Moussy’s

oOoH interestingly located underground… small, dim and cozy. Came here for dinner yesterday 6/14/11…and we both had the $ 34 prix fixe menu and selected the dishes opposite of each other so we can taste both selections. haha this included:
Appetizers:
D’Anjou Pear and Field Greens, Candied Walnuts, Blue cheese with a Honey-​Banyuls Vinaigrette dressing — OMG this salad is amazing! the combination is unbelievably good… I wanted more after finishing it. lol

Artisanal Cheese Plate that included American white cheese, Brie, and Sheep’s Milk Cheese, Black Figs and Fennel Pollen Honey, Baguette — This appetizer was okay… not too fond of the sheep’s milk cheese. because it was very strong… but the brie and american white cheese was good.
Entrees:
Vegetarian Risotto, Asparagus and Crispy Artichokes, Lemon Butter and Parmesan — I was a bit disappointed with this dish… I really like risotto but this was pretty tasteless and was mostly plain.
Grilled Hanger Steak, Wild Mushrooms, Baby Spinach, Buttered Cépe Jus — was not super wowed by this dish… bf liked it but some parts of the steak was a bit tough to chew… and it was medium rare. Flavor was alright.
Dessert:
Vanilla Panna Cotta sprinkled with Wallflower-​Honeyed graham crumbs and paired with caramelized banana slices — oOoH loved the Vanilla Panna Cotta –went great with honeyed graham crumbs… wasn’t too fond of the banana slices… simply because it was a bit overcooked when they caramelized the sugar on top.
Overall the food was so-​so, the ambiance could have been more romantic if the tables weren’t situated so close together because I could hear everything the couples talking on the right and left of us.
The service was great but the food came out pretty slow since it was only one cook… and you can see him cooking behind the bar. Yep… the grill/​kitchen is located behind the bar so you can see the chef cooking.
This is a pretty small place… so reservations would be a good idea… they did get a little busy after we arrived. The bill came out to be around 70 bucks plus tip.

The menu here is tiny! I had high hopes from stellar reviews on Unilocal and positive feedback from friends. Dine About Town’s menu here didn’t really appeal to me, so we ordered off the menu and shared several things.
Fries — too well done, extra crispy and not in a good way.
Pork Shoulder — Came out looking like meat loaf, tasted like pâté, bleh.
Burger — the saving grace to the entire meal. It was very very delicious, but I can’t fairly give anything more than 3 stars for that.
I would recommend trying Moussy’s at least once — there was no line on a Friday so you might be able to just walk in and they have a cute friendly French vibe.

Moussy’s is kind of nestled away, where you have to enter through the gates for the Francais Institute, then go down some stairs, and down some more stairs, where you’re basically underground (it made me wonder if I was in a bomb shelter). The ambiance was really nice, and the music was even better. I completely love the playlist that they had (phoenix, adele, broken bells, miike snow, etc).
Specifically came here for DAT and it was a great experience. They definitely do not rush you through the courses, and the chef pays attention as to where you are in your first course before preparing out the second course. Although, I did order the Cripsy Braised Pork, and they forgot about me :(All is forgiven because the staff was really nice, they comped that entrée, and i was simply in a good mood.
The cheese plate — tres delicieux! Three different cheeses; a cheddar, a goat cheese, and one more soft cheese that had good flavor. Served with pollen honey, raw almonds and fresh baguette.
Pomme frites — absolutely the best pomme frites I’ve ever had. They were thick, well flavored, and had this nice crust to it! I would return just for the pomme frites.
Grilled Hangar Steak — cooked perfectly (medium rare), nice charring, nice flavors, and went well with the arugula and mushroom sauce.
Crispy Braised Pork — never had anything like it, I thought it was going to be pork belly, it wasn’t but it was great!
Flavors were great, service amazing (despite forgetting my dish), and music was fantastic. A definite repeater!

I had the best birthday party ever here last month! My guests raved about the appetizers: pommes frites, grilled burger sliders, steak skewers with salsa verde, vegetarian risotto with crispy artichoke, warm brie on baguette, gruyère grilled cheese sliders, and pork rillettes on toasted baguette. The wine, champagne, and beer selection is topnotch and was flowing nonstop during my party. I love the space, which is well suited for an intimate party or a romantic dinner. The owner, chef, and waitress, Kelly, are very accommodating and attentive, making your experience there even more special. Overall, Moussy’s is a hidden gem that when found, sparkles like a star in the sky.

Foie Gras Burger. Need I say more? This cute little underground bistro is perfectly romantical and intimate. Just the right amount of candlelight and warm décor. There’s also a small bar area where you can watch the all that cooking magic.
I recently stopped by for brunch with a small group of friends. I had tried dinner before, but never tried their brunch items. We had the Crispy Pomme Frites, Parsley & Lemon Butter, Spicy Aioli to start. They were perfectly crispy and potatoey. Loved the aioli. We decided to order entrees to share, since everything looked so amazing. We had the Carnitas Benedict — Braised Pork, Avocado and Pimentón Hollandaise, Poached Crab and Wild Arugula Omelette, Lemon Butter, the Smoked Salmon Benedict, and the Cinnamon Battered French Toast, Caramelized Bananas, Maple-​Pecan Beurre Noisette.
Everything was excellent. the english muffins were pressed and buttered, the carnitas was perfectly flavored. I had to save the crab omelette for last. Delicious!
The french toast was the perfect dessert to our brunch.
I’ve also had the pleasure of trying their homemade vanilla ice cream with olive oil. I was wary but after hearing such great things about it, I had to give it a go. Magic. Who knew that olive oil and ice cream would go so well together.
I’ll be back again. although I think they did take the foie gras burger off the menu.

I typically never write bad reviews but this was NOT good. Came here for dinner and was thoroughly disappointed. Ick. I guess I should have read the reviews first before coming. All the reviews all rave about the brunch, not dinner.
We had the following:
Wine — disgusting. we couldn’t drink it.
Ahi tuna steak — it didn’t taste fresh and the flavors were just off. I couldn’t even eat half of one slice.
Hanger steak — cooked almost completely raw even though we ordered medium well.
French fries — that was good. But it’s hard to mess up anything fried.
Left here unsatisfied and grumpy. Will never come back here for dinner again.

Love, love hidden little spots like Moussy’s: the kind of restaurant that you probably wouldn’t notice even if walking right past. I’d heard about this place (thanks Unilocal!) months ago, but it wasn’t until recently that my roommate and I decided to head down the hill to check it out.
Really cute and cozy space, just as I’d hoped for. Unfortunately we missed happy hour, but the discounted appetizers and wine sound like a really good deal.
But…that’s where the excitement ended. Service was disappointingly slow and indifferent– 30 minutes for a cheese plate to arrive… odd since nothing actually needed to be cooked? That said, once they finally arrived, we did like the cheese plate and really enjoyed our burgers topped with gruyère.
Would I come back again? Honestly the lack of attention was more than a little irritating, and that coined with food that was good but could easily be found elsewhere (aka Gamine on Union)…I’d say likely not.

We had dinner here a few weeks ago, and while i liked it, I wasn’t as impressed as I expected to be, (given the overall rating.)
We made a reservation via opentable, but it wasn’t needed. There were only a few other tables seated on the evening we were there.
We did find rockstar parking, which surprised and pleased me. I’m not sure what the parking is like on the weekends.
The space is very small, both the seating area and the kitchen are tiny. I always enjoy an open kitchen, and the restaurant had a quaint cozy feel to it.
Our server was prompt and pleasant, and everything we had was good. The prices here are VERY reasonable, this is definitely a neighborhood gem, and if i lived nearby, i would come back.
We shared some of the best frites I’ve had, and i had a perfectly cooked piece of fish. It was a light dish, and lovely in it’s simplicity.
This is not a destination restaurant, but the overall experience made for a very nice night.

I feel like it’s either hit or miss at Moussy’s, which is well reflected in their Unilocal history.
Made a reservation for four on a Saturday night (totally unnecessary!) and upon entering this dark underground cave of a place, was somewhat ignored by the staff until we approached someone. After that, we were pretty good to go — we were promptly seated and ordered the pomme frites and fire roasted oysters as appetizers. Between the four of us, we ordered the vegetarian risotto (mine!), the braised pork, the grilled hanger steak, and the chef’s 3-​course tasting menu.
The pomme frites (fries, for those who don’t know!) were served fresh with a delicate parsley butter and pimenton aioli, with a side of a lightly spiced cheese dip. It would have been amazing with a cold beer. ($ 6)
The fire roasted skookum oysters had the most amazing garlic breadcrumbs on top — SO GOOD! ($ 9)
My dish, the vegetarian risotto, was deliciously made with lemon butter, manchego cheese, and crispy (or rather, burnt) artichokes on top. The burnt factor may or may not work with everyone, but for me, the charred bits were yum! ($ 15)
After sampling my friend’s dishes, I found both dishes to be satisfactory, but the steak to be a bit on the fatty side.
For dessert, we ordered one nutella panna cotta to share, but our waitress gave us another one on the house. :) Blackberries, crumbled pistachios, and olive oil… A bit of a miss, but good try.
I’ll be back for their selection of white wines and Houblon Chouffe!

I really cannot say enough good things about Moussy’s… it’s friendly servers, awesome chef and laidback atmosphere is probably one of the things I miss most about SF and just writing this review is making me miss San Francisco =(
We came in on a Saturday morning/​noon (11:30 am) for a reunion brunch of four girls and Moussy’s was absolutely perfect for the occasion. My friend from SF picked Moussy’s because she knew they have good brunch food without the huge brunch crowd and as a result, we got to sit in the lounge area which paired perfectly with sipping on mimosas!
My friend and I arrived first and the server was very nice and attentive. Even better, the chef offered us free fries with… AMAZING sauce (seriously, I’m starting to cry just thinking about it) for us to munch on while we waited for our friends.
Our party of four ordered:
–Mushroom, spinach & goat cheese omelette
–Croque Madame
–French Toast
–Veggie Benedict
Let me tell you, we finished everything just short of licking our plates clean. I was originally going to share the croque madame with my friend but got so infatuated with my omelet that I absolutely forgot I ever wanted anything else. The egg was so thin and the texture was perfect — I know because I watched the chef working on it behind the counter! The mushrooms and spinach… omg. I need to stop talking about it… people in the room are starting to wonder why I’m simultaneously drooling and crying…
Overall, Moussy’s has delicious food, great service and a very positive atmosphere. Just make sure you don’t walk in the wrong door (go DOWN the stairs!) and I’m pretty sure you’ll be heading in for a great time!

A seriously good brunch spot was in order.
A seriously good gabfest was called for.
Both my bestie and Moussy’s delivered.
This cute restaurant is located below street level in the Nob Hill area. The bright lighting, warm colors, small lounge area and bar seating makes it an inviting place for either a long meal or happy hour.
It wasn’t a busy Sunday since everyone was celebrating at the Pride Parade, so Gill and I got a lot of party planning done. Our server got our drinks right away and put our order in.
My whole wheat pancakes with caramelized walnuts and sliced bananas was served hot off the griddle. It was bathing in maple syrup and brown butter. Each slice was wonderful! soft pancakes, crunchy walnuts and sweet bananas — let’s just put it this way: if you can pretend that airplanes in the night sky were shooting stars, this would be THE carb overload you’d wish for. (hey, you have that song stuck in your head too?)
Gill had the Croque Madame which had thick slices of brioche, country ham, sunnyside egg and Raclette cheese (instead of the usual Gruyère) Moussy’s makes this even more elaborate and delicious by dousing it in a Thyme bechamel sauce. A French Classic that you’d wanna sink your teeth into.
Service was nice and leisurely, although I found it funny that our server kept switching our orders. He gave me her coffee and her my iced tea. Same with our food but we’d just switch back. Maybe he needed coffee?
I recommend Moussy’s for brunch even if parking is a bit tough around the area. But no worries, there is a garage on the corner of Bush and Polk sts. Now, you don’t have an excuse not to go.

In the basement below the Alliance Francaise, you’ll find this hidden diamond in the rough; reminiscent of a speakeasy. Or, maybe you won’t find it because it’s easy to pass it by if you didn’t know about it, or look out for it.
I went to this dimly lit and romantic place, with a young lad, during Happy Hour. The service is great. I can’t speak of the food, because we shared only a small plate of warm brie tartine, with shaved apple (I thought it was pear) and a walnut vinaigrette. Chunks of walnuts, a slightly acidic dressing on a bed of mixed greens. Melted brie on small croutons. But, when they say small plate, they mean small plate.
Happy hour was awfully quiet in this place for a Friday night, which made it a great spot to be in.
I also had a Valentin «V» Malbec ’09 — Argentina. And it was sold by the bottle for $ 20. Since I had seen this bottle for sale for only $ 10, their overhead isn’t too high. In fact, it’s a happy hour steal.
I’d like to visit here again, hopefully with the same lad I was with last night.

I do not want to share this place with anyone else. Otherwise, I’ll have to fight for a seat for happy hour. No sir-​ee. This place totally blows. Don’t go! Please!
Tucked away on Bush Street, this place was an awesome choice for a HH w/​girlfriends. We arrived and grabbed a seat in the «lounge area». Super chill, romantic, and intimate place. It had a great vibe.
The Happy Hour menu was great. We enjoyed $ 5 cocktails, $ 18/​bottle of sangria, and small plates of appies for $ 5. We enjoyed the warm baked brie, the cheese plate, the pork shoulder and the Frites with the garlic aioli. Everything tasted great. Our waiter was awesome and so helpful. He checked in on us numerous times and gave us great suggestions.
Group of girlfriends, cocktails, appies and mini cupcakes (courtesy of Mission Minis) made our night!

(See pics)
More of 3.5 stars.
I have a thing for underground places– feeling of an intimate, secretive, neat and warm atmosphere. Came here for brunch.
Unfortunately they were out of dungeon crab omelette so I opted for hanger steak. The egg was overdone but I saw someone else’s that was done a bit better. Also overheard that the chef was kinda new.
Steak was good and fries were pretty good but the spicy aioli sauce was really, really good. Coffee was a bit watery.
This is a fantastic venue. Bottles of wine hanging in the rack above as well as serving like a divider wall. Sofas on the other side are cozy. Bar seating faces bottles of wine sitting quietly there, waiting to be taken in. The venue is on the smaller side but can assemble together for a larger party. The place itself is just of impeccable ambiance.
And it was playing Radiohead and old songs like Slave to Love. Perfect.
Giving the hynoptic atmosphere and space I will definitely come back for drinks too.

I looooove Moussy’s so much. Heading there soon for brunch with some out of town Unilocal friends from Seattle. I feel like I haven’t seen Jean Luc and Guy in ages. I can’t wait to have my birthday brunch here in October!
Must tries:
Burger
Croque Madame
Frites with the garlic aioli. Go easy on the aioli…
Monte Cristo Sando
Bottomless mimosas

Heaven is a morning of bottomless mimosas followed by a day in bed watching reruns of Snapped and eating chocolate in the dark. With a handful of my closest friends. Yes, I am being serious. No, you may not join us.
Moussy’s is an ok place for brunch and bottomless mimosas, but at $ 15 a pop, we were left needing a lot more mimosa than they were ready to hand over. Being purveyors of the bottomless mimosa, my crew and I are a little too used to the under-​$ 10 selection around the city. I won’t name names, but there are a lot of places to get cheaper mimosas. Moussy’s is close to our friends’ houses, though, and since my friends drink too much for their own damn good, we were left with little choice.
Never fear! Moussy’s has a small, solid selection of brunch food on weekend mornings. This selection becomes fabulous if you’re not on a diet. I am :(I had the veggie omelette but requested only egg whites. I also asked for greens on the side. They informed Heidi and I that we could not have greens because they ran out. Imagine my surprise (and irritation) when our friends all got big piles of leafy greens! Ummm… you couldn’t have just redistributed? My omelette was ok. Everyone else’s food looked fantastic and next time I go, I will check my will power at the door and go with a burger, a croque madame, or a chicken salad.
I’m still giving them 4 stars for gracious service, homey atmosphere, and for being able to accomodate a party of 8 at a moment’s notice. Also, I know we’ll be back. And next time I’ll come armed with knowledge and an extra $ 20.

I feel conflicted about writing this review since Moussy’s is my fave hidden gem in the city, but out of fairness I have to say, it is the perfect spot for special occasions or everyday get-​togethers. I had my birthday here and the food, wine, service, and ambiance came together flawlessly for a wonderful, very fun, very memorable, and very delicious evening.
Jean-​Luc was the manager at Amelie for the last couple years and has brought all the great service and knowledge to Moussy’s, plus a gourmet French menu at very reasonable prices (the kobe-​foie gras burgers are a must). He and his staff are friendly, charming, and very knowledgeable about all things food and wine. As an aside, my first time here was on a date and it is the best atmosphere for a cozy, romantic dinner. I have heard they also do movie nights and have excellent brunch, and am looking forward to checking those out too!

A secret I don’t really want to share, but I want very much for them to do well… Jean-​luc and company have created such an intimate space where you can have a few drinks and pretty much peek over and see what the chef is whipping up. It can be the venue for quite the romantic meal!
A delicious brunch menu, including the delectable Kobe beef + foie gras burger [very reasonably priced too!], a perfectly spiced Monte Cristo [jalapeño spread = mmm!], and yummy quiche! Absolutely fantastic homemade vanilla bean ice cream that even the boyfriend was impressed with. He’s convinced that the best vanilla bean ice cream he’s ever had was in Philly, but Moussy’s may be a contender!
Excellent happy hour specials and a Sunday movie, which I am very much looking forward to checking out.
Shhh, don’t pass it along!

I almost forgot to write a review on Moussy’s, but thanks to Keane L., I remembered :)
A bunch of friends came here for brunch on Sunday, and we dined in an adorable French underground basement. Bottomless complimentary mimosas and sangria, and fantastic brunch — eggs benedict always gets me. Delicious truffle chips with two types of aioli dipping sauces, and French movies on Sunday evenings. Friendly servers, and European-​style ambiance. Swell.

Underground French bistro, literally! Very hard to find if you don’t know about it from friends or Unilocal.Down a flight of stairs near the entrance of Alliance Française into a very small venue with a few tables, a bar and small lounge area. Only serves beer and wine with extremely bargain priced Happy Hour specials ($ 20 bottles of wine)! So small that it is homey and you get to interact with the workers and owner a lot. Very good value for the inexpensive price point. Has room for improvement, but I am worried that improvements will bring larger crowds and higher prices… great for the owner, but bad for me!!! The four stars are being attributed to the burger, potato chips and awesome underground bistro atmosphere!
Potato Chips: House-​made potato chips with white truffle oil, yes please! First of all, fresh potato chips are always a great treat because they are thin and crispy like regular potato chips, but have a very thin layer of softness inside. Truffle on anything tastes awesome. I do wish there was some salt though. Perhaps some freshly ground coarse sea salt on the side to allow you to taste to your liking.
Kobe Beef Burger: The must-​have of the menu! So apparently they sear the burger in foie gras for a yummy, fatty caramelized goodness outer layer. The brie is a high fat cheese so makes a great conduit for complex flavors from the beef and foie gras. The bun is so fluffy and brioche-​like. This burger is inexpensive, but definitely the star of the menu! The fries are naturally cut, with skin included, and not overly cooked so there is some firm texture. Could have used some herbs or spices on the fries though…
Steak Tartare: Bonus points for the innovation of placing a fried egg with runny center on top instead of the traditional raw egg. More points for cutting the beef by hand and using grainy mustard. Loses some points because the fried egg doesn’t have enough runny parts to moisten the tartare to expected levels. Minus some more points for lacking the traditional capers, cornichons and onions. Has a lot of potential and the owner said he is re-​imagining the preparation.
French Onion Soup: Amazing stock base! Very savory with bits of caramelized onions. Lacks on the cheese though as the only cheese is on lightly toasted bread wedges you add yourself. Maybe I’m a glutton for cholesterol, but I prefer the traditional preparation with a layer of semi-​burnt cheese on top.
Frog Legs: Needs serious work! The legs taste steamed or boiled making the texture very tough. They are served in a tomato base broth; the lack of butter is just not appropriate for frog legs. Frog legs are like lobster: a delicate meat that is lost without butter! I learned that this dish is going to get reworked, so I’d highly recommend avoiding it until the butter is back.
Roast Peach: Loved the honey custard in the center of the peach pit hole. It was more like a honey-​flavored liquid cream than custard, but still an awesome taste treat of the time revered «milk & honey» pairing. The peach itself could use some more roasting time and/​or stand to be riper. It was firm and warm while I would have preferred very soft and warm.

I came here with my sister, Mary, who told me Moussy’s is a ‘must devour’. And that we did.
Lemme tell you, I was in San Francisco for only three days and out of those three days, I ate at Moussy’s twice. It’s that good. The first time, we got the olive plate, the truffle chips, eggs benedict and crepes with goat cheese and strawberry sauce. My mouth couldn’t even contain the amazing mixture of food that went on that hour while I sat their enjoying every bite.
Unfortunately, they had run out of ice cream, seeing as how my sister had eaten all of it the day before, so Jean told us to stop by the next day, promising us that it would be available. They make their ice cream fresh, sprinkle salt and drizzle some olive oil on it. the strangest and most delicious combination. Period. The garlic fries were delicious, pretty much, you can’t go wrong with this place