Castro's Newest Restaurant, Fable, a Hit not a Myth

This past Thursday, the Castro Biscuit Chow Hounds headed over to Fable (558 Castro Street), Castro's newest restaurant, and sat down for a fantastic 3-course meal. Fable's head chef and co-owner, Jon Hearnsberger, describes the restaurant's menu as a California twist on American classic dishes. We made reservations for two (lucky for us as it was quite busy) and were seated right away near the quiet, more intimate rear of the completely remodeled and highly stylized restaurant.

Fable boasts an open kitchen in the front of the restaurant with two high-top tables that face Castro Street. The rest of the tables are also 2-up and flank the kitchen area on both sides in groups. They can be configured to hold larger parties of diners if needed. A few more tables are situated along the narrow hall that leads towards the back. Located near the front is a small bar that seats 3-4 people. This restaurant is a great place to bring a date or a friend to enjoy a one-on-one meal. Our waiter, Brian, was very friendly and served us a carafe of water and took our drink order immediately. We ordered a glass of chardonnay ($7). Co-owner Eric was stopping by each table asking how people were enjoying their meals and if they needed anything.

To start, we ordered the Dijon Crusted Braised Pork Cheeks ($12) which featured a bed of lacinato kale, frisee, apples, cider vinaigrette, and crispy shallots. The dish came with three pieces of the pork cheeks that rested near the super tasty kale and apple slices. The dish was peppered with mini crisps and shallot onion rings. The cider vinaigrette was delicious and added a sweet tone to the tender flaky meat and bitter kale. With a smidgen longer delay between courses than expected, our main dish arrived. It was well worth the wait. We ordered: the All American Pot Roast ($19), and the Brined and Grilled Pork Chop ($17) with a side of Caramelized Brussel Sprouts ($7).

The All American Pot Roast featured carrots, pearl onions, turnips, and spinach. At the center of the plate was a light and full-bodied cabernet wine sauce with a parmesan popover that we both enjoyed. From the first caress of the fork the tenderized meat fell apart. So succulent and flavorful, we sopped up the pool of Cabernet wine-based sauce with the flavorful and cheesy popover. When that was gone, we turned to the delicious sourdough bread (provided by Acme Bakery) and sponged up the last of the rich goodness of the pot roast.

The other dish was the Brined and Grilled Pork Chop featuring a kumquat-Riesling sauce, farro risotto, celery root, toasted pecans, cipollini onions, and cress. The pork chop was soooo juicy. The risotto was soft and the vegetables accompanied it well. The onions were soft and flavorful. The Caramelized Brussel Sprouts were not as caramelized as I would have hoped, but were still a great vegetable complement.

Fable also offers a great dessert menu. We debated between the Pear and Apple Crisp (with vanilla ice cream, OMG) and the Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse ($7) paired with caramel whipped cream and chipotle sea salt. The chocolate mousse won the consensus vote. Hint: With the Chow Hounds, chocolate always wins! We loved the result -- it was fluffy, yet bold, and encased in layers of rich, full-bodied chocolate flavors. The chipotle sea salt was a great topper on the caramel whipped cream giving it just a hint of a savory flavor accompanied by a bit of fresh mint.

Head chef, Hearnsberger, formerly of neighboring, well-loved Castro restaurant, Anchor Oyster Bar, has changed their menu one time and may change it again in the future, but until then, check out their current dinner, dessert and wine menus and go EAT!       Open Monday through Sunday, 3PM - 10PM. Call 415.590.2404 for reservations. [mappress mapid="6" width="100%"]