Shirley:
It's been a long time since I've had the typical Fried Chicken - Collards - Mac & Cheese combo. I even passed up the Meatballs.
The Vestry is a good thing. It has tasty dishes, fun, professional staff and an intriguing history. We were there for dinner, but check out their website: thechapelsf.com. There is information about their Chapel Bar and entertainment venues.
The elements on my plate, individually and in combination, were in everyway delicious. The chicken had been brined and dipped in a thin batter and deep fried to perfection. The meat was juicy and well-seasoned, the coating stayed crispy until the very end. The collards were cooked just to chewable but not mushy. The leaves were sliced into long shreds and got to my mouth by twirling them around my fork like spaghetti. And the mac & cheese! Oh the mac & cheese! A tiny little bowl of the creamy, cheesey mac with a crispy, buttery breadcrumb crust.
I completely supported Barb ordering the "It is It" ice cream with a hardened chocolate sauce. Poor Barb - she thought requesting 4 spoons would be a generous gesture when, in fact, it was just brought out the greed in her dinner partners. Or at least, in me.
I did not taste the other orders, but all plates were pretty much wiped clean. That was partly because of the quality of the food and the other part due to the size of portions. They were elegently minimal, yet not stingy, with portions more like a real restaurant instead of a truck stop.
The building has a great history. I remember it as housing New College before sitting empty for years. It was a funeral home from 1914 until the 1970' s and, according to online sources, the restrooms were the elevator that transported bodies to and from the embalming room downstairs. (Look for the huge gears that worked the lift)
We had a changing of the guard during our visit and both servers were smart, funny and efficient. All and all, it was a great place. Not for everyday, but definitely for a special occasion. It's my second favorite place, so far. Beretta is a hard act to follow.
The Vestry is a good thing. It has tasty dishes, fun, professional staff and an intriguing history. We were there for dinner, but check out their website: thechapelsf.com. There is information about their Chapel Bar and entertainment venues.
The elements on my plate, individually and in combination, were in everyway delicious. The chicken had been brined and dipped in a thin batter and deep fried to perfection. The meat was juicy and well-seasoned, the coating stayed crispy until the very end. The collards were cooked just to chewable but not mushy. The leaves were sliced into long shreds and got to my mouth by twirling them around my fork like spaghetti. And the mac & cheese! Oh the mac & cheese! A tiny little bowl of the creamy, cheesey mac with a crispy, buttery breadcrumb crust.
I completely supported Barb ordering the "It is It" ice cream with a hardened chocolate sauce. Poor Barb - she thought requesting 4 spoons would be a generous gesture when, in fact, it was just brought out the greed in her dinner partners. Or at least, in me.
I did not taste the other orders, but all plates were pretty much wiped clean. That was partly because of the quality of the food and the other part due to the size of portions. They were elegently minimal, yet not stingy, with portions more like a real restaurant instead of a truck stop.
The building has a great history. I remember it as housing New College before sitting empty for years. It was a funeral home from 1914 until the 1970' s and, according to online sources, the restrooms were the elevator that transported bodies to and from the embalming room downstairs. (Look for the huge gears that worked the lift)
We had a changing of the guard during our visit and both servers were smart, funny and efficient. All and all, it was a great place. Not for everyday, but definitely for a special occasion. It's my second favorite place, so far. Beretta is a hard act to follow.
Jesse:
This place is huge, it goes on and on, room after room. An outdoor dining area with strings of lights above, a main dining area with full bar, another large dining area with another full bar, but this room feels more for serious drinking and socializing, while enjoying the Vestry's full menu of course. It's closer to the Chapel itself, where all the music happens. And another full bar is located. They make it very easy to get a drink. I found the Chapel room gorgeous. High ceilings with arching religious ribs, complete with huge disco ball in the center. Nice place for a concert.
Every wall is painted a dark, warm charcoal, which works except for the bathroom where you can hardly see where you're going it's so dimly lit and darkly painted.
We arrived at 5:15pm. We had a reservation but it wasn't necessary. Had the place to ourselves pretty much. Tonight the joint didn't start to fill up until 7pm and then it was only half full. This place can hold a lot of people.
The menu is outstanding. So enticing, we had to take a bit longer to ponder it.
I ordered the Mussels in a tomato sauce with preserved lemon, cream, chili flakes and a grilled baguette. The baguette is lightly coated with olive oil and garlic but due to my limitations I had the mussels without cream and baguette. All for $18. Tonight they offered $1 oysters on the half shell, so two of those please. They were accompanied by two sauces, a yummy, spicy red, and a salty, vinegary clear. The red sauce was my fave.
For dessert we shared the house...It IS It, their take on the San Francisco classic -- a sundae with creamy vanilla ice cream, oatmeal cookie, and bittersweet chocolate magic shell for $9.
Everything was delicious. My only ding would be that the portions were a wee bit small on 3 out of 4 dishes we ordered.
Our waitstaff was very attentive, extremely pleasant, and added to the enjoyment of our evening.
Mary:
Not much left to say. I agree with everything both Shirley and Jesse said. The place was almost empty when we arrived at 5:30, so we could choose our seating. Always fun to sit at the window in a restaurant on Valencia. The street traffic, both cars and people, is constantly interesting. When I got up to take pictures, I almost got lost inside the building. It goes on and on, and there are stairs leading up and down that I have no idea about their destinations.
I ordered the meatballs. Wow. Probably the best I've ever had, and that's saying something. Only problem was I could eat several more when I was done.
Fortunately Barb, who accompanied us this evening, couldn't eat the last of her pulled pork slider, so I got to eat that too and can say it was very good. I liked the help, I liked the food very much. The prices put the food into a "sometimes" category.
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