42 Degrees. Has Gone South
Written: Jan 25 '00 (Updated Jan 09 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Interesting setting, good live jazz, pleasant staff, a varied changing menu of Mediterranean dishes.
Cons: Like a majority of upscale restaurants, 42 DEGREES may never have justified its prices.
The Bottom Line: 1/9/04 UPDATE -- 42 DEGREES: Bayside "high tech" alternative for people visiting the new 3-Com Stadium to the North. Unfortunately, people rejected the alternative, and it closed this month.
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| macresarf1's Full Review: 42 Degrees |
One finds 42* (let this symbol stand for "degrees"), 235 16th Street (at Illinois off 3rd Street), with some difficulty. The restaurant is hidden behind a discount outlet at the foot of Potrero Hill by the Bay, in the southeast quadrant of San Francisco. This area of old warehouses, boatyards, waterside bars and grills promises to be the future of the City. With the completion of the new 3 Com Baseball Park and soon, closer yet, the new Football Stadium, San Francisco will move down this side of the Bay. Right now is a good time to pay it a visit while it still has its quaint, broken down charm.
A cab from Union Square will cost upwards of $15.
On the other hand, an F Car along Market Street (recommended) and then the #22 Fillmore Bus from Church at Market drops you off at the bottom of Mariposa Street, from where you make your way north (to your left) along Illinois to 16th Street. In good weather, you may want to stop at The Ramp, 855 China Basin, to have a drink while watching the boats on the Bay. Then, walk over to 42* for lunch or dinner.
Again, in good weather, the front of this old industrial, metal warehouse is opened up, and people eat outside next to a handsome sculpture. In any case, live music, usually jazz, will accompany your meal. You walk in, turning left, to find a vast, bustling area, with a bar-food assemblage center at the far end on the right.
If you walk across and upstairs, as I like to do, it is quieter. You can sit in a comfortable booth, listen to the music, peer down at the action below or look out the window at the Bay. (However, be warned, the setting is not picture postcard-beautiful.)
The name 42* stands for the latitude of the Mediterranean, and thus, the seasonally changing menu. It is hard to predict what you may find on a given visit, but generally speaking, expect the tapas of Spain, duck comfit from Provence, blood sausage from Sicily, dolmades from Greece, boar prepared as you might find it in Dubrovnik, lamb Turkish style, couscous from North Africa, etc. You get the idea.
The restaurant prides itself on its wine list, its collection of aged Coqnac and Scotch, and especially its aged Sherries and Ports. Save a little room in your tummy and wallet for these.
A full dinner with wine and cocktails will probably cost about $60 with tip.
This place is not my first choice in the area to recommend to friends, but I find the wait service pleasant and informed, the food nicely presented, and the atmosphere uniquely different from a normal San Francisco venue.
Recommended:
Yes
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macresarf1
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Location: San Francisco, Ca.
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