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Reviewer: Foodnut.com Luce 888 Howard St. (At 5th Street) San Francisco, CA 94103 415-616-6566 |
Why did we dine here? – Luce is a one Michelin star restaurant in the Intercontinental San Francisco hotel. We’ve debated dining here for a while. The previous chef left to open Atelier Crenn, so we wondered how Luce would rate now. The reviews on yelp are decidedly mixed.
Daniel Corey (Pelican Bay resort) worked under chef Crenn, and is now the chef de cuisine and has put his stamp on the food.
Insider Tip – 8 course tasting menu available Tuesday through Saturday
Cuisine – New American
Location – Soma district, San Francisco
Opened – 2008
Service – Luce had very good service with a knowledgeable waiter and no worries about our requests.
Verdict – Luce surprised us with its solid cuisine and elegant surroundings. One of the better restaurants in the downtown San Francisco area. Fairly extensive wine menu.
Luce’s Menu is refreshingly short, making it easy to order!
Full Luce image set
Picks:
Italian Mojito ($12) was made with grappa, making it distinctive and strong.
Amuse Bouche of scallop mousse with potato
Excellent 2 kinds of warm bread
Ocean Trout Crudo, Kumquats, Cucumber, Crispy Buckwheat and Pimente Espelette ($14) was recommended by the waiter and proved to be a very good dish with some interesting cucumber sorbet. The dish was slightly sweet, making it a bit interesting.
Black Ink Trofiette Carbonara, Baby Squid, Smoked Pancetta and Egg ($18) was an excellent pasta with big al dente nodules and lots of strong pancetta bits. The trendy warm egg added a creamy touch.
Spring Lamb Loin and Belly, Baby Artichokes, Sweet Potato and Pistachio ($32) came medium rare and looked great. It was cooked sous vide with lots of flavor. The fatty belly portion was especially greasy and awesome!
Complementary Macaroons and chocolates rounded out the meal
OK: (Order if you like this dish)
None
Pans: (We would not reorder these dishes)
None
Luce Overall Rating: 
(Excellent
Come Back? 
| Food Rating: | (Excellent) |
| Service Rating: |  (Very Good) |
| Atmosphere Rating: | (Excellent) |
| Value Rating: | (Good) |
Guide: 0 = poor, 1 = Below/Average, 2 = Good, 2.5 = Very Good, 3 = Excellent , 4 = Extraordinary
| Alcohol: | Full Bar |
| Attire: | Dressy |
| Parking: | Street |
| Reservations: | Yes |
4 Comments
New Michelin Guide San Francisco 2012 | Foodnut.com
October 26, 2011 at 3:37 pm[…] Francisco La Costanera – Half Moon Bay La Folie – San Francisco La Toque – Napa Luce – San Francisco Madera – Palo Alto Madrona Manor – Healdsburg Masa’s – San Francisco […]
New Michelin Guide San Francisco 2011 | Foodnut.com
October 26, 2011 at 9:58 pm[…] Great pick! Gary Danko – San Francisco La Folie – San Francisco La Toque – Napa Luce – San Francisco – Chef left to start her own restaurant Madera – Palo […]
Atelier Crenn, San Francisco | Foodnut.com
March 12, 2012 at 8:00 pm[…] Crenn is a one Michelin star French restaurant from Dominique Crenn (Formerly of Luce). (Atelier means workshop in French.) As she puts it, An expression of taste, scent, and vision. […]
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October 25, 2012 at 9:35 am[…] – Half Moon Bay – Not that great! La Folie – San Francisco La Toque – Napa Luce – San Francisco Madera – Palo Alto Madrona Manor – Healdsburg Masa’s – San Francisco […]