le blog de tranny

My first visit to Absinthe left me hungry (and thirsty) for more! Other people in my life with strong opinions about food (read: C and J) don’t seem to be as stoked on Absinthe as I am, but I guess I’m just a sucker for brasserie fare.

You got dem Charlotte Gainsbourg eyebrows.

I started off with a “French 75″: gin, lemon juice and simple syrup topped off with champagne. I’d been drooling over the menu prior to our arrival and was drooling over the spread at the table next to us, where two girls, not too much unlike ourselves, were going all out. As the drunk munchies began to set in we decided to order some snacks for the table, namely:

The french fries with smoky tomato ketchup and sweet onion aioli that smelled SO GOOD from the table next to us. I love french fries like these – thin, the right amount of crunch, the right amount of oil, the right amount of salt. They were just right! Maybe I just wanted to love Absinthe.

We also got the heirloom tomato and melon salad with hearts of palm, Persian feta, wild arugula and balsamic. Killer combination (duh everyone’s doing it) and nicely executed. I didn’t dive into the food at Absinthe expecting or wanting super innovative dishes. It’s the promise of comforting and well-executed French favorites that sparked my interest and that will draw me back again soon. I guess I’ve come to realize that all it really takes for me to be really into a place is for it to have fresh oysters, French onion soup, and nice cocktails.

On my short-list of things to order next time: pork meatballs, soupe a l’oignon, beef tartare, country pâté, ricotta cannelloni, and the Absinthe hamburger with sauteed mushrooms, gruyere, and a FRIED EGG. HOT DAYYUM, it’s like someone hacked into my dreamz. Maybe this guy? They’ve got a croque monsieur/madame and steak frites on the lunch menu too. Oh yez. Let this post be a reminder to myself that all of these treasures await me a mere 15 minute walk away!

For the second round I had the “galapagos”: kaffir-lime leaf muddled in pepper syrup, Barsol Pisco, lemon-lime juice and a splash of grapefruit juice. Win! The lady had oh erm, I dunno, a FACE. Kekekekeke.

On a semi-related note, the Michelin Guide SF Bib Gourmand picks for this year got me thinking about where I want to eat this weekend. I’ll either be eating marrow-stuffed squid, crispy smelts and grilled octopus or squid ink linguine with lobster bolognese (and cockscombs! – the picture totally creeps me out D: ). Wish me luck!