Nopa

560 Divisadero (& Hayes)
(415) 864-8643

American in Western Addition/ "NOPA"

**Update 27Sep09: OK after visiting a few more times, I must say that their pork chop, flatbread, and blue bottle martini are my go-tos. They will never fail!

*Update 06Jul09: I've been meaning to go back for awhile, especially since seasonal restaurants are always better in the summer. I finally understand the hype because this meal was sooo much better than the last! Flatbread was seasoned perfectly, with a nice char and crunch. Burger, chicken, and white beans were all pretty good, but the real star was the brined pork chop with grilled peaches. I'm a sucker for grilled peaches, but the juicy pink chop is what won me over. The cornmeal cake was really dry, but the Blue Bottle martini was the perfect ending to a great meal.
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[28-Jan-08] Went to Garrett's hood on a rainy Thursday, and this place was still packed! We couldn't get a reservation so we just tried walking in, and had to wait about an hour. Service was friendly, and the space is pretty nice. "Barnyard"-like is how Garrett described the roof, but I'd say it's more rustic. The ceiling is high, and there are very long windows - I'd imagine it'd be great on a nice day with the sun pouring in!

The food was solid, classic American fare. Nothing blew my mind, but I did enjoy my meal. We had the crispy duck leg to start, which was very meaty for this type of fowl. As for entrees, I had the cod which was eh, and Garrett's pork chop was a very juicy cut. We also shared the donuts as a dessert, which were fine, although you can't really go wrong with anything fried.

So overall, the restaurant was decent, but nothing special.