Then there were variations on the theme of anchovy toast, because we love a toast here in San Francisco. When I first visited last summer, those anchovies were served curled up, with a cucumber yogurt that stepped back to let the fish’s flavors shine. But overall, the bulk of our local anchovy catch has historically gone into what's called "the reduction market" - that is to say, the fish are pulverized and turned into feed for other animals. The fillets are then brined with lime and jalapeños, a mixture reminiscent of southern Vietnam’s iconic nước chấm. During our local anchovy season, which runs roughly from April to October of each year, the restaurant brings in the fresh catch, devoting hours of labor to cleaning each anchovy.
That, and there’s only so much space to write! But I really think Anchovy Bar, as it is now, has really got “it.”Ī whole section of the menu is devoted to the fish. People ask me all the time how I decide to write about a restaurant, and one thing I say is that I pass on a lot of really good places that, for reasons both experiential and ineffable, feel like they need some more time in the oven to go from good to exceptional. I’d walk away after a meal impressed with the mission, but not necessarily dreaming about my next meal there. While Anchovy Bar immediately made it onto Best New Restaurants lists in multiple national publications, I have to admit that I wasn't wowed at first. That’s why I think Anchovy Bar, an almost two-year-old restaurant in the Fillmore District from the same team behind State Bird Provisions, is so fun and, at times, provocative. (Of course, iriko dashi, tapenade and pasta puttanesca will always be there for us, trendy or not.)īut it feels like such a treat to enjoy anchovies as they are: as individuals that are very recognizable as fish.
YOUR CHRONICLE ANCHOVY SANDWICH PROFESSIONAL
In the past decade, a new generation of American professional recipe writers and cooks have embraced salted anchovy fillets as a powerful seasoning for pastas and marinades, praising the fish for its ability to "melt" into bigger dishes. In this, the anchovy was just one of the small parts that made up an incredible sum, and that was how I knew the fish. It was the first food I had that could take you by the shoulders and shake you, scrambling your senses with its concentrated ocean essence, derived from the painstaking process of salting and pressing countless little fish in barrels. Courtesy Anchovy Barįor a very long time, the only way I ever experienced anchovies was in Vietnamese fish sauce, which my family would complement with squeezes of fresh lime and raw chopped garlic. Facebook Twitter Email Lime-pickled anchovies with a Balinese-inspired sambal at Anchovy Bar in San Francisco, Calif.