Dining at Cortez

This Michelin starred restaurant in the heart of San Francisco's theater district is one long narrow room - albeit one that has been tastefully converted to give a fun, clubby feel. The lights fashioned out of colored spheres that are suspended from metal tubes would certainly appeal to an art-lover.

The restaurant is more lively than the Fifth Floor where I had dined only a day earlier. The bar area and the main restaurant were located in the same area which made for a higher decibel level. I actually like that when I am dining alone! Given its star rating, the items on the menu seemed priced very modestly; even the chef's tasting menu was a steal. However, the tasting menu is only available Monday through Thursday, so I picked the special Dine About Town menu.

They got me going with a combination of amuse bouches: a spoonful of something delicious and sweet - can't remember what it consisted of - and a shot glass of hot potato soup which was absolutely brilliant. That also set the tone for the rest of the evening.

While the service quality was nothing remarkable, the food certainly beats Fifth Floor hands down based on my recent dinner at both.

The Slow Roasted Baby Beets & Burrata was a work of art with micro-greens and edible blossoms adorning this dish. The beets were juicy and flavorful while the burrata - an Italian cheese made of mozzarella and cream - was fresh and equally delicious.

My main course was a Duo of Niman Ranch Beef containing a bavette steak and braised cheek, glazed Thumbelina carrots, caramelized onions, date puree and lemon jus. The beef was heavenly, and melted in the mouth. The flavorful, glazed onions were mouth watering good too.

I ended with the Strawberry Sorbet with basil candy, lemon verbena creme fraiche and Hawaiian black sea salt. This was amazing stuff too, and the sea salt made it particularly delectable. This restaurant definitely merits a repeat visit!

Cortez is ensconced in the Hotel Adagio and its kitchen is overseen by chef Jenn Puccio. The stroll back to my hotel past Union Square did me some good too. There was a nip in the air, but it was pleasant. I also noticed the large Virgin Megastore seems to have closed down - the economic downturn continues to take its toll.