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{Sweet San Francisco}: Dinner at Dirty Habit

Aug 3 by Anita 23 Comments

Dirty Habit blueberry tart

Becoming a parent means nights out become fewer and further between, especially fancy dinners at a San Francisco restaurant. It also means that when we do get date night, we pick our dining spot with over-meticulous care; after all, there’s fewer worse disappointments than drawing a dud out of the city’s current crop of hot spots.

Thanks to an invitation from Nommery we got our latest evening out and a chance to cross another restaurant off our list: Dirty Habit. Although the name is eyebrow-raising, I’m happy to say the food elicited only sighs on contentment from us.

Dirty Habit is located in the space formerly occupied by Fifth Floor restaurant, a longtime landmark of the San Francisco dining scene. It’s been renovated to a modern bar and lounge space, perfect for the young-and-hip San Francisco set, but we felt comfortable even if we aren’t so hip anymore. The interior is eclectically stylish, but I prefer the heated outdoor patio complete with fire pits and lounge chairs – a luxurious oasis in oft-foggy San Francisco. The space outside is more relaxed and conducive to conversation, and I had better lighting for the food (until the sun set, anyway).

Some of the highlights of our dinner:

Dirty Habit figs with feta

figs a la plancha/lime vinaigrette/feta

Beautiful way to start off the evening. Dirty Habit’s plating is on point.

Dirty Habit halibut ceviche

halibut ceviche/pluot/white soy/sesame

Loved this. Fresh and clean and just a bit of spice.

Dirty Habit beef tartare

wagyu beef tartare/red curry/fried shallots

Another favorite of the evening. So tender and flavorful and I loved the addition of the curry.

Dirty Habit octopus confit

octopus confit/yukon/pole beans/yemen spice

Beautiful plating. Dirty Habit’s cuisine is classified as New American, which is a bit of a nebulous description by now as chefs are showcasing increasingly unique and personal viewpoints. The dishes at Dirty Habit had a slight Asian influence, from the use of curry and coconut in an avocado salad to mixing yakitori-style chicken into a tagliatelle dish.

Dirty Habit sisig rice

sisig fried rice/pork belly/calamansi

Can’t say no to pork belly, and it was fun to see modern take on pork sisig.

Dirty Habit soft shell crab

soft shell crab/banana ketchup/thai sausage

A beautifully arranged ikebana-like spiral of crab legs. I really enjoyed the aesthetics of the plated dishes here.

Dirty Habit chawanmushi

Finally, dessert time. (Oh, and in case you were wondering, I never skip dessert, even when we’re on the clock to get home to the babysitter. You always have to make time for the important things in life!) The most original item we got was a sweet chawanmushi (Japanese egg custard)with barley, strawberry, and black garlic. It was like a cross between creme brûlée and rice pudding. The other desserts were a lemon and blueberry tart (top photo) and a chocolate mousse cake with hazelnuts and cherry –  delicious, if not as creatively original as the rest of the menu. Next time I’d like to try the biko topped with passion fruit/mango/coconut – it sounds like the sort of Asian-inspired dish at which Dirty Habit excels.

Thanks for Nommery for the dinner invitation and giving us a fun night out!

I haven’t attempted making the chawanmushi at home yet, but here are some of my takes on the lemon tart:

Meyer lemon and chocolate tart

Valrhona white chocolate and lemon tart

Blueberry and lemon curd tart

Filed Under: San Francisco, Sweet Spots Tagged With: best desserts san francisco, best restaurants san francisco, dessert, dessert recommendations, dirty habit, restaurant, san francisco

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Comments

  1. 1

    Alison says

    Aug 3 at 7:28 am

    Everything looks delicious. I just got back from San Francisco and could have use a great restaurant recommendation. Next time for sure… going on my list:) Your photos are beautiful to boot

    Reply
  2. 2

    brenda@sugarfreemom says

    Aug 3 at 7:30 am

    How nice a date night! Everything does look perfectly plated I agree! I’ve never tried beef tartare but boy now I want to!

    Reply
  3. 3

    Colleen (Souffle Bombay) says

    Aug 3 at 8:03 am

    Yes…date nights are few & far between! However your latest looks like it was an amazing eating experience & I LOVE the name of the place!

    Reply
  4. 4

    Aishwarya S says

    Aug 3 at 8:22 am

    All these photos of yummy food are making me hungry. They look so delicious! 🙂

    Reply
  5. 5

    Tasha @thatssoyummy says

    Aug 3 at 8:48 am

    Date night, sometimes its hard to have with little ones… This restaurant looks delish!

    Reply
  6. 6

    Sarah Twain says

    Aug 3 at 12:18 pm

    This article made me squeal a bit! So want to freakin’ go to San Fran NOW

    Reply
  7. 7

    Heather (Delicious Not Gorgeous) says

    Aug 3 at 1:07 pm

    i love tapas places like this- trying a little bit of everything is so much more fun that eating a massive amount of one thing, in my opinion. and the asian fusion (for lack of a better term, even though it seems to have a negative connotation these days) elements sound so tasty!

    Reply
  8. 8

    Stephanie says

    Aug 3 at 1:37 pm

    Oh wow! Everything looks so wonderful!

    Reply
  9. 9

    Valerie Hansen says

    Aug 3 at 2:09 pm

    Oh My it all looks so delicious! Your pictures are supberb! SFO is one of my favorite places on earth! I went to college in Stockton, so made many day trips there on weekends! Lovely blog!

    Valerie
    Fashion And Travel
    x0

    Reply
  10. 10

    Ashley @ Wishes & Dishes says

    Aug 3 at 2:22 pm

    This meal looks fabulous!! I’m glad you got to have a night out!

    Reply
  11. 11

    Lauren kelly Nutrition says

    Aug 3 at 2:24 pm

    How fun! Everything looks delicious, especially those figs! YUM!

    Reply
  12. 12

    The Food Hunter says

    Aug 3 at 2:56 pm

    I need to check this place out the next time I am up that way…sounds wonderful

    Reply
  13. 13

    Leah says

    Aug 3 at 3:33 pm

    Sounds fantastic! Don’t you love those nights you get out, especially when they are so special so far apart!

    Reply
  14. 14

    Martha @ A Family Feast says

    Aug 3 at 4:41 pm

    What a fantastic meal! I haven’t been to San Francisco in years – I miss that city!

    Reply
  15. 15

    Kirsten/ComfortablyDomestic says

    Aug 3 at 8:19 pm

    With four boys, I can completely relate to not wanting to waste an evening out on a sub-par dining experience. Every single plate was gorgeous. Sounds like a fantastic date night.

    Reply
  16. 16

    Chelsea says

    Aug 3 at 8:51 pm

    I’ve been waiting to dine here! Gosh, that ceviche and soft shell crab look and sound amazing. Making a reservation, stat!

    Reply
  17. 17

    Lora @cakeduchess says

    Aug 4 at 4:13 am

    Date nights are so special (and so rare!). What a lovely meal to enjoy in San Francisco and your photos are wonderful!!

    Reply
  18. 18

    Renee - Kudos Kitchen says

    Aug 4 at 6:35 am

    What a fun name for a restaurant. Glad you got to have a fun date night. The food looks rather adventurous, which makes it perfect for a special night.

    Reply
  19. 19

    Angie | Big Bear's Wife says

    Aug 4 at 7:10 am

    I’ve never been to San Francisco but I’m putting this place on the list for when I do!! I love that the patio has fire pits! I would love that soft shell crab and the dessert looks like it was worth the wait!

    Reply
  20. 20

    Mama Munchkin says

    Aug 4 at 8:47 am

    That meal has me drooling over here and wishing I could jump through the screen. With 5 munchkins at home date night are VERY far and few between. I haven’t had a meal like that in FOREVER! But, I pinned it so I can try it the next time we are in San Fran- looks like it would be worth the sitter cost 😉

    Reply
  21. 21

    Susan says

    Aug 4 at 11:04 am

    Your photos look incredible! Who wouldn’t want to dive into this meal and that soft shell crab? I need that now!

    Reply
  22. 22

    Paula - bell'alimento says

    Aug 4 at 12:17 pm

    That is some seriously beautiful food plating!

    Reply
  23. 23

    Sarah Walker Caron (Sarah's Cucina Bella) says

    Aug 10 at 9:07 am

    That meal looks like it was amazing. I also am a sucker for pork belly — I never pass it up!

    Reply

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Anita Chu, also known as pastrygirl, is a baker, writer, and photographer with a passion for pastry. She trained at Tante Marie's Cooking School and is the author of Field Guide to Cookies, Field Guide to Candy, and Lollipop Love. Anita lives in San Francisco with her husband, daughter, and dog Max. More about pastrygirl

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