Restaurant Review: Bix in San Francisco

Opened in 1988, Bix restaurant has been a consistent, classy, and a very San Francisco supper club. By that, I mean the restaurant is very much part of what made California Cuisine so incredible. The fusion of ingredients, flavors, and styles in a way that’s not trendy, but emphasizes a level of quality that’s consistent and expertly executed. Julie and I started going to this place back in the early ’90s when she was a concierge at the Parc 55. One of the perks of being with a concierge was that we got to go to many restaurants in The City and get meal comped or get items to sample for free while paying for entrees. While we never ate for free at Bix, we did get a great table back in the day.

The first time I went to Bix, I immediately loved the ambiance. It’s a throwback to the 1920s-1930s Cotton Club-era vibe that evokes a sense of romanticism – right down to the fact that they feature live music that’s usually a jazz trio. The music isn’t overbearing, but like the food, is tasteful. It’s played at the right volume so that you can carry on a conversation without having to raise your voice.

The layout of the restaurant is also wonderful. There are two levels. Upstairs for dining only, and downstairs, there’s an impressive bar that’s usually packed, but also additional tables near where musicians play. The wait staff is very knowledgeable, and helpful, and seems to have a talent for knowing when to check in on how you’re enjoying the food and drinks. Having a wait staff that does their job with a level of professionalism, friendliness, and care can be rare in the restaurant world — given the fact that most of these establishments run on such thin profit margins. Moreover, staff turnover can be high that service can be uneven to downright poor. Not so at Bix, or so we experienced on July 3rd, 2023. It was our 30th wedding anniversary, and we wanted to eat somewhere really nice, but also a place befitting a big milestone anniversary. Bix certainly fit the bill. I made the reservations online and noted that not only was it our anniversary, but that we used to eat at the restaurant in the early ’90s and I had my bachelor party dinner there in 1993. I was hoping they could give us a nice table. And they did not disappoint We got a booth upstairs that overlooked the bar and they placed a nice card saying happy anniversary on the table.

We got our drinks and ordered oysters on the half shell (a dozen because, well, it was our anniversary!). Bix is known for its martinis, so I ordered a gin martini and Julie had a sparkling wine from Roederer Estate. A 30th wedding anniversary is a pearl anniversary, so Julie thought that the closest thing was to get oysters. Since it was a dozen, half were Miyagis and the other half was from the east coast (the actual name escapes me). Both were excellent. The Miyagis were creamy and the east coast had more of a brine flavor. The sauce they served it with was wonderful because it enhanced the flavors without overpowering them. With cocktail sauce on oysters, often all you taste is the cocktail sauce and very little of the oysters. That was not the case at Bix. The sauce kept the oyster taste forward — which can be a difficult thing to do.

We also ordered a Caesar salad. It’s a common item in most restaurants, but most restaurants tend to overdo it on dressing, choosing lettuce that is too soggy, parmesan cheese without much, if any, flavor, and croutons too large. At Bix, the dressing was light but full of flavor, the croutons were small and not jaw-breakingly hard, and the lettuce was perfect. By that I mean, it was the right balance of crisp and delicate. Nowadays, the knee-jerk reaction of “hold the anchovies” is kind of standard that most Caesar salads don’t even come with them. At Bix, they don’t hold the anchovies — unless you ask. I’m glad we didn’t omit them because they were really delicious. Julie said that Bix probably soaks them in milk — which tends to smooth out the rough edges of the fishy and salt flavors.

For our entrees, I had a seared duck breast, which had a duck fat pomme puree, chanterelles mushrooms, a Cherry-Port Gastrique, and a couple of whole cherries. I’ve had my fair share of poorly cooked duck, so when you get duck that’s expertly cooked, it’s such a treat. This is all to say that the duck at Bix was expertly cooked, and the flavor combinations of puree, cherries, and Gastrique were, to me, nothing short of culinary perfection — especially when paired with a Cabernet Sauvignon (which it was).

Julie ordered the Dungeness crab tagliatelle. It has peas, wild mushrooms, spring onion cream, Calabrian chili, and tarragon. Often, when one sees the word “cream” on menu items, it’s common to think, “Oh, boy this is going to be thick, rich, and overpowering.” Nope. Not at Big. The crab pasta was creamy, but it was light, and the ingredients were so fresh that one could even discern the English peas they used were incredibly fresh and flavorful. Overall, Julie (who almost always struggles with her orders because she narrows them down to two dishes –and can’t decide), chose wisely. Julie likes more mineral-tasting wines at times, so she paired her entree with a Chablis.

By the time the dessert menu came, we were too full to order anything. Right when we were going to say “Thanks, but we’ll take the check,” one of the food servers brought out one of their signature desserts, a warm chocolate brioche bread pudding that had hot fudge and chantilly. Okay, I don’t normally eat dessert anymore, but because it was our anniversary, I abandoned that rule and dove into what can only be described as chocolate heaven. The quality of the hot fudge alone was worth it. But the brioche was so fluffy that it was almost like a heavy souffle (if there is such a thing).

I’ve lived in the East Bay for so long that I had forgotten how much I miss San Francisco restaurants. Great meals are supposed to elevate one’s spirits, and our dinner at Bix did that for me. However, Bix may not be for everyone. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, you’ll find your options very limited. But for those who are omnivores, Bix will prove to be a San Francisco experience that made The City famous for its food. Cheers!

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