Don’t Pass Over These Passover Restaurant Specials :: San Francisco
Perbacco
Three-time James Beard award recipient, author and Chef Joyce Goldstein, along with Perbacco chef Staffan 
Terje, will prepare a night of ~PASSOVER-INSPIRED DISHES~ from her book, Cucina Ebraica: Flavors of the Italian Jewish Kitchen.
Saturday Night, April 26th, 2008,
Menu:
Haroset
Antipasti (served family style, choose three for the table)
Fegato di Anatra alle Uova Sode (Chopped Duck Liver, Italian Style)
Spuma di Tonno al Peperoni (Tuna Paté in Roasted PeppersSarde in Saor – Sardines Marinated with Onion, Raisins and Pinenuts)
Baccala al Pomodoro (Salt Cod poached in Tomato Sauce)
Melanzane in Insalata (Grilled Eggplant)
Concia (Roasted Zucchini with Mint and Vinegar)
Primi
Brodo con Polpette Uova per Pesach (Passover Soup with Chicken Dumplings and Eggs) or
Crema di Carciofi (Artichoke Soup)
Secondi
(choose one per person)
Spigola al Sugo di Carciofi (Seabass with a Sauce of Artichokes)
Tonno Fresco con Piselli (Fresh Tuna with Spring Peas)
Pollo Ezechiele (Ezekiel’s Chicken with Tomatoes, Herbs and Black Olives)
Rotolo di Vitello coi Colori (Veal Breast Stuffed with Peppers and an Omelet)
Spalla di Montone con le Olive (Lamb Shoulder Braised with Olives)
Carciofata di Trieste (Spring Vegetable Stew from Trieste – vegetarian)
Contorni for the Table
Purea di Patate e Olio (Olive Oil Potato Purée)
Finocchio alla Giudia (Braised Fennel, Jewish Style)
Stufato di Fave, Carciofi e Lattuga (Spring Stew of Fava Beans, Artichokes and Lettuce)
Dolce (served family style)
Frutta Caramellata con Zabaglione (Caramelized Fresh Fruit with Zabaglione)
Pan di Spagna alle Nocciole (Passover Hazelnut Sponge Cake)
Scodelline (Almond Pudding)
230 California Street San Francisco, CA 94111 (map)
415.955.0663 (Phone)
In the mood for an Italian inspired Passover?
Palio d’Asti Restaurant offers Una Cena di Pesach – Palio’s annual Italian Passover Seder Dinner (Without the religious part)
Saturday night, April 26th, Chef Daniel Scherotter will serve the foods and flavors of the 2000 year old Italian-Jewish Table and the Traditional Representational Feast of the book of Exodus.
Menu:
Antipasti Misti
Haroset ~ Wine and Honey Soaked Fresh and Dried Fruits and Nuts
Peperoni Piemontese ~ Roasted Peppers with Anchovy Vinaigrette
Tonno e Rafano ~ Tuna Tartare with Capers and Horseradish
Pate di FegatoTritato e Grigole ~ Chopped Liver and Gribines
Carciofi alla Giudea Moderna ~ Fried Baby Artichokes, Modern Jewish Style
Azzime Varie ~ Matzoh
Primo
Brodo di Pollo con Polpette e Piselli
Chicken broth with Chicken and Matzo Meat Balls and Peas
or
Risotto di Capretto
Rice with Red Wine Braised Baby Goat, Fennel and Garlic
Secondi
Storione alla Mosaica
Local Sturgeon Braised in Tomato Sauce, “Moses Style”
or
Costolettine d’Agnello con Rosmarino, Aglio e Limone
Rosen Ranch Colorado Rack of Lamb with Rosemary, Garlic and Lemon
Contorni
Vignarola
Roman Spring Vegetable Ragout with Peas, Fava Beans, Artichokes,
Cippolini Onions and Green Garlic, with Garum
and
Asparagi con Bagna Brusca
Asparagus with Chopped Hard Boiled Egg and Lemon Sauce
Dolce
Pan di Spagna alle Nocciole con Fragole e Rabararo al Forno
Hazelnut Sponge Cake with Roasted Strawberries and Rhubarb
Food: $65 per person
Palio d’Asti Restaurant
640 Sacramento Street
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 395-9800
This Perbacco Passover 2008 posting is just not so. When I called Perbacco they said that their special Passover seder is :
1. On Tuesday April 22, 2008. NOT Sat April 26, 2008 as posted.
2. Not the same menu at all.
3. Price is $49.00 per person, NOT $65.00 as posted.
4. NO Special Passover dinner is offered AT ALL on Sat April 26th.
So, What’s up????
Bri…I am so sorry that Perbaco’s dinner was changed. I am traveling so wrote it from “on the road” from information that I had received a few weeks previously-so was not able to call for updates. But I’m glad you caught all the changes and the good news is that the price went DOWN from previous price! How would you like to be my editor????
janice, hope you’re back home and all is back to “normal.” Yes, good news the price is down! I have reservations for both seder dinners. Perbacco on Tuesday 4/22 and Palio d’Asti on Sat 4/26. It all sounds yummy.
Hi Bri,
Thanks for the update…just got back home but dobn’t know how “normal” that would make things;-) pls. send me a report on how Passover dinner is. Have a happy one.
I went to the Passover dinner at Perbacco with Brian and 2 others on Tuesday. We both agreed that if one was to have dinner at Perbacco this would have been the worst evening of any to go. We had eaten there previously, when they were serving their regular menu, and it was fabulous. Plus, the prices are not bad considering what you get. The good news about the Passoveer dinner was that we chose a wonderful Italian Abruzzo for the wine, but of course that was from the regular menu. As for the food:
Salt cod appetizer — too salty. I tried to argue that, after all, it was SALT code but no one bought that.
Chopped duck liver — excellent, probably our favorite thing
Eggplant appetizer — what was this about? Just little rounds of eggplant with no seasoning
Chicken soup — certainly non-traditional, featuring chicken balls instead of matzo balls, but it was ok
Artichoke soup — Not at all to my liking–flavors didn’t come together, the texture was a bit watery, although others liked it.
Chicken breast — pretty good, but hardly the best chicken I’ve ever had
Sea bass — ok, but nothing memorable. A bit overcooked.
Veal — same here, a bit overcooked, but I thought it was pretty good.
Lamb — Nothing special about this. A bit mushy I thought.
Deserts – a complete waste of time.
In short, one could have predicted this, a one-time menu created by an outside chef with a totally different sensibility from what the restaurant normally does. It wasn’t bad, just disappointing compared to what Perbacco normally does or compared to what one could find at dozens of other San Francisco restaurants on a day-in day-out basis. If you have a craving for this type of food (Jewish home-cooking) stick to your grandmother’s recipes.
Too Bad….SOunds like this was one dinner to Pass over;-)