Argentinean Steak Makes My Boca Happy!
Written: Jul 03 '08 (Updated Jul 03 '08)
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Pros: * Argentinean-inspired food was almost all perfectly prepared
* Beautiful upscale decor
Cons: * Suburban setting off the beaten path
The Bottom Line: For an outstanding steak, Boca is your place if you don't mind the drive out to the suburbs.
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Celebrity chefs rarely venture out of major cities, so it was a surprise to learn that George Morrone, San Francisco's 2001 Chef of the Year and former executive chef of 4 star restaurants Aqua and Fifth Floor, opened an Argentinean-inspired steakhouse in Novato (a small suburban city north of San Francisco). My husband and I recently made the trek out to Novato to see whether the restaurant would live up to the hype. Fortunately, it was well worth the drive!
About the Restaurant
Located right off the freeway, Boca is an upscale restaurant in a typical suburban neighborhood just a couple doors down from a Jack in the Box. Yet once you step inside, the decor by San Francisco designer Michael Brennan transports you to another place. Unlike the traditional American steakhouse with its formal stuffy atmosphere, dark wood paneling, low lighting and clubby leather booths, Boca's interior is intended to "elicit the feel of a rustic Estancia"(a South American ranch), per the Boca website. With the ample use of lighter colored wood, warm earth-colored tones, high ceilings, and beautiful yet simple iron circle chandeliers (go see the website photos to check them out!), diners find a welcoming environment. You almost forget you're in the suburbs, until you walk to your car and smell the Jack in the Box grease.
There is also a large open patio at the right side of the restaurant, which we chose to forgo given the hot summer sun.
The one drawback to the lovely space with its high ceilings is that it's noisy, but who wants to talk when you're busy eating? Once the food arrived, my husband and I didn't mind the noise.
The Glorious Food!
First things first: this is not the place to bring your vegetarian or vegan friends (though there are some salad options). As they proudly proclaim on their website, "Boca specializes in meats with Argentinean accents. Both grass and grain fed steaks are featured, cooked over oak and almond, accompanied with our signature steak sauces." If you make the trek out to Novato, you have to order meat.
Also, while there is a small children's menu (6 items), this isn't the most child-friendly place. I did see a family eating on the patio when we arrived, but they left before the main dinner crowd arrived.
After we ordered our appetizer and steaks, we dined on presumably homemade pickles that come with the rolls. It's a small glass pickling jar with jalapenos and we ate 3-4 spears each before the food arrived. Now those are some good pickles!
We started off with the basket of 4 empanadas ($15, but $7.95 each if ordered separately):
Betty's Beef, Raisin, and Olive
Lamb, Pine Nuts, Onions, Roasted Red Pepper
Zucchini, Tomato, and Manchego
Smoked Chicken, Corn, Cilantro, Jack Cheese
We were underwhelmed by the selection. I found them a little doughy, as if they had been previously frozen and then defrosted. The quality of the crust (which presumably was handmade from scratch on site) wasn't much better than a mass marketed microwaveable frozen empanada, though I'll give points for the fillings as they were tasty. Still, at $15 for the basket, it was a huge disappointment and didn't bode well for the rest of the meal. We were both nervous about how well the steaks would be executed.
To our surprise, the 28 day dry aged Gaucho steak that serves two (24 oz, $29 per person), which we ordered medium rare, was perfectly prepared. It was tender, succulent, and had a wonderful flavor that makes your typical beef taste dry and bland in comparison. It was presented already sliced, which I found a bit unusual, but it makes for easy sharing. You spear a slice and dip it into one of the 4 sauces that accompany the gaucho steak: 2 kinds of chimichurri (think Argentinean pesto, as they are herb and oil-based sauces), as well as a Bearnaise and a cognac green peppercorn sauce. After trying all of them, I stuck to the green chimichurri.
Each of the beef entrees come with a baked potato and vegetables. The Boca baked potato is topped with a really rich creamy/cheesy concoction (not sure what it was exactly and too busy eating to ask) rather than your typical sour cream. Trust me, it was amazing. There were also grilled green and wax beans and peppers.
We also ordered George's Duck fat fries ($5) and the Truffled Mac & Cheese ($6). Both were unique renditions of classic American sides. The Duck Fat fries were unbelievably light and crispy, yet there was the added hint of flavor from duck fat. I absolutely loved the unexpected flavor of truffle oil in the mac and cheese. I had never had that before and will definitely be adding truffle oil to future batches of homemade mac and cheese.
After all that food, we were to stuffed to enjoy dessert. I took a look but didn't see a cheese plate offering (as I might have made room for that). However, both my husband and I would love to go back to try the Boca Brownie Sundae for Two ($14), as the description reads: "Coffee, Caramel, Vanilla Ice Creams with Traditional Garnishes, Served Tableside for two."
In checking the website, I learned that there's also a three-course early bird dinner I'd love to try sometime.
Other factors
Service was fine: neither impressive nor weak. A few weeks after the fact, I can't even recall if we had a male or female server. Suffice to say, it wasn't something that stuck out in my mind so s/he was obviously unobtrusive and did the job well enough to fade into the background.
We were seated immediately, so we never had a chance to sit at the bar (which apparently is a good spot for locals on the weekends). We also skipped the alcohol that night, so we didn't get to try any of their specialty cocktails or 150 wines.
The restaurant was maybe 1/3 full when we arrived for 6:30 pm reservation on a Sunday evening. By the time we left around 8 or so, the main dining room and the patio were at least 3/4 full. Thus, the noise level increased substantially over the course of our meal.
Final Thoughts
Both my husband and I think the long drive to Boca was worth it. We hope to make another overnight trip soon so we can try some of the other cuts of steak. I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a delicious steak dinner in warm, upscale environment.
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: No
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations Gaucho Steak for two is excellent
Best Suited For: Friends
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