notch, a tribute to how well Keller chose and trained her crew.
Consider the spaghettini with meatballs, salsa rosa, parmesan and basil ($15.00). Now, people rave about the meatballs at A16. But let me tell you, I’ve tried the meatballs at A16 and they can’t hold a candle to the ones in this dish. They’re small, lightly browned, hold together when you cut them with a fork and are oh, so tasty. Unfortunately, the spaghettini just rotated off of the menu so I’ll have to content myself with fantasizing about it for months.
If you’re a fan of thin-crust pizza and flatbread, COCO is the place for you.
The coppa pizza with mozzarella, tomato sauce and garlic ($13.00) is superb. The crust is thin to the edge but remains firm. As slender as it is, I’ve never had the crust droop, a pet peeve with pizza. It’s topped with just the right amount of cheese and tomato sauce. But the real star is the coppa. It nearly covers the pizza, is thick enough to be flavorful but thin enough to bite through easily and has a spicy flavor that is divine. Perhaps my favorite pizza in the city.
The truffled mushroom flatbread with parmesan and sea salt ($10.00) is similarly excellent, not to mention surprisingly filling. The thin crust is dusted with most finely chopped mushrooms I’ve ever seen, parmesan and a hint of truffle. The sea salt really makes the combination pop in your mouth. Occasionally, the dish comes out of the kitchen without enough salt for my taste. I’m not shy about adding a bit more and you shouldn’t be either.
A lunchtime-only favorite is the COCOburger with house made chips and pickles ($10.00 plus $1.00 to add aged cheddar). The price approaches my pain point for a burger but this is a great example of the money showing up on your plate. The bun is top-notch. Enough flavor to taste, not so much as to compete with the beef, not too bready, not too chewy, holds up well to handling and the burger’s juice. The ground beef is likewise top-flight. It is lightly seasoned and a touch salty (note that I said “salty,” not “too salty” – big distinction). Conventional wisdom says add some cheese and ketchup and you’re home.
But, while the conventional way is a great option, here’s an insider’s tip, and I hope they don’t 86 me forever for revealing it. If you ask really nicely and they’re not too busy, they may sub bleu cheese for the cheddar. If they will, go for it, nix the ketchup and you just might have the best burger the city has to offer.
Not only are most menu items great, the menu is very flexible. Want a good meal for not many ducats? Three of my favorite items – the fried green beans ($7.00), brandade ($6.00) and COCOmole “tacos” ($5.00) – will fill you up while setting you back less than $20 before tax and tip. Wanna splurge? Try one of the more expensive entrees along with a double-digit salad and a couple of double-digit cocktails. You’ll still spend less than you would at some of the City’s swankier joints and the meal will be every bit as good.
The fried green beans feature al dente legumes surrounded by a crunchy tempura coating. The dipping sauce changes daily and some variations are not to my taste. Ask your server about the dipping sauce of the day before ordering. If you like the sound of the sauce, get the fried green beans. Trust me.
COCO500’s brandade combines pureed salt cod and potatoes in a creamy mixture. The dish is served piping hot in a ramekin and accompanied by fennel crackers. Salt cod is a bit of an acquired taste but once you get a hankering for it, you’ll order this dish over and over again. The brandade’s execution can be a bit inconsistent – it’s best if it’s a bit oily, bubbling from the heat when it’s set before you. On a few visits, the brandade as been a little dry, which makes for less pleasant taste and texture.
Each COCOmole “taco” consists of a dollop of shredded beef cheek in mole sauce sitting on a tortilla chip. The meat is topped with a dab of guacamole and a wee touch of cilantro. It’s a great taste combination, the crisp tortilla chip nicely offsets the softness of the shredded meat and the serving of five “tacos” is the perfect size for a starter.
When you ask about the dipping sauce, also inquire about the soup of the day ($8.00 at dinner, $6.00 at lunch). The ones that sound good are. And while some places, COCO500 included, can get a little too creative with their soups, sometimes even the ones that don’t sound good are.
The salsify puree is a case in point. I’d never heard of salsify, which was described to me as a root vegetable that tastes like a combination of potato and artichoke (Wikipedia says that salsify has “the taste of oysters," which leads me to believe that someone needs to have their palate checked). I took the chance a was rewarded with a bowl of what seemed, in flavor and texture, like a really good potato puree with a hint of – guess what – artichoke.
If you want a splurge item, I suggest the marinated flank steak (sides vary as does price but it’s in the $21 range). The lean cut is perfectly grilled and sliced for presentation. A recent rendition featured a spicy poblano mole for dipping. Scrumptious.
COCO500’s salads are good, but expensive for a starter salad that can easily be consumed by one person. The current offering features little gems, Asian pear, house made pancetta, Greek feta and almonds ($12.00). It’s excellent but it’s 12 freakin’ bucks. A previous offering that included endive, pistachios and honey comb was also excellent but in the same price range.
Tightwad that I am, I usually skip the salad and head for the California dirt section at the bottom of the menu. The Swiss chard is a stalwart, a buttery sauté with hints of garlic and lemon ($6.00). It recently left the menu and was replaced by lightly grilled asparagus with a mild lemon sauce (gotta double check the price next time I’m by COCO). I’m a big asparagus fan if it’s done right and this stuff’s rockin’.
A few things on the menu don’t work for me.
The salad with Brussels sprouts, ham, caramelized goat cheese, pine nuts and roasted apple vinaigrette ($13.00) contains ingredients that I like individually. However, in combination, the flavors don’t complement one another.
The restaurant’s signature beef cheeks, a popular holdover from the venue’s previous incarnation as Bizou, is another dish not to my taste. I find the bread crumb coating and overpowering horseradish flavor to be unappealing. If you’ve not previously tried beef cheeks, be forewarned that the meat has an unusual, gelatinous texture. It didn’t bother me but I can see how some people might not like it.
Unfortunately, COCO falls victim to the current weird pizza topping trend. They feature pear pizza with mountain gorgonzola, rosemary and balsamic onions ($14.00) and wild nettle pizza with house made pancetta, Meyer lemon oil and ricotta ($13.00, lunch only at this time). Both just sound so wrong to me.
In the interest of fairness, I once had a lunchtime server talk me into ordering one of the oddball pizza variations (which one is long lost in the inner recesses of my failing memory) and it was quite good. It’s a psychological thing – pizza conjures up a certain image in my mind and variations that don’t adhere to that image just sound yucky. Call it flatbread and I’ll be happy.
The bar is great but pricey and desserts are very good. This post is running long; I'll blog the bar and desserts separately.
Just as COCO500’s kitchen crew can cook, the front-of-the-house staff also does a fantastic job. The service is unfailingly polite, friendly and professional. The team accommodates special requests whenever practical.
COCO500’s interior is nicely appointed in dark wood. It can become cramped and noisy, especially as the weekend nears. I try to visit early in the week, when it’s quieter and I can grab a seat at the bar without a wait.
There’s plenty of parking in the neighborhood. Street parking is metered during the day, free at night. Paid parking is available in the Wells Fargo and Bank of America lots across 4th and Brannan, respectively. There are a few free spots nearby that most people don’t know. I’m not going to blab them on the Internet but if you know me, ask and I’ll clue you in.
In my post The Living Dead, I mentioned that I liked Michael Bauer’s blog better than his reviews. One reason – it was an entry in his blog that clued me into COCO500. Bauer also says that COCO500 is one of the places he likes to go when he’s spending his own money. Can’t think of any higher praise than that, a critic wanting to go to restaurant on his own time and dime.
COCO500
500 Brannan Street
at 4th Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
Web site
Food inspection score: 98
Symbol of Excellence: Yes
-Friendly: Romantic Date, Casual Business Meeting
Posted by Grumpy at 3/3/2008 12:05 PM 
Categories: Soma, Conversation-Friendly, Michael Bauer, Romantic Date-Friendly, Cal-Med
Categories: Soma, Conversation-Friendly, Michael Bauer, Romantic Date-Friendly, Cal-Med
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