Kyoko’s Palate

Tyler Florence’s Wayfare Tavern is located in the heart of the financial district of San Francisco. The restaurant has an edgy boldness to it, which makes it fitting for its location. From the moment you walk into the restaurant, there is an old-timey San Franciscan vibe that you breathe which is really a unique and lovely feeling.

As my friends and I all settled down and scoured the menu, looking for the infamous popovers, a faint stream of panic overcame me, as it was nowhere to be found. I began to think that either my eyes were failing me due to the dim lighting or they weren’t actually on the menu any longer. When our waiter returned to our table, we inquired about the popovers, and he said, “OH, they should be on their way!” WAIT A SECOND. So an item on this 7×7 list is actually not even an item you can order but is complementary? SAY WHAT?! This was all too hilarious. But this surprise wouldn’t be the only “surprise” for the evening. When the warm popovers arrived at our table, it was as if we were all suddenly overtaken with this tangy cloud of goodness all around us. The popovers were crisp on the outside and airy and light in the inside. They arrived with this portion of butter to be smothered on top, which made it oh-so-very-heavenly. The butter was light and tasted like freshly whipped cream. All I kept thinking was that I bet Paula Dean wished she could dig into this deliciousness right now.

Angie and I shared the Avocado and Heart of Palm Salad and the Organic Fried Chicken. If you have affection for avocados and want to stray away from the standard leafy green salad, I would recommend this salad in a heartbeat. It was certainly the best looking avocado that I’ve ever eaten that was well-dressed in a delicious honey lime dressing and sprinkled with shavings of red onions, cucumbers, and cilantro. Also, if you aren’t afraid to put aside your cutlery for a moment (cutlery is so overrated sometimes) and get your hands a little greasy, the fried chicken is a must. IT. IS. SO. WORTH. IT. It was brined in buttermilk, coated with a light crust, and fried to perfection. Keeping with the fried theme, there was a heap of fried herbs (rosemary, sage) atop the mound of chicken that was complimented by cloves of roasted garlic that was even delicious to eat on its own. Once I drizzled the fresh wedge of lemon on the chicken, it was game over. I could die happy. I seriously could.

As we all devoured our food and got samples of each other’s dishes, I could feel that the chaos of all of our workweeks seemed to melt away and we could delight in the company of each other. Somehow three orders of the Baked Macaroni and Cheese had made their ways to our table, which was utterly delicious and the only thing left were crumbs (of course). The macaroni was drowning in vella dry jack cheese yet kept afloat with the smoked olive oil making it a creamy mess of fantastic-ness. And just when I thought that the night couldn’t have gotten better, the waiter arrived with a birthday cake for our friend Andrew. Apparently our friend Graeham had picked up a cake for him and brought it to the restaurant to celebrate his birthday that was the day prior. He then surprised Angie and I with two very thoughtful and sweet cards as we found out this week of some exciting news for our futures. Thanks Graeham for being such a supportive and caring friend!

Sometimes when you have high expectations of food, coupled with the hoopla of a culinary rock star, it’s not unusual to be let down. But in all honestly, I enjoyed every minute of our meal especially since there was so much to be celebrated amongst the company of great people. I recommend Wayfare Tavern if you’re looking for a wholesome American experience that is a perfect example of California Cuisine x Comfort of the South. It’s a great place to grab dinner/drinks after work or have parties up to 6-7 people (they kindly let us squeeze in 7). I’m sure I’ll be coming back soon whenever I’m aching for some good ole’ comfort food. Until soon.. xx, Kyoko _________________________________________________________________________

Angie’s Take

There was much to be celebrated this past weekend so Kyoko and I decided to make dinner at Wayfare Tavern a group affair! We were accompanied by Priscilla, Jackie, Katie, Graeham, and Andrew.

A little bit about our amazing friends: Pris is so sweet and fabulous, always sporting the best statement necklaces! She owns a medical translation business, she’s sweet AND successful – the whole package! Jackster is funny and outgoing with a smile that can light up a room. She is currently studying to become a CPA, keep up the good work! Katie is athletic and has the best sense of humor, try playing Cards Against Humanity with her and you will understand. She works in PR for Clif Bar, so fitting because she is currently training for a marathon in July. Gramdizzle is the most considerate, social, and energetic guy I know. We met via Craigslist in December (I’ll save that story for another time) and have become great friends in such a short period of time, he is a very capable real estate agent. Andrew, the birthday boy, is a thoughtful and intelligent. He works in the venture capitalist field, doing important and complicated things in ways I will never understand. Happy birthday Andrew!

Like I mentioned earlier, there was much to be celebrated this weekend. In addition to Andrew’s birthday, Kyoko just landed a very competitive summer job in LA as School Operations Manager for Teach for America. I also recently got offered, and accepted, an Associate Attorney position at a new law firm. So much to celebrate, so much to be thankful for, so much good food.

Wayfare Tavern has a cool 1920s vibe and is a great after work spot. Good food, strong drinks, and plenty of good-looking people (hey, we were all thinking it)!

Now to the POPOVERS, number 52 on 7×7’s list. To my surprise, they were complimentary and the waiter kept asking whether I wanted another. Naturally, like any self-respecting woman would do, I stuffed as many as I could into my Kate Spade. Popovers are trendy and more delicious versions of boring dinner rolls. Flaky on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, all the best textures rolled into one carb-loaded present. The accompanying butter was also incredible. I think I heard somewhere they keep a cow and butter-churner in the back room, constantly cranking out fresh delicious butter.

Onto the main course. We shared the mac and cheese, avocado and hearts of palm salad, and fried chicken. The mac and cheese was perfect, crumbly on top and cheesy on the bottom, exactly how it should be. The salad was good too, a whole avocado sliced in fancy directions accompanied by hearts of palm and other healthy things, topped with a lemon vinaigrette. I mean, I needed to add something green to this meal! Saving the BEST for last, the fried chicken. So yummy that it deserves a spot on 7×7’s list (hint hint, 7×7). It was a perfectly fried dish sent from heaven and the ultimate definition of comfort food. Feeling down? Just go eat this friend chicken, it will fix everything. As you can see from the photo above, I jumped right in and attacked those suckers with my bare hands. I loved every minute of it.

What a wonderful weekend in this wonderful city. Thanks for reading and please join us for our next food adventure. Also, check out our Instagram @theduoscrumbylife for more photos and updates. xx, Angie