What kind of border line regional eater doesn't like to bask in the food? Not me. I wove into to this restaurant to be sure this Basque gets cased.

The first thing you notice is the little plate with a single dried red pepper. A server comes by with a basket of delicious, fresh, Acme levain and pours a stream of green, fruity olive oil over the pepper. Once you tear into the crusty loaf and soak up this infused oil, you know you are off to a good start.

Atmosphere: A great date restaurant, but you can also just hop up to the bar for a casual drink too. The flower arrangements, the wood flooring and bottle chandelier give this place warm and convivial look. A mixture of people in suits and jeans, this place isn't dress-codey.

Service: Welcoming from the moment you walk in. Informed and friendly, the wait staff does a great job of guiding you though the menu. Not fussy and always attentive.

Bacalao fritters with pimenton aioli ($8.00):
These little salt cod and potato balls have a delicate, crisp, greaseless, exterior and a moist, succulent interior. They sit perched on a ribbon of paprika aioli which gives a nice kick to these little balls.

Piquillo peppers ($10.00):
Roasted, skinned, seeded and stuffed with a mild goat cheese, these warm peppers are surrounded with soaked golden raisins and bathed in a tasty vinaigrette.

Watercress, nectarine, perfect blondes, duck prociutto salad ($10.00):
Perfect blondes are the walnuts which are beautifully fresh with a nice subtle flavor and crunch. A nice counterpoint to the sweet nectarine slices and the salty (in a good way) duck prosciutto. A delicious salad with a wonderful combo of ingredients.

Side of Fries ($4.00):
Okay, I could just eat these all day, every day. This would be a great thing to order at the bar over a drink. Crispy, salty, potatoey perfection.

Seared tuna with piment d'Espelette emulsion ($20.00):
Perfectly cooked, this ahi was pristinely fresh and flavorful. The creamy, pepper sauce set it apart from the generic seared tuna that you will find in most SF eateries. Yummy, tender green beans had a crispness to them. Very tasty.

Snapper ($19.00):
Steamed and served on a bed of spinach with a vinegar laced broth. This was light and flavorful.

Calamari ($19.00):
These little squid were stuffed and served with peppers. An island of white rice contrasts with the black ink sauce. This is a traditional dish that was novel mostly for the authenticity but wasn't my fave (but I did finish the whole plate so it couldn't have been that bad.)

Favas and Morels: Two great tastes that taste great together.

Orangewater Beniets: Like the lightest, best donuts you have ever had. These greaseless, sugar rolled dough clouds had a pleasantly eggy taste to them.

Turron mousse ($7.00):
The toasted almonds and the caramel sauce were the perfect complement to this little nougat cake. This creamy mousse was a winner.

Espresso:
Good crema, smooth and rich. Mr. Espresso is a nice way to wrap up this tasty meal.