Cozy Outdoor Dining with European Flare – Sauce: Belden Place
Belden Place is a narrow alley in the middle of San Francisco’s Financial District closed off from vehicle traffic with eight restaurants. All or most of which have an outdoor patio space. The alley has been dubbed the French Quarter of San Francisco for the French restaurants in the alley, although now there is a mix of cuisines that also include Italian, Spanish, Mediterranean, and American. I had dined at one of the restaurants when I first moved back to the Bay Area after college and my colleagues and I have brought our out-of-town colleagues here for lunch as well (my former office is a block and a half away). Dining here again after a couple years was like walking down memory lane…and I literally walked down Belden Lane 😉
Last week, I had the opportunity to experience an intimate dinner with a couple food and lifestyle bloggers at Sauce: Belden. The restaurant was founded by three brothers from New York and Sauce: Belden is one of two restaurants they own in San Francisco. They also own Sauce: Gough in Hayes Valley, where you can also book rooms to stay overnight at Sleep Over Sauce: Urban Guest House. It was a fun dinner and Emily made sure we were quick with our photos so we could eat the food while it was still warm. I can’t wait to see Omied’s photos (the event photographer) from his DSLR. I’m sure he got some really great photos of the food and of the group!
Drinks:
Hibiscus El’Diablo – this was my drink and it was described on the menu as “the evil cousin of the margarita.” It had 100% agave tequila, ginger beer, and Hibiscus liquor. It packed a punch!
The Shark – I took a sip of this and it was dangerously delicious. It was an Arnold Palmer made with infused Earl Grey tea vodka! The hostess said they purchase their tea from Chinatown too.
Strawberry Mojito – a fresh and delicious summer drink.
Appetizers:
Sampler Platter – mushroom fries, rangoons, deviled eggs, and a bowl of bacon
House Sausage Board
Salad:
Corn Salad
Rainbow Quinoa & Kale Salad
Roasted Organic Beet & Goat Cheese Salad
Entrees:
Dungeness Crab Roll
Vegetarian Strudel
Seared Safe Harbor Salmon
Grilled Creekstone Natural Angus Steak
Braised Beef Short Rib “Pot Roast”
Sauce Burger
Dessert:
Sauce Sampler – PB&J, donuts, and s’mores
All of the food was amazing, but I definitely LOVED the mushroom fries from the appetizer platter, corn salad, rainbow quinoa & kale salad, and Dugeness crab roll. Many folks come into the restaurant specifically for the corn salad and for good reason! The corn was sweet and the broth was creamy. I’ve had a couple lobster rolls in my time (I just wish they weren’t so pricey in the Bay Area!), but I don’t think I’ve had a crab roll. The roll was so buttery and soft as is required for a lobster roll and it was filled with lots of crab! I really need to come back for the dessert. I took a quite bite of the donut and had to leave for the night, so unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to try the s’mores or PB&J, which they freeze and pan fry to get a crust.
P.S. Head over to Jetsetting Fashionista, Emily’s blog, for ideas on travel, eats, and fashion! I’m so jealous of her travels and the chefs she gets to meet.
