The true mark of graciousness and manners lie in the way one reacts to another’s faux pas.

I like to think of myself as a stickler for manners and timeliness but still managed to arrive twenty minutes late for our reservation. Not somehow, really. My friend KT and I had met earlier– but not earlier enough– for a drink at Amnesia to ring in the week after the New Year. We’d had a Duvel each and were chatting away and just lost track of time. I felt terrible arriving so late, but it allowed the staff to prove their graciousness. And prove it they did.

The Maitre’D at Universal Cafe was efficient and polite and squeezed us almost quickly into a quiet two-top at the back. We stood and waited for about ten minutes with a glass of wine each– I’d chosen the Fagan Creek Syrah ($9 glass, St. Helena), which turned out to be a bit heavy and tired. (After reading a couple of reviews, I have to wonder if the bottle hadn’t been open for a bit too long). KT had the Artezin Zinfandel ($8 glass, Mendocino), which stood up and got noticed for its fine, drinkable qualities. She only let me have a single sip.

I was eager to try several of the first courses, but KT and I both were sucked in by the promise of corn-crusted lightly fried oysters. The salad in the center, a combination of fennel, julienned and blanched red peppers, and watermelon slices stood in lovely counterpoint to the creamy sauce on the oysters. The oysters themselves were fresh and clean; the dusting of cornmeal around them provided just the crunch I craved. It brought to mind the thousands of fried oysters I’ve eaten from the Gulf of Mexico– the countless oyster po-boys I would treat myself to as a child. It reminded me of the simplicity of good food, yet these half dozen oysters were clean and crisp without any of the heaviness that I recall from Streetcar Sandwiches in New Orleans– gone these ten years or more. At the same time, these oysters, while reminiscent of an excellent fish-fry joint, surrounded a palate-cleansing salad which reminded that these were top-quality fresh oysters, lacking in any heaviness. The creamy garlicky sauce spooned on top of them had me worried for a minute– it looked so reminiscent of the triple application of mayonnaise one can find on an oyster po-boy, but it didn’t cloy at all.

This appetizer led us to expect good things from the kitchen. We would not be disappointed.

KT was presented with a sizeable filet of grilled steelhead which looked at first to be a tiny bit overdone; the first bite revealed the opposite. The grill was perhaps a bit on the hot side, which served to sear the outside, cook the fish all the way through, and lock in flavor. This succulent piece of fish sat on top of radicchio that’d been coated with balsamic vinegar and grilled along with the trout; underneath was a fine risotto that soaked up any flavor or bits of fish that might have strayed. I was also tempted by this dish, but decided to go with a captivating bowl of house-made herbed noodles with braised beef cheeks. There was almost too much food on each plate, but we somehow soldiered on: I moved on from the syrah to a nice inexpensive Bouchaine Pinot Noir ($9 glass/$32 bottle, Carneros).

Dessert brought us a discussion: Chocolate (always the front-runner) or the Panna Cotta with Grapefruit. Now, I love chocolate desserts, as does KT. I even often love just having a small square of dark chocolate with an espresso. It’s unfortunate that more places won’t do a simple chocolate and coffee dessert. We discussed our options and decided, ultimately, to go with the Panna Cotta with Grapefruit ($8.50). It arrived, the grapefruit sections had been sliced out of their tough skin, and the fruit was juicy and sweet, with just enough pungency to take the edge off of the rich cream in the Panna Cotta. Which was flawless. We toyed with it, each taking tiny bites as we drank our top-notch espresso and continued our excellent conversation until we realized that we just weren’t going to eat any more.

Our waiter was charming: He didn’t hover; he was there when we wanted him; and disappeared when we didn’t; he offered advice when we asked, and showed a good knowledge of his menu and our wine choices; he was pleasant to be around, but didn’t intrude on our dinner. Our water glasses never ran dry; I never felt as though they were being monitored. We were never rushed; the meal was pleasant, leisurely, and conducive to conversation. We ate and drank and continued and never once felt pressured to turn the table, although on Saturday night they probably could have seated us. We ended up talking until almost eleven, and there was never any signal that it was time to go, please. Not a chair was put up. I commend the staff on leaving me with a wonderful dining experience. The food was fresh and well-prepared, delivered in a timely fashion; We were welcomed warmly and courteously; the cafe was clean, neat, and the service was superb. What more can one ask for in a meal?

Not a whole lot. The Universal Cafe scores on all points. I’ll certainly be back.

Universal Cafe
2814 Nineteenth Street (at Bryant)
San Francisco, CA 94110
415.821.4608

Menu changes daily.