Academy Bar & Kitchen

photo - Facebook, Academy Bar & Kitchen

Academy Bar & Kitchen, Fillmore, Dinner
March 25, 2016

P&J:
BEET SALAD, roasted beets, candied walnuts, organic mix greens, goat cheese, balsamic vinaigrette

MARGHERITA D.O.P pizza, San Marzano tomato sauce, Fior Di Latte (fresh mozzarella), basil, EVOO

Notes:
This space was once occupied by Pizza Inferno, a decent beer bar with decent pizza.  Now it's occupied by Academy, a decent beer bar with decent pizza.  Maybe I'm not being fair.  Maybe it was better than that.

We had just watched a not-so-good, not-so-bad movie (it depends on who you ask) at a nearby theater, where, aside from the cost of the movie, $24 were spent on two sodas, a sad bag of popcorn, and some cookies (don't judge - there were 4 of us).  Maybe nothing could have turned things around for me at that point - I already felt jilted.

The place was nearly empty at 10 pm on a Friday night; not a good sign, in my book.  The lone server was terribly friendly, the menu carefully considered, and the list of draft beers impressive.  But everything seemed expensive, or more accurately, more expensive than it should have been.  I think of this as the "neighborhood surcharge", where mostly you're just helping to pay rent (an unfortunate effect a place like San Francisco has on many restaurants).  This opinion was only reinforced by having received what felt like the smallest $12 glass of wine ever served in the history of all mankind.

The salad was well made but petite and not particularly imaginative.  Dressed spring mix laid over a beet puree with two slices of Laura Chenel (probably) goat cheese and a few wedges of roasted beets; candied walnuts added a nice crunch.  The Margherita was acceptable although slightly undercooked.  The tomato sauce was excellent, but the application heavy-handed, so the pizza was a little on the wet side.  It was tasty, but I've had better (for less dough - hell yes, pun intended).


Patrick was not as critical of this place, and maybe liked it much more than I did.  Come to think of it - that's how the movie turned out for us, too.  And seeing as how we frequent that nearby theater, there are lots of other restaurants in the area I'd like to try before coming back to this one.