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Two - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
22 Hawthorne St(at Howard St)
San Francisco, CA 94105
Neighborhood: SOMA
(415) 777-9779
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Valet
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
424 reviews for Two
Review Highlights
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"bacon and egg raviolo, spinach, sage brown butter." In 18 reviews -
"Ice-Cream sandwiches - every bit house-made." In 34 reviews -
"And the bone marrow starter is." In 31 reviews
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424 reviews in English
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Review from Alex B.
San Francisco, CA
10/29/2009
It saddens me to learn that they're packing up shop in a few months - and to think I just discovered this pleasant and extraordinarily SOMA-y nook. Little gem salad featured an outstanding butter caper dressing, and the wood fired pizza crust was of note. Features a full bar with decent house infusions (almond bourbon, for one).
The ambiance and furniture aesthetic is wonderful - like a perry como / elmer fudd mashup with chic neo-70s upholstery colliding head on with with hunting lodge accents and earthy colors. -
Review from Herra Chink y.
San Francisco, CA
1/22/2007
WARNING: This is a LONG and EMO review. (I care about my readers)
My life has been really upsetting recently. This girl I was digging dumped me after leading me on for two months. I've been at my miserable job until 3am every night for the past 3 weeks. I heard a high school friend was driving 135 mph in San Diego, flipped over, hit another car, and died, along with 3 other victims. My cousin had a miscarriage.
I'm not mature. I'm young. And my life has been relatively easy, so I'm not used to handling this grief and this pain and these hardships. And perhaps blogging about this on Yelp is not the best way to handle it, but we all have our ways, you know. And damnit, I need to be emo. Let me be emo.
I was graciously invited to dinner at Two by the gentlemanly Peter M (he probably hates me right now because he likes playing the bad boy character, but he's actually much more personable and friendly than his Yelp persona would have you believe, which I think deserves me a Useful vote at the very least for divulging this top-secret Yelp insider information). And I was initially going to politely decline, partly because I wanted to, well, crawl up in a corner and cry, and partly because I couldn't take the time off of work. I went ahead and said yes, because we all need a little escape sometimes in our lives. Plus, Peter M begged me. He did. And well, when you see that tall tall piece of man meat on his knees, you just can't help but scream "YES" at the top of your lungs. (P.S. Peter M is scum)
I'd been to Hawthorne Lane many-a-times. My company loves throwing happy hours here, and I remember fondly their mac and cheese appetizer and delicious burger. Two has been remodeled to feel not-so-closed off, not so "FiDi," more open and friendly and warm and inviting. So our group of twelve rambunctious Yelpers sat at the communal table in the middle of the dining room and so began our culinary adventure.
The entree was a wonderful meatball lasagna. I LOVE meat. I LOVE lasagna. And I definitely LOOOVEEE balls. This was three great tastes that tasted PHENOMENAL together. David G (the owner of Two) was exemplary and always a gentlemen --- I explained to him how I have a love affair with things wrapped in bacon, and he replies "Oh, you'll love this," whispers to the waiter, and out comes these raviolis, which I learn are stuffed with egg yolk and bacon. They let me take the first cut, and I do. And it was good. It was sooooo good. It's like David G went into the folds of my brain, knew exactly what I liked, and cooked it up on a plate and sent it over to me. Ok, so lasagna, bacon, you have to read maybe two lines of my profile to know that this is what I love. I'm an open book, folks. So maybe I'm giving David G more credit than is due.
Except for David spent a considerable amount of time explaining to us how each part of a pig is made into its eventual meat - pancetta, bacon, sausage, it all comes from somewhere on the glorious supple pig body. And now I have a slight man-crush on David G. The man knows his pig, folks, and I've decided that any man who knows his way around pig fat knows his way around my heart, since let's face it, i'm so unhealthy my heart is essentially made out of pig fat.
And you know, despite an exhibition of mild depression, and the fact that I had a mental breakdown in my company's bathroom only two hours previous, and that the tears in my eyes had barely dried when I arrived at the restaurant, after our dinner, I felt GOOD. And NICE. And HAPPY. And yes, while our dinner was admittedly comped, at the drop of a dime, I would gladly return to the scene where, for the first time in too long of a time, I felt warm and ideal and safe and satisfied in our cold foggy city.Listed in: I Like Me., Meta Yelp, Ed to the M's Top 50…
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Review from Janney B.
San Francisco, CA
7/18/2008
"
Two succulent sensations
Ev'ry bite that you take.
Two flavor combinations
Ev'ry dish that they make.
One smile and suddenly no other chefs will do.
You know you'll never go hungry
With Two-yes-Two...
One meal in their presence
And you can forget the rest,
For these chefs are second best to none, Son.
Ooh! Sigh! Give Two your attention.
Do I really have to mention
Two's the one?!!! "
My cousin Frank got tickets for a Dining in the Kitchen adventure. So last night, seated at a rustic wood table IN the kitchen, my friend and I were fortunate enough to sip our bubbly and watch our meal be prepared by David.
Sardine & Citrus Salad, Spicy Shrimp Pizza, Tomato Risotto w/ basil oil, potato puree w/ some protein (I'm mentally-challenged when it comes to identifying meat - contrary to rumor on the streets), and Roasted Peaches with Champagne Gelee.
After each course, David asked us what we liked and didn't like. There were ten of us and we had nothing but good things to say.
Two is going down on my restaurant list as a "don't get broken-up with here, because it will ruin this place for you forever and that would really suck" hot spot. -
Review from Derek B.
San Francisco, CA
9/28/2008 3 photos
Two primary reasons why I love Two.
1. The music
There's only one thing that's worse than bad restaurant art, and that's bad restaurant music. It's a huge part of any restaurant/bar experience and can completely make or a break a place for me. Last time I was here the music was almost TWO good. Here's a short list of a few tunes I heard:
7/4 (Shoreline) - Broken Social Scene
Miracle Drug - A.C. Newman
No Surprises - Radiohead
Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys
A Day in the Life - The Beatles
Sympathy for the Devil - The Rolling Stones
Me and The Major - Belle And Sebastian
Lowdown - My Morning Jacket
And I'm pretty sure they played The Bleeding Heart Show by the New Pornogrpahers
Everyone who works here brings music in and they compile these amazing playlists. Says my waitress. After I shook her and made her tell me who's music it was.
Two thumbs up to the staff's exceptional taste in music.
I mean, seriously, a bad song can just KILL my day. Like when I was trying to eat an omelet at All You Knead and they thought it would be cool to blare Sublime's Greatest Hits the whole time. FUCKED UP MY MORNING. What are you doing All You Knead? Unless the purpose of blaring bad music in your restaurant is to hasten the departure of customers, I'd consider adding some quality to the ol' CD stack. Fuck. But, I'm not talking about All You Knead and their shitty taste in music. I'm talking about TWO and how I'm never disappointed in the sounds here.
Definitely two legit to quit. Good job, Two.
2. The desserts
You know what goes well with good music? Jelly filled donut holes with vanilla dipping sauce. Warm. Sweet. Perfect. If it were possible I would have sex with these and make little donut hole babies. And then I would eat them. Like a gerbil or something.
Moving on.
The ice cream sandwich trio. Three different ice creams, three different cookies. So good, they should change the restaurant's name to THREE.
Three thumbs up!
I'm drunk. -
Review from Luis M.
Oakland, CA
1/22/2007
I'm stingy with the 5 stars. It's just in my nature. I don't have a problem giving TWO five stars though.
I was a guest at the *Family* table last Friday. A group of 12 Yelpers all came together to enjoy dinner and drinks at this new dining establishment. I came in thinking it would be another dinner with the Yelp gang and left thinking *I want to make sweet sweet love to that ravioli* Serious.
The ravioli really was the star of the night for me, even with the slaughter of 21 bottles of wine that night. It was orgasmic, and I know my orgasms people. Stuffed with bacon and egg, when you cut it open it just oozes sex. When I think of oral sex I'm going to daydream about putting one of these bad boys in my mouth before the thinking about...okay I'll stop being a perv. It's some damn good ravioli. Rich, buttery, yolky perfection I tell you.
The lasagna was great as well. They use thin sheets of pasta rather than the warbly thick things that you find most places. Stuffed with meat balls and marinara sauce, the only thing I could ask for is more cheese...but those of you who know me understand that I can never have enough cheese.
Dessert was an experience all unto itself. They have something here to entice just about any sweet tooth. The margarita sundae, a root beer float, ice cream sammiches, oh my!
It was really a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The staff was more than pleasant and also more than tolerant of our large group. We didn't feel like they were crowding us or abandoning us altogether.
I can't wait to go back! -
Review from Jessica T.
San Francisco, CA
12/21/2007
Two.
I've been writing this review for awhile now. I was attempting to be creative by inserting some Two Legit - Two legit to Quit - MC Hammer lyrics...but Hammer's quick beats don't quite fit with the elegant, relaxing, and polished loveliness - that is Two.
With a plethora of business meeting spots - which include crowded Osha and others, it is so refreshing to have a sophisticated place like Two to take co-workers, after work dates, and the like.
Two's menu is continually changing. Each change and addition is creative and exceptional, and even before you have a chance to sample their exquisite food selection, you can't help but roll around the ingredients in your mouth. They roooooollll and flow.
Their pizzas, pastas, and meat entrees all are rich, beautifully presented, and delicious. I was a particularly big fan of their spaghetti dish with rock shrimp awhile back, which was seasoned delicately; each bite dazzled my mouth.
All of Two's dishes and dish ingredients are melded together perfectly and though the portions (outside of the pizza) may be on the smaller side (in comparison with our crazy American portions) - the food is so rich and superb - that it ends up being just right - especially if your lunch partner(s) are open to sharing things.
Two's other outstanding feature is their wine selection. It is both fairly affordable (I have to admit, and was justly called out in a nice way on this - that affordable is relative - but Two does an impressive job of selling superb quality wines and reasonable prices) and extensive. If you ask their quick and gracious servers to recommend a particular wine to accompany your meal - they are more than willing to - and are more than familiar with the selections.
A quiet, charming retreat from the work-day and either busy Mon-Fri financial district or deserted weekend area, Two deserves a visit.
Also be sure to take some time as you enter to admire the entrance way of the lovely venue, accented with quaint, darling, rustic touches. All of which Mr. Winkle explored and enjoyed thoroughly - http://flickr.com/phot...Listed in: Places to Eat in the Financial…
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Review from Art D.
San Francisco, CA
2/21/2007 ROTD 8/20/2007
I had first heard Two mentioned by resident Yelper and foodie extraordinaire Lady J (she commented about their fantastic pre-opening test menus), and made reservations to take my buddy and his girlfriend here for his birthday.
The staff was very understanding when I mentioned that my friends were running a bit late, and while I was waiting I ran into the always amazing Liz S and her husband, Mr. S (who's name is being withheld to protect his anonymity). After my friends arrived we were promptly seated and ordered cocktails.
I had a raspberry lemon drop to start, because every once in a while you need to enjoy a shi-shi drink...plus, the buzz I got from the booze took the edge off of the compound fracture that was protruding from my non-drinking arm (whew, hope I recovered some 'man points' there)...the next drink I had was a custom cocktail that is a specialty of my buddy's friend (and contains at least four alcohols), and he said that the bartender nailed it!
Okay, on to the food...the bread that they serve up was excellent, but you only get the first loaf for free...what's up with that?
For appetizers, we had the crispy calamari with tartare sauce and the house-smoked salmon with rosti potatoes and crme fraiche...both were quite good, but I remember the salmon being especially tender and tasty.
For dinner I enjoyed the grilled swordfish with braised escarole in a garlic herb sauce and a side of caramelized broccoli seasoned with garlic, chili and lemon...damn, that broccoli was amazing! I love broccoli, and could easily eat something like twelve plates of what they serve up at Two. Oh, and the swordfish was also fantastic...
Compared to most of the restaurants I usually frequent, the portions were on the slightly smaller side and the prices were on the slightly higher side, but you don't come to a restaurant like Two hoping to load up on all-you-can-eat tater tots...
Next time you're looking to enjoy an excellent meal in a restaurant with nice ambiance and a great staff, make Two your destination! -
Review from Ed U.
Updated - 2/4/2009
When does Three into Two ever equal Five? Not tonight. The Three were Jamie W., my good friend Rene (she's a New Yawk girl, not a French film director), and me. Two is the place on Hawthorne Lane that I had thought from my last visit had promise. And the Five? Well, it ain't the number of stars I'm giving it for my experience tonight. Two deserves Two.
Rene and I decided on the place since we heard about the great happy hour there. No smiles on us. While we found a table in the lounge area, we were growing old waiting for anybody to hand us a menu. Cobwebs were forming between my thighs when Rene went into Manhattan maniac mode and took matters into her own hands. She stood in front of the bartender waiting to get his attention. Apparently if you stand behind the bar chair, you are invisible. However, if you stand in front of the chair with a look of smug disregard, then you get a befuddled stare and a delegated wave to the waitress who didn't seem to realize she was in charge of menu distribution.
I love when Rene says things that others just say under their breath. Clear as a bell, she says, "Yeah, we were just hoping for some service. We didn't know we'd have to provide it." We ordered a $44 bottle of 2007 Pinot Noir from A to Z Wineworks in Oregon. Not bad though a tad chalky if you ask me. Then we quickly decided on the food since we didn't know if the server would return in our lifetime, and we aren't great believers in reincarnation. Sure enough, Rene had to go up to the bar to order the food - a $14 TWO Mac & Cheese under the Pizza menu, a $16 Meat Lover's pizza and a side of fries.
What? You're expecting me to go up to the bar. I just don't have the Type A personality that demands attention. Besides, I was busy upgrading Facebook on my iPhone. Anyway, the Mac & Cheese came first...in a bowl. What the...Rene and I thought it was going to be a pizza with shaved truffles on top. Dammit, I knew Mac & Cheese Pizza was too good to be true. I went up to whine only to find out the menu listed it under "Pizzas and Pastas". Oh brother. Well, if somebody bothered caring about my dining experience, I wouldn't have had to humiliate myself in front of a drunk who was willing to take the bowl.
The Meat Lover's Pizza was typical bar pizza with little bits of meat and a hole lotta jalapenos. Spicy hot. But the thought of going up to the bar to get the water was overwhelming until the third-degree burns on my tongue proved my undoing. To the bartender's credit, he gave us the water with little fuss. The only uncontroversial item were the fries, and it would have been a sad sight if they screwed that up with Ore-Ida krinkles. Actually I wouldn't have been disappointed. All in all, it was an evening that will live in infamy if not in amnesia despite the good company.
FOOD - 2.5 stars...OK except for that jalapeno kick
AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...still the upscale California central coastal vibe, still pretty loud though not unbearably so
SERVICE - 2 stars...they should just say it's self-service and parked a tray on the side of my head
TOTAL - 2 stars...sorry, the indifferent service trumps the other considerationsListed in: In Memoriam...I Need a Kleenex
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/19/2007
I have to put my Marvin Gaye knit cap on...
"It takes Two, baby...To make a dream come true...Just… Read more »
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Review from Christine C.
San Francisco, CA
2/3/2010
Besides the bone marrow, everything else was not quite worth reviewing.
In a sea of great restaurants in the city, there is no room for mediocrity. So down goes another one in these tough economic times.
Corey Lee, former chef at French Laundry, plans to relaunch the venue as Benu in the spring.
Let the anticipation begin! -
Review from Liz S.
1/27/2007
Hawthorne Lane has had a face-lift that Joan Rivers would die for, and has emerged as TWO, a casually modern restaurant serving delicious food and wine in a warm and inviting setting.
They have done a fabulous job with the decor. I would describe it as modern organic - long rough-hewn redwood tables, cork-like walls, spiky light fixtures, hammered metal - texture, texture, texture. There are tables with traditional chairs and banquettes, or longer communal tables with bench seats (all made from the same tree, we later learned). Gone are the cold, dull colors, replaced by warm, rich and deep earth tones. The new look has definitely attracted a younger, hipper crowd, so the visuals are enhanced further by the clientele.
We met our friend at the bar, and enjoyed a cocktail while we waited for our table. I remember really liking the bar in the old days (last year), and I was glad to see that the attentive and friendly bartenders were still there. I enjoyed a lusty glass of the house-made tequila, while Mr. S sampled the house-made raspberry vodka. Yum. Ran into Art D on the way to our table - evidence that good places attract good people, I say.
Once seated, we had a hard time deciding what to have, as everything on the menu looked amazing. Our waiter was great - he was extremely knowledgeable, and offered helpful suggestions. We were really hungry and ordered a lot - but had no trouble finishing everything. The waiter staged the meal perfectly into 3 courses. The food is as unique and richly textured as the environment - I would bet that everything on the menu is good, but here are highlights from our meal:
Wine - varied selection - one side of the list is under $50, one side is over $50. Helps to narrow down your selection much more quickly. We enjoyed a moderately priced Malbec which was very good.
Spicy onion soup with poached egg - rich, spicy broth, great flavor.
Veal Crepinettes with warm lentil salad - strongly flavored patties, perfectly seasoned, with lentils adding nice texture
Calamari - crisply breaded, tender squid with a great tartar-ish dipping sauce.
Iceberg wedge with bleu cheese dressing - I didn't try this, but my husband and our friend liked it. I appreciated the fact that we could find iceberg lettuce on a modern menu - nothing wrong with simple, fresh ingredients, doesn't have to be highbrow all of the time.
Bacon & egg raviolo with spinach and brown butter - HEAVENLY. This was the favorite dish of the evening. Soft, rich, buttery, with a runny egg yolk inside the pasta - we used the fresh Parker house rolls to sop up every delectable bite.
Loaded Potato Skins - the only dish that we thought was average - it was more like potato wedges with a heavy creme fraiche for dipping.
Cast-iron pan half Chicken with Quinoa - crisp skin, tender and moist meat - very good. Again, the added texture of the quinoa was a nice pairing.
Prime NY Strip with bleu cheese compound butter - I didn't try this, but the menfolk said that it was very good. Midwestern, grain-fed beef.
Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with double-smoked bacon and garlic - excellent!! Brussels Sprouts lovers, take note.
Ice-Cream sandwiches - every bit house-made. This is THE dessert to get if you only order one - it comes with 3 different combos of ice cream/cookies. Mint chip is the standout flavor, as it is made with fresh mint.
Banana Cream Pie Brulee - another wonderful desert, custardy and banana-y (sorry, running out of adjectives). Mmmmm.
Cupcakes - fashioned to look like Hostess Cup Cakes with the loopy swirl on top - we had the peanut butter and devils' food. Fun.
Spreckers Root Beer float - sweet and sparkly.
I ran into Peter M. who was kind enough to introduce me to the chef and owner of the restaurant, so I had the pleasure of being able to tell him face-to-face how much we enjoyed our evening at TWO. My husband said that it is the best dining experience that he has had in a long time (and if you read my reviews, you know that we go out a lot, so that's really saying something).
We'll be back soon, quicker than you can count to...TWO ;)Listed in: Best of 2007
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Review from Irene S.
2/4/2007
I know, M.I.A.
I've been pushing 80 hours a week, and as a result, suffered a serious case of writer's block, followed by the nighttime, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, fever, take some NyQuil so you can hibernate that mofo off, but I'm still congested and cranky, answering the phone with husky voice, "Hello, Demi Moore speaking." God help me, I'm turning medicine cabinets upside down for anything that might drill a hole in my nasal passages when I find "TRIAMCINOLONE ACETONIDE -- FOR INTRANASAL USE ONLY, shake for 10 seconds before use." Interesting. Precautionary statements: "See also Warning section. Before using triamconassawhattheoiwejfaoloafnmoanenoome nasal spray, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it...have diabetes, stomach/intestinal problems, brittle bones, history of blot clots...low salts in the blood..."
Seriously?
For a Hypertensive Heart Disease candidate that preys on bacon, I just don't understand the phenomenon. So when I scanned TWO's menu ("wrapped in", "with", "braised in", "drowned in" everything this 'n that bacon fat) it was love at first sight.
The new interior's kitschy-kool, very retro Aspen feel. I especially dig the crimson dusted ladies' lounge.
Dishes I love (Hi David! Thanks Peter M!): pate with fig crusts, duck confit pizza, broccoli heads, brussel sprouts with bacon, marrow bones and tomato stew, bacon and egg raviolo (although I think this could have used more bacon), lusciously sweet Tokai dessert wine, peanut butter cupcake, mint chocolate ice cream sandwich (curiously tastes like a "special" brownie), and banana creme pie brulee! YUM.
The half crab was a little dry and the potato skins were not "loaded". PASS. Scott Howard serves biscuits similar to TWO's parkerhouse rolls, and I don't think they charge for the second basket.Listed in: Once Upon A Cupcake, Death by Dessert
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Review from Suzanne B.
San Francisco, CA
1/31/2007
So I've been having this discussion with myself about what star rating to give TWO. I'm a little conflicted...well, you listen in and tell me what you think:
ME: I don't know. I found the service to be nice...but...
MYSELF: But we ALWAYS knew when she was there! I wouldn't have called that unobtrusive at all.
ME: I didn't call it unobtrusive. Maybe a bit heavy-handed?
I: The wine presentation was fantastic, though.
MYSELF: That was the wine steward. But I'll concede, our server was nice. And she knew the menu very well.
ME: I really liked the menu choices.
MYSELF: (mutters) ...small plates...
ME: Oh stop --- you know that was a decent portion of salad and the mushroom agnolotti was the perfect size.
MYSELF: For $15??? I'd hate to see the $8 portion size. And you know I hate the whole small plates thing.
I: The flavors were very good, especially the really earthy mushrooms with the wine we chose.
MYSELF: It was too al dente.
ME: Okay Ms. Negativity --- the agnolotti was a little too chewy. But the salad was great, the mid-range wine selections were nicely varied and the space was gorgeous.
I: I kept feeling a breeze and would have loved a light sweater, but yes, the restaurant was beautiful.
MYSELF: I insist on a second visit before they get 4 stars.
ME: (sighs) Fine. A second visit to see if it was just an off night. But you have to admit, this was pretty high quality for an 'off' night.
MYSELF: I admit nothing. Small plates restaurants better hit it out of the park to get more than 3 stars from me. The high $ = small portions concept is an automatic loss of one star.
I: So we go back and re-assess? Oh good. I want dessert this time. Rootbeer float! -
Review from Rachel G.
San Francisco, CA
10/8/2007
I can't in good conscience give Two anything less than Four Stars.
No. I am not scared of David G's wrath and consequent good restaurant blacklisting that surely comes with anything less than 4 stars for his Two.
My Four Stars for Two is based solely on the amount of HOUSE MADE BACON on his menu.
If you know one thing about me then you know that I can't control myself around the number one pork product in the country, and if left to my own devices I will order bacon with a side of bacon topped with bacon fat (and maybe a hot dog).
Sadly, that is not offered on the menu (David -- THINK about it. That's all I'm saying).
The Raviolo starter filled with runny egg and bacon is about as good as an orgasm. I say about as good, because an orgasm lasts for a few seconds longer than my Raviolo lasted....seriously.
We started our meal with a delicious Champagne. I would try to remember the name and year, but I am not that classy. Let's not kid ourselves. The members of my entourage ordered the likes of Watermelon Salad (which was a tad small -- but who the hell orders Watermelon Salad when you can have some bacon?), Marrow Bones, Summer Vegetable Salad, Mushroom Ravioli, Pasta w/ House made sausage, Pepperoni Pizza, a 15oz Steak, Halibut and Pork Schnitzel (hello, lover), caramelized broccoli, brussel sprouts w/ Bacon, wax beans and crispy french fries. We finished with a hot fudge sundae, TWO peanut butter chocolate cupcakes and jelly filled donut holes with vanilla dipping sauce. Takin' it home like the fatty I aspire to be.
The ambiance was lovely. The waitstaff was genuine. The sommelier was knowledgeable. The food was delicious. The bacon was superb. The company was amazing, and my tall drink of a date hardly batted an eyelash when I spilled fat on his jeans.
Hi. I'm a train wreck. Have we met? -
Review from S F.
San Francisco, CA
12/26/2008
Uh, this is truly one of those times where I wish we could give half stars. Two is better than "A-OK" but not quite at "Yay! I'm a fan!". But since I am more of a glass half empty kinda gal, I am going to err on the side of negative and go with three stars. If the service would have been better, Two would have definitely landed 4 stars.
The restaurant was pretty quiet, as we were there on a Tuesday night. I have no recollection of really ever seeing a server, but I also consumed several cocktails and a few glasses of wine. What I DO remember, though is our biscuits and crackers did not arrive until about 30 minutes until after we arrived, which is pretty ridiculous. Also, they didn't provide us with plates, which was really strange considering the breads were so crumbly. There was food all over the table before we even received our first drink.
Two's redeeming factor was the salmon.... I ordered the Roasted Salmon, Coco Beans, Escarole, Mustard Beurre Blanc. It was phenomenal...the salmon was rich and almost buttery, completely filling. My dining companions satisfaction varied- some loved their meals, others felt so-so about it. I definitely scored with my choice.
Also, the bathroom is gorgeous. -
Review from Jay H.
11/16/2006
Hear ye! Hear ye!!! All citizens of Yelpland! I have been deemed a "Bitchy Yelper!" Please go forth and proclaim to all that I, Jay H. am a picky ass demanding bitch!
(end P.A.)
Damn right I'm picky. I also know that when the kitchen and all of it's glorious and incredibly talented staff is literally at an arms length away I have the power to request favors. Luckily for me David is the nicest guy EVER! Albeit a little snarky but in a good and charming way.
Dinner was great. I had to chuckle underneath when placed before us an appetizer of Bone Marrow. I'm Mexican, we eat everything on the cow. You brave souls who have ventured into the secrets of the taco truck know that cesos makes a damn good taco. Cesos being brains to those who don't know. Marrow...fatty and salty. Can't hate that.
Soup...good. Eggplant Fries...eh..slimy. Pizza...too thick of a dough but great toppings. Desert....Banana creme pie.....bleh!! I HATE BANANAS! I hate banana flavoring in anything. I don't DO bananas.
So I asked David if they had chocolate.
David: "Are you serious? What's wrong with the banana creme pie?"
Me: "I don't DO bananas. Do you have chocolate?"
David: "Well it wasn't on the menu we gave you."
Me: "Please? I don't mind paying for it."
(with the most charming and alluring smile I could give):
David: "I'll see what I can do for you guys. Are all you Yelpers this picky?"
(You guys being NiH, Todd E and Myself)
Us: "Yes"
David: "Bring these bitchy yelpers chocolate deserts, please Matthew."
Side note: David kicks mutha' fuckin' ass. He's funny and chill and accommodated my whim for chocolate.
Enter three deserts: Two chocolate cakes and a chocolate sundae.
Me: "Oh My God I am in love with this sundae."
David: "Andrea is our desert chef"
Me: "I must meet her."
Andrea: "Hi!"
Me: " I am in love with your sundae....what is this part?"
Andrea: "Caramel Crispies"
Me: "Genius....I"m coming back solely for this desert."
As I left Hawthorne Lane I was happy and on chocolate sugar high. I wanted to hug the chef, the desert chef and I actually did hug David.
I'm down for TWO. I'm way down for the sundae. Anyone wanna take me out for a date at Hawthorne Lane? I promise to only order the sundae. -
Review from Mari A.
Walnut Creek, CA
1/26/2007
It takes TWO to make a thing go right
It takes TWO to make it outta sight
Oh sweetnesses! Thank you for a glorious night :o) And thank you too Stormi and TWO.
The TWO things I enjoyed the most about TWO was the ambiance and the desserts. TWO is a place you can really go to relax, enjoy your meal and get to really converse with the person you are sharing dinner with. The TWO complimentary desserts we received were to die for! Never in my life have I heard or tasted a Margarita sundae. I was skeptical at first, because I don't like Margaritas at all, but it was the most unique delicious sweet and sour goodness I've ever had!
Great date place!
Save room for dessert when you're out and about at TWO. -
Review from Kelly H.
San Francisco, CA
1/27/2007
Stunnah shades!!!! The night had started. JO was wearing her stunner shades and we're headed to Two, spelled T-W-O I tell all my inquiring non-yelp friends (NYF's).
Skipping the first impression of the place - was more intent on who the guests were that had been invited to such a secret party of divine wishes and birthday party pillow fights. Hi, firm shake, hi, firm shake, smile, how's it going - the holiday party, right? right.
I love big, long, wood TABLES, you sickos! It reminds me of past lives and fires in wintertime. They're comfy. All 12, 13? of us straddle getting into the family table all wondering what would come of the night - eyes darting from the shag lampshades, wood paneling, oval, inviting bar, Stormi's twins, lampshades, wood, boobs, DAVID! Thanks, Thank you, you're awesome, can I have your babies, thanks for having us really, this is a gorgeous, yet comfy place, you're awesome, thanks. . .!
I'd have more to say about the food if it didn't dissolve in my mouth so fast. Seriously everything was sublimely tasty, including the waitress.... Lea? Can't remember her name - but I think that's how she wanted it judging by how often she filled my glass with Sangiovese. The desserts were served, but not before that marvelous trout salad!! mmm, mmm, gooood! Trout salad!???! You say? ! nooo not really. . . . Back to desserts, never had any better dessert spread in my life. delicious. everything.
I went here about a week ago and dreamt last night about the pasta layers in the "ballsagna", and was compelled to write a review. -
Review from Mariangela S.
San Francisco, CA
2/7/2007
Two gets two stars from me. I actually thought the decor was better than the food (sorry Eva). I ordered the Hearts of romaine salad, lemon-anchovy vinaigrette, soft-boiled egg, Parmesan - the softboiled egg was the most poorly executed I have ever seen. My dining partner had the iceberg lettuce with blue cheese dressing - way too runny and very little flavor. Poor execution again.
For main courses I ordered the Roasted striped bass, cannellini bean ragout - the bass was cooked perfectly, the cannellini were very mushy - not ragout consistency. My friend ordered the spaghetti with sea urchin - I don't remember her raving about it.
Dessert. A so-called Margarita sundae was so ill-conceived it combined what looked like croutons, ice cream, lime granita, and "tequila caramel", which to be honest was the most intriguing ingredient in the description. But the entire concoction tasted of nothing - did not cohere. We asked for more tequila caramel (there is an LA pastry chef who has pioneered tequila caramel - you'll hear about her soon enough now that she's relocated to SF) hoping that would fix things. The tequila caramel was the most sugary crap - no flavor whatsoever.
Oh now you think I should have given it 1 star? Our server disappeared and we had to go fetch our bill on our own. -
Review from Adrienne G.
San Francisco, CA
10/17/2009
Two gave us an okay dinner last night & that about sums it up
Drinkys lost me on their random "floaters"
Cilantro Martini - fresh tasting w/ a yummy pucker of sour but didn't much care for the pieces of cilantro floating in the drink
Purple Haze - Plum infused martini-like drink w/ rum....teeny bits of grapefruit peel floating around & tasted a bit like cough syrup
They *ran out* of the Mission Fig Salad - and this was by 7:45.....WTF?!
So 2 of us got the Tomato Bisque which they said was really spicy but I thought it was very tasty
I got the Egg in the Hole - Quail Egg cooked up in a grilled cheese & it was really yummy = very breakfasty
The Table Bread consisted of the MOST heavenly teeny tiny herbed biscuits - flaky & doughy & reminded me of a good Southern biscuit (in miniature form) I could have filled up on these alone
Dinner for Sis & me was the Pea Tortellini.....7 tortellinis come out on this ginormous plate, paired w/ these microscopic tomatoes & drizzled w/ olive oil & TONS of fresh garlic to the point of it being too much ......Vampires are running for the hills
Friend got the Veal Ravioli & her portion was HUGE - could barely finish half.....when compared to our 7 little tortellinis, seemed weird
Waitstaff was completely nonexistent, claiming they didn't know they'd be so busy last night. She was completely nice as could be, she just wasn't around & we were sitting at our table, for FOREVER w/ no one coming to check on us
Final complaint - it was crazy loud in there - yelling at tablemates & still barely hearing....I think it must be how it always is....the bar sits in the middle of the restaurant, surrounded by tables so there's no way out of the bar-crowd
Final assessment: really loud, lack of service & didn't taste a dish that really wowed. It's not the best thing when the table bread is the hit of the night. Dinner was good but not the best I've ever hadListed in: CLOSED - oh how the mighty…, Grilled Cheese
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Review from Trevor F.
Chicago, IL
2/26/2007 1 photo
Two must be the number of times they expect people to come here before saying, "Screw this place!" Well I have news for them... they're off by one.
I was never a huge fan of Hawthorne Lane, but they did an alright job catering to the happy hour crowd. We walked into this place to find a full (small) bar and a completely empty restaurant. We asked if we could sit at one of the tables near the bar and were told, "Not if you want the happy hour specials."
And so we stood. What amazing privileges were bestowed upon us for this great inconvenience you ask?
Wines on the menu under $10: $5
Well Drinks: $4
Beer (except for one): $3
Drinks on the cocktail menu: $10-$12
And a happy hour menu
All served until: 6pm
Hmmmm... managed not to work "TWO" in there anywhere, huh? Well, you know what? Keep you crappy hour and let people sit. On top of it all, the bartenders did an excellent job of ignoring people and gave one of our appetizers to somebody else.
Wish I could give you TWO stars, but you just don't deserve it. -
Review from Greg T.
New York, NY
1/14/2007
2.5 stars.
I dined at two on their opening night, January 11th.
The space: As I understand it, Two is under the same management and staff as Hawthorne Lane but with an updated trendier face. The bar area seemed nice, and looked like a decent happy hour, and the communal table was beautiful, but some times you just don't want to have dinner next to random people.
As for the normal tables, our area felt awkwardly close...a bunch of tables for two with less than a foot in between each. The tables are a barf yellow colored formica. Barf colored or trendy...I'm not sure. Overall, the place had a sort of improvised and hastily decorated feeling.
Food: Below average. Average would be edible. Our food was borderline not edible. I had the sardines on cucumbers and the lamb cheeks, my friend had the mixed salad, duck and fries. The salads were good, but the mains were disappointing. We asked our server what the specialty is, and she said "the duck, the chef does it peking style--it hangs for a whole day." Ok, sounds good. But it wasn't. I just got back after being in China for several months, including Beijing (Peking), so I have a fairly decent handle on what good duck is. The duck was soggy with thin tasteless skin. Peking style has thick crispy fatty skin and tender meat. I could get better stuff in China town for 1/4 the price. The duck was just thrown onto a white plate with a small bowl of bad apple sauce. No garnish. No effort plating it.
The lamb was tender but the tomato-like sauce was inedibley salty. I'm not picky about salt either, but it was almost tongue burning salty. That basically ruin the lamb dish. The amount of fries were copious but they were under cooked, a little soggy, room temp (not warm) and definitely over salted as well.
The service: Slow. Everything took twice as long as it should have. It wasn't just our table either. Looking around, it was clear that other tables were being served at the same slow rate as us. It took about 10 minutes for the women at the table next to us to get 2 glasses of wine.
While the busboy (dressed in a t shirt my roommate would wear all the time in college) was clearing my salad, he knocked over a full glass of water onto the table, into my lap and on to the guy next to us. "Oh my bad" he apathetically says. "It's only water." Yeah I'm not dumb I could tell by the taste, and you best be thankful that it wasn't red wine. A sever from another area saw what happened got some towels. She was apologetic, and our server later found out and comped 2 dishes. I would have expected them to comp the whole meal, it was only about $60, especially considering it was their opening night. You'd think that they'd want to make a good impression, no? (Especially for someone who's going to go and yelp about it, like myself)
Disappointed. The owner has a test run, has all these people talk it up on yelp, give it 5 stars, he gives his own restaurant 5 stars and then it ends up being mediocre. It's not like he or is staff his brand new either.
I can't say that I'll be returning any time soon. -
Review from Kim D.
3/10/2008
Plus a courtesy 1/2 star for the decor and design...
Had a solid $50 lunch here this afternoon with no real complaints. It was a bit odd to be seated in an almost empty dining room at 12:20 and to be greeted by a hostess wearing casual jeans, but that's more of an aesthetic hang up on my part.
Ate here several times before, when it was Hawthorne Lane, and I do dig the decor... lots of texture in a neutral palette... the vanilla leather lampshades were too reminiscent of a Prada Fall 2007 coat that I coveted, and I will admit: distracting.
I like the bold burgundy tones in the bathroom, and whimsical flourishes better; I took my time washing my hands so that I could really appreciate it. The funny thing is: it simply doesn't sync up with the earthy tones and motifs that are prevalent throughout the front and back dining rooms.
The roasted artichoke and barley soup was better on paper. While a generous portion, it was a bit bland, but improved with a kiss of salt... and even then, it wasn't inspirational, as I prefer my soup to be. The flavors were muddled, and while I can appreciate subtlety, I like some flavor or combination to really pop, and make it a noble endeavor.
I should have ordered the roasted marrow bones... which was my first impulse - and without the caramelized onion broth. While I didn't have the dish, I know from restaurant and home experience that it's just flat out arrogant to think that roasted marrow bones need anything more than some good toast, a parsley salad and a sprinkle of sea salt. The suggestion of a caramelized onion broth vexed me, on principle.
My seared Deer Island scallops were cooked just past perfection; which was one factor in their preparation that diminished the sweet subtlety of the dish in the first place. I would say they arrived "an assertive medium" as opposed to the much preferred medium rare, which translated into scallops that were not as tender or delicate to the tooth nor palate. The vegetable accompaniments: parsnip, trumpet mushrooms and wild arugula was pleasant and necessary to balance out the aggressive salting of the scallops.
The single runner/bus boy combo was also wearing a Two logo t-shirt and jeans... which was again, distracting for me. In my opinion: too casual for front-line interaction dining at this level... or the level to which Two aspires. A more traditional but hip spin on server attire would have melded better with the overall aesthetic sensibilities and dining room decorum. Gracious - I'm writing like a 65 year old woman from Connecticut today, aren't I? Where's this language coming from?
Dessert: I wanted something light and fruity, and since Darin I. was not in the immediate vicinity, I chose the fruit granita "Popsicle". I imagined that the three featured flavors: passion fruit, blood orange and pina colada would arrive in separate, miniature serving cups, perhaps with a whimsical little spoon or something sticking out the top.
Granita, by definition is stirred at regular intervals during the freezing process, so as to agitate the ice crystals... interrupting their ability to "settle" into a more dense format, reminiscent of an ice cube. My granita Popsicle I suppose is really an oxymoron, because I was presented with a tri-colored "quiescently frozen" dessert; it looked like one of those rocket pop things. Or, as Darin I. would tell you: it looked like a big stick (read: peenie). But I didn't say that at all.
You're either gay or you're straight; you can't be granita AND be a Popsicle. It's just impossible; you have to make up your mind at some point. So, I found myself staring at this daunting, rather frozen solid object that was puzzlingly plated with a lone strip of banana leaf (I guess an homage to the tropical flavors, or whatever) and not being inclined to pick it up by the stick and suck on it.
Besides, they gave me a spoon... which I used to hack with futility at the passion fruit strata, which, for the record, was the most yielding and "granita-esque" of the layers. The blood orange segment was yummy, but thrice deflected my rather determined spoon and caused an outlandish "clink!" that reverberated through the nearly empty dining room. And the peenie colada? Like an ice cube. I picked the thing up and tried to consume it demurely, which was impossible.
So... I'd come here again, for dinner, I think... and I will order the marrow bones. *cue the jingle for the dog food commercial* -
Review from Quinn S.
12/27/2007
Two earns two stars for serving to me the toughest pork chop I have ever tried to chew through.
I was kind of shocked considering that this was a corporate holiday dinner for 20, hosted by a department within a company that a restaurant like this would probably want to wine and dine well, both literally and figuratively.
I will say that the risotto was delectable, but the soup and salad in the first course were dull, the fish was dry according to others at my table, and like I mentioned, the pork chop would have been better suited as a doorstop. The service was good, but slow, and cocktail orders took forever, since our server had to run back to the restaurant to access the bar.
They use an art gallery as private party space, which is around the corner from, but still within the same building as the restaurant. As our our hostess led us wordlessly down the street, I began to wonder if she wasn't going to drop us off at the Thirsty Bear. She brought us into the building and left us in the lobby, sneaking through another door without offering us any direction to find our party in the adjacent room. I'm not Jacques Cousteau and she was no Marcel Marceau, so it made for a less than fun game of silently exploring uncharted areas. -
Review from Stephy S.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 10/9/2009
Yay, it appears that Two is now serving lunch again!
We popped in here yesterday and noshed on a cheese plate and shared a lamb pastrami sammich and fries. I know, random combo, right? Well, random suits me just fine. All edibles were delicious and I'm super happy they are back on the lunch option wagon.Listed in: San Francisco Date Spots, San Francisco Bars!, San Francisco Restaurants, SOMA Lunch Spots, San Francisco Mac N Cheese
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/13/2008
Ya know what's better than one win? Two wins and this place, my friends, is a win win!
What an… Read more »
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Review from Adam X.
San Francisco, CA
12/1/2008
Company was great, host was great, food was good, server inattentive.
Yes I've experiences much better in this city, and yes, I've been here before many times. I probably won't be back.
If you are on a corporate tab, go for it. Otherwise I would choose somewhere consistent. -
Review from Katherine N.
Los Angeles, CA
1/24/2008
I made a 2pm lunch reservation for 2 at Two today.
I wonder if I should perhaps call my local bookie now as well.
I really liked Hawthorne Lane and my fav was the back room with the big semi circular booths and beautiful wood buffet in the center of the room with the kitchen at the head of it . With very romantic lighting.
I'm relieved to see they didn't change a thing in this room.
The new bar area is very different. It's sort of The Jetsons meets some laid back Ausi beach town. Typical large wooden light fixtures everyone seems to be doing these days. All good.
We had lunch in the bar area .
Great service, Wine was excellent and in the 9-15 pr glass range.
We shared a Crab Bisque Soup and Beef Carpaccio to start.
We also shared a Grilled Swordfish w/ sauteed spinich, roasted potatoes in Romesco sauce.
Everything was extremely tasty. Not a singe morsel left on our plates.
I read that portions were small and was a bit concerned, however we left satisfied. This food is richly flavored.
Definitely a bit pricey for lunch however worth it . I'll definitely return. -
Review from Kiki R.
6/13/2008
3 1/2 stars.
I really loved the interior and the layout of the restaurant. The bar is in the center, with a communal table on one side and regular tables throughout. I enjoyed the muted tones of the chandeliers and window treatments (isn't that what they call them?) that seemed to make the best of the daylight.
Now on the the alcohol & food. We started with a cocktail because that's what my friend and I always do when we get together for lunch. And we were both quite happy with our respective drinks.
We ordered the hamburger and the meat lovers pizza (carnivores unite!) to share. The burger was good but the meat was much smaller than the bun, reminding me of childhood bbqs when I was left with too much bread. Luckily the bun at Two was much better than the wonder-bread crap I grew up with so it wasn't too bad to have some leftover. The meat was also good, but not thrilling. The standout part of the pizza was that it included beef cheeks, which were quite yummy. Overall the food was good and it was an enjoyable lunch but it didn't cross the threshold over to greatness. -
Review from Luis C.
12/31/2009
Two went down the tubes.
I preferred the original Hawthorne Lane concept better. Except for the fried calamari and the personal pizzas, most portions were ridiculously small. Service was nice.
On the positive side Corey Lee (former chef de cuisine at French Laundry, and sous chef at Per Se) is taking over the space to open his new restaurant named "Benu" (name of the Egyptian version of the Phoenix). Yes, Corey's last name is the same as the Lee brothers from Namu restaurant, he's also Korean but not related to them.Listed in: CLOSED, out of business,…
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Review from Don H.
1/13/2007
When you walk up to the front door and notice it's being guarded by a fleet of stone-and-iron ants, you know you're in for something a little out of the ordinary. TWO is heavy on the earth tones, with some rather unusual zebra-wood wall panelling, and a great oval bar in the center of the room, with a solid selection of choice booze, creative house cocktails, and quality bartending skills backing it up. After you get past the bar, you'll likely notice some of the craziest (and quite frankly coolest) lamps you've seen over the bar and some of the tables, which are apparently made of shards of coconut. They bear a vague resemblance to something you'd expect to see worn at Burning Man, and make for great conversation pieces as well as cool ambient lighting.
TWO is (at oh, so long last) a restaurant which has figured wine out. There are some in this city, but not nearly enough. They've got plenty for those who want to splurge on the fancy stuff, but there's a wonderfully large selection of 50 bottles for under $50 each. Reasonably priced good wine is far too hard to find, and so essential to helping those who aren't flush with cash, or who are new to the oenophilic experience enjoy their meal the way the rest of us like to.
Speaking of the meal, the full range of selections continues with everything from inexpensive, tasty-sounding sandwiches and pasta up to the pricier steak and swordfish offerings. And there's a great mix of standards with creative bits you might not otherwise try (like the marrow - yes, have some! It's quite delicious).
Service was very friendly, knowledgeable about the food (and the wine!) and quite attentive.
We had a great experience, and I look forward to returning.
Want the full review? Click here: http://sibilous.blogsp... -
Review from kim n.
3/18/2007
I've noticed a trend in SOMA restaurants that were formerly "high brow" shift their focus to be more accessible, more hip, and less pricey to fit the influx of younger patrons inhabiting the many new SOMA lofts. I think I first recognized this when Bizou reinvented itself as Coco500. Now Hawthorne Lane has transformed to Two.
Having been pretty happy with the cuisine when it was HL, a few of us decided to see what Two was all about. We had recently left a wedding reception and didn't realize how casual the environment would be considering my memories were still of white linen table cloths and expensive meals. When we arrived I definitely felt over dressed. Even the older clientele were dressed down from the old HL days. We found a lot of rustic touches in the decor presented in some interesting modern ways. Without reservations we readily accepted a seat at the communal table, which only had one other couple there.
Our server greeted us readily and we were off with a round of cocktails. Perusing the menu, there was a definitely a noveau twist on many traditional American comfort foods plus some adventurous international takings as well. I started off with the slow roasted marrow bones while my friends split the goat cheese/watercress salad. The marrow bones were very buttery, contrasted with a tomato sauce base and crusty bread. My friends found their salad very refreshing and with our drinks we were enjoying the good start.
For the entrees we chose as follows:
Pork Schnitzel, escarole and lemon
Pan roasted salmon with broccoli rabe
New York strip with bleu cheese butter
All the entrees were excellent and I must say they were a good size for the price so also a great value. I had the other hald my steak for lunch the next day and it was still wonderful. Since we were going all out, we also did dessert with the root beer float, mini ice cream sandwiches, and a the sundae rounding out the evening.
Our servers were all super friendly and attentive and we were well taken care of. I have to say even though I enjoyed Hawthorne Lane for what it was, I think TWO is a step in the right direction. Where HL was more of a special occasion place, TWO makes it more accessible any day of the week. I'll definintely be coming back on a more regular basis. -
Review from Kingpin X.
San Francisco, CA
12/27/2007
I came out of here thinking "who do they think they are".
Actually, being the kind to make a snap and instantaneous judgment, I thought this within just a few minutes of arriving!
(Ironically, I am the kind of person you have to savor, get to know before making a judgment - only then could you feel justified in giving me five stars!)
Who do they think they are? Not Hawthorne Lane, that's for sure. And I would not call this a small-plate restaurant - just a restaurant with stingy portions. Both the the entrees and the starters are small and spendy - and the $12 sickly-sweet, pretentious cocktails were mediocre and way over-priced too!
If you are going to charge these kind of prices, the favours better knock your socks off and the drinks better be knockout too.
Oh, and I would like a tablecloth - or at least something more than Formica. Too cute? No - too cheap! Who do they think they are? -
Review from wendella a.
San Francisco, CA
1/22/2007
After having a casual bite at nearby Nova, bubbly blonde companion and I decided to kick it up a notch (more like several notches) and have after-dinner drinks and dessert at the ten day old TWO - the revamped, second-coming of the more staid Hawthorne Lane.
We sat at the bar and indulged in two Royal Hounds -
Muddled ruby grapefruit shaken with Ketel One vodka and Cointreau, served up with a candied grapefruit rim and finished with Heidsieck Champagne.
Dessert was a difficult choice since so many tempted, but we were thrilled with our selection of the margarita sundae, a tangy-sweet concoction of margarita granita, lemon/vanilla ice cream and butterscotchy swirl. Oh groan.
Our friendly bartender caught wind that it had just been my bday (how did that happen?) and went to to town with gratis champagne refills and a trio of miniature ice cream sandwiches that pushed the pleasure zone into overdrive.
Meanwhile, we watched as plate after plate of seemingly perfect food floated by in a fragrant dream. The signature parker-house rolls looked so soft and fluffy I wanted to lay a bunch on the floor and roll around on them. Everyone in the place beamed with satisfaction and a subliminal hum of "yummmmm" permeated the group consciousness.
I cannot wait to go back and try a full dinner there! Updated review to follow. -
Review from Amy C.
Updated - 7/1/2008
TWO visits, still THREE stars.
My second visit to Two was similar to the first. None of the dishes struck me with the exception of ONE: the Foie Gras "PB&J." While foie gras, peach chutney, peanut butter, and toast may seem like a culinary experiment gone amok, it was actually an unusual, interesting, and delicious combination! (But with the small portion and not small price tag ($17), this spendy treat tastes even better when you know it's going on your friend's expense account.)
Thanks K!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/13/2007
A wise man once said, "It takes TWO to make a thing go right, It takes TWO to make it outta sight."… Read more »
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Review from Kristen N.
San Francisco, CA
1/15/2007
We ate at Two on Friday night, and I'd have to say that it does not feel like a restaurant that has just opened. I kept expecting something to happen, but everything worked. The service was great, the staff was nice and upbeat, the decor was beautiful, and the food was impressive. Plus extra bonus points for the best ladies room in the city, the minute I walked in, I wanted to bring all of my girlfriends for cocktails and just hang out on the banquette catching up.
So the food, there were four of us and we ordered a bunch of stuff to share, which was a perfect way to try lots of yummy things from the menu. The meal starts off on a high note with the stellar Parker House rolls, these are an old Boston tradition and were perfectly baked. In fact, I hid one of the rolls on the side of my plate to dip in sauces during dinner.
Another highlight to kick off the meal was the bone marrow. Absolutely delicious. Some people may be grossed out by the idea, but I love it and it needs to be cooked so that it carmelizes and gets its deep roasted flavor. Two definitely delivered.
We also had the wedge salad, the chopped salad, the spicy sausage pasta, the duck, the pork, and the polenta and the brussel sprouts. The real stand outs were the wedge (a simple dish that is surprisingly easy to screw up) salad, which was crisp and refreshing; the duck, I loved the pear compote and the duck was crispy and perfectly cooked; and the polenta and the brussels spouts. I wasn't as keen on the chopped vegetable salad (the dressing wasn't for me), but everyone else at the table enjoyed it. And we were all slightly disappointed in the pork, it didn't live up to our high expectations, the cut was too fatty.
The other highlights were the min-ice cream sandwiches for dessert, yum, yum, yum! And the creative barrel wine service.
For anyone expecting Hawthorne Lane, Two is not Hawthorne Lane, it's a brand-new restaurant and should be approached as such. Tough to do if HL was your favorite place, but worth the effort. We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner and will definitely be back. -
Review from Amy W.
1/22/2007
Ooooooooooh lordy ! Where to start ....... so i yet again have friends in town from over the pond! The beautiful Peter M and scrummy Jenny O kindly invited us all to join them and a group of other fine yelpers at Two.
David is a totally equisit host ... that with the wine and the mouth watering food made the evening absolutely and totally brilliant !
mmmmm im still dreaming about the egg and bacon raviolli ..... ooooooh and the margherita (sp) sundae .... mmmm mmm and the banana tart ....with banana ice cream ...did i mention the apple pie yet .?? oh my!
I would recommend Two to anyone and will most definitely be going back!
Thanks all for a wonderful evening ! -
Review from Brian H.
Oakland, CA
1/22/2007
To put it simply, Hawthorne Lane has been turned into an over-priced, underseasoned knock off of Myth.
The remodeling does look nice. The menu looks interesting, but most of the dishes we had ranged from insipid to just plain dull. The wine list is nicely varied, but quite overpriced. There isn't a drinkable bottle under about $80 and you aren't getting anything interesting for less than $100.
-Pate: I've eaten rice cakes with more flavor and depth, the toast points were more interesting
-Bone Marrow: Overpowered by acidic tomato mush
-Chicken liver dumplings: Very good, even better if we didn't have to plate them ourselves.
-Pork: Bland
-Swordfish: Overcooked and uninteresting.
-Pork cheeks: Best dish of the night but plated in a weird bowl and, as noted, we could not get other plates so difficult to eat side vegetables
-Chicken: Ok, but its chicken. A restaurant better be able to make a chicken dish.
-Brussel sprouts: A nice surprise. Nicely browned with a generous amount of lardons.
Service was overly casual. The dishwasher must have been on strike, because we couldn't get bread plates or additional plates for our a la carte vegetables the whole night. Three separate request were completely ignored.
Two might work in the burbs or a flyover state, but there is too much competition for the food dollar in SF for this place to stand much of a chance. We won't be coming back.
Also, I don't see their four star rating holding once the overly dramatic five star reviews from people that were comped dinner start being offset by reviews from paying diners. -
Review from Jeff S.
San Francisco, CA
5/13/2007
Looking at their menu online before visiting two I knew what I wanted... the steak with blue cheese butter. But, at $44 I thought, that better be a damn good steak. I've had some great steaks at some great restaurants in the city, but I don't recall any of them costing $44. When I arrived at Two, I thought the decor and ambiance were very cool. And the place is a lot larger than I expected while standing in the waiting area.
Things started out well with what has to be the best bread I've ever had at a restaurant. Their bread is actually a very buttery biscuit with herbs. I almost wanted them to take it away to keep me from eating all of it. Upon ordering my $44 steak I found out that it only came with the steak and nothing else. So, I opted to get the asparagus side, which at $7 brought my dinner to $51. So, again this better be a damn good steak. Well, unfortunately it wasn't... I've had better steak at Black Angus. It wasn't very tender and was full of fat. The flavor was fine, but at $44 a tough, fat and "fine" steak just doesn't cut it (come to think of it, the knife could barely cut it too). Adding insult to injury the asparagus side I ordered wasn't good either. The asparagus was thin and floppy while tasting burnt.
All in all, I was expecting a great experience but Two fell far short of my expectations. -
Review from Connie C.
San Jose, CA
1/31/2007
After walking by and peering through the windows many times during the past month, we finally made it into David G's reinvented 22 Hawthorne Lane tonight. The restaurant's recent face lift definitely turned back the clock -- hip, retro decor that mixes earthy textures makes Two both groovy and contemporary at the same time. Though the yellow tables probably wouldn't have been my first choice in color, the funky decor works much better than what it was before.
Our server was very friendly and informative, and was helpful in making our selections. We decided to start off with the pancetta pizza, and for our second course, we ordered the roasted pork with potato garlic puree and roasted half duck on the bone with pear chutney.
First off, I have to say that the parker-house rolls they bring to your table after you order are scrumptious. They bring out this loaf straight from the oven, and it is just so warm and tasty that I can see why they would charge you for seconds. So, pace yourselves and savor each bite. You want to save room for your entree and desserts anyways. We lucked out and got two for the price of free.
Our pizza came out first, and it tasted better than it looked. The golden brown crust was loaded with a variety of toppings: pancetta, what seemed like cabbage, cheese, and two chick eggs over very easy right in the middle of it all. It was actually very delicious.
After devouring the pizza, our mains came out. I can only say that the presentation was quite blah. However, the roasted duck tasted amazing. The skin was perfectly crisp and the duck was not fatty or oily. The roasted pork was good, but I wasn't overly wowed by it. Tonight, it was the pork shoulder (our server explained that every night, they cook a different part of the pig).
I knew that I wanted dessert, so I only ate half of my half duck. We ordered the 3 mini ice cream sandwiches. The set of delightful little cubes of cookie and ice cream came on a plate that was made just for them. LOVED them. A must order. I didn't really care for the brownie with mint chocolate chip ice cream though, because the taste of the fresh mint leaves it was made from was a bit too strong for my liking. The chocolate chip cookie and the white chocolate chip with macademia nuts and vanilla ice cream were fab.
I'll be back for seconds soon.Listed in: New Restaurants of 2007
-
Review from Alice S.
San Francisco, CA
2/17/2007
So Miss Julienne G. (the sock puppet) already wrote her half of the 'Dinner in the Kitchen' story, but I think that I can find a little more to add.
She won the lottery out of 200 or so people and last Thursday night we were able to experience some new dishes that the chef is thinking of adding to their menu. The dinner consisted of about 10 people at a very informal table...literally in the kitchen at TWO.
Because it was so informal and we were guinea pigs, we were only charged $20. :)
First of all, I started out at the bar with a couple of glasses of an extremely fruity, not overly sweet Reisling. Then I moved onto a Tobiano Malbec that was smoky and full of flavor. This is what Karin (our server) was recommending with the dinner and it was fantastic.
The chef came in and introduced the dishes and we were encouraged to discuss everything with him.
This was the lineup:
Spicy tomato & basil soup with bread: 3 stars (ok, but not something I would typically order)
Roasted beets with seasoned goat cheese: 5 stars (duh, YUM)
Head Cheese with balsamic and Vidalia onions: 5 stars (I had no idea how good this is)
Pork shoulder (braised in milk) over kale: 5 stars (super rich but mild at the same time)
Salmon over greens: 4 stars (again not something I would normally order)
Raspberry filled doughnuts with vanilla sauce: 5 stars (we were fighting each other for the extras let me tell you)
Afterwards we were asked for our opinions about all the dishes.
The experience was great. I highly recommend putting your name in the lottery...I believe that you can sign up for it on their website.
What I really enjoyed about dinner was that our end of the table was a mixed bag: a funny retired couple (well they have 'fun' retirement jobs...he is a smartass who drives a limo (LOVE you) and she is a concierge, i.e. foodie), a couple of fantastic guys (SERIOUS foodies), and Julienne and me.
I pretty much just gave my limo driver pal a hard time and tried to absorb as much as I could from people who have an amazing amount of information about local restaurants. 5 stars for the food, the experience and the company. -
Review from Brad L.
9/26/2007
My friend and foodie extraordinaire Kenneth B. and I rolled into Two last night after a less than exciting event sponsored by GQ at Roe. It was my second visit and my second solid Two experience.
A lot of people seem to describe Two's interior as "retro," though I don't find anything retro about it. It's warm and comfortable with a lot of wood and brown, but pops in places with splashes of orange. All-in-all, a comfortable space.
We sat at the bar. Owner David G. was there too, so I got to say hi. The bartenders here are great - friendly and knowledgeable. Service was prompt and food was even more delicious than I remembered it being.
I ordered the:
Bacon and egg raviolo
Creamy polenta
and the Caramelized broccoli
Kenneth had the:
Warm house made head cheese
and the Trumpet mushroom and roasted pepper pizza with lemon ricotta
Everything was great. I didn't think I'd be into the pizza, but it was quite tasty. The trumpet mushrooms totally did it for me.
I really like the menu format at Two. It's not so much small plates as it is "build your own tasting menu." Highly recommended, especially for an impromptu dinner with a friend.
BIG thanks to Kenneth for buying my meal. I owe you!
