On the ground floor of San Francisco’s historic Art Deco Pacific Telephone Building, a cavernous and dramatic restaurant recently opened from the people behind Bar Agricole- nationally known for its imaginative and amazing cocktails…and yes, I’ve sampled a few myself. Trou Normand is the eagerly awaited follow-up from Thad Volger and his team of mixologists, where chef Salvatore Cracco created a French-influenced menu that is generally meaty and sharing oriented. Large plates of braised pork shank, grilled pork chops, and roasted halibut are offered along with sides such as polenta and braised artichokes. Cracco will have the use of Mangalista pigs raised exclusively for the restaurant by Devil’s Gulch Ranch, which he’ll transform into more than 40 types of charcuterie.
The restaurant was named for the Norman tradition of taking a small shot of calvados between courses of food to clear the palate, and if you’re inclined to dine- or just drink- at the bar, sitting by these spirits can also serve as a lesson. Their trou normand shots are available for $5 with your choice of calvados, armagnac or cognac, and much of the alcohol comes from barrels handpicked by the team in France. The striking yet simple design by Boor Bridges is clean and minimalist, with light flooding through the huge windows and only five tables in its main area- although a rear patio will soon open. Trou Normand was designed to be an all-day bar/restaurant, opening at 8am and closing at 1am…which is so left bank, and not so much left coast. Importing some handsome Parisians would be even more delicious. www.trounormandsf.com
gorgeous building and great concept…