Spork!

Take a former KFC.  Gut it, decorate it with other 1960's memorabilia (but not so much to feel cluttered), custom-made vinyl and melamite booths and bar, and then stock the kitchen with local fresh high-quality ingredients and one of the Bay Area's top chefs (Bruce Binn).  Then name it after the obnoxious, useless plastic utensil introduced by KFC.  You've got Spork!

Honestly, we went here mostly because we were already in the Mission for an event at Borderlands Bookstore, and my wife had read about their In-side-out burger and wanted to try it.  We're definitely glad we did, and will go there again.

Of course, as soon as we sat down we noticed something wrong.  Where's the spork?  Our server heard us making this complaint, and brought custom-made steel sporks with our appetizer.  In general, the server was personable and attentive, stopping by to chat since it was a slow night (we were there at opening time).  We talked about this blog, which was nice, because it meant I didn't have to try to palm the camera.

As previously mentioned, the atmosphere was relaxed and casual, yet contrived -- sort of a parody of an early 1960's diner or a fast food joint.  We got a window "booth" and were very comfortable.  Still, I can see that Spork would get loud if it were too full.

The wine list is eclectic, but short and not teriffically well-informed.  I could only find one wine by the glass I really cared for -- a Gamay.  Their selection of bottled beers is much more enterprising, but wouldn't have gone with my meal.

The appetizer we ordered (pictured at top of article) was a promising start: a goat cheese round coated in tempura crumbs and fried, surrounded by ripe strawberries.  Note that you have to ask for their pull-apart bread; make sure you do, it's delicious.

My wife ordered the In-side-Out Burger, with two patties and half a bun, as you can see.  Particularly good were the "smashed potatoes", flattened new potatoes fried with rosemary and salt. 

I ordered the "Mushrooms Gone Wild" pasta, with an assortment of produce from Far West Fungi.  This was also excellent.

Dessert was a bit of a quandry.  My wife wanted the "strawberry cobbler" because she'd never seen one on a restaurant menu before, and I wanted the "Elvis Has Left The Building" because it sounded so clever.  So we ordered both.  You can see above that "Elvis" is a chocolate peanut-butter patty, ice cream, caramel and sliced banana, which went together so deliciously I can only think the guy from Memphis would have been proud.

I think we may have a new paragon of the "Cal-Comfort" restaurant niche; Spork certainly upstages nearby Luna Park.

Our bill at the end of the meal?  Only $82, surprisingly.  Best of all, it came with two cute merengue burgers on top of it.

Spork
1058 Valencia St (near 21st St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
415-643-5000