Its that time of the year where one must celebrate their birthday. Not just any birthday, their quarter of a century birthday. Yep, that's me. I'm officially an adult. (at least on paper) Man friend decided to bring me here since we both have been hearing great things about this place on a Tuesday night. We were seated right away, towards the front of the restaurant in a corner. Well, their was some kind of cold air blowing near us, which I let go, since I figured the place will fill up soon enough. Starters: Ahi Poke Salad: Delicious! Comes with beets and an avocado puree. Scallops: Probably my favorite dish of the night. Scallops were perfect and buttery. Mains Quail with biscuit, yam, chard: The skin was fried in a very odd batter. My boyfriend peeled it off and put it to the side. The bird itself was juicy and tender. Lamb T-bone with spinach&fried squash: I asked for medium, and I got medium. I wasn't a big fan of the fried vegetables, but it was a solid dish. Dessert I chose the hidden financier with apricots: Not a huge fan of the sorbet, but the ganache was delish. Three things irked me throughout the night. 1. The ambiance was not my favorite place to dine in. Mostly business men and woman filled the place and were extremely loud. And I get it, San Francisco is a casual city, but please, at least make some effort and dress up when you go out for dinner. I wish restaurants had a stricter policy for dress code. Jeans? Plaid shirts? T-shirt!? These are the times I wish I lived in NYC. 2. We needed some time to explore the wine menu because it definitely was quite extensive. That being said, our server was definitely pushy. It's like he had somewhere to be. We even had to ask for bread. Sheesh. 3. The hostess knew ahead of time we were their for a special night. I wish they made somewhat more of an effort and sat us near the embarcadero view. With that being said, if your their for a birthday, anniversary, etc.. shouldn't dessert be on the house? Especially if your spending this much money? They don't comp desserts for any occasion. I really wanted to like Boulevard, but their was no wow factor to this place, just very lack luster. For an overpriced place, I expected an amuse bouche, and outstanding service. Their are way too many great restaurants to be explored, and I'd rather save my appetite and hard earned cash spent their instead.
(2)
Robert Z.
A temporary and self-induced increase in neurotransmitter activity has resurrected my trusty keyboard, despite it having been crucified eons ago by the pesky Romans. But never mind that, let's now discuss the who, what, when, where & why. I used to count myself firmly in the camp that believed worthwhile artistic endeavors only had their origins in suffering, exhaustion, and hurt. It came from a place you sealed off from the rest of the world and seldom opened, and even then only for brief periods, lest it not be containable. And while that still holds true to some extent, I've also learned that it can come from other places as well, like forgiveness, in opening yourself up to becoming vulnerable, and food. Definitely food. And perhaps fermented beverages. And also recreational sports involving beds. A good case in point, Boulevard. Whenever I stumble into the city I more often than not end up doing something remarkable, but this place isn't just good, it's great. I could literally eat here every meal for the remainder of my days and yet be perfectly content. I really wish to bow deeply to the entire staff, especially to Nancy, Dana, Tim & Lisa for bringing to life such an utterly fantastic menu based on the principals of sustainability; each item is its own reward. Every facet of the meal, from the courses, to drinks, to dessert, has been thought out in vivid detail. Like any evolved human, I can certainly take enjoyment in the modern luxuries life in the present day has to offer, we truly do live in pretty exciting times, but a part of my soul yearns to be part of a simpler time, a time long gone by. The interior of the establishment takes one back to such a time. Warm and inviting, with just the right tinge of a modern touch, it sets an elegant backdrop perfectly. If you close your eyes, you can almost be transported to an era where people dressed to the nines, business was done outside the office, and fittingly, over a martini lunch. Fortunate as I am to have worked through a good part of the menu, I've encountered nothing but hits, not yet a single miss. I'd highly recommend a show of appreciation to the staff of this restaurant (And any other for that matter) by bringing in for them a case of Modelo (Or similar) for the cooks. I've been spoiled in that I'll rarely order prime rib off any menu, I've had the good stuff and quite frankly most places will leave me afterward in a state of dejected disappointment. Boulevard will put on your plate a prime rib you will want to write about even weeks or months later. A "Prime Rib Good" tip may have sufficed, however this is dedicated to a special someone who requested I write again, and inspiration is where you find it. If you don't like Boulevard, realize that you have bad taste in food and seek help immediately. Soundtrack: Brian Jonestown Massacre - "Anemone" youtube.com/watch?v=I6R9…
(5)
Maya S.
Blvd. Revolving doors. Beautiful architecture. Balanced, tasty cocktails. Oyster and beef carpaccio appetizer melts in your mouth. Perfectly cooked scallops and filet mignon. Comfy couch seating for couples (from our seats, we could kitchen-watch). Loved the banana sorbet and the marshmallow fluff in the icebox cake dessert. Minus one star for service. The staff was very welcoming but our waiter had a brain fart and totally ignored me when I asked him a question about the menu. Also, when each of our dishes was delivered to the table, all I heard were mumbles from the wait staff when they were explaining what the dish was. I do expect more when I'm shelling out the dough.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : No Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Valet, Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Dressy Ambience : Classy Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Kate F.
I wanted my 400th review to be 5 stars and I was really hoping Boulevard would live up to expectations and it REALLY REALLY did! First if your driving they do have valet parking which is MUCH cheaper(11$ I believe) than any other parking options in this area. I made a reservation for 8:15 on Monday about 2-3 weeks in advance with no problem. The restaurant décor is beautiful and very unique. You get a great view of the ferry terminal building and the bay bridge- absolutely gorgeous! We were seated right away and greeted by our waitress. We had some cocktails while looking through all the menu which was the perfect size. The wine list was also great and we got someone to help us pick a bottle of delicious red wine for our meal. Now onto the food we started with two appetizers: the foie gras and the soft shell crab. Oh my gosh both these dishes were AMAIZING! There were 4 of us so this was the perfect way to start our meal. From looking at the pictures on yelp it seems like the menu changes all the time but if you see foie gras or the soft shell crab with corn I really recommend. The sauce with the crab was beyond delicious and it came with a chorizo, scallop, and shrimps sausage that literally blew me away. I could have ordered that again for my meal and dessert! For our main meals the table ordered the stuffed quail and the lamb T-bone. Both of these were delicious, but I can not explain how amazing the lamb T-bone was, it really blew my mind, the flavors were great and it was cooked perfectly. I believe it was stuffed with a feta cheese and artichoke, it also had some potatoes but I could barley eat them the lamb was so good. My husband had the quail and I tried that as well, So good! I loved the cous cous that came with the quail, all of the components fit together so well! Finally we had to get dessert. We had the berry crumble dish, chocolate pot, and the chocolate tart. They were all good but I loved the berry crumble dish with buttermilk ice cream and delicious fresh fruit on top. We were soooo stuffed but I really do recommend the dessert. This really was a great meal for a special occasion and I would love to come back here. Its reasonably prices for the quality of food you are getting but you will spend a lot of money here. Totally worth it in my opinion!
(5)Nika K.
Its that time of the year where one must celebrate their birthday. Not just any birthday, their quarter of a century birthday. Yep, that's me. I'm officially an adult. (at least on paper) Man friend decided to bring me here since we both have been hearing great things about this place on a Tuesday night. We were seated right away, towards the front of the restaurant in a corner. Well, their was some kind of cold air blowing near us, which I let go, since I figured the place will fill up soon enough. Starters: Ahi Poke Salad: Delicious! Comes with beets and an avocado puree. Scallops: Probably my favorite dish of the night. Scallops were perfect and buttery. Mains Quail with biscuit, yam, chard: The skin was fried in a very odd batter. My boyfriend peeled it off and put it to the side. The bird itself was juicy and tender. Lamb T-bone with spinach&fried squash: I asked for medium, and I got medium. I wasn't a big fan of the fried vegetables, but it was a solid dish. Dessert I chose the hidden financier with apricots: Not a huge fan of the sorbet, but the ganache was delish. Three things irked me throughout the night. 1. The ambiance was not my favorite place to dine in. Mostly business men and woman filled the place and were extremely loud. And I get it, San Francisco is a casual city, but please, at least make some effort and dress up when you go out for dinner. I wish restaurants had a stricter policy for dress code. Jeans? Plaid shirts? T-shirt!? These are the times I wish I lived in NYC. 2. We needed some time to explore the wine menu because it definitely was quite extensive. That being said, our server was definitely pushy. It's like he had somewhere to be. We even had to ask for bread. Sheesh. 3. The hostess knew ahead of time we were their for a special night. I wish they made somewhat more of an effort and sat us near the embarcadero view. With that being said, if your their for a birthday, anniversary, etc.. shouldn't dessert be on the house? Especially if your spending this much money? They don't comp desserts for any occasion. I really wanted to like Boulevard, but their was no wow factor to this place, just very lack luster. For an overpriced place, I expected an amuse bouche, and outstanding service. Their are way too many great restaurants to be explored, and I'd rather save my appetite and hard earned cash spent their instead.
(2)Robert Z.
A temporary and self-induced increase in neurotransmitter activity has resurrected my trusty keyboard, despite it having been crucified eons ago by the pesky Romans. But never mind that, let's now discuss the who, what, when, where & why. I used to count myself firmly in the camp that believed worthwhile artistic endeavors only had their origins in suffering, exhaustion, and hurt. It came from a place you sealed off from the rest of the world and seldom opened, and even then only for brief periods, lest it not be containable. And while that still holds true to some extent, I've also learned that it can come from other places as well, like forgiveness, in opening yourself up to becoming vulnerable, and food. Definitely food. And perhaps fermented beverages. And also recreational sports involving beds. A good case in point, Boulevard. Whenever I stumble into the city I more often than not end up doing something remarkable, but this place isn't just good, it's great. I could literally eat here every meal for the remainder of my days and yet be perfectly content. I really wish to bow deeply to the entire staff, especially to Nancy, Dana, Tim & Lisa for bringing to life such an utterly fantastic menu based on the principals of sustainability; each item is its own reward. Every facet of the meal, from the courses, to drinks, to dessert, has been thought out in vivid detail. Like any evolved human, I can certainly take enjoyment in the modern luxuries life in the present day has to offer, we truly do live in pretty exciting times, but a part of my soul yearns to be part of a simpler time, a time long gone by. The interior of the establishment takes one back to such a time. Warm and inviting, with just the right tinge of a modern touch, it sets an elegant backdrop perfectly. If you close your eyes, you can almost be transported to an era where people dressed to the nines, business was done outside the office, and fittingly, over a martini lunch. Fortunate as I am to have worked through a good part of the menu, I've encountered nothing but hits, not yet a single miss. I'd highly recommend a show of appreciation to the staff of this restaurant (And any other for that matter) by bringing in for them a case of Modelo (Or similar) for the cooks. I've been spoiled in that I'll rarely order prime rib off any menu, I've had the good stuff and quite frankly most places will leave me afterward in a state of dejected disappointment. Boulevard will put on your plate a prime rib you will want to write about even weeks or months later. A "Prime Rib Good" tip may have sufficed, however this is dedicated to a special someone who requested I write again, and inspiration is where you find it. If you don't like Boulevard, realize that you have bad taste in food and seek help immediately. Soundtrack: Brian Jonestown Massacre - "Anemone" youtube.com/watch?v=I6R9…
(5)Maya S.
Blvd. Revolving doors. Beautiful architecture. Balanced, tasty cocktails. Oyster and beef carpaccio appetizer melts in your mouth. Perfectly cooked scallops and filet mignon. Comfy couch seating for couples (from our seats, we could kitchen-watch). Loved the banana sorbet and the marshmallow fluff in the icebox cake dessert. Minus one star for service. The staff was very welcoming but our waiter had a brain fart and totally ignored me when I asked him a question about the menu. Also, when each of our dishes was delivered to the table, all I heard were mumbles from the wait staff when they were explaining what the dish was. I do expect more when I'm shelling out the dough.
(4)