Chef Staffan Terje has been cooking up such brilliant Italian food for decades in San Francisco at his Perbacco and Barbacco restaurants, that it’s easy to forget he’s actually Swedish.
Now, the Stockholm-born chef is finally getting a chance to flex and flaunt his Scandinavian heritage with his Chef de Cuisine Keven Wilson, late of Perbacco.
During the holidays, his newest restaurant with business partner Umberto Gibin, opened quietly in downtown San Francisco in the former space of Tom Colicchio’s Wichcraft.
Volta is a brasserie that serves Scandinavian-French food with verve.
A couple weeks ago, I had a chance to dine as a guest of the restaurant, a cavernous space that once was fairly plain and utilitarian, which now is a lot cozier, thanks to half-partitions that section the dining room without enclosing it.
There’s an expansive bar just to the left of the entrance, where you can dine solo or enjoy a craft cocktail ($12 each). The signature “Volta!” is a blend of Linie aquavit, carrot juice, honey syrup and lemon. It’s grassy and slightly fruity, with the carrot juice a subtle component that won’t in any way make you think of a healthful smoothie. The “Alpine Gem” is profoundly herbaceous, as it’s made with St. George Terroir gin, Dolin Genepe Des Alps, and vermouth blanc. A lemon twist adds the perfect bitter-bright note.
Fresh radishes and soft herb butter arrive as an amuse as you peruse the menu.
My friend Cynthia joked that we couldn’t even remember the last time we’d eaten herring in a restaurant. But when in Scandinavia — by way of Volta — you ought to indulge, especially when the restaurant offers a fun sampler platter ($19).
There are five herring preparations included: a tangy, classic wine vinegar-based one; another with creme fraiche and warm, earthy clove; a curry one with apples that reminded of the flavors of chicken salad; a dill and Dijon one; and an unusual one mixed with beets, cod roe, potatoes and beef cheeks that was so intriguing for all its textures and hint of meatiness. Also on the platter was crisp bread, more herb butter, and Vasterbotten, a hard cheese that’s mild and nutty tasting.
The Gravad Lax ($17) is quite different here. The dill and white pepper cured salmon is cut thickly, and its skin is seared to order, rendering it as crisp as a potato chip. It’s a wonderful contrast and a memorable elevation of the usual lox we all know only all too well. A mustardy dill sauce accompanies it.
Jansson’s Frestelse ($12) is a playful potato and anchovy gratin served alongside roe-topped pickled vegetables laying on the lid of a sardine can. It’s a perfect-sized serving for two to share because it’s a rich dish.
If you associate Swedish meatballs only with Ikea, the ones here will have you sitting up and taking notice. Kottbullar ($24 normally, but we had a smaller portion) are tender, moist beef and pork meatballs that actually taste of the meat from which they are made, rather than bread or bread-crumb filler. Traditional lingonberry compote comes alongside, as well as smooth potato puree and pressed cucumber.
For an entree on the lighter side, the Market “Pot Au Feu” ($22) is a vegetarian dish with character. Seasonal vegetables and Matsutake mushroom are arranged in a shallow bowl with mushroom broth. A potato is cut to resemble a “marrow bone” with a thick, creamy garlic-onion soubise filling its center. Austere in taste, it’s not going to make you think you’re eating bone marrow by any stretch. But it’s clever.
For something a whole lot richer, there’s Pig’s Trotter “Desosse” ($25). The meat is taken off the pig’s foot and formed into a roulade that’s fried to a crisp. Yes, low-cal this is not. But wow, is it decadently porky delicious. I’m guessing the du puy lentils with apples were cooked in pork fat because they were some of the most flavorful beans I’ve ever had. This is a meaty dish that will definitely fortify you for a cold evening.
Pastry Chef Lauren Cronin also from Perbacco deconstructs the Swedish princess cake ($11), that traditional smooth-marzipan encased cake done up in pastel prettiness. Here, the fluffy vanilla almond cake is torn into pieces arranged along one side of the plate. Raspberry confiture, swipes of vanilla custard chantilly, grated shards of house-made marzipan, and tiny pink marzipan roses askew complete the look. It’s a princess cake for the princess who’s gone a little grunge but still remains every bit a lady.
The baba ($11) comes as an adorable pair of boozy rum-soaked savarin cakes. There’s a syringe of caramel-rum syrup poking into one of them for an even sweeter kick, along with crunchy, syrupy walnut halves.
At the end, you’re presented with little cubes of lingonberry pate de fruit topped with the tiniest pieces of lavender honeycomb candy. It’s an inspired touch. The Thanksgiving-cranberry-like sweet-tart squares get an extra dimension from the honey and a final unexpected chewy-crunchiness from the comb.
Conveniently located steps from Bloomingdale’s in the Westfield San Francisco Centre, and with easy parking at the Fifth & Mission garage, Volta has got it all — location, ease, and a menu that will transport you to some place just a little different.
More: A Visit to Barbacco
