The acclaimed Gruet winemaking family operates this chic but casual steak house inside the historic Monte Vista Fire Station, a 1930s WPA-built beauty in the heart of Nob Hill. More than a mere showcase for promoting Gruet's outstanding sparkling wines, pinot noirs, and chardonnays, the steak house presents consistently excellent food (including an addictive side dish, lobster-whipped potatoes). Among the apps, try the panfried Dungeness crab cake with a traditional rémoulade sauce. The flat-iron steak topped with chunky Maytag blue cheese is a favorite main dish, along with the rare ahi tuna Wellington with wild mushroom duxelle and seared foie gras. Finish off with a distinctive rose-water-infused ricotta cheesecake topped with candied oranges and toasted-almond sugar. A kiva fireplace warms the patio in back. The same owners run Gruet Grille, a contemporary bistro in Northeast Heights.
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