Cafe Saint-Ex soars with menu of unique touches

• Article
• Comments ()
• Click-2-Listen
• Videos

By

Eureka! A genuine neighborhood restaurant. Cafe Saint-Ex, named for Antoine de Saint-Exupery, the French aviator and writer who disappeared on a reconnaissance mission over the Mediterranean in 1944, is reminiscent of the cozy restaurants that abound in the neighborhoods of San Francisco.

Who would have thought, 10 years ago, that the corner of 14th and T streets Northwest would be a corner in a trendy neighborhood. Yet it is. There are several small restaurants on the block of high-end home decor shops and boutiques filled with funky items lining 14th Street nearby.

Cafe Saint-Ex has a hot bar scene; it's a fine restaurant; and downstairs, beginning at 10 nightly, DJs spin all sorts of music from classic jazz to rock and soul funk at Gate 54. (To check who's on, go to www.saint-ex.com.)

The street-floor restaurant is small -- a dozen tables for two or four. Tables for two can be tiny, marble-topped bistro tables, but even those are cozy and private. There's lots of seating at the bar and along the front window. Early in the evening, the bar is packed with bright young things, and again later, but between 7 and 8, the early crowd departs and there's a window of respite when tables become available.

Even if you have to wait for a table, it's worth it for the food prepared by young chef Barton Seaver. The relatively short menu blends Mediterranean simplicity with modern American culinary concepts, but all dishes are sophisticated, many with surprising ingredients and unique touches. Mr. Seaver uses organic produce, fresh fish and meat, and herbs to maximum effect. The wood-grilled items are particularly good.

Calamari, artichokes, meat and fish all retain a lovely, lightly smoky flavor from the grilling over wood. Three whole calamari are served on a bed of curly endive with cubed potatoes and chopped green beans in a walnut pesto sauce. The warm calamari are tender and beautifully paired with the cool vegetables, all in a pesto dressing.

Three medium-sized artichoke halves, also wood grilled, are served with a nicely garlicky aioli sauce. The artichokes were still hard and could have cooked a little longer to bring out their flavor and make them easier to eat, but even as a crunchy vegetable, the dish is a good one.

Seared mussels in white wine is not the dish you expect. The sauce is a rich blend of wine, tomatoes, spices and thin slices of chorizo. The thick sauce has a nice kick and the Spanish sausage adds complexity.

Equally delicious is a dish of potato gnocchi in a light sauce of brown butter with small chunks of chestnuts and a touch of sage. The gnocchi are soft but not mushy and blend well with the chestnuts and the subtle butter sauce. It's a fine dish and can be ordered as an appetizer or a main course.

Mr. Seaver has a magic touch with soup. His cream of parsnip soup is made without cream but has a smooth consistency. It's first rate. It, too, packs a slight spicy kick. The flavor is pure yet complex, enhanced with a drizzle of red wine reduction.