SFReview
photo credit: The Tailor's Son
The Tailor's Son
The Tailor’s Son attracts the kind of Fillmore St. elite who considers food a secondary part of the dining-out experience. Most people at this modern Italian spot in Lower Pacific Heights are smize-ing at the camera while “candidly” eating mediocre (but pretty) risotto. This spot isn’t a destination restaurant, but more of a convenient place to look hot in a chair after dropping a good chunk of change at Le Labo down the street. That's a good way to do it, because the food is just fine. But you care about spending money on food that’s better than just fine—so look to the more impressive pasta options in the city.
photo credit: The Tailor's Son
The menu at this spot covers Northern Italian dishes that range from bland to forgettable, yet serviceable. Nothing is outright terrible. And, yes, they do photograph nicely against all the seafoam blue tables, berry spritzes, and espresso martinis. Pastas and seasonally changing risottos are the focus, but, like a beat that builds and builds and never drops, they lack oomph. The same can be said for the shareable appetizers—like the prosciutto served with taleggio and gnocco fritto that’s a bit too dense, or the undercooked broccolini.
photo credit: The Tailor's Son
There is a bright spot: the crostini. They’re smeared with duck liver mousse or tender salt cod and will repeatedly be the high point of your night. Still, the majority of the meal involves wishing for more flavor, and eavesdropping on people in blazers passionately discussing diamond cuts.
If you’re one of those people (or aspire to be one), by all means, enjoy the well-lit, manicured space, which could double as the backdrop for a Campari-sponsored photoshoot. Stopping in for a glass of wine and a crostini at the bar is the path to a good time. But if you want to remember your meal 24 hours later, hit up the pasta pros over at Cotogna, Itria, or Ciccino.
Food Rundown
Prosciutto Di Parma
The paper-thin prosciutto is nice and delicate. But the gnocco fritto it comes with are virtually flavorless, and lack the puffy, light quality we look for in these fried dough pockets.
Baccala Mantecato
A pleasant garlicky salt cod toast. We’d order this again.
Rigatoncini
Not a bad plate of pasta, and not a fantastic one, either. The pork ragu is the right consistency, though one-dimensional.
Cannelloni
Weighed down by overly rich bechamel sauce. Skip this.
Risotto Pomodoro
One of the more successful dishes here. It’s nicely cooked, topped off with a melty layer of gooey parmesan, and halved cherry tomatoes that burst in your mouth.
Risotto Alla Milanese
We wish the saffron flavor came through more, but this just tastes like plain risotto.
