In 1996, when Heidi Krahling opened Insalata's, she imagined running a takeout with a restaurant attached. At for a food establishment the venerable age of nearly 10, Insalata's restaurant has become an institution. Although the takeout is arguably the finest in the county, even a casual meal at Insalata's is always special. Krahling is of Mediterranean heritage, so her heart beats to the thrum of an olive oil press. Having trained with Joyce Goldstein at Square One, she draws inspiration for her cooking from all parts of the Mediterranean and Middle East. In an era when nearly everyone else is going pan-Asian, her menu feels contemporary and unique.
After closing for a face-lift, Insalata's room definitely feels fresher. Curtains now mask the takeout department, and the bar has been reconfigured to include a waiting area just inside the front door. San Francisco artist Laura Parker's spectacular new painting of pomegranates, with its background of food writings, looks at once new and as though it's always been there. New chairs, lights and paint in shades of cocoa and taupe complete the revamped look.
Although the menu has been deconstructed a little to include more small plates, Krahling notes that her concept hasn't changed significantly. She wanted to provide more options for casual or light weekday meals, so that neighborhood folks would consider Insalata's for everyday dining as well as special occasions. The menu remains at once simple and complex. Eleven mix-and-match starters, four salads and nine entrées provide multiple possibilities for splitting and sharing.
Our reservation was for 7:30pm on a busy Friday evening, with numerous parties clustered around the entryway jockeying for tables. I anticipated having to wait, but one of the coolly unflappable hostesses ushered us immediately to our alcove. Water was poured, a breadbasket delivered and our server stopped by to ask about beverage orders. At that point we had scarcely had time to look at the lists, so we asked for a few more minutes.
The international wine program, designed by long-term general manager Jim Warren, includes 21 wines poured by the glass and priced between $6.50 for a non-vintage French sparkler, J. Laurens Cremant de Limoux, and $10.50 for a 2001 French Bordeaux, Chateau La Grande Maye. You can also try a trio flight of 2-ounce pours of Gewrztraminer for $9.50. Wines by the bottle range from $25 to $85, with bottles from California, Oregon, Spain, France, Israel, Australia, Italy, Greece and New Zealand, including a $60 Pey-Marin Trois Filles Pinot Noir grown in Marin County. The full bar mixes its own assortment of exotic cocktails, with beers both bottled and on tap.
The list of starters, headed Tapas, Mezze and Piccoli, reflects Insalata's eclectic approach. We began with a small plate of grilled asparagus ($8) tossed in olive oil with toasted almonds, cracked picholines olives and pecorino cheese, and another of zucchini and green garlic fritters ($7) served with a ramekin of tzatziki sauce. Both plates, amazingly, were served in even, and therefore splittable, numbers. When opened, the four little fritters, dark brown and crackling crisp on the outside, released their soft, fragrantly green interiors, puffed and steaming like tiny soufflés. The cool, tart yogurt and herb sauce provided a smooth counterpoint. And the asparagus dish was one of those combinations of flavors and textures that somehow melds together so perfectly that even the memory seems just right.
With these, we ordered a glass of crisp 2005 Honig Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($8.25) and the aforementioned flight of Gewrztraminer. This provided samples of 2004 Huia from New Zealand, 2004 Thomas Fogarty from Monterey and 2003 Meyer-Fonne from Alsace. We liked the California version best with our food. There's something to be said, I think, for the taste of local terroir.
Next we dug into one more small plate, grilled pimenton spiced gulf prawns ($11), and an avocado, Cara Cara orange and beet salad ($9), reputed to be the best salad on the menu. By this time we were realizing that it's very hard to find anything to quibble about at Insalata's. The four prawns, served atop piquantly marinated piquillo peppers with capers and preserved lemon, were exquisite. The salad provided a superb, cool and slightly sweet foil.
Since we hadn't ordered our entrées until our first round of starters arrived, we could hardly complain that the wait for them was a little bit long. Servers came and went, removed empty glasses and plates; but it did take a while for our plates to arrive. Pan-seared Atlantic salmon ($22) served in a bowl over a ragout of Yukon gold potatoes and spring onions was like a hearty spring stew. The potatoes and onions had married into a tangle of soothing, aromatic savor. My grilled pork chop ($19) was perhaps the least interesting of the dishes we ordered, served with a sweet port wine reduction. But its garnishes, emerald-green sautéed organic chard and a lusciously rich square of potato leek gratin, elevated it considerably. A glass of the Chateau La Grande Maye Bordeaux ($10.50) was balanced and complex with the meat and its accompaniments.
As usual, we had left little room for dessert. Seven-layer mocha torte ($8), a precisely arranged little still life, was the perfect size. Two feather-light shards of Valrhona chocolate sponge cake layered with orange blossom and coffee buttercream were glazed with bittersweet chocolate and served with a dab of mascarpone cream and a spoonful of dark, sweet amareno cherries in syrup. Had we not eaten so much, we might have tried warm apple crisp with orange and cardamom ($7), or perhaps banana cream tart with milk chocolate caramel and huckleberry coulis (also $7).
Insalata's has an extensive catering and takeout menu, with delivery if staff is available. For special requests of birthday or special occasion cakes, 48 hours notice is required.
Even with new furnishings, Insalata's glows with a patina of confidence and maturity. Although Heidi Krahling's Mediterranean menu is hardly predictable, a meal there is predictably fine. The house purrs like a well-maintained machine. Insalata's is a wonderful reassurance that a restaurant, instead of declining or falling into a rut, can continue to strive for excellence and fresh energy over time.
