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The Hayes Valley home of newcomer Essencia has undergone a major makeover since its days as Café Pendragon: Big windows flood the room with light, conferring a warm glow on the redwood tables; an oversized triptych painting of Peruvian sheepherders gives the simple space a refreshingly unpretentious feel. You could eat an entire meal here without realizing that the food has Peruvian leanings, thanks to consulting chef Anne Gingrass Paik’s skillful Californication of the menu. Sure, there are nods here and there—yucca fritters, for one, and skewers of beef heart (called anticuchos at other Peruvian places around town) so rich and savory, most meat eaters would certainly love them, if only they’d get up the nerve to try them. Baked halibut atop chickpea purée and a sliced artichoke paired with a brightly acidic quinoa salad would be at home on the menus of some of Paik’s former haunts (which include Postrio and Hawthorne Lane). A short wine list gives big love to unusual varietals, including an Argentine Torrontes and a big Spanish red that blends Monstrell, Syrah and Cabernet grapes. Best of all, the servers are happy to give you a taste of something unfamiliar. As dusk fades into night, extend the evening by sharing a dish of superb flan.
Essencia 401 Gough St, 415-552-8485
The Hayes Valley home of newcomer Essencia has undergone a major makeover since its days as Café Pendragon: Big windows flood the room with light, conferring a warm glow on the redwood tables; an oversized triptych painting of Peruvian sheepherders gives the simple space a refreshingly unpretentious feel. You could eat an entire meal here without realizing that the food has Peruvian leanings, thanks to consulting chef Anne Gingrass Paik’s skillful Californication of the menu. Sure, there are nods here and there—yucca fritters, for one, and skewers of beef heart (called anticuchos at other Peruvian places around town) so rich and savory, most meat eaters would certainly love them, if only they’d get up the nerve to try them. Baked halibut atop chickpea purée and a sliced artichoke paired with a brightly acidic quinoa salad would be at home on the menus of some of Paik’s former haunts (which include Postrio and Hawthorne Lane). A short wine list gives big love to unusual varietals, including an Argentine Torrontes and a big Spanish red that blends Monstrell, Syrah and Cabernet grapes. Best of all, the servers are happy to give you a taste of something unfamiliar. As dusk fades into night, extend the evening by sharing a dish of superb flan.
Essencia 401 Gough St, 415-552-8485
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