Chapeau! is a French bistro located in the Inner Richmond neighborhood of San Francisco. FT and I went here for a special occasion under the recommendation of a friend. It is located on a fairly nondescript location - street parking by meter only nearby, so come a little early.
The placed was packed within an hour of opening - so definitely make a reservation!
They have a sort of prix-fixe menu where you choose three courses from their normal menu for a reduced price. Well, since it WAS a special occasion... if you insist...
They had a fairly extensive wine list as well, alas only for those who don't run into the drove-can't-drink-but-want-to dilemma of the ages like we did.
Amuse-bouche of smoked trout and fingerling potato. Love smoked fish in general, so no complaints!
My appetizer was the goat cheese napoleon, which I absolutely LOVED. Zucchini, tomatoes, and goat cheese on top of a polenta cake, flavored with pesto. Fresh and light tasting but with enough bite from the tangy goat cheese.
FT got veal sweetbreads as his appetizer - a delicious and heavy dish with a great sauce.
For my main course, I went classic and got the filet mignon with a side order of bone marrow added on. No complaints on the steak: gorgeously medium rare and a deliciously rich sauce.
The bone marrow wasn't as exciting... granted, I had only had bone marrow once before, but this seemed really bland? Not sure if it was an unseasoned bone marrow or if I am not appreciating it correctly by smearing chunks of it on bread... if anyone has suggestions, please let me know!
FT went all ~special~ and opted for the rabbit. I quite enjoyed the flavor of the rabbit, though the sauce wasn't as flavorful as that of the filet mignon's. (Though our palettes could have just been ruined as we both soaked bites of steak in sauce...)
Dessert number one was the tarte du jour, a classic lemon tart with raspberry cream. This tart was TART! I love sour things so this works great for me, but I can understand if some may want a more sweet dessert.
And lastly, a basil napoleon - possibly my favorite of the night. Fruit and crispy wafers in a napoleon, topped with a basil sauce. Super refreshing and light, and a great end after a heavy meal.
And they live up to their namesake by giving the check in a hat (for those of us not francophiles, chapeau means hat)!
All the food was amazing and the portions almost too large - the table next to us got the same prix-fixe plan and ordered some heartier dishes, and actually had to stop halfway through the main course to pack them up because they were so large! The place is loud and fairly casual, but the service remains top notch. For someone who is intimidated by hip or upscale dining, I did enjoy being able to relax while enjoying good food.The chef is super friendly and came over twice in our short meal to ask how we liked our food - and we couldn't grin any wider to show him how much we loved it.
Chapeau! had delicious French bistro food, and a friendly and comfortable place that I will likely start visiting even when it's not a special occasion.
San Francisco, CA
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