Man, when I think of Noe Valley, all I see is a little hood chock full of those yuppies, working 9-5 for the man downtown. Yet swirling in that mist of yuppiness, stands a little tasty food treasure named Firefly. It sure does a great job serving up some great American cuisine with a feel that is both hipster and homey without all that pretentiousness. Simply a great place to enjoy a savory meal with good company. While all the Gary Dankos and Michael Minas may stand at the top of the SF food chain, Firefly captures the bright soul of the city in a small unassuming place… and I loved it.
I’ve never seen a firefly in real life. Probably because I’m a Californian born and raised. Don’t have too many around here especially for a suburbanite like me. Just like its namesake, there’s a simple beauty to the restaurant that captivates you. Normally I don’t focus on the setting, but Firefly has got the ambiance down. Great lighting, matching artwork, light music, and a very comfortable mood. Nothing over the top or hipster-riffic. Nothing too fancy. Simple and charming. Waitstaff attended to every need and was extremely courteous. I always appreciate menus that are small and well-crafted (not too mention well-designed), especially the ones that make me flip flop back and forth between dishes right until the waitress comes up and asks me what I want. When everything makes your mouth salivate, the restaurant has to be a decent one.
Before we jump into the dishes, the Acme bread and roasted pepper hummus was a nice start. I love butter on my bread, but a tasty spread to begin a meal is always a treat. I wanted the shrimp and scallop pot stickers, but my friend and I ended up ordering the Corn and Goat Cheese Souffle to start. I figure I could imagine their delicious flavor. Might as well try something a little more fancy. The souffle had a crispy exterior, creamy interior, a well-cooked souffle. Size was small, but flavor was big. The roasted pepper coulis was a great complement to the cheese.
The main dishes were great. I had the Roasted Duck Breast and my friend had the Loch Duarte Salmon Filet. My duck breast was juicy and tender, with a seasoned crispy skin. The jus wasn’t anything special, though. The chanterelle mushroom cornmeal crepes were nothing more than corn tortillas with mushrooms inside, but they tasted phenomenal. Seriously, the flavor of the mushrooms were absolutely wonderful and almost trumped the duck as the premier flavor on the plate. The salmon was good, but nothing great. The crust on the salmon was perfect, though; I don’t like I’ve had a better crusted salmon filet before. Flavor-wise, the salmon had to rely on the roasted corn sauce as it couldn’t really hold up on its own. The pesto potatoes were tasty, but the pesto could have used a little more punch.
I ordered an espresso shot, which is unusual for me, but I needed a quick jolt and I thought it would go well with the Chocolate Ganache Tart. Sadly, it came out at least 7 minutes before the desserts. Yes, 7. I counted. Anyway, the espresso was mediocre and was actually a bit over-roasted. My friend ordered the Blueberry Brioche Bread Pudding, which was sweet and sublime. I love bread pudding and this one was great, but it seems almost too fancy for bread pudding. The ganache tart was so incredibly rich and the tart had a flaky and crispy crust. The cherry vanilla ice cream was pretty darn tasty too. Yeah, I enjoyed the desserts. A lot. Damn sweet tooth.
Firefly was all that I wanted. Great food, great atmosphere, and great presentation. Would I come back? Of course. You should go too. The prix fixe menu is in effect from Sunday to Thursday, which nets you an appetizer, main, and dessert for $35. Pretty sweet deal, I’d say. Otherwise, be prepared to spend about 40 a head, not including any firewater. Great winelist, by the way, with choices for all budgets. Love it, definitely a San Francisco culinary jewel.
Firefly
4288 24th Street, San Francisco, CA 94114
415-821-7652
They have a sweet water closet. Use it.
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