Home Food & Wine The Hungry Palate No-frills fare just fine at Argentine steakhouse El Raigón

No-frills fare just fine at Argentine steakhouse El Raigón

Written by Susan Dyer Reynolds, Northside Editor

Monday, 28 February 2005

There are only a handful of places in San Francisco that I would recommend to someone who wanted a really good steak, and most of them are on the north side of town. In my opinion, tourist favorite Ruth’s Chris is overrated and overpriced – the last time I visited, they served me a lukewarm grey blob with nary a grill mark on it. I enjoy the Brazen Head’s signature pepper steak and the buttery filet at Izzy’s, and I also like the new C&L Steakhouse, which features regional steak specialties from eight U.S. cities. For years, Harris’ Restaurant held first place in my meat-eating heart – until Boboquivari’s opened and I tasted “The Steak,” a melt-in-your mouth bone-in filet mignon that I now consider to be the best hunk of meat in The City (well, that comes from a steer, anyway). Frankly I was quite happy with my short but sweet red-meat roster, but a recent visit to the eight-month-old Argentine steakhouse El Raig&oacuten in North Beach had me eagerly adding another destination to my recommendation list for steak lovers. El Raigón serves only natural Montana range-raised beef cooked “parrilla-style.” In Argentina, the parrilla is a hut fashioned from mud bricks with a dirt floor and a gigantic grill inside, and El Raigón’s version, though it looks more sophisticated, uses the same wood and charcoal fire to produce a tender, smoky, extra-juicy steak. Each bite of the tenderloin ($29) melted like butter on my tongue, and the incredibly tasty center-cut rib-eye ($26) was the best I’ve had in recent memory. Each cut is beautifully marbled and very lean, but the lack of fat does not mean a lack of flavor as it can with lesser cuts of beef. Perhaps the biggest surprise was that my favorite meat of the evening wasn’t even beef; it was the lamb loin ($18). The aromatic, medium-rare medallions were absolutely luscious cooked on the grill, which is my favorite way to cook lamb in general. Unfortunately, the cross-cut short ribs didn’t benefit from the parrilla method of cooking – they were meatier than most, but tough and not very tasty. Sides ($4) are simple, fresh and wonderful, including creamy mashed potatoes, crispy-charred spears of asparagus and buttery mashed squash. And finally a restaurant got the sautéed spinach right: instead of the usual mushy, soggy mess, this version is barely wilted and lightly flecked, not overwhelmed, with bits of garlic. The appetizers are refreshingly under-seasoned and very satisfying, ranging from cumin-scented ground beef empanadas in a flaky golden crust ($5) to Argentine favorites like chorizo and blood sausage ($5). My favorite was the crunchy, garlicky prawns ($8), served head-on and stacked on top of each other like a Lego log cabin. The prawns, in fact, offered the most exciting presentation of the evening – the food at El Raigón is served unpretentiously on thick white plates with nothing more than a dusting of chives for garnish or sometimes nothing at all. Meats are topped with a vinegary red pepper, bell pepper and onion relish which added color but not much else, and accompanied by the traditional chimichurri sauce (garlic, oregano, vinegar and olive oil), which is as common in Argentina as ketchup and A-1 sauce are in America. Desserts ($7) stick with the unpretentious program and include yummy panqueques con dulce de leche, thin pancakes filled with warm, sweet caramel, and a delightful bomba de chocolate, a dome filled with dark, rich mousse and covered in a crisp chocolate shell. Since Alberto Lataliste of Gaucho Imports Fine Wines is one of the owners, the wine list is comprised of some wonderful Argentine offerings, including eight Malbecs, and a light and peppery 1996 Rincon Privado Pinot Noir Special Reserve that was a perfect complement to the robust, salty flavor of the steaks. The interior of El Raigón has a warm and inviting ranch house appeal, replete with chunky wooden tables and brick walls. Cowhides stretched over square canvases are hung like furry paintings between the white-shuttered windows, breaking up the darkness of the bricks. In one of the nicest touches, the proprietors tore out the building’s ceiling to reveal beautiful hardwood beams which are stained a deep chocolate brown. The building also has a great location – off the beaten path on a quiet stretch of Union Street that feels removed from the hustle and bustle of North Beach, though it’s only steps away. Inside the restaurant, however, it’s far from quiet – you’ll likely have to strain your voice to converse with the person seated just inches in front of you. The service is a bit unpolished, but it almost adds to the casual charm; and seating can get a bit tight and claustrophobic when tables are pushed together to accommodate larger parties during the dinner rush. El Raigón’s authenticity also gets a boost from its players – owners Alberto Lataliste and his wife, Consuelo Lyonnet, hail from Argentina, while partner Will Harris owns a cattle ranch there called Estancia El Raig&oacuten (“Big Root Ranch”) for which the restaurant is named. Chef Eric Hollis was born and raised in Argentina before moving to the United States to attend college. After moving to the Bay Area in 1995, Hollis cooked for an eclectic but impressive roster of restaurants including Stars, La Folie, Kokkari, Aziza and Sausalito’s Sushi Ran. He recently returned to Buenos Aires for several weeks, where he worked at the classic Argentine grill house El Brigada under the tutelage of parrilla-cooking master Hugo Echeveria. If you’re looking for good, simple food served in an equally simple fashion, El Raigón is the perfect place to chow down, and if you have carbphobic friends, they’ll be happy, too. With the myriad of fancy, small plate eateries dotting the cityscape these days, El Raig&oacuten is definitely a breath of fresh air. Not-to-miss-dish: Go for the sublimely tender tenderloin. El Raigón: 510 Union Street near Grant. Dinner served Monday through Thursday from 5:30 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday until 11:30 p.m. For more information or for reservations, visit www.elraigon.com or call the restaurant at (415) 291-0927.

Last Updated ( Sunday, 26 November 2006 )