Tipsy Pig, San Francisco

Awfully trendy for a while on Chestnut Street, I avoided this place. Too much noise, testosterone and way-cool people are generally not my hangouts anymore or ever really. Well, on a Wednesday night at 5:30, I really liked this place. I sat with a buddy at the bar and powered down some food before a late flight to PDX.

We started with the hush puppies in a picante butter. I’m realizing I don’t like dense hush puppies. I like corn bread. I like fried things. I like savory. I don’t care for hush puppies. However, I do care for the picante butter Tipsy serves their puppies with. This compound butter is damn good. I’d put this butter on a steak or a baked potato or even cornbread. Butter good. Hush Puppies? Not my favorite.

Next up, Sloppy Joe Sliders. The Sloppy Joe Sliders were over the top large. Pulled beef , well soaked in sauce, was tender, juicy and outright delicious. The addition of coleslaw was a textural bonus and additive because of the acidic component. The min-bun was also up to the challenge and stayed together during all four bites it took to completely devour this massive meat burger.

Finally, because I needed some fiber, I had a salad. The Wedge Salad, right up there with the Caesar and spinach salad are my touchstone salads, a consistent way to evaluate  how the kitchen knocks out cold dressed roughage. Whole cluster lettuce Caesar was well done by Tipsy; with a wonderful creamy bleu dressing, crispy bacon and onions. Don’t get me wrong, I still like a stone cold, circa 1970s iceberg lettuce wedge at a steakhouse; it’s actually what I expected, but was happily surprised. Tipsy elevates the nostalgic classic.

I was happy with the Tipsy Pig, despite my preconceived notions of trendy Marina eatery, the food was really good. Call it modern gastropub, comfort food, or reworked nostalgia food; The Tipsy Pig serves up quality grub.