Sitting at the bar of a restaurant is rarely our preferred place but there are some places with the “right” ambience where it’s actually the best place for us - Chez Maman East https://www.chezmamanrestos.com/chez-maman-potrero-1 is one of these places. A small, unpretentious bistro in Potrero Hill. French influenced menu with some of the classics like duck confit, steak tartare etc. Every few months we end up at their bar (their no reservation policy can make it difficult on weekends to find a spot)
Thanks for the report and photos! I haven’t been to the Potrero Hill Chez Maman in ages but I remember they had a great burger as well. I do go to the Chez Maman in Hayes Valley ever so often. They also have a good moules marinières with frites and also a good blanquette de veau that I don’t see too often on menus around here.
I’ve eaten there more than a few times over the decades, also because it’s open on the later side (not late-late, but at least not closing at 9). Everything is always well executed.
The post-pandemic time I went, maybe last year, I greatly enjoyed outside in the parklette, there’s an extraordinarily view of SF from the “front” (downhill) seats. It’s enclosed in lucite so even when the wind is blowing it’s never bad. Even from the other seats, given the slope of potrero hill, there a nice view. I know SF has a reduction of parklettes (increase in fees) so I don’t know if they still have theirs.
Burger is good. Red by the glass list always has something interesting. Mussels excellent, AFAIR. Prices are “the new normal” high.
I had a burger for dinner at Chez Maman West last night at the bar with cheddar. It’s a very good thick half pound burger with a somewhat unconventional ciabatta bun. You have a choice of a salad or shoestring fries.
To start I had the Beef Tartare, which has Dijon mustard, capers, shallots, and a quail egg, served with toast points. $I6 for a small size, they also have a larger one for $21. This was very good. the beef was chopped fine and was well seasoned. There was a raw quail egg on top of the tartare that I mixed into the beef.
And also a Merguez Panini, which was a simple sandwich of nicely spiced Merguez lamb sausage along with some oozy melted Brie, in a baguette. Delicious. It was served with a simple salad of mixed greens dressed with a vinaigrette.
