BDK Restaurant

Came here because the place we wanted to go across the street was closed for a private event. There is a free thai coconut red curry popxorn Unilocal check in deal. It would have been good, but it tasted kind of stale. I had the caipirinha, which had WAY too much sugar, and believe me, I do love sugar more than the average person, but this was way too much. I tried the rosemary orange olives mini truffle butter burgers. Both were just ok. Nothing too special about this place, it is just ok.

I went on a Saturday for brunch. The veggie egg white omelette was delicious; served with fresh fruit and toast with homemade jam. I also had mimosas to accompany. Not too crowded, I didn’t feel rushed at all and the bartender was very attentive. I will be back.

After reading the middling reviews and seeing that many of them are from Out of Towners and referencing Brunch I was not dissuaded from booking a table for 6 @ 6 for our monthly «Triple Date.» We were all going to a show at Piano Fight (LOVE that place!) down the street so this would be perfect.
At 6 when we got there the place was not crowded and Michael, our Server was right on top of getting us cocktails and appetizers. I even used the Unilocal check in for a free order of the Popcorn (Thanks Bro!).
The Deviled Eggs were good but were served with too much filling IMO. The stand =out of this round was the Broccoli with Pancetta. Delicious!
The Tartare was presented beautifully and I would order it again (I love Tartare) but perhaps I didn’t get enough of it because I remember nothing about it. We also ordered the Sliders but I elected to abstain.
She and I split the Asparagus and Pea Shoot Salad and just as Michael said it would be, the Salad was perfectly dressed and very tasty. There was an ample amount of the very fresh Ricotta also. Highly recommend. I ordered the Chianti Braised Pot Roast and the Short Rib was perfect and adequately portioned so that I felt fine trading bites for salad. Michael was good enough to help me substitute the Duck Fat Roasted Potatoes in for the Mashed Potatoes which I was really happy with. Though the accompanying «Baby Vegetables» where Parsnips, which was just too much starch on the plate.
A standout side was the Mushroom Crème Brulee. Must order that!
They lose a star from me for the little things that could use some enhancement from the kitchen and for a few other, small things. Like it took the Bar too long to prepare our second round of drinks, many of which were just glasses of wine. I was halfway through my dish when my delicious Petite Syrah arrived. Also, I am not a fan of 6 person, bench seating. Your restaurant seating shouldn’t feel like an airplane row or require a «Bathroom Shuffle.» And the booth we were at had very little foot room. Like I said, small things.
The service was very good (thanks Mike) and the food was enjoyed by all, so I would recommend BDK and I would certainly come back. The décor is pretty cool and would make for a great Tinder Date meeting spot. And hey, there is a Hotel upstairs…

Loving this place had the duck hash wow was amazing and the price point and atmosphere! $ 13 …great hash browns sunny side up eggs just amazing. Can’t wait to go for dinner yummy!

We stopped here on a whim for brunch before Santacon. The space is beautiful, which is what drew us in — warm and modern with really pretty lights and furniture. Service was slow, but they were busy and our server was super nice.
My vegan friend ordered an omelet with potatoes instead of eggs, which they were happy to accommodate, but the result was just meh. My stuffed french toast was tasty, but a very meager portion for the price. Our favorite part was that our waitress brought out a beautiful champagne bucket to keep our bottle of prosecco chilled.

My friends and I came here for brunch after the Nike Women’s Half Marathon. We had a large party and were seated quickly so I thought that was a good start. However, I noticed that there weren’t that many people dining during Sunday brunch so I had a feeling this wasn’t going to be great. I was right.
4 people in our group ordered the hash with eggs Benedict. Instead of poached eggs, all of their eggs were almost hard boiled. See my pictures for how bad! One mentioned it to the server and the server only brought out eggs for one person. They had to ask again for replacement eggs for everyone else. Once the new eggs came out, two found shells in their eggs. Our server seemed so overwhelmed that it seemed like it was her second day on the job and she had no idea how to make things right for this type of situation.
When the check came, they didn’t comp anything or give a discount for messing up so many times. We mentioned this to them and the manager did end up giving us a discount.
Don’t eat here for Sunday brunch! I will not be back.

I met some friends here on a Friday evening around 7. They had ordered a couple of bottles of wine prior to me arriving as well as a bunch of appetizers and their fried chicken entrée so that we could all share. The restaurant was about ½ full at the time. Good thing since if it was more packed, it would’ve taken much longer to get our food and drinks. Anyways, after another 20 – 25 minutes, our wine finally arrived. Too bad the vintage year of the bottle we ordered did not match what the waiter came with. Ends up they didn’t have it, but by now, after such a long wait for our couple bottles, we just stuck with the incorrect wine they brought over.
More than 40 minutes have now passed and finally some of our appetizers arrived. Our popcorn! Quite a wait for popcorn. The waiter then told us they just ran out of their housemade beef jerky we ordered. I wondered what happened during the past 40 minutes that the waiter didn’t know they ran out earlier. Our deviled eggs arrived. We ordered two orders, but only one arrived. Then our smoked ham and brie pop tarts arrived. We ordered two orders, but we got three. Could this place get any worse, I kept thinking. How can this restaurant make this many mistakes and put us through this long of a wait for our wine and food. It’s not like this restaurant just opened that night.
As for the taste of the food we ordered:
Beef jerky — Apparently they ran out of it
Thai curry popcorn — Good, but not worth the 40 minute wait for them.
Deviled eggs — Ordinary, I’d pass on it
Ham and brie pop tarts — too much pastry, hardly any cheese, and our orders arrived lukewarm at best. I think this had potential to taste very good if it was served hot and the cheese would be melted.
Mini burgers — Ordinary
Seared foie gras — Below average
Lamb poutine — Eh, not bad, but a bit gamey for my tastes
Crab beignets — Pretty good amount of crab
Fried chicken thighs — By this point in our meal, this fried chicken better be the best fried chicken in the universe for me to give this place an average rating. The coleslaw was good.
Thank goodness for whomever was providing us our water. He was very attentive and constantly filling our glasses whenever he saw them empty. The water was excellent and very thirst quenching.
I had expected much more after seeing the menu prior to coming here, but I can’t justify a return visit unless serious changes are made.

Had a reservation, waited 20 minutes past the reservation to be seated. Once seated it was 20 minutes before I got up and told the host we’d like to order.
We did get 2 carafes of water at that time, but it went quickly as several at the table had participated in the Nike Women’s Run in the morning. I asked for more water, but it never came. I ordered water again and it never came. After 15 minutes of waiting I carried the two carafes to the bar to get them refilled. Our waitress saw this and was upset. Sorry, but asking twice and not getting more water is ridiculous.
Finally she took our food order, but wait, we had hoped to have a cocktail before ordering. Oh well, we ordered everything at once.
After another long wait 3 out of the 9 of us were served. We asked where the drinks were. 5 minutes later 3 more of us were served and half the drinks arrived. 5 more minutes and two more meals arrived, but we had to wait another 6 minutes for the last person to receive theirs. Oh yeah, we received the rest of the drinks about half way through the food delivery ordeal.
Once we finished our cold mediocre food (Waay too salty too), we asked for the check. Another 20 minutes and 4 attempts for them to get the bill correct, we paid and got out of there.
I’ll finish this by adding this was the noisiest restaurant I have ever eaten in. Hard surfaces everywhere and everyone in the place was speaking loudly just to be heard at their own table.
No point in going back.

I’ve seen and heard tidbits of press on BDK over the past few weeks, so decided to give it a go. BDK is inside The Marker hotel. I’ve never stayed, but the lobby was beautiful!
No problems getting a reservation on a Saturday night. There was a decent crowd but also plenty of open tables and bar seats. Our waitress was friendly, helpful and attentive. We opted for the deviled egg app (delicious truffle flavor but a bit heavy on the yolk filling), beet salad, ham and brie pop tarts, and burger. The burger was delicious, but salad and pop tarts were unmemorable. I was excited for the ham and brie, but they arrived luke warm as if they had been sitting out for a while.
Prices were a bit eye-​popping but portions were more than generous, so I’ll call it a wash. Overall an a-​okay experience, but I probably won’t be back.

It seems fitting to name a hotel bar/​restaurant after the initials of its cool owner who started the Kimpton empire. And even though the hotel now has a new name, the initials BDK still have their stamp on this corner of Union Square.
Kevin Diedrich has been on the cocktail scene even before SF had the cocktail boom. The PDT alum has natural talent when it comes to creating cocktail menus. He was at BDK for a only a few months, but he left his mark with more than a few pages of sip-​worthy cocktails, which are named according to the most dominant flavor profile.
Curious about the Saffron cocktail, it proved to be a nice introduction to the cocktail menu. The saffron infused Mezcal with italian apéritif blends well with the tropical flavor of pineapple and acidity of the lime. On the traditional page, the Monkey Gland is light on the booze because of the OJ and grenadine. But on the nights when you’re stretching your dollar or just want something really boozy, the dirty martini comes with a caraffe or the Cassis cocktail made with dry rye gin, bianco vermouth and cassis will fit the bill.
Since a few trusted Unilocalers have been to BDK before me, we decided to stick to apps and small plates. I know BDK is going for the American theme, but their entrees seem ordinary for a hotel restaurant that’s trying to stick out from the regular hotel dining scene. With that said, you can’t convince me to order spaghetti and meatballs and expect me to pay $ 21 for it.
Come in a big group or with a girlfriend who’s wiling to try most of the menu. The Thai coconut red curry popcorn is very memorable. I’ve dined all around SF and everyone offers truffle-​parmesan popcorn but not this flavor. Kudos to the kitchen for this fun dish. The New Orleans style BBQ shrimp is gently flavored with worcestershire lemon butter sauce and served with grilled bread. The crab beignets were stuffed with real crab and I wish the batter was just a tad crispier, then it would’ve provided a more pleasant texture contrast. Their lamb poutine is expertly prepared with the robust flavor of the lamb peeking through the feta cheese and tzatziki sacue. The steak tartare with quail egg and calabrian chiles is also wonderful and not too heavy despite the addition of the creamy avocado.
Aside from the addicting popcorn, my favorite has got to be the the mini TRUFFLE BUTTER BURGERS: simply prepared with just caramelized onions and taleggio cheese. You just need to order one slider as it is a thick patty.
We didn’t get to try any of their dessert offerings because we brought our own cake and the staff was kind enough not to charge us a cake fee. That made our night!
I loved the stylish environs with leather, brass and steel all throughout. You can wear your sexy dress and sky high heels and you won’t feel overdressed. The bar area is definitely lively even though it’s a small section. I already love hanging out in Union Square and BDK is just another reason for me to come to this area.

I had high expectations as we had wanted to try BDK for a while but unfortunately we were disappointed. The décor is really cool and it was popping on a Thursday night. The beer selection was good and our service was also good. But when it came to the food, BDK did not deliver. We ordered the deviled eggs and they were much too rich and overpowering with truffle flavor. They served three but my wife and I could only eat one each. Then we got the pop tarts and while they had a good amount of ham in them, they were very dry.
Come for a drink at the bar but grab something to eat elsewhere.

Super swanky restaurant located in the Marker Hotel, but below average service and uneven food quality (a lot of dishes needed more salt/​seasoning). My coworkers and I came for dinner after shopping in Union Square, and we were able to walk in and grab one of the last remaining booths at 7pm on a Thursday night. It took a while for our server to come and greet us, so we sat around for a long time just chatting and looking at our menus. We tried:
–Thai Coconut Red Curry Popcorn ($ 5,
): Yum– you can definitely taste the red curry flavor, but it wasn’t overpowering. We all really enjoyed the popcorn, although some pieces tasted a bit stale. Recommended!
–Potato & Cheese Pierogies (Caramelized Onions, Sour Cream, Dill, $ 19,
): Definitely on the oily side, but this was a good dish, despite the lack of salt. If they had seasoned this properly, it would have been really good. The pierogies were larger than I’m used to, but the dough to filling ratio was good.
–Spaghetti Sans Meatballs ($ 21,
): We ordered this spaghetti and meatballs dish without meatballs since one of our colleagues was eating vegetarian that week, and the server didn’t confirm whether we wanted this to be strictly vegetarian. We ended up with meat in the sauce, which luckily our colleague was understanding about. However, the servers should be more cognizant of this, since who orders spaghetti without meatballs if they’re not vegetarian? And of course they charged us the full price for this dish, which was annoying.
–Chinati Braised Pot Roast (Beef Shortrib, Mashed Potatoes, Baby Vegetables, Crispy Onions, $ 31,
): Just ok– the flavors were good, but the shortrib was on the dry side. We also had better mashed potatoes the other day, but I liked the crispy onions. No one particularly enjoyed the turnips in this dish. I wouldn’t order this again.
–BDK Burger (White Cheddar, Bacon, Fried Egg, Pickles, French Fries, $ 19,
): We ordered it medium but it was totally well done, which was disappointing. The bacon and fried egg didn’t add much to the burger overall, and I thought this was way overrated. Also, the fries weren’t crispy enough– Skip!
–Sweet Corn Crème Brulee ($ 8,
): I loved this dish since it is definitely unique, but it received mixed reviews at the table. It is basically a less sweet crème brûlée with corn kernels mixed in, but still has the brulee’d sugar crust on top that everyone loves. I would highly recommend this dish.
–Chocolate Cake Served w/​Ice Cream ($ 9,
): Yuck– we didn’t like this much at all. It was a flourless cake, and the best part about it were the pretzels with peanut dust or whatever they had on it.
Our popcorn came out quickly, but it took quite a while for the rest of our dishes to arrive. The strange this is that the pierogies, spaghetti, and pot roast came out at the same time, but it took another 20 minutes for the burger and corn brulee to come out. We were basically finished with our meal and about to ask them to cancel the rest of our order when they came out. Of course, our server disappeared for most of the meal, and didn’t let us know that the food was running late. We didn’t even see her to flag her down. For the prices, I expected a higher quality of food and better service– based on this last experience, I highly doubt BDK will be open a few months from now. The restaurant competition in SF is too steep, and customers don’t want to waste time and money with mediocre service or food. Parking in this area is difficult, so you’ll likely have to try and find a garage or one of the few street parking spots.

Das BDK ist Restaurant und Bar in einem.
Man kann hier sowohl einfach nur gepflegt einen Drink an der Bar nehmen, oder auch sehr lecker speisen und das nicht im amerikanischen Stil.
Das Bar-​Personal ist sehr freundlich und unaufgeregt. Das soll heissen, das trotz Fülle, hinter dem Tresen keine Hektik ausbricht und jeder Gast zuvorkommen bedient wird.
Die Getränkeauswahl ist gut und preislich liegt auch alles im SF Rahmen.
Ein Craft Beer kostet im Schnitt 7 – 9 Dollar, die Long Drink und Cocktails liegen bei 10 – 12 Dollar.
Ich probierte mehrere lokale Craft Biere, die alle sehr gut waren. Die Zeiten in denen nur Bud, Coors und Miller verkauft werden, scheint vorbei zu sein.
Zum Essen hatte ich eine Käse-​Snack-​Auswahl mit einem bunten Allerlei, was alles gut zu einem kühlen Blonden passt.
Diverse Käse-​Sorten mit Feigensenf, Oliven, Mandel, Nüssen und vieles mehr.
Dies war zwar nichts zum Sattwerden, aber für den Appetit vollkommen ausreichend.
Bei einem anderen Besuch, probierte ich das hausgemachte Beef Jerkey. Dies war super lecker und noch leicht warm. Kein Vergleich mit den Snacks aus der Tüte.
So etwas fehlt leider in Deutschland gänzlich und ich könnte mir vorstellen, dass dies zum Bier super ankommen würde.
Von der Lage her, liegt das BDK sehr zentral und nur ein paar Blocks vom Union Square entfernt. Zu Fuss von dort in weniger als 5 Minuten zu erreichen.
Das Restaurant ist an das Hotel «The Marker» angeschlossen, kann aber auch ganz normal als Gast besucht werden, ohne im Hotel untergebracht zu sein.
Für mich ist das BDK eine wirklich entspannter Ort, den ich ganz einfach über Unilocal gefunden hatte.

Oh, where do I start. We saw this place when walking around on Saturday night, and we decided to give them our money for Brunch on Sunday.
So, we walk in, party of 3. They’re about ²⁄₃ full, bar is empty and little tables near the bar are all empty. There are 2 parties waiting ahead of us, I assume they just walked in or else they’d be seated, as the place is NOT full. We get to our turn in line for the hostess. I tell her we have 3, and since the others ahead of us were not seated immediately, I asked how long the wait was. She told me she could seat us right away. Ok, wonderful, take us to a table!
NOPE. She proceeds to ask for my last name, and starts entering information in her screen. I interrupt and say «are we being seated or getting on a list? I don’t understand why you need my name if you’re taking us to a table?» And she is very flustered, and then asks, as if conversationally, if we are guests of the hotel. We are not. I imagine the name-​taking is to track hoe many people are walk-​in or from the hotel. Whatever. Take us to a table, we’re hungry!
NOPE. After telling me she will seat us right away, she asks us to take a seat and wait and she will come get us in 5 minutes after she has «removed a place setting from our table». Really? I don’t get it. Last I checked, it does not take 5 minutes to take a fork and a napkin off a table. How about seat us and while you’re standing there, grab the napkin and fork? It’s not 5 Star fine dining, although I am sure they want to be. It’s nice, don’t get me wrong. But it’s also brunch, and it’s not formal. Get over yourself!
We sit, and Anthony came by to ask if we needed anything, which was nice as we were not at a seated table, we were just waiting for forks and napkins to be taken away since that is such a big deal and everything… and I ordered a Mimosa and my mom got a cup of coffee. Kudos to Anthony for being proactive and having great customer service.
Our hostess finally removed the offending napkins and forks from our table and takes us to it, and it was pretty funny… she actually curtsied to each of us with a funny flip of the menu when handing it to us. It was just funny. It seemed like she was under a lot of stress.
We waited a while for service, thankfully I already got that Mimosa from Anthony! Bria came over and we placed an order immediately for the Bacon Jam and Brie. She did not seem impressed with the Ham and Brie Pop Tarts that we were planning to order so we changed our order.
Not to bore you to death, so the next LOOOONNNNGGGGG amount of time went as such:
Waited at least 45 minutes for the Bacon Jam and Brie. Got a complimentary plate of croissants as an apology, which we should have refused since it ruined our appetites for the real food which took about 100 years to arrive. Wait, let me take that back… we waited almost an hour for the Bacon Jam and Brie, and then within 3 minutes we got our entrees. GREAT TIMING!
Spend less time worrying about forks and napkins, and more time on food delivery timing.
We got the BDK Burger ($ 19) which was a rip off because it was ordered Medium Rare and came Medium Well. Surely food timing problem. The patty is large. There is an over-​easy egg on it. And a few slices of raw bacon that I had to send back and have them cook it longer… I am not saying I am a picky «crispy bacon eater» I am saying it was pretty much RAW. For $ 19 you need more interesting toppings (maybe pickled onion? Fancy sauce? Cook it as ordered?) and the fries sucked, they were approx 1″ long, all of them. So it was the bottom of the barrel of fries. Like Fry Droppings.
My mom got the Feta and Spinach Scramble, but ate none of it as we pretty much ruined brunch by having it timed so badly and I think she was just over it by the time it came. And my sister got 2 Eggs Over Easy with Sausage. Meh.
Also notable, our server added my mom’s coffee to the bill, although I already paid Anthony for it… why add it to the bill if you did not serve it? And $ 4 for coffee, fyi.
And, one other thing on the FORK/​NAPKIN issue… I see the hostess bringing another party of 3 to their table… and it had 4 FORKS AND NAPKINS on it! The horror! She misses a step almost, rolls her eyes and calls out the bus boy with much exasperation «THREE!!!» it was seriously hilarious.
We found out mid-​visit that this place has been open for 3 days, which is funny as I see a few reviews from July 10 and 11? But our server told us they’d been open 3 days. I think in apology for the bad food delivery times. With the horrible wait for the food, and the under-​cooked bacon, obvious discontent at our table, you’d think they’d comp the Brie and Bacon Jam? NOPE.
I doubt any local San Franciscan would go here since they’d probably know the place is new… we did not know as we were tourists, Hope they get the kinks worked out!

Seriously becoming a weekly favorite!
The craft cocktails are absolutely amazing!
My favorites: the lychee, passion fruit, and noyaux.
Deviled eggs, asparagus salad, crab beignets, and scallops, and truffle popcorn!
The décor is amazing and the bartenders are some of the best in the city!

There’s something about going to the thea-​tuh where I couldn’t simply get a Nacho Monster Taco at Jack in the Box before the curtain rises. After all, I was seeing Sondheim. Genuflect please. A Little Night Music. Isn’t it rich? Are we a pair? Me here at last on the ground. You in mid-​air. Send in the clowns… That means a nicer dinner is in order even if I only have a $ 15 balcony seat waiting for me in an hour. I had heard promising things about BDK even though I’m still bummed that the Grand Café has gone on to greener pastures. What a shame since it was probably the most beautiful dining room in the city even though the food and service were rather iffy each time I went there (review:
).
As it turned out, BDK didn’t really take over the ornate space but the former Petit Café bar area in front. I didn’t make a reservation, so I knew I was headed for the dining space adjacent to the bustling bar. No surprise there, and no surprise with their menu really. Most of the dishes prepared by chef Heather Terhune were classic American fare but served with a bit of a twist to make them more interesting than they really are (photo:
). I kept fairly modest with my order since, well, the thea-​tuh awaits and those seats are awfully tight if you know what I mean. I decided to start with the $ 8 Deviled Eggs because that’s the first thing I swallow at picnics or potlucks.
I love ‘em, and these were upscale with the shavings of black trumpet mushrooms and a drizzle of white truffle oil. The only problem was that there were only three halves on the little plate, granted they were impeccably presented but quickly devoured for an $ 8 order (photo:
). I went for one of their more modest entrees, the $ 19 BDK Burger, which was juicy and messy even served on a tray with a high lid around it. It came encased in a soft roll with white cheddar melted over the beef and a fried egg on top. There were strips of thick, crisped bacon hidden underneath the egg.
It came with all the typical burger garnishes: lettuce, tomato, red onion and pickles. On the side was a basket of sylph-​like fries that were too greasy for my taste (photo:
). The burger was reasonably good but not among my favorite. Nope. Perhaps to alleviate my guilt over having a burger and fries, I decided to order an $ 8 side of Spicy Broccoli and Pancetta (photo:
). Finally an unabashed winner with plenty of pork parts and garlic. Despite the swelling masses entering the front door as the evening wore on, the young, attentive server got me out of BDK in plenty of time for the curtain…
Isn’t it rich?
Isn’t it queer?
Losing my timing this late in my career.
And where are the clowns?
There ought to be clowns…
Well, maybe next year
FOOD — 3 stars… pricey pub fare doesn’t quite hit it out of the park but good enough in its non-​unique way
AMBIANCE — 4 stars… nice job on the redecoration… no Grand Café but most suitable for the indiscriminate Union Square-​centered tourist
SERVICE — 4 stars… hostess was tightly wound but the young server was quite attentive
TOTAL — 3 stars… maybe with a little more work on the menu, BDK could be a TKO but right now it’s more of an SOS

Brand new place. I had a couple of beers at the bar while killing time to head off to the airport. Great service. Very good beer selection. Deviled eggs were great.
I’ll be back for a full dinner.

Review #1100 goes out to BDK.
It was Friday, April 10^th around 7pm. We were all trying to figure out where to go for dinner. Realized BDK was close by and checked OpenTable. No reservations for a party of 6. I called the restaurant and still no luck. Knowing they had a bar area, we decided to drop by around 8pm. Lucky they had a table for 6 open in the front lounge. Yay!
Cocktails:
*Lychee ($ 11): Swedish smokey tea vodka, salted pistachio, coconut-​lychee milk, lime
*Passion fruit ($ 11): highland Blanco tequila, passion fruit, habanero shrub, vanilla, lime, bitters
*Chamomile ($ 11): Irish whiskey, amaro, chamomile honey, lemon
*Smoke ($ 12)
*Macallan 15 year ($ 21)
Great inventive cocktails. I got the Chamomile. Just like the name, it was soothing. I tried the Lychee as well. Even though I don’t love coconut, it was a nice light drink. Felt like I belonged on an beach while sipping on cocktails. And of course, the macallan was a nice 2^nd drink.
Food:
*Deviled eggs ($ 7): white truffle oil, black trumpet mushrooms
*Smoked ham & brie pop tart ($ 8)
*Mini truffle butter burgers ($ 5 ea): caramelized onions, taleggio cheese
*Iceberg lettuce ($ 10): bacon croutons, tomato, blue cheese, ranch dressing
*Seared foie gras ($ 17): thyme-​funnel cake, strawberry jam
*Braised lamb poutine ($ 15): fries, feta, tzatziki sauce, pickled cucumber & red onion
*New Orleans bbq shrimp ($ 16): worcestershire-​lemon butter sauce, grilled bread
*Dungeness crab beignets ($ 13): house-​made pepper jelly
*Sweet corn crème brûlée ($ 7)
*Asparagus & crispy shallots ($ 7)
*Pickle brined fried chicken thighs ($ 22): cole slaw, mini buttermilk biscuits
Since we had a big party, I was able to try a bunch of dishes. I love salad, so I basically ate the entire dish. The blue cheese was creamy and the iceberg crisp and refreshing. I also adored the truffle burgers. Some thought it was too rich, but I thought it was perfectly cooked at a medium rare and just melted in my mouth. The asparagus was also a fav as I love veggies, especially asparagus. The seared foie was also nice since it’s been a while since I ate it.
I think this is one of my favorite new restaurants. The vibe is fun. The cocktails are great. And the food was amazing. Plus we each spent about $ 75 with tax and tip which is not bad at all considering the amount of food and drinks we got. I was a very happy girl.

03.31.15
It was the end of Q1, I just got my review, and I am itching to get out of work to celebrate.
Quick browse on Unilocal for a hot new restaurant, quick reservations on OpenTable, and here I was at 8:00 PM on Tuesday. May have been the best decision of my week.
It was clear that BDK got great buzz — even on a Tuesday the restaurant and bar was packed. We waited for our table to be set up with cocktails at the bar. Try the passion fruit — sweet, tangy, with a spicy kick at the finish. Refreshing and energizing all in one sip.
I’ve been on a foie kick since the ban was overturned. The BDK foie gras dish was excellent. Prime pieces sit on top of a funnel cake, paired with a side of strawberry jam. State fair food turned up to a thousand, please. Easily the highlight of the night. And we didn’t even get to entrees yet!
I had the fried chicken thighs (dark meat? yes, please!) and he had the steak. Wead the side of sweet corn crème brûlée. Let me repeat. Sweet corn. Crème brûlée. What a combo. My mouth waters as I type this.
Such a fantastic experience! I hope BDK sticks around as an SF staple.
Total damage for two: $ 160

4.5 STARS
On Wednesday, while at the dog park, Tater Tot peed on another dog owner. On Saturday at the same dog park, he gave the communal water bowl a golden shower not once but… three times. «MINE BEEYEETCH! «
Dirty. Stares. Galore.
Now, I know how it feels like to be a THAT [fur]parent. *le sigh*
Needless to say, after an eventful week of Tater Tot playing water sports, I was ready for some good grub and good dranks. For date night, I made reservations at BDK, the new restaurant that took over Grand Café. Reservations are highly recommended as it was packed, even before 7 pm.
In the kitchen is former Top Chef contestant, Heather Terhune, and behind the bar is a Bourbon & Branch alum. Perusing the indulgent, drool worthy menu which I would say is Southern cuisine with a refined Californian twist, we decided to order a bunch of apps and share a main so we can get a better sampling of the menu. Go in a group so you can try more things!
DO start with one of their inventive and deliciously stiff cocktails (named after their prominent flavor)! I tried the Lychee ($ 11):
and the Pear ($ 12):
. Both were great but I favored the lychee as I enjoyed the creaminess from the coconut-​lychee milk.
~ * ~ F O O D ~ * ~
*Steak Tartare w/​avocado, calabrian chili, quail egg, potato crisps ($ 13): 4.5 STARS
A great starter, the steak tartare was a triple creamy decadence (aioli, avocado, and quail egg). My only gripe was the potato crisps instantaneously broke apart when trying to scoop the tartare and there wasn’t nearly enough (just 4 crisps).
*Dungeness Crab Beignets w/​housemade pepper jelly (4 pc. — $ 13): 3.5 STARS
Although there was a good amount of the rich crab filling, the beignets could have been fried longer to get more of that lightly crisp, golden brown exterior.
*New Orleans BBQ Shrimp w/​worcestershire lemon-​butter sauce, grilled bread ($ 16): 5 STARS
Oddly, the dish I would have never order turned out to be one of my favs! The shrimps were huge and meaty but what stole the spotlight was that sauce. SO freakin’ good! It reminded me of Boiling Crab’s infamous, whole sha-​bang sauce with a hit of some bbq sauce and sans all the icky msg. Ask for extra bread to slop up all that robust deliciousness!
*Seared Foie Gras w/​thyme funnel-​cake, strawberry jam ($ 17): 4.5 STARS
Carnival meets luxurious decadence, you can’t go wrong with this menage a trios. Me being super nitpicky, I think the jam could have been tighter though.
*Chianti Braised Pot Roast: braised short ribs, mash potatoes, baby vegetables, crispy onions ($ 28): 4 STARS
Stick-​to-​your-​ribs comforting. The short ribs were fork tender and the mash was velvety smooth. I liked the crisp onions for a nice, crunchy texture contrast.
*Banana Pudding w/​crème brûlée bananas, housemade macadamia nut brittle ($ 9): 4 STARS
The richly smooth custard was the perfect sweet ending to our wonderful meal. That brittle needs to be boxed and sold because it was like candy crack!
~ * ~ S E R V I C E ~ * ~
When we arrived to a completely empty dining room, the host sat us in the bar area which I thought was odd for having reservations. I was a bit perturbed but that shortly went away when our bubbly sweet waitress, Andrea introduced herself and went through the menu with us. Considering it was their 3^rd day of opening, she was very knowledgeable of the menu and made great recommendations. Food service timely since we had early reservations.
~ * ~ A M B I A N C E /​D E C O R ~ * ~
The designers did a great job transforming the dated Grand Café to a tavern glam vibe. The place is quite large so it’s good for date night or a large group meal. Acoustics weren’t the best though as it got very boisterous by 6:30 pm. Lots of theater goers so the crowd was older.
~ * ~ P A R K I N G ~ * ~
Very difficult street parking. No valet.
Buzztastic cocktails. Awesome food. Great service. Successful date night. CHECK!
And now, here’s to another week of water sports…

A new Kevin Diedrich bar? I’m totally there. And apparently the man’s got a lot of followers since the place was packed yesterday evening.
Check out the menu:
My favorite drinks were the Matcha and the Saffron. (Normally Old Fashioneds and the like are my drink of choice so it’s saying something that I most enjoyed these two.) The Saffron was smokey from the mezcal and nicely balanced with pineapple and lime, served on the rocks. It was beautifully garnished with 2 cubes of charred pineapple and a pineapple leaf. The Matcha was also well-​balanced — served on the rocks, you tasted the matcha orgeat upfront before the slight bitterness of the grapefruit shown through. There was so much going on flavor-​wise I actually didn’t taste much of the gin. I also like how the menu gives credit to the bartenders who created the drinks if they weren’t created by Diedrich himself. The Matcha? An Adrian Wong concoction and since he was our bartender we were able to compliment him in person.
The Smoke, served up, was also excellent. True to it’s name, there was a lot of smoke in the the nose because after the cocktail is shaken and strained into the glass it is finished with a couple spritzes of Ardbeg scotch. However, because it’s made with Japanese whiskey it was actually light and crisp on your palate. You therefore taste the smoke initially and then it finishes with the coconut. The lemon was subtle, to my delight (I am not a fan of citrus).
The Cinnamon was just okay, not as bold in the cinnamon/​allspice as I was hoping, though I did like the cinnamon stick «cigar» garnish. I definitely tasted the pommeau so it was like a lighter fruitier take on an Old Fashioned. I guess this was probably intentional for a spring menu.
The Allspice was also solid but again not as allspicey as I was hoping. You get a lot of herbal flavor from the benedictine and it’s pretty boozy, it’s just similar to other drinks I’ve had. I’m not going to critique the Banana because I do not like banana and am therefore biased, but you definitely get banana upfront and then you taste a lot more of the sherry. I mostly want to comment on the presentation of these drinks. It’s in a small martini glass, then on the side, you get the rest of the drink in a baby carafe chilled in a glass of ice! The girly girl side of me could not get over how adorable the presentation was!
In summary, it seems a lot of the drinks on this spring menu can be appreciated both by cocktail afficionados looking for new flavor profiles as well as amateurs who just want something tasty. In terms of price, $ 11 – 12 for a cocktail is very reasonable considering it is inside a hotel, though I think they do tack on healthy SF but not tax. In terms of service, well, it took us a while to get our second round of drinks because the bar was so slammed, so our bartender comped that round of drinks! It was actually incredibly kind of him, considering they were so busy on day 2 of opening and it takes time to make craft cocktails to order. So A+ for service too.
First impression: 4.5 stars. I look forward to returning to try the rest of the menu!