Russell Jackson, also known as the Dissident Chef, became a celebrity in the underground dining movement. Although his resume includes stints at the shuttered Black Cat in North Beach, owner of Russell's in Los Angeles and private chef for Counting Crows, for the last several years Jackson has cooked dinner in venues where people would pay a set price to eat whatever he happened to prepare.
Now, Jackson is above ground and pier-side at his new restaurant, Lafitte, named after the 18th century French pirate. In the brick-and-mortar space at Pier 5 on the Embarcadero, he's tried to replicate some of that cutting-edge sensibility with a menu that changes completely every night.
He also tosses in theatrical flair left over from his days working with a rock band. In the open kitchen in the center of the dining room, Jackson and his crew sport a distinctive look. If the chef grows tired of the name Lafitte and his tagline "Feed the People," Jackson could name the place Four Mohawks and a Nohawk - four cooks had that distinctive skunk stripe of hair down the middle of their heads, and the fifth one was shaved.
Jackson cooks with just as much bravado. The nightly menu changes with the market and his mood, leading to some pretty interesting, sometimes strange, combinations. They aren't always successful but they're guaranteed conversation starters. To fully enjoy the experience you have to appreciate Jackson's somewhat quirky sensibilities.
Generally there are four to five appetizers ($7-$12), sometimes one or two middle courses ($14-$16) and four to five main courses ($17-$30).
Meat-based menu
One night the menu was heavily meat-based. Starters consisted of pork sausage with flageolet beans ($10); duck giblets in a rich natural sauce spooned over a slice of toast ($7); a charcuterie platter ($12); and a Little Gem salad with radishes, peas and croutons ($12).
Main courses were equally as substantial: seared pork belly and sweetbreads ($22); braised pork ribs with chickpea fries ($27); roast lamb sirloin with shaved artichokes ($23); and sous vide chicken breast ($22).
The chicken proved that not everything should be subjected to this slow water bath. The meat was barely seared so it not only looked anemic but the fat tasted like it had never been cooked. I removed the skin, but some globules clung to the flesh around the edge so every so often there was a fatty explosion of schmaltz. The lamb ($22) was also undercooked and had a chewy, flabby texture, though I liked the idea of the shaved artichokes.
The problem with radical menu changes is that it's hard to refine a dish, and while it might be fun for the kitchen crew, it isn't always so for the customer. That was the case with an English pea panna cotta dessert ($8) where the idea outperformed the execution; the flavor was starchy and vegetative, and the texture was rubbery. We didn't say anything to the waiter, but she voluntarily removed the charge from the bill, admitting that the down side of changing the menu nightly was that sometimes a dish didn't quite come together.
Traditional pasta
On another visit I was amused when the appetizers included an English pea pudding ($7); I probably should have ordered it to see if it was similar to the dessert, but I decided to go with what looked like a sure success - mache salad ($8) with roasted fruit vinaigrette, shavings of paneer cheese and compressed apriums, a fruit that is a cross between apricots and plums. It was one of the best dishes on all three visits.
Another night, appetizers included beef stew ($7) in a salty sauce with fresh fava and corn. Stew seemed a little out of place as a starter, but it was a better choice than the nettle risotto ($14) which had an unexpected sweet caramel-like flavor and undercooked rice.
As an appetizer I also ordered a traditional dish: pasta a la carbonara ($16), which like the risotto was listed as a "mid" course. The flavors were excellent and the pasta was expertly cooked, but it seemed expensive for the size of the portion. Then I saw the same dish delivered to another table and the portion was twice as big. It seemed the staff had decided to offer a smaller portion since I was ordering it as a first course, but I was still charged full price.
I particularly wanted more pasta after I cut into my main course, a saddle of rabbit ($24). The portion was small, but the biggest problem was that the juices ran pink and the flesh grew pinker the closer I cut to the bone. I sliced off the ends, and left the rest on the tangle of broccoli rabe that had tough woody stems. However, the cauliflower puree, ladled on top of the pan-roasted meat like gravy, was a nice addition.
Inconsistent portions
