While on my burger hunt, the burger from Automat didn’t really scratch the itch for what I was looking for in a burger, the rest of the menu looked absolutely interesting, so I had it on the list to return to at some point in the future. I almost went with my parents, but then I ended up changing my mind my last minute. I did finally realize it was reasonably close to an event we were going to one Saturday evening, so I went ahead and booked us in for dinner after so I could give it a try.
There is a different menu if you come during the day or in the evening, with the daytime menu being more on the lunch/brunch side of things and the evening menu consisting of smaller and larger plates, or if you are feeling adventurous, you can go for the Automatic Menu which is a tasting menu consisting of a selection of dishes off the a la carte menu. It sounded like a great way to try out a selection of things they had available, so we opted to get that ($65). Sadly, the wine list wasn’t that exciting, but we settled with a bottle of red to try.
The first thing to arrive was their signature dish, and one not on the a la carte menu: Caviar cornbread grits. It was really unlike anything I’ve ever heard of, so I was eager to dig in. It’s very much like a sweet corn pudding with caviar and corn flakes on top. And while I loved the cornbread grits, the caviar did seem a bit superfluous as it was slightly overwhelmed by everything else. Up next was some fantastic house made bread and some fish crudo. The crudo was really top notch with some amazingly tasty and fresh fish with some nuts to give it texture.
Up next was the salad course, and we ended up substituting the one on the menu for the little gem wedge salad, as someone at the table is not a fan of tomatoes. It was unlike any wedge salad I had had, as they used puffed rice for texture and it was made with an herbed buttermilk dressing. Even though it was different, I loved the combination of flavors and textures. They also had some blistered shishitos with some cashew queso, and I always love shishitos so I was very happy to receive this dish. And it’s always nice when a restaurant puts their own spin on it with an usual dip or topping.
Next we started moving into mains, and the first one was a roasted honeynut squash. The flavors here were also top notch, and there was some excellent cookery on all the vegetables. Finally there was another signature dish of theirs: Lemon-lime pan roasted chicken. As you can see in the photo, the chicken looked very inviting when it arrived, and the flavor was absolutely amazing, although the chicken itself was a tad on the dry side. Overall, another fantastic dish from Automat.
Finally we got desserts. The first was a panna cotta which was very enjoyable. The fruit added some acidity while the crumble added some texture. They also provided one of their house-made sourdough chocolate chip cookies. I really wanted several cookies as the flavor was spectacular, but I was also incredibly full at this point. Sadly, there was no dessert wine on the menu, but we did manage to find a Riesling that worked in a pinch.
Automat was a really fun experience. The casual atmosphere with the upscale American diner fare really adds a sense of whimsy to the evening. The service is also incredible, which is always a plus for dining out. Overall the food was excellent, and while there may have been a few unusual tastes or textures for my liking, the food still was interesting and exciting which is always something I look for in a restaurant. I could definitely see coming back here if I knew I was going to be in the area as I know I’d have an amazing time.
Score: 4/5
Recommendation: Crudo, Shishito peppers and definitely a chocolate chip cookie!
Automat
1801 McAllister Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
