The 411 on Trestle #
Address: 531 Jackson St
San Francisco, CA
Website: https://www.trestlesf.com/
Phone: (415) 772-0922
The 411 on Trestle #
The Vibe: From a newsletter for the Hi Neighbor Hospitality Group, I learned that my 45th birthday would be the last day of Trestle’s 10th anniversary dinner special. That was exciting because I’d never been to Trestle, the prix fix menu sounded amazing, and a $45 four-course meal for my 45th sounded perfect. Plus, Italian is my second favorite cuisine (Mexican is my BFF).
Obviously, this was a coincidence I could not pass up. We’ll just pretend that the regular menu is more than $52, to make it feel like more of a deal that we saved $7 per person. 😉
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Me and my celebrants!
The restaurant has a lovely garden patio feel, despite being completely indoors. It’s full of reserved tables, even at opening at 5:30pm on a Sunday. Wait staff was attentive but not obtrusive. Being asked for allergy info before placing orders felt like an extra touch of hospitality.
The prix fixe had two options per course, so we enjoyed them all. Can’t think of a complaint all night, but there was plenty of praise, particularly for the starters and entrees.
My Take on Trestle #
The Food: The first course was my favorite of the evening, though it had stiff competition. I went for the green garlic soup with focaccia crouton, toasted garlic, and parmesan mousse.
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I didn’t love the mousse texture (it’s a concept I’ve tired of), but that parmesan flavor shined in that format, and wow, the green garlic tasted amazing.
The second starter possibility was marinated calamari and confit potato with olive tapenade, harissa aioli, and shaved celery.
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One friend who chose that option commented that it was really nice to have a calamari appetizer that didn't default to fried.
Moving on to the pasta course, I opted for the ricotta gnudi with English peas, pickled ramps, and prosciutto.
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A classic and satisfying combination of flavors with an excellent sauce. It had stiff competition for my attention from the corn and truffle risotto with parmesan, fine herbs, and a sweet corn mousse. Honestly, if I liked mushrooms, that would have been my choice as I adore corn.
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My bite from a friend’s plate had plenty of that sweet corn flavor. But my gnudi was super delicious, spring peas are always a delight, and I did want some actual pasta for my pasta course–risotto is rice! Serving it on the pasta course is cheating! More pasta options, please. (I may be a little enamored with pasta.)
On to the mains! The roasted prime sirloin with onion galette, Delta asparagus, and sauce au poivre was a popular choice for our party. If I weren’t the rare foodie who is not that into rare meat, I’d have gone for it.
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Everyone who did cleared their plates fast. My entree was crispy skin branzino with chorizo seco and piquillo pepper in a clam-saffron sauce.
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The skin reached that perfect crispy texture, and the whole dish swam in bright flavors from the clam-saffron sauce. I was beyond pleased to see a grilled spring onion on my plate as well—I was jealous of that onion galette that came with the prime sirloin.
Dessert provided the welcome sweetness that caps off a savory feast. I had half a helping of the whipped cheesecake with almond macaron, roasted strawberries, and balsamic vinegar before my friend offered to switch plates with me.
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Don’t get me wrong: the macaron and cream cheese bite was good! But I am a chocolate fiend, and the texture of the whipped cream cheese was not quite what I expected. My friend could tell that her dark chocolate tart with salted caramel, candied cocoa nibs, and vanilla cream would please this chocolate lover and birthday girl just a little more. The extra richness of its dark caramel certainly did.
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The Drinks: An excellent selection of wines and beers are on offer at Trestle, including fun nonalcoholic shrubs. I opted for the two glasses of the light red wine blend, though I was tempted by my friend’s Allagash chocolate orange porter. That beer makes for a great dessert on its own.
Would I Go Back? Yes, I look forward to doing so, though Mama Oakland’s menu is still the best Bay Area deal for prix fixe, as it also includes gratuity. But it’s only three courses compared to Trestle’s four. Regardless, $52 for four expertly planned dishes is a terrific value for San Francisco. And it was nice to feel cared for by the waitstaff, and of course, by my friends, for my birthday. Highly recommended.
Reviewed 4 May 2025.
