Oh, what I would give to be like the Foreign Cinema power couple. The owners of what 7x7 named "one of the most well-respected eateries the city" saved the Mission restaurant from "the Dot Com implosion." Eleven years later, the restaurant is still booming. K.yo and I have been discussing the place for months, believing that we would never go there unless we were taken on a special occasion by a non-existent someone. Well, dreams do come true...kind of...on her birthday I gifted my dear friend a certificate to said restaurant. Here's our account:
First of all, I'm not trying to hate on the Mission or Mission Street, but let's all admit that it's a bit janky, especially when compared to Valencia which is parallel and only one street away from it. Foreign Cinema is indeed located on Mission Street, and yes appears a bit janky itself on the outside. But, looks are deceiving and never judge a book by its cover. Once the doors opened, we were instantly transferred into a whole other plane, which kind of made me sad. A long hallway to the hostess' desk awaited us. As we walked along what was basically like a red carpet, we oo-ed and ah-ed at the posters lining the wall. There's both an outside area and an interior. (The outside is where they project the film.) However every time K.yo and I make a reservation somewhere, they make it a point to give us a corner table away from everyone else. So no movie for us, but romantic, no?
Appetizer: Fromage Blanc - It's basically whipped cheese with currants. Sounds a bit weird, and kind of janky, but I would suggest trying it. The taste and consistency is hard to describe, and "whipped cheese" is the closest thing I can think of.
Drinks: Sangria, Some form of a whisky sour, Peach Bellinis, and Sherry. Before you start calling us alcoholics, let me just say that the latter two were free samples that the restaurant offered us. The first was a starter and the second accompanied dessert. Also, I can't remember the name of my cocktail, but it was basically a variation on a whisky sour. Oh, and all the cocktails are named after films. Super Cute. However, I was a bit disappointed because I wanted to try the Hitachino Espresso Stout. I guess it wasn't the week for K.yo or I to get the beers we wanted, but we can't complain. Anyways, drink were well-made and delicious...and I'm not just saying that because we got some for free.
Entrees: Grilled Ono with Hummus, Heirloom Tomatoes, and Rice + Roasted Pork with Pea and Corn Polenta - The entrees actually came with more stuff, but I can't recall them at the moment. K.yo's ono was grilled perfectly. Crisp skin, juicy on the inside. My roasted pork was also quite delicious. It tasted like ham, BUT BETTER, and the polenta was creamy and absolutely divine.
Dessert: Spiced Apple Cake with Candied Pistachios and Caramel Sauce - A perfect fall dessert. It was seriously like eating fall in cake form...in a good way.
Sorry that this post was long, but as you can tell we heart this place. It was definitely one of the best meals I have ever had, and my new favorite restaurant. Now, only if I could actually afford to go there again...
2534 Mission Street (b/w 21st and 22nd)
San Francisco
Pictures Beginning from Top (You can see the time of day change with each picture):
1. Carafe of Water, Upper Crust Cousin of Whisky Sour, Peach Bellini.
2. Fromage Blanc, Sangria, and Bread and Butter
3. Grilled Ono
4. Roast Pork
5. Spiced Apple Cake
(P.S. The names of the items are not exact. I did not take the time to memorize the dishes, and the website does not have the current menu up.)
