NOPA at Midnight

For those of you unfamiliar with San Francisco, NOPA stands for North Of the Panhandle.  Thus, they can claim some geographic legitimacy to the neighborhood acronym, although it sounds a wee bit try-hard if you ask me (think Soho, Noho, TriBeca... not).  :P

I remember the advent of NOPA.  Suddenly, Zuni was easier to get into.  Why is this significant?  They are two of the few places in the city where you can get a nice square meal at after hours.  I will come out and say it.  I am on Team Zuni.  I think of NOPA as similar, but not as good.  That said, variety is the spice of life.

NOPA is an oasis in the San Francisco fog, a beacon of good food for the night owls.  I am never surprised when I enter the doors at a quarter to midnight and find it to be a packed house thriving with activity.  After all, S.F. is a major city with much to do at night.  People get hungry after 10pm.  It is baffling and irksome that restaurants close so early (for major city standards).  I have had this conversation with friends a million times, both sober and definitely not.

Enter NOPA.  It is the answer for late night diners who groan at the idea of Osha or Chinese food (yet again).  The food here is pretty good, but nothing that will change your life.  (But, they get extra credit for being open until 1am.)  The emphasis is on organic, local ingredients, thus they change/mix up the menu frequently.  For instance, every time I order the flatbread (essentially, pizza), it comes with a different combination of toppings (some better than others).  Two stellar combos comprises of 1) spicy fennel sausage, broccoli, and pomegranate seeds and 2) smoked bacon, gruyere, garlic, and arugula.

Regulars on the menu are the rotisserie chicken and the Moroccan tagine.  They are also one of the few eateries that offer grass-fed burgers.  Paired with gruyere cheese and a dollop of harissa aioli, it is not a bad way to end the night, although it does not compare to Zuni's burger to my taste buds.  The pork chop is probably their best main.  Cooked to juicy perfection, it slides off the bone with slippery ease.  Always.

I love the desserts, which include pecan tart with "smoke & whisky" ice cream, warm bread pudding with cinnamon ice cream, and ginger cake with Nocino cream (cream made from an Italian liquor with an aromatic, bittersweet taste, bellissima!).

The cocktails are a lot of fun and, like the rest of the menu, change with the seasons and availability of ingredients.  Their list of spirits can send people over the edge.  From high quality rum to bourbon and rye to single malt whisky, NOPA has it.  The wine list is sure to please, as it ranges from classic West Coast reliables from Napa, Bonny Doon, and Willamette to Chianti Classicos and French cab franc.

As for the interior, it matches the cuisine to the "t":  refined yet rustic, open with high ceilings yet warm and inviting with its neighborhood-themed murals and solid oak tables and benches.  If it is too busy--and it often is even at midnight--sit at the bar where you can watch the cooks hustle in an open kitchen that adds fire (literally, to some extent, since you can watch them insert flatbread and meats into the wood-fired ovens) and life to an otherwise casual but sophisticated meal.

NOPA
560 Divisadero St.
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 864-8643
http://www.nopasf.com/