this post is filed under Cuisine - Contemporary, Location - San Francisco
Sorry about the slowdown lately - things are afoot at Arthur Hungry HQ. I'm just about done with my SF stuff and I'll be getting to Boston soon. Here is dinner at Lime. Now let me say a few things... First, I picked this place after browsing OpenTable for a little bit. Restauranteurs out there, getting on OpenTable will bring customers like me - it's not unusual for me to have no idea where I want to go, and just pop it open and pick a place that looks interesting. I encourage you all to use it. Second, Lime's website is great - pictures, info, menus, prices. This sounds obvious, but that was another big factor that convinced me to go. I also remembered my dad mentioning it at some point (though I didn't remember details) so it stuck out a bit in my mind. Now, upon arrival, I was almost shocked at how hip/chic the scene was. The decor is tough to describe - they advertise it as "1960s-era modernist," and from my computer at home this sounded pretty cool. It is indeed very cool, and quite over the top. Sadly, I was there with Keith and my mom to have dinner. It turns out Lime wasn't the greatest choice in terms of its scene; it's much better suited for grabbing some drinks and eating a bit with some friends. Parking was hell too. So with that caveat in mind, here's the food.
deviled eggs, "like mom made" (i don't think my mom has ever made deviled eggs)- $5
zucchini frites, crispy buttermilk batter, basil aioli - $6
roasted yukon gold potatoes, spicy smoked paprika aioli - $5
The menu is categorized by price ($5-$10, in $1 increments). The deviled eggs were quite good, but I admit it's been years since I've had another deviled egg so I don't know how this compares to the ones "mom" makes/made. The zucchini frites were alright, but just a touch greasy. After eating them for a while, the batter started to dominate a bit. The roasted potatoes were the best of the lot I think, with the skins ever so slightly crisp. The aioli was addictive.
fish tacos - cornmeal dusted halibut, avocado & sour cream, tomato salsa - $8
tuna poke - diced ahi tuna, cucumber, avocado, soy vinaigrette, won ton chips - $9
ricotta gnocchi, with a sautee of shiitake mushrooms, sweet white corn & herbs - $8
These plates were a little bit worse. The fish tacos were good, but a bit heavy on the guacomole. The fish was light and would have stood well on its own. A good dish, but obviously nothing for a good tacqueria to worry about. The tuna poke was bland, bland, bland. Something was off with the ratio of vinaigrette, and to make things worse, there was too much cucumber. The won ton chips were way too thick, and had a weak, stale crunch to them. My mom can make a better tuna tartare (so can Michael Mina), and this poke just couldn't compete. The ricotta gnocchi would have been much better if they'd put a bit less parmesan on top. I liked the gnocchi themselves as well as the corn, but the parmesan just overpowered everything else.
I think Lime is actually a really great place - the food isn't excellent, but it would serve very well as an accompaniment to some drinks with friends. The drink menu looked very interesting, and I certainly see myself coming back for a good time. It just isn't the best choice for a serious meal. So, my diligent online research didn't do too well this time around, but don't get me wrong - OpenTable plus good websites still equals customers! I just happened to pick Lime for the wrong occasion.
The zucchini frites look SO good! What a disappointment that they weren't as good as they looked. That's a great idea though, I may have to do some experimenting at home.
posted by megwoo on April 4, 2005 05:23 PM
They were pretty good - I'm being nitpicky about the batter. I'm sure if you tried at home you could make an excellent version. I'm starting to think zucchini is best when thinly sliced... I keep thinking of these two specific zucchini salads - one at Ideale and another at Jackson Fillmore. Mmm.
posted by Arthur on April 6, 2005 04:58 PM