Osso Steakhouse

Osso Steakhouse Restaurant Review:

It may have opened atop Nob Hill in spring 2013, but Osso Steakhouse is a quiet blast from the past. Elegant booths, Art Deco etched glass and green accent lighting give the restaurant the feel of having been partially frozen in time and transplanted from old New York. Most of our menu was as straightforward as steakhouses get: Caesar salad and petite bone-in filet mignon, served with a default pan sauce rich with butter. Skillet-roasted chorizo cheese bread is an interesting starter: a half-wheel of bread sliced and served over a sea of melted cheese with chorizo flavoring. Caviar fans will appreciate Osso's appropriately detailed service, with an individual jar of Florida-farmed sturgeon roe presented on top of a dome of ice, with mother-of-pearl serving spoons and appropriate accoutrements. A mid-size wine list is heavy on California labels and a short selection of by-the-glass standards is complemented by house cocktails, as in a Manhattan updated with Fernet. Desserts drift slightly from the steakhouse format with distinct sorbet choices being a highlight, including a nice limoncello. Free valet parking is a huge plus in this part of the city.