{Travel Tuesday} Marlowe in San Francisco, CA

One of the reasons we like to dine out is to discover new dishes we could make at home.  Last month, we discovered the airiest Brussels Sprouts chips while we were in San Francisco.  We had trekked all the way over to the SoMa district from our hotel (30 mins walk) to grab a late lunch at this relatively new bistro, Marlowe.  Though located near the AT&T Ballpark, this bistro serves anything but your average ballpark fare.

Walking inside Marlowe, we found a small, but comfortable space with an industrial decor.  My husband ordered the locally brewed Trumer Pils (Berkeley), a German-style Pilsner that made for a refreshing afternoon drink.

Marlowe Burger with Brussels Sprouts chips ($12): My husband ordered this juicy, rare burger and quickly devoured it.  With caramelized onions, bacon, melted cheddar cheese, and horseradish aioli, this burger had a nice balance between spicy and salt.  The burger itself has 80/20 ground beef with some mild lamb mixed into it and it's held together by an Acme bun.

But what I loved about the dish was that the kitchen let us substitute the side of fries with Brussels Sprouts chips  These chips were wafer-thin and crispy.  To make them, the chef takes the outer layers of Brussels sprouts and fries them in rice oil.  The chips are finished off with sea salt and freshly-squeezed Meyer lemon juice.

Little Gem Salad ($8):  I ordered this colorful plate of various shaved radishes, pickled onion, and avocado laid on top of bibb lettuce and dressed with a light citrus vinaigrette.  Though too small for a complete entree, the salad was bright and light.

After the salad, I definitely had room for dessert.  Believe it or not, this dessert was their version of Pumpkin Whoopie Pie. The Pumpkin Whoopie in a Jar ($6) had a very strong bourbon ice cream, bourbon caramel, vanilla bean, pumpkin spice, and pecans.  As excited as I was for this dessert, the bourbon flavor was too overwhelming for me (I was hoping for more pumpkin and vanilla).  My husband, however, enjoyed it and emptied out the jar.

Marlowe is located at 330 Townsend St in San Francisco, CA.