I know the ingredient list says pineapple salsa, but I have yet to actually taste any pineapple. What I taste is cilantro and onion, and it's shredded green stuff (zucchini or cucumber colored). Jim was apparently running for the world's slowest eater, since it took him well over an hour to finish it. We were somewhere around the bottom of the 4th inning by the time he finished. The rest of us were done with our meals before the end of the first. Granted, the boys did go on a beer run, but that was really quick.
The definite bummer was our seats, which were the worst ones possible (although admittedly, there really isn't such a thing as a terrible seat at AT&T Park). Ironically, they were NOT the cheapest, since there was a special that made other seats cheaper. I couldn't even see the umpire's hands clearly and looking at the scoreboard required me to twist about 100 degrees to my right. Plus they were directly in the sun, which was as close to scorching as it gets in SF. M & R raved about the seats, but I personally think that's because they bought them and wanted to defend their questionable choice. I didn't really care too much about the crappy seats but thought it was funny that they tried to justify it. It really wasn't super hot, but as we're still coming out of winter mode, 80 degrees felt insane. I brought a bottle of water, and we refilled it 6 times. Plus we had a bottle of iced tea and Jim had a couple of beers. I really wished I had worn shorts or capris like R had.
As per their usual MO, the Giants blew a 5-0 lead and ultimately lost in the 10th, thus cementing Matt Cain's reputation as the world's unluckiest pitcher. I mean, the guy got them on the board with a home run! What more does he have to do? They got my hopes up in the 9th when they managed to tie the game back up, but alas, it was as I predicted: another mark in the loss column.
Even though they lost, it was a good game from the 5th inning on. I didn't recognize several of the players because they were minor leaguers, but it was actually one of the guys' (Bowker's) first game. He got a single and a HR, which was pretty awesome for him. Hopefully it wasn't a fluke performance, because the Giants could really use a power hitter.
We actually had perfect timing and were only a few minutes late for our 4:30 reservation for ACME Chophouse, the restaurant at the park. Well, I don't know if it's considered part of the park, but the building is attached to the clubhouse. ACME is owned by Traci Des Jardins, of Jardiniere, and is an upscale steakhouse. We were given the choice of a booth or table and of course, M wanted a table, so we accommodated him. I much prefer booths, as do the rest of us, but we've been through the whole ordeal with M and it's easier just to let him have his way.
Because ACME is a steakhouse, there wasn't a whole lot available for me, but I already knew that going into the restaurant (I called beforehand just to ensure that they accommodated veg-heads). I was actually very surprised that M & R chose to join us for dinner, as it's definitely a pricier restaurant than they usually frequent, but the more, the merrier. I'm always interested in seeing what other people order and their impressions of the place.
Jim and M both ordered the filet mignon. I was quite surprised that M did, since I didn't think he was all that big of a fan of the cut. He said he wasn't all that hungry, and today I learned that he's also picky about fat on his meat. You'd think that would mean he'd love filet mignon, but he doesn't. Personally, I think that it's a bit of R's influence on him, since she sees nothing special about it. Anyway, the only difference between their choices was that M ordered his medium and Jim medium rare. R got the Louisiana shrimp and I got a vegetable platter. Jim and I split the mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese, while they got their own separate mac n' cheese.
While we waited, we noshed on a couple of plates of bread, which was quite nummy. M & R ordered Market Greens salads, which came with a champagne-mustard vinaigrette and candied pistachios. M was nice enough to share his pistachios, and I found them quite interesting. I surprised myself and liked them.
Our food all came out at once, which I'm sure made R happy. M's accompanying greens with his steak came with parmesan wafers (to differentiate between the filets), and he happily shared those, too. I wasn't as crazy about them because they were too salty for me. R's LA shrimp came with grits, andouille sausage, chard, and gumbo. Very southern (I think). My veggie platter, although kind of ugly, was pretty good. They must have covered up the vegetables, because instead of a beautiful, brilliant green, they were dull and washied out. The fava beans rescued the dish, because it added some much needed heartiness. I had asparagus, chard, artichoke hearts, and of course the beans. They gave me a pair of dipping sauces (olive tapenade and aioli), but I only used the aioli very sparingly to be able to choke down the artichokes. The server said they would be roasted, but they definitely weren't. I'm thinking they were boiled, but they could have been steamed and then drizzled with broth. At any rate, they weren't spectacular, but the fava beans really upped the taste factor.
Jim's filet was perfectly cooked, and while he and M shared several dipping sauces, neither cared for them. I asked Jim about it, and he has come to the conclusion that he has eaten so many filet mignons that it now takes something super special to get his attention. R didn't say much about her shrimp, other than that it was spicy. She didn't touch her chard, but I didn't blame her--it was not at all a pretty green.
As for the side dishes . . . the mashed potatoes were, in a word, divine. Perfectly smooth, creamy, and rich, they absolutely hit the spot. And the mac n' cheese was surprisingly not roux-based. Although it was made with white cheddar, the dish was simple comfort food at its best. It didn't even have a crumb topping, although it looked as though it was broiled for a bit. Jim and I agreed that the nephews would love the mac n' cheese, and we may end up going there sometime after we take them to a game.
Calculating the bill was a nightmare. The server was not at all helpful in letting us split it between the two cards. He actually wanted us to calculate exactly how much was to be charged to each card, including tax. Ridiculous. And then throwing in the Passport card? It was irritating that he wouldn't let us a) split the bill or b) charge the dishes to each card as applicable. But we finally managed to get out of there.
Afterwards, Jim and I walked back to BART while M & R pressed on for shopping. I was actually quite tired, or else I wouldn't have passed on shopping. Plus it would have been more for Muni or additional BART fare, and I just wasn't feeling the extra expense. The weather was still absolutely gorgeous, and it was really nice to walk and talk with Jim.
We contemplated going to Fenton's after we got back to our car, but since our GPS didn't have the place (!), we ended up going back home. Midget needed her shot anyway. Oh yeah, she is doing much better now that she's on insulin. The dog is pretty much back to her stubborn, mischievous self.
For the remainder of the evening, we ate cupcakes and watched Rendition, starring Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhal. It was an interesting movie, but not one I'd like to watch again. All I can do is hope that there is no way any of that would actually happen.
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