A Chicken, An Egg, and A Cab Franc at Roostertail

It was predetermined. Last night we were craving roast chicken and at the same time thinking of nothing else to imbibe but Cabernet Franc. Okay, we've made up dinner in our minds but where to go was the only thing to be figured out.

The answer popped in my head, placed there by the chicken gods, I presume. Roostertail in the Pac Heights. I've never been but it seemed right, particularly on this warm July night. There are not many nights one can go out in San Francisco in a t-shirt, last night was one of them.

Almost as soon as we sat down I ordered a plate of their chicken wings. As far as I can recall this is the greatest order of chicken wings I've ever had. I don't know what they put in it. There was a taste of olive oil and fresh coriander, so these aren't the Buffalo kind. It's not sweet or spicy or sticky as most plates of chickens wings are. It's different and it's good.

Where there is chicken there must be eggs. Having devilled eggs on the menu is brilliant for a chicken joint. An old-fashioned treat that's finding its way back on a few restaurant menus for the past several years. I find devilled eggs addicting.

The cob-shaped cornbread here is the real thing, served with soft butter on the side. Unlike typical cornbreads that are sweet and dense and muffin-like, this is crumbly and doesn't taste sweet at all.

The whole roast chicken comes out conveniently quartered. Mary's Chicken of Pittman Family Farms in the San Joaquin Valley, CA is the source. Tasty, though not the best-tasting chicken I've had. That distinction still belongs to Field to Family in Petaluma, CA.

But the salad was killer. A kind of modified cobb salad, without the dressing, and pitted black olives tossed in. This was simple and genius.

There are only three dessert options but I zeroed in right away on the chocolate chip bunt cake, an old-fashioned coffee cake, moist and really tasking like chocolate chip.

Every dish we ordered was demolished. And the new Loire Cabernet Franc I brought, the 2009 Domaie de la Paleine Saumur Puy-Notre-Dame helped everything go down deliciously. This is from the newest appellation in the Loire, the AOC was just granted in October 2009. La Paleine's new release is wonderful. A great summer red. Next time you're having roast chicken or pulled pork sandwich on a picnic, bring this gorgeous wine.

Saumur Puy-Notre-Dame, Domaine de la Paleine 2009 $21.00 (click to buy!)



Roostertail
1963 Sutter Street
San Francisco, CA