Chenery Park

Chenery Park is a neighborhood gem that is located at Glen Park-- a cute little SF neighborhood where you will find houses at the bottom of sloping hills. Chenery Park was a charming house converted into a 3 level restaurant. The staff are friendly and efficient. The ambiance is cozy, romantic and dark.



Chenery Park has the right ingredients for a nice casual dinner. The dishes were comforting and creative, however, sadly, we found them to be underwhelming.

Before I left for my trip to the Philippines in June 2011, my fiance and I had my pre-trip date night at Chenery Park. I looked at the menu prior to dinner and I already knew that I really wanted to try the beignets and the gnocchi:

CAMBAZOLA BEIGNETS  with Apples, Endive, and Poached Figs $9: The beignets were not the traditional beignets. They were more of dark fried dough as compared to the more traditional fried donuts. However, they were light, hot, savory and oozing with creamy melted cheese. I imagined them to be stuffed with apples and figs. However, the apples, figs and endive were the salad that came with the beignets. This would have been a perfectly executed  dish if not for the dressing that came with the salad. The sweet-sour dressing tasted like the bottled Asian version that overpowered the whole dish.

HOUSEMADE WILD MUSHROOM GNOCCHI $9: I chose the half-order ($17 for a full-order). The gnocchi were like soft delicate pillows. It would have a been a delicious and  exquisite dish if not for overpowering creamy mushroom sauce that tasted like Campbell's mushroom soup. Chenery Park takes pride in using fresh and organic ingredients. While the sauce was not definitely canned, it did lacked the unique homemade taste that I was expecting.

DRY-AGED NY STEAK with French Fries $22: Enrique's dinner. He thought it was okay and on the smallish side.  Unremarkable.

AFFOGATO, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Espresso and Hazelnut Meringue Cookies $7: This dessert was divine!!! Hot coffee, cold i, sweet. An explosion of sweetness on the palate!

CHOCOLATE VEGAN ANGEL-FOOD CAKE with Blackberry-Cabernet Sorbet & Chocolate Sauce $7:   I don't think my fiance knew he was ordering vegan. We both tried it and it was very dry and tasteless like cardboard. Definitely a very disappointing dessert to end your meal.

TAB: About $60 before tip and before Groupon.

Chenery Park is delicious enough but tends to overexaggerate some of the flavors of their dishes.

Foodie Girl's Rating: 2   Stars

Key:

0 Star: Never again!!! These people should not be in business.
1 Star: Chalk it to bad experience. Live and learn.
2 Stars: Some are good. Some are okay. Some are bad.
3 Stars: Like! I will return!
4 Stars: Love! I will be dreaming of you at night!
5 Stars: Perfection (or close to!)