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Categories: American (New), Wine Bars
Neighborhoods: Civic Center/Tenderloin, Union SquareMon-Wed. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
"so third time. food ruled. staff excellent. music sweet. love it! went on a weds night, sat at the bar while my bf and friend did their…" read more »
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Fine. Nothing great, nothing bad, just fine.
This place is adorable though and I really like the idea, but the food itself was mediocre and the service ok.
I went with a friend because we were in the Union Square area. I literally walk by this place everyday, so I was very eager to try it out. We both got the tomato and mozzarella appetizer and split the truffle fries. The mozzarella was okay and the tomatoes weren't that fresh. Kind of a turn off. However, the balsamic sauce they served with it was amazing! I could have that all the time. The truffle fries were also pretty good, but so much garlic. Sadly, I had to go back to work after my meal so I was a bit concerned about my breath.
Cute for Union Square, but there are other places I would like to try before trying First Crush again.
I brought my girlfriend here for our sixth month anniversary, so it was a special occasion. It would only fit to have a special meal, and I have to say that it was one of the best complete meals I've ever eaten.
Wine:
I'm not someone who goes out of his way to drink wine. But the wine list there is absolutely special.
We had a wonderful Gewurtztraminer, Alborino, PInot Noir, a nice rose...they were all fantastic with the meal.
Meals:
For appetizers, we had the grilled asparagus with serrano ham - the char on the asparagus was perfect, and the ricotta cheese was so light and fluffy that it stood out against the serrano ham. Each component of the dish worked well with the other.
We also had the roasted calamari (with wonderful beans and light chorizo flavor). The calamari was cooked well, and the beans were a wonderful surprise. I never order scallops because I never like them. But these were wonderful - seasoned beautifully and cooked in an appropriate amount of delicious butter.
For dinner, she had the ribeye, which was nice. I had the half chicken with rice and broccoli, which was wonderful. It matched well with the Gewurtz. We also had a side of the carrots, which were wonderfully seasoned - a savory and lightly sweet complement to the the chicken.
For dessert, we had the special, a pear crisp topped with a vanilla bean gelato. Not only was the texture of the gelato wonderful, but it could stand alone as one of the best cold desserts i've ever had. To pair the gelato with the warm, fall-perfect pear crisp was sublime. The crisp was sweet but not too sweet - the cinnamon was clear, and the pears were flavorful and cooked to a T. Exquisite.
We also had a brownie dish, which tantalized with it's cooked tart cherries, the brownie (that had a little savory effect to it), and the chocolate gelato completed the balance.
We ALSO had the bread pudding. It was very light and reminded me of Christmas.
Service:
The service was outstanding. Quick, friendly, and . Bruno, the general manager, was most warm and welcoming, and made our night an absolute delight.
Atmosphere:
The atmosphere was wonderful. It wasn't too quiet, wasn't too loud. Although it was clear that hotel guests for a local convention were eating next to us, there was a positive, robust attitude about everyone. Everyone was partaking in "eat, drink and be merry" game that First Crush plays, and it shined.
There is no doubt that we will come here again.
We found this cute 2 story restaurant completely yummy and charming. We shared the Beet Salad, which was the best beets I've ever had, and the Kobe Burger with Avocado. With fried smoked Mozzarella this burger is the best we've had in Northern California.
There was a generous wine by the glass selection, not cheap, but definitely a unique selection.
Try their bread and sweet butter too... worth the extra calories :-)
Excellent steak. Make sure you order it bloody.
Very nice atmosphere.
if you are serious about wine, this is a wonderful place to enjoy flights in food that accompanies nicely. If you simply want a good meal this place is also good but something is lost if you do not love wine. In the latter category, it might only seem a 3.5 star or four-star restaurant.
They have frequently changing, imaginatively conceived flights of wines which are quite enjoyable.
They also have one of the best gourmet bargains in town: a Kobe beef burger for around $11. It is genuinely wonderful.
So I had to come back and do a re-review of this place because I came here a second time for a dinner party and had a great time (although it was a little pricey). Ordered:
Crab cakes
Scallops
Oyster Rockefeller
Beet salad
Those are extremely great choices for appetizers because they all taste delicious and the flavor is right on. The presentation is also there and they come out pretty fast ... Not exactly easy to share but we made do.
Ordered:
Pistachio crusted halibut
Ribeye - medium rare
For the dinner portion, the halibut was delicious, and the ribeye was equally good (although I ordered medium rare and got more like ... medium?) ... this is the most expensive menu item (at $29!) so honestly this place isn't pricey depending on what you order.
The service is good, though a little scatter brained when it comes to certain notes about reservations, but has a great wine selection and bar area.
People thought this was:
Was here for a dinner party, the food was so so but the atmosphere was nice. IMO overpriced because… Read more »
I sat at the bar which was cozy and comfortable. A friend and I split the cheese course and we each had a flight of wine. The cheese plate was gorgeous - small mounds of different treats to accompany the cheeses. The cheeses themselves were yummy - the portions were small, but honestly, the cheeses were so rich I wouldn't have been able to eat more. The wine flights were generous pours, and the prices reasonable. The service was attentive without being over the top, and the space itself is surprisingly warm and welcoming despite its rather odd shape and location. I will definitely come back here and will try different flights of wine. The wine list was incredibly varied and very, very imaginative. Someone thought a lot about it, and it shows. All in all, a really nice evening.
I want to say the prices you pay here is due to location, and it does not represent the quality or taste of the food at all.. I came here for a friend's bday party. I ordered the Ribs, which was very tender and I chewed the meat off the bone w/ ease. I hoped they marinated the ribs with more flavor, the sauce was lackluster.
They brought out a mush bush at the start of the meal (as my foodie friend Lisa pointed out, a mush bush is a small sample of the chef's creation)... it was sliced cantaloupe, and honey dew melon with bacon... let's just say it was interesting.
I think I enjoyed the cocktail the most though.
Our server, the red head, was awesome. She made sure our table of 10 got our dishes roughly at the same time... and always made sure nothing was forgotten. Her co-horts however were sloppy servers though... really? placing a dish on the edge of the table when it tilts onto the next table over... reallly unprofessional.
I wish I could give this place 4 stars, but the food wasn't working for me and the noise level was so loud. I ordered the Crush Salad ($9 - http://www.yelp.com/bi...) and Crabcakes ($13 - http://www.yelp.com/bi...). Both were good but I wasn't exactly satisfied after. Probably because it seemed a little overpriced for what I had. The place is nice though and great if you want to do some wine tasting. Their flight menu looks pretty good.
I would have to try this place again and tackle their large plate entrees to see if I can give it another star. It was just OK.
Came again and had another great dining experience. This time we sat downstairs, pretty dark and romantic :) We were reseated twice, kind of annoying, but they gave us free dessert and apologized. The service is very good, our server made lots of recommendations and I was happy with everything we ordered. I forget the name of my drink, but it had champagne and rasberry syrup - delicious!
Pros: atmosphere, great drink menu and great service!
Great, FRESH food! I loved the tomatoes (i've never had such wonderful tomatoes) appetizer and the… Read more »
Atmosphere - cute/dim lighting/wine bar-esque
Food - ick! The menu looks good but the food isn't the best. There were a few things that were tasty
Truffle Fries - very good!
Lobster Mac and Cheese - bland
Tomato/Mozzerella Salad - weird flavors!
Scallops - tender but odd spices!
Plus - the location is very close to Union Square
Negative - food is weird tasting
This place has a great Kobe burger for a very reasonable price. It's known for its wine selection but they also serve refreshing lemon drops.
The restaurant was able to accommodate a big group like one with my friends. There were nine of us. Great ambiance and centrally located.
I took my boyfriend here for his 21st birthday. It was a perfect place to go for a romantic dinner. We each got "flights of wine" which consisted of 3 taster wines. These were very satisfying and went well with each of our entrees. The food was amazing and the ambiance was even better... Great place for "first crushes". Will go back again!!
I went to First Crush on a date and it was a cool place overall. Very cozy (we were stuck way back in a corner and quite close to the couple eating in the table next to us) but the food was tasty and the staff were all very friendly. I would highly suggest getting a reservation and don't go if you're not a fan of tight spaces, but I would go back.
2.75 stars, rounded up.
This place in a nutshell, aite here we goes:
FTW:
+ Tasty appetizers. Maine lobster Mac 'n Cheese = BOMBIN'!
+ Nice servers
+ Dessert (bread pudding) was alright: 3/5
+ Extensive wine list; can't comment on the wine itself because we didn't get any this time, but it seems like they do a good job here with the wines/flights
FTL:
- Loud screaming kids with loud families
- Tourist central, thanks to its location
- Entrees = TASTE BAD = DO NOT LIKE. We got the halibut and the salmon = BLAND, OVERCOOKED, UPSETTING!
- Slowass service
Our server, at one point, asked us if our entrees were good and how we were enjoying it. I don't like lying but I also wasn't comfortable with telling her that our dishes were bad, so I said that it was "interesting." Then my foodmate was like, "Um, interesting means 'bad' when it comes to food."
Dammit.
Servers always ask us these questions in a leading way, in a way that would prompt a positive response, aka:
"Are you enjoying your meal?"
"How is your food?"
"How do you like your meal?"
And I'm always trying to think of honest ways to answer them that isn't straightup "this is bad," you know?
My sister later suggested that I say, "This is unlike anything I've ever tasted before" which I thought was funny, truthful, and a good way around the question.
If you have any other suggestions for me, please let me know!
So yes, basically, this is one of those restaurants where, when asked by your server how good the meal was, you want to say "this is pretty bad" but instead you try to find ways to be honest and critical without being insulting.
Final tip: If you go, it seems like it would be a good idea for you to just get some wine, order some apps to share (like the amazing Mac 'N Cheese), and maybe get the cheese plate.
Good luck, I hope your experience is better than mine.
People thought this was:
The restaurant has quite a romantic setting because of the ultra dim lighting. It's a little small though. I went with a friend, and came here because the prices were decent and it was on the way to the Caltrain station. We weren't thatttt hungry, so we ordered an appetizer, shared an entree, and a dessert. The cocktail wine was good and my friend's blue drink was good-don't remember what it's called.
The maine lobster mac and cheese was yummy, and I never eat mac and cheese. It was extra cheesy, and I couldn't even tell there was lobster in it =/ We also ordered the Pan Roasted Hawaiian Walu which was decent. For dessert, we ordered the creme brulee which was alright.
I think there are two levels to the restaurant and we were seated on the upper level where it's smaller. Thebathroom was clean! Haha. I probably wouldn't come back because I'd want to try the other restaurants in San Francisco.
I would of loved to been so impressed....but it wasn't the place or the moment for that. I would have to say that the service was good and the atmosphere was great but it just fell short. Our server Michael was attentive and his suggestions were on point. The apps were the best part of the menu. Definitely get the pan fried chili's (kind of like a relleno) and/or the scallops. The polenta was tasty but very pricey for the dish. None of the other dishes or large plates were worth mentioning. You will not see me again.....but thank you! I'm beginning to lose faith in any restaurant that costs over $30 per person. All it seems to do for me is make me fatter, more broke and thirsty!!!
Crab cakes were good =) the food in gerenal was pretty decent but we sat next to some people who were talking loud but then I realized the just sat us too close. I would give it a 3.5 really but I don't really like the orange star squares so I'll round up.
The wine flights are what makes this little gem in tourist central worth visiting. First Crush is a stone's throw from my office so it was an obvious choice for after work drinks. They do not have happy hour; makes sense because the bar is the size of an office desk. It's location is perfect for getting a drink before or after shopping union square....yes I drink while shopping.
It wouldn't be fair if I wrote about the food because I only dined on an heirloom tomato salad...which was tasty but not unique. My partner was surprised that his scallops has a drizzle of chocolate...interesting flavor combination. Anyway, if you are in the area and want to sample some wines from various CA regions check this place out!
Be sure that if you are going to come here that you book a reservation in advance. And be sure it is for an earlier time. If you go for dinner at a later time, the restaurant gets so loud that you can't hear youself think. Seating is also very tight, so be prepared to be squished to the table next to you.
The wine flights were awesome! Fully stocked bar in the back if that's what you crave. Our waiter was very courteous and made the night quite enjoyable for the boyfriend and me.
I decided to start out with the "White Vine" wine flight for $12 and a cheese platter called "The Bermuda Triangle." The cheese was in such a small portion, but it was so strong that we couldn't finish it! I would definitely say that the kitchen needed to add more bread to the basket, more fruit and more honey to balance out the shockingly strong taste of the cheeses. Other than that, the appetizer was enjoyable.
We also ordered the "Truffle Fries" which were absolutely delectable! I finished everything. Even the boyfriend who abhors fries enjoyed them. Now that's saying something.
For dinner, I ordered the Big Eye Tuna Crudo (small plate portion) and my boyfriend ordered the Chicken plate (Large plate portion). His food was pretty good, or so he remarked. He said that it tasted like it had been roasted on a spit because the chicken was thoroughly cooked evenly all over. My plate was basically 5 pieces of sashimi with radish garnishings. But for the price ($16)? I would have rather gone to a Japanese restaurant and gotten a better deal. I have to say though, the fish of good quality. Dinner was in total $85 bucks (w/o tip).
Overall, I liked the place, but not for dinner. I would come here in the future for appetizers and drinks. Wine flights were amazingly priced. Hope to come here again.
It was Friday night in downtown SF. Glad we had reservations at First Crush because this place is as downtown as it gets! The location is everything you can imagine and hope for. I didn't realize how small First Crush was especially from the outside. My friends and I (five of us) had one of the biggest tables there. It's a very modern, clean, and classy place. They do a good job making the place look bigger than it is. We couldn't decide what to try so we ended up ordering a bunch of small plates. They were pricey but I thought it was well worth it for experiencing all those great flavors.
Crush Salad - shaved fennel, pole beans, poached pears, St. Agur bleu cheese, hazelnut vinaigrette. It was not my idea to order (not only) one.. but TWO salads. I was thinking come on guys! What are we doing!? But Firsh Crush's salads were actually quite good, exciting even! It's a feat in itself without any meat. I loved the combo of the super fresh ingredients. Cheese was delicious. Hazelnut Vinaigrette was awesome too. Then you add some poached pears? It was bomb.
Organic Tomato Salad - crushed avocado, shaved spring onions, opal basil, mozzarella, country bread, balsamic vinaigrette. I love when the tomato and vinaigrette have marinated together for a bit to soak up the flavors. But the tomatoes didn't turn too tangy so I loved it. Not too much basil and just the perfect amount of mozzerella and avocado. Why can't all salads be this balanced?
Baked "Crush" Oyster Rockefeller - with spinach, bacon, cayenne hollandaise. Holy Smokes. My fav of the night! Hollandaise can be overwhelming but theirs was just so lightly creamy in these perfectly baked oysters. We only ordered one for each person but I could have eaten them all myself!
Truffle Fries - with truffle oil, parmesan cheese, parsley. This is what truffle fries are supposed to taste like! I've been promised one too many times that a dish to be truffle flavored without it tasting much like it at all. But these are GOOOOD. First Crush uses truffle oil and cheese but it wasn't oily. Then parsley and parmesan, what a team!
Less notable but still very good:
Maryland Style Crab Cakes with sauce rouille
Maine Lobster Mac N Cheese with penne pasta, bread crumbs & three cheese sauce
Pan Roasted Diver Scallops with cauliflower puree, golden raisins, toasted almonds, spanish capers, balsamic reduction
I just loved how everything was so well balanced and deliciously flavorful. Maybe the main entrees aren't but I'm surprised to see the average rating on yelp. It is on the expensive side but I've never let that factor heavily weigh down a place. Good food is good regardless. I must try dessert next time around.
People thought this was:
I went to visit the restaurant for the first time last night after watching a concert at Davies. Our reservation was at 10:15pm but we arrived at about 10:25pm because the show went a tad longer than expected.
Once we got to the restaurant, they told us the kitchen would close so we had to order on the spot which was understandable given it was quite late on a Wed evening. The food came out quickly and although the flavors were good, it wasn't that great and the quality of the ingredients didn't seem so good. We ordered the crab cakes, mac and cheese, tuna and the short ribs. I felt all of them were on the mediocre side...the quality of the tuna wasn't so great, the short ribs were a little fatty, the crab cakes were a little salty, etc.
During dinner we were rushed and they came to us in the middle of dinner to choose our desserts. We chose the bread pudding and creme brulee. Again, not so impressed...the creme brulee was a little eggie and the sugar a little burnt and not so creamy...the bread pudding was ok but not like some of the good bread pudding I've had elsewhere (I think it was Chaya where I had really good bread pudding...but that was about all that was really good there...)
Anyway, all in all, I wasn't all that impressed. Maybe it's because we got there so late but the staff was hanging out at the bar having a good time so I didn't see any need to rush us!
People thought this was:
The cheese plate and the luscious reds wine flight is reason enough to go back...
I came here back in March with my best friend. It's a really cute date place, although it is dark and loud inside. The restaurant isn't really big. It probably holds about 30 seats or so. The great thing about this place is that they take the http://Restaurant.com gift certificates. Everything there is kind of pricey, about $10-15/appetizer, and $20-30's for an entree. We had a late dinner (9pm), so we just got an appetizer and the steak. It was enough to fill both of us up, but we still paid about $20/person.
The food was good, but nothing remarkable. We got the:
Big Eye Tuna Crudo 14
green olive tapenade/shaved fennel/meyer lemon infused oi l/mandarin supreme
Meyer's Ranch Angus Ribeye 29
warm fingerling potato salad/applewood smoked bacon/watercress/
green peppercorn bordelaise
The steak was tasty, but then again, I just really like steak. I could have done without the olives in the tuna.
Overall, the place is cute to go to, but maybe with a date. It's not good for big groups, and might not be good for a first date since it tends to get really loud in there. Wouldn't want to be yelling in your date's ear/face. It also tends to get cramped, so don't go with a group bigger than 4.
Our server took a while to wait on us for everything. I don't know if it's because the table next to us were getting wine and running up their bill or not... but regardless, I got annoyed at the waiter. Our dinner ended up being 2hrs, for having just gotten an appetizer and an entree. I probably wouldn't go back there unless I had a http://Restaurant.com gift certificate.
Oh, its right on the corner between Union Sq and the TL. Parking is very difficult and may drive you crazy. You can take the risk of parking in the TL and walking, but just be careful!
People thought this was:
Small but nice place in the city. I remember ordering the Lamb which wasn't very good and it was a very small portion for the price.
I think the food is not as good, however 2 stars for having a nice atmosphere and good drinks.
Also kudos for the wine bar downstairs. I wasn't old enough to drink wine when I went but am willing to go back and experience it.
I'm really surprised that First Crush has only 3 and a half stars after almost four hundred reviews because I just came back from a solid four star dinner here. Probably would have been more than four stars BUT FOR THE NOISE LEVEL WHICH IS STILL MAKING MY EARS RING.
There were about 20 in our party, and we ended up downstairs. We were all the way in the back and it was pretty cramped. The tables are small, and we had to move them in order to get in and sit down. I was ready to get all yelp-pissy about this, but when I asked for a little table so we could have somewhere to set the birthday girl's gifts (other than our laps) they hopped to it, despite it being in the middle of their Saturday night dinner rush.
In a flash they were back with our ice water and champagne and taking our cocktail and wine flight orders. We were there drinking, eating, and celebrating for more than three hours and in that entire time we never had to wonder what happened to our server, where the bread was, when the water would get refilled or when the rest of the plates would come. It was all done well and done quickly and the best part was that it was all done in unison. How nice is it in a big party when all your appetizers come out at the same time? And it was no fluke, our entrees came out together too.
When everyone at the table gets their dish at the same time it means that the staff has their stuff together, from the kitchen prep, to the cooks, to the server to the bus boy. How I love a well-oiled machine.
I had the small plate of tomatoes with fresh mozzarella, watercress greens, onions and "country bread" (crostini) with avocado. Nice.
For my entree I had the Kobe Burger and french fries. To be honest, I expected that I would need a microscope to see my $12 burger at a wine bar in downtown San Francisco. I was very surprised to get a big, perfectly cooked (medium rare) juicy, delicious burger and some fresh, hot fries.
Honorable mentions from my co-eaters: truffle fries, the cheese plate, homemade pasta and rib eye steak.
The food was very good, and the service we had was absolutely excellent.
People thought this was:
Ok, four stars because the food was truly amazing, everyone at my table, 6 of us loved their dishes.
The service was bizarre and disorganized. The waitress and waiter, we seemed to have more than one. None of them knew how to manage the table, the tables are tiny so please clear the unused glasses and side plates.. PLEEEze. Also please do not hand us our food and expect us to clear our table so we can put our food down. For the prices I expect more professional service. They also forgot one persons appetizer, we had to ask, and the order was never given to the chef. Whoever is the owner, please train your staff.
The Food: I asked our waitress who the chef was, she did not seem to know?? She said I think his name is Giani.. so I want to praise this Chef whoever you are. Scallops were perfectly cooked and delicious. Salmon was served on a bed of sheared corn and fava beans, delicately cooked. The salmon was cooked to perfection and I mean perfection, melt in your mouth. The skin was crispy and rubbed I believe with truffle oil. My friends ate the ribs, said it was amazing and so tender, two others ate the chicken and raved about it. I tried the lobster pasta and it was unusual and so wonderful in my mouth. Whoever cooked our food knew what they were doing. I will come back again, just coz the food is so great.
I love the setting, the colors the light, really tasteful, comfortable. A smaller place but really well planned out.
I had the Barbera red.. Im an old world girl. I drink red with salmon its good.
20 year tawny with our desserts, peanut butter tarte, alaskan something, and creme brulee, all were totally yummy. the check was about $308 with tip. Only two wine drinkers at the table of six.
I will be back, but please take note, your service is messy and needs focus and direction.
Another great find by my SIL who's a total foodie. Bless her heart! If it's one thing I don't mind paying for is food. Outstanding food!
We had 7:30 reservations and were seated in the bar area. Not my preference. Wish it would have been quiter..but then again, had we been down stairs, I wouldn't have heard Thiervery Corporation's album The Cosmic Game. Good times and memories.
Still envious of the wine my sister-in-laws were sipping..but my spritzer was nice. Who knew there was nonalcoholic Gewurztraminer out there. Hmm
Bottom line: Foie Gras and a nonalcoholic white wine spritzer = simple but yet delish
Minus a star for being so loud...
People thought this was:
A friend of mines found this place through yelp. So i decided to make reservations through thier website, which sent me to http://opentable.com to make the reservation, easy enough. The hostess called me a day before to confirm the reservation, which i thought was kool.
When we got there we wait about 15 mins after our reservation time. Which was ok, because the hostess keep acknowledging us making sure that we were comfortable waiting.
When we finally sat down, the waiter was off in his own world. He took our drink orders then our food orders, not really too friendly. Almost felt like I was ordering fast food! I asked him to recommend a wine, he just pointed to the list of 3847489374923983 wines!!! A-HOLE! Like I would know whats good here. Seriously, they had about 500 different wines. So it made it hard to choose.
Anyways, I had the Roasted Salmon, which was super tasty! The house bread they brought out was to soft, didn't go with the butter! Overall this place wasn't all that. Just "OK"
People thought this was:
The manager stomped over to our desk, proceeded to tell us (after we had finished 4 small plates) that we can't share 2 dine about town meals between 4 people. Thanks for making us feel like cheap assholes... This was later resolved by the nice waitress who served us. Kudos to her for being an awesome server.
The food is good but not memorable. It's more like an amicable friendship type of feeling rather than a romance worth pursuing.
People thought this was:
eh... picked this place to have dinner before going to watch wicked. they had a special 3 course meal for $30 if you show them your ticket to watch wicked. wasn't hungry enough to order the 3 course and i'm kinda glad... because the items we order were just... eh.
the bread that comes out before the meal was really dense... almost like a pound cake but not yummy. this is the first and only time i've met a bread i didn't like. i order the chicken based on the pics i saw here on yelp... the first half of the chicken was yummy... but after about half way it was really dry. the mashed potatoes that came with the chicken had a perfumey taste to them.
my fiance ordered the lobster mac and cheese and crab cakes. the mac and cheese was pretty good... but the crab cakes weren't very good... he had to use a knife to cut into the crab cakes... most crab cakes i've had you are able to just use your fork and dig in.
People thought this was:
Came here twice, once was to celebrate my birthday.
Great wine flights, but food and service are bit lacking. The chef poorly executed the food. Most of the dishes came out cold, and I'm not talking about salads. The fact that they poorly cooked the food, ruins the pairing or tasting to the food.
Service is nice, but very, very slow. The ambiance is very dark. Nice for dates since the initial meeting can be nerve wracking and sometimes best not to "see" so clearly. Most people look better in the dark anyways.
Next time I'm back, I'm skipping the food and will just hit the booze.
RUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
can't explain now. too much hype on this place. believe me, trust me. i love u too much to let u go here.
People thought this was:
Amazing menu, the food was so tasty. I plan a visit each time I come from the OC to The City... our service was perfect- the wait staff was very knowledgable and suggested wonderful selections from appitizers, entrees and yummy desserts. The wine my friends selected were perfect.
John Nguyen plans a wonderful menu- the food here is leagues ahead of anything we have in Orange County. Thanks for all the wonderful flavors each time I have eaten at First Crush... Love the logo!
(Special Thanks to JULIA Z whose review inspired me to check out First Crush.)
JUST WONDERING: Do you remember your FIRST CRUSH? Mine was a neighborhood thug and bad boy who didn't give me the time of the day because I was only on 4th grade and he was in Jr. High. IF ONLY HE COULD SEE ME NOW! ;)
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4.5 Stars
Date: June 27, 2009 @ 7:05 Pm
Occasion: Saturday Date Night with Boyfriend (Dinner and Movies)
Ambiance/Decor: A little disappointing. Dark. Low ceiling. Cramped. It felt like eating at an in-law apartment with the streets on eye-level. Downstairs had a lounge/dining area but equally dark. It was not loud as most people mentioned but uncomfortably too close to other diners.
Social Scene: Nicely dressed couples on a date. Theatre-goers.
Service: Friendly and efficient.
What we ordered:
Salud!: Glass of First Kiss for me (Muscat/Sparkling Wine)
Voss H20 and Paloma for BF
Appetizer: Complimentary Taste of Ahi Tuna Tartare
Complimentary Focacia Bread and butter (2 kinds each)
Shared: Organic Tomato Salad
BF: Ribeye Steak with Roasted Tomatoes
Me: Maine Lobster Mac and Cheese
Dessert: Pot de Creme
Tab: 105. 79 (including tax and tip)
Overall:
1. FIRST KISS: Disappointing drink. I didn't taste the orange muscat but really tasted like a straight up sparkling wine.
2. PALOMA: Really good drink. Tasted like a margarita, strong and spicy with chili powder and salt.
3. TUNA TARTARE: Fresh raw fish with seaweed. Delicious appetizer.
4. ORGANIC TOMATO SALAD: This is the main reason why I wanted to try First Crush--no, not for the extensive wine list or their famous flights but for the tomato salad. The tomatoes were not sweet but the whole combination of balsamic dressing, hearts of palm and fresh mozzarella was just so delightful in my mouth. I was not disappointed.
5.MAINE LOBSTER MAC AND CHEESE: This was an appetizer served in a very hot little cast iron skillet. Good enough portion for me. It was such a treat because I don't usually allow myself to eat mac and cheese. If I must be bad, I might as well be BIG-TIME BAD! It was worth every creamy 3 cheese penne and lobster calories!
6. RIBEYE WITH ROASTED POTATOES: Since I am "special occasions meat eater" I had one bite of BF's ribeye. Tender, medium rare and oozing with roasted beef flavors. I ate most of his roasted potatoes, though. Perfectly roasted on the outside and tender on the inside. Yummy!
7. POT DE CREME: Sweet and creamy. Just okay and nothing spectacular about it.
RECOMMEND: Wine flights - 3 glasses of wine, generously poured starting at $11 each tasting. Will definitely try this next time.
I could not say it enough, everything we had was really good!
************************
PART 3: MOVIE
8:45 PM: Walked to the Metreon and saw "HANGOVER." It was "fall out of your seat" funny! No wonder the theatre was packed at almost midnight.
12:30 AM: Home. Thankful for another fun Saturday evening with one another.
People thought this was:
A warm, rustic, cozy restaurant. Which doesn't help when phase one of Food Coma sets in after a good meal. LOL The amber glow made me want to curl up into a little ball and fall asleep under the table. :) For some reason it felt very bedroom-esque to me. Very romantic for couples. No weird in-your-face lighting. Very inviting, very soothing. It'd be great if they had a lounge with this kind of lighting.
I was feeling like a little of this and that so I opted for two small plates: the organic tomato salad with feta, olives, and cucumber, and their house crab cake. Both were super yummy and fresh. For me it was a nice balance of "crunch" and "velvety-ness" (sorry for making up words.) =P I don't know about you peeps but I always need the two at one time. After a little nibbling off others' plates I discovered that most everything on their menu was tasty and well-prepared also. Except for maybe the ahi, served sashimi-style with orange slices and olives. Maybe I'm just being critical because there were olives in my tomato salad and I was just over-brined that particular night...
The service was great, too. We were boisterous and giggly (and probably having the kind of conversation that we should've censored from time to time) but our server was very sweet and attentive and did that stellar "ghost" move ... ya know, didn't give you weird looks after eavesdropping into your conversation, didn't rush you, didn't hover over your shoulder ... but always mades sure the glasses are filled, and everyone servedat the same time. I will definitely be back. :)
People thought this was:
Cute, romantic, and nice - just like the name.
- Excellent variety of wines with "flight" options where you get to try 3 different wines
- Nice, dim, cute/romantic, semi-buzzy atmosphere
- Lobster Mac N Cheese & Baby Back Ribs = YUM!!!
- Service was good
- Great date spot or a place to grab a glass of wine with friends
I've been here a few times and always end up having a great time.
People thought this was:
The Hawaiian walu I ordered was soooo tasty. It was firm, yet flaky and buttery and the sauce was fantastic. I didn't even mind the gnocchi floating about. Truffle fries were also delicious (too bad I only got to eat 4 fries courtesy of the bf). Corn on the cob was good but not special, same with the organic tomato salad but the bread+guacamole+balsamic was a cool little combo on the side. The truffle lobster cream pasta was pretty good too.
Disappointments: mango sorbet and the Miner chardonnay.
Cozy little vibe in the restaurant and nice waitstaff as well. 3.75 overall.
People thought this was:
Went to First Crush on a 'first date' - and it was the perfect venue for it. We had a wine flight and instead of over-eating on dinner, we split a cheese plate and the tuna (really delcious and fresh).
The décor was interesting and romantic, the wine was good - but not 'great'. They really do save the best for last in terms of tasting order with the flights. Pricing was typical of this type of joint, not too ridiculous, but not inexpensive by any standards.
The tables are rather close together, but I didn't mind the cozy feel. The lighting was nice - perfect for conversation and 'getting to know someone'. I can't speak to the downstairs room, but the upstairs room on a Saturday night was quite nice.
Minus one star for the parking - ample, but expensive and annoying ($12.50 for the Union Street lot), but overall - I would recommend.
People thought this was:
Chose First Crush for the location and we were looking for "wine bar" and small plates place. To be Union Square this is a great place and it doesn't feel touristy. The tables are intimate and the decor is nice and inviting. I tried the wine flight which was really nice. Hubby ate the scallop dish which he enjoyed...
We didn't have reservations and went anyways hoping someone had cancelled. Luckily, when we walked in someone had just cancelled so we were seated within 10 minutes..
People thought this was:
Complimentary Bottle of House…
Neighborhood: SOMA
$15 Dinner Special
Neighborhood: Castro
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Union Square
Category: Wine Bars
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin
Category: Lounges
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