By David Landis, The Gay Gourmet–
Campton Place has a storied history of talented Michelin star chefs who have graced its restaurant: Daniel Humm, Jan Birnbaum, Bradley Ogden, Todd Humphries, Laurent Manrique, and Srijith Gopinathan, to name a few. Now you can add its new chef, Thomas George, to that stellar list of culinary geniuses.
This quiet respite from the hustle and bustle of Union Square has always been a place to relax, imbibe, and revel in a restaurant that is constantly reinventing itself and embracing innovation. Well, the Gay Gourmet is here to tell you, the new incarnation fulfills that promise, a hundred-fold.
Now renamed Bombay Brasserie, the restaurant has an experience that starts with guests entering conveniently through the adjacent alley (i.e., the literal Campton Place), instead of the former main entrance on Stockton Street. The entryway directly to the restaurant creates an aura that is more welcoming than entering through the unsurprising hotel lobby. My only criticism of the evening is that the blazing neon sign that says “Open” by the door screams that you might be entering a sports bar, instead of an elegant fine dining establishment. (Note to the proprietors: get rid of that sign!)
Once inside, everything speaks luxury: from the modern design, to the comfort, to the service, to the noise level (you can actually talk), and yes, of course, to the food.
One of the things that made me want to try this new restaurant is that it offers up Indian cuisine alongside French cuisine—but doesn’t “fuse” them. Too often, when chefs try to get creative and merge different cuisines, they come up short. At Bombay Brasserie, you can choose Indian selections or French, and they’re both independently delicious.
We started our meal with a “Bombay Aperol Spritz” (a riff on the expected spritz, but with rainwater madeira, orange bitters, and rose citrus mist), and my go-to drink, Hendricks shaken, served up. We recognized our waiter John from the Polaris lounge at SFO, and he couldn’t have been more accommodating. The wine list has a nice selection of both California and French wines, more than enough to satisfy the picky oenophile in the crowd.
The bread course, which arrives without a cost, sets the stage for the marriage of tasty delights. There’s a crispy papadam accompanied by a mild green sauce for dipping. It’s paired with house-baked French bread that is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The best part? The rich butter on the side is fresh, and isn’t refrigerator tainted (a pet peeve of mine).
For starters, we were tempted by so many choices on the menu, including: compressed melon with pickled ginger; Dungeness crab and coconut soup; and duck samosas, with apricots and chutney. But for our appetizer, we decided on a corn, green apple Dahi Puri. New to me, this is an Indian snack food (a kind of chaat) that is served in a bite-sized fried cracker rice puff. It was both spicy and creamy, and it whet our appetites for the dining adventure yet to come.
To wit, the menu has one of my favorites from yesteryear that you rarely see these days: namely, Lobster Thermidor. Chef Thomas’ version modernizes the ingredients, leaving out the cheese. That makes it a lighter and healthier interpretation of that classic. The results? Magnifique!
My husband chose one of the restaurant’s most popular items, the dried Kerala beef with peppers, shallots, and flaky paratha (a type of Indian flatbread). A saffron-infused biryani rice complemented the dish, which he proclaimed, “spicy, somewhat sweet, layered, and complex.” I declared it mouthwatering!
An Indian classic, the butter chicken with saffron and berry pulao (a type of rice pilaf), along with a French-inspired steak au poivre, also were enticing … but one can only eat so much!!
Of course, there is always a separate stomach for dessert, isn’t there? So, we made room for a yummy Kulfi, a frozen dessert with saffron, pistachio, and Breton crumbs—another great union of India and France.
Campton Place still has retained its more casual (and separated) café, where you can get a slightly different menu at a more affordable price. The café’s menu includes such mainstays as a Caesar salad, classic French fries, and its famous burger on a brioche bun, among many other items.
India and France might not be the likeliest of culinary partners; but when it comes to an edible merger, Bombay Brasserie gets it right—and makes it work beautifully.
Bits and Bites
The eminent bartender extraordinaire Johnny Love (aka Johnny Metheny) has opened a new, rooftop Brazilian bar and restaurant in the Marina called Boto. According to its own description, “Boto will showcase the vibrant and diverse flavors of Brazilian cuisine, complemented by an exquisite cocktail menu, and a carefully curated wine list with a highlight on South American offerings.”
Graton Resort & Casino has just hired Hawaiian-born Chef Roy Ellamar to its team. His previous stints included top-rated kitchens in Chicago and Los Angeles, after which he made his mark at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas.
Omakase Restaurant Group just opened its new Southern-inspired fine dining restaurant, Prelude, in San Francisco’s The Jay Hotel in downtown San Francisco. Chef Celtin Hendrickson-Jones (formerly of Niku, Commis, and Morimoto) helms the kitchen. He’s serving dishes that are, according to the restaurant, “at once rooted in California and deeply influenced by his maternal grandmother and great grandmother, who were from Alabama. The menu, presented à la carte, includes small plates like deviled eggs with crispy chicken skin and dirty rice stuffed chicken wings. Tierra vegetables with hominy grits are a menu staple, always served family style with a rotating array of garnishes. Large plates include Mt. Lassen trout with smoked creamed corn and pole beans, or a dry aged pork chop with stone fruit BBQ.”
The latest expansion to the Napa Valley Vine Trail walking and cycling path has opened. According to locals, it connects “a new section from the Calistoga Depot to Pratt Avenue in St. Helena, making the overall trail under 30 miles. This section has three wineries directly on the path, allowing for trailblazers to unwind amid the majestic oaks and vineyards of Bothe-Napa Valley State Park. For those who want to park their bikes and stay a while, Alila Napa Valley is an ideal place to stay as a launching point. The hotel’s “ride with a winemaker” program allows guests to ride the trail with a skilled winemaker, stopping at major points of the vine trail, and learning about the rich local history. The hotel provides posh bikes with coolers and gourmet packed lunches by Executive Chef Thomas Lents. There also is the opportunity for a custom wine tasting experience at one of the wineries along the way.”
Bombay Brasserie:
https://tinyurl.com/5f98vbe2
Boto: http://botosf.com/
Graton Resort & Casino:
https://www.gratonresortcasino.com/
Prelude: https://www.preludesf.com/
Alila Napa Valley:
https://tinyurl.com/33v6rhas
Napa Valley Vine Trail:
https://www.vinetrail.org/
David Landis, aka “The Gay Gourmet,” is a foodie, a freelance writer, and a retired PR maven. Follow him on Instagram @GayGourmetSF or email him at: davidlandissf@gmail.com Or visit him online at: www.gaygourmetsf.com
The Gay Gourmet
Published on October 3, 2024
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