B Restaurant & Bar (lunch)

Imagine that, for some reason, you're enjoying this unseasonably warm October somewhere SOMA, such as you're headed to a movie at the Metreon or attending a conference at Moscone. Since it's sunny and 74 out, you want a place where you can really enjoy lunch and the weather. You could do worse than B Restaurant & Bar.

On the causeway above Yerba Buena Gardens (next to Samovar), with multiple patio doors and some outdoor seating, B Restaurant allows you to soak up the benefits of Global Warming, and as a bonus should stay above sea level when the ocean rises. Make sure you sit outside or in a window.

Unfortunately, as B is primarily a lounge/bar, the lunch menu is rather pricey sparse and people on restricted diets will find themselves with only a single option. You're paying for the location. Above is my o-so-Cal-cuisine grilled cheese sandwich, with chopped lettuce, for $14. While the walnut sourdough was good, it made a somewhat unsatisfying lunch ... but was one of only two veggie options that day, the other being a salad.

So we ordered the truffled fries (top of article) which some folks on Yelp had raved about. They were pretty good, but neither better nor worse than most other bistros in this town with truffle-oil flavored fries. Our servers were fairly nice, but it was hard to tell how they'd do with the place crowded.

They have a good selection of imported beers. It being lunch, none of us tried the mixed drinks or dessert.

I understand that B has a pretty good happy hour; you might try that rather than lunch. However, I'd stay far away from the place if the weather is cold and wet; with the doors closed, it would be positively claustrophobic.