Contigo reigns with Spain
Contigo opened in Noe Valley in 2009, just as the Spanish trend was heating up. Owned by Brett and Elan Emerson, it has remained a bright spot in that neighborhood.
Earlier this week, I wrote about five of my favorite Spanish restaurants that serve paella. I didn’t include Contigo because, while it’s Spanish, paella is served only on Tuesday night. But it certainly continues to serve many other dishes that are just as good today as when the restaurant opened.
One favorite is squid with shelling beans, Jimmy Nardello peppers and drizzles of aioli. I am also a fan of the seared black cod that sits atop black rice, chorizo, tomatoes and baby artichoke hearts, again topped with zigzags of aioli.
On my most recent visit I couldn't decide what to order so I chose the tapas tasting menu, where the chef picks out seven dishes for $50. Both the shelling beans and cod were included in this menu, along with Jamon Serrano ham loosely wrapped around perfectly ripe pears with creamy chunks of bleu cheese, toasted walnuts and a little honey. Another dish was creamy croqueta with the same ham. The chef also included an off-menu item: head-on shrimp on a puddle of Romesco sauce.
A green bean salad included tomatoes, frisee, capers and hard-cooked eggs. I liked the concept, but the Romesco sauce stirred into the blend dulled the flavors of the other ingredients. That said, the food remains consistent — the pork, lamb and ham meatballs still had too much cinnamon in the mix for my taste, as they did on an earlier visit.
More than two years ago, the Emersons announced they were going to open another restaurant in downtown Santa Cruz called Barceloneta in late 2015 or early 2016; it’s still a work in progress, but should be open in the next few months.
Meanwhile, the couple moved to Santa Cruz and now return to San Francisco a couple of times a week. Such a commute by owners could cause problems, but in the case of Contigo the staff has carried on admirably.
While the Emersons have continued to preside over a winner in San Francisco, I'm looking forward to their Santa Cruz operation, where they will have a full liquor license and a larger dining room. If it's anything like Contigo, the new restaurant will be one of the best in the city.
1320 Castro St., S.F; (415) 285-0250 or www. contigosf.com. Open for dinner 5:30-10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, and until 9:30 p.m. Sunday.