Niebergall Brothers Showcase Considerable Culinary Talent at Frisée

By Bill Sywak

The Castro got a new neighborhood restaurant over the winter. Frisée is a sparkling venue opened by two young brothers with foodie credentials who chose a central Castro location for their stylish bistro to serve their eclectic and tasty fare.

The outside features a narrow but transparent front. A floor-to-ceiling plate glass separates a steady parade of Castro habitues outside from the glass bar where hungry customers perch on stools to see and be seen. Behind the front and side bars, two levels of warmly lit tables cleverly accommodate intimate dining as well as small groups.

Fortified with culinary academy and restaurant experience, brothers Brett and Nathan Niebergall are committed to a uniquely healthy and tasty cuisine based on fresh produce, seafood, meats and ingredients that are, as their menu states, “free-range, line-caught, organic, biodynamic, and/or farmed using sustainable methods.” Le Cordon Bleu Chef Brett notes that Frisée is in the process of becoming a Green Certified Restaurant, one of a few in San Francisco.

So how does all this taste? The flight of three soups is a winning specialty that surprises based on the night and the selection. A confection of artichokes, coconut milk, corn and agave nectar was particularly tasteful. Other soups have included butternut squash with crunchy pumpkin seed and Fuji apple, a hearty and creamy tomato basil and a more traditional tasting chicken corn chowder with crunchy noodles.

The entrée selections range from ahi, salmon and scallops to their signature chutney stuffed pork loin and a fine roasted rack of lamb. The grass-fed cut of filet mignon comes with quinoa coated in special sauce. For vegans, ravioli of locally grown ground wheat encase a creative mixture of local ingredients.

A special side dish is the vegan Israeli couscous. Try not to pass up the dessert plates, the pineapple upside-down cake with espresso rum sauce and fresh Chantilly cream being a favorite like mom never made.

Frisée is open every night for dinner and is situated at the crossroads of the Castro, sandwiched in between The Café and a real estate office at 2367 Market St.

For being in a central Castro location, is this a gay owned and operated restaurant, you might ask? Well, it so happens that one brother is gay and one is straight, and if you ask, they won’t keep you guessing.

Frisée is located at 2367 Market St., Call 558-1616 for more information or visit friseerestaurant.com.

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