Mistral Rotisserie Provencale

CLOSED??! Nooooooo!
Is there anything left to eat at the Ferry Building?

Not my favorite because of the blah-​ness of the food but my fiancé’s grandma lives right across the street. I never wanted to get anything from any of the other shops because this was one of the few bearable places I could get something, anything to eat.

What happened?! Why did you have to go away? I am so utterly effen sad right now. If I knew you were leaving, I would have visited more. I loved your home-​style food, big portions and yumm-​tastic that was Mistral. Now where am I going to get home-​cooked food like this, home? I am so sorry to see you go. Please write if you plan to return, I’ll be waiting…

The food was delicious — I got the lamb stew over couscous, with broccoli and butternut squash on the side. The mustard from the side bar is a great dipper for the broccoli. And even when there’s a long line, everything is already hot and prepared so it moves along quickly.
But otherwise, this place is a little frustrating. It’s pretty expensive — $ 10 for the stew if ordered a la carte, and if you order a plate, the veggie side dish portions are teeny. But the food is good enough that I’d go back.

definitely a good deal… lot’s of french comfort food… rotisserie chicken, salmon, mac n cheese, lots of roasted veggies… the lunch combo is around $ 10…
not sure why I waited so long to try this place out, but I gotta say, spending lunch sitting outside by the water, reading a book, and eating my roasted pork/​broccoli/​roasted yams is easily the highlight of the week so far…
top that world !! (pumps fist at sky)

Here’s my usual plate: rotisserie chicken with yams and the mac and cheese. Wash it down with an ale. Okay, alright, no veggies on the side but hey — if you gotta fill up, then fill up with style! I first tried out Mistral when the folks at the office had dinner catered in (we had a deadline to beat and everyone was pulling in OT) Had the couscous, the lamb, the ratatouille, and veggies. The sauces and mustards were delicious condiments too. Once, though, I did get a piece of chicken that was a tad too dry. But that was only once.
Good thing they’re a bit of a hike from the office, because I’d be stuffing myself on a more regular basis! But if I want to feast for my latest paycheck, I’ll go here. Worth it.

Ever watch Ratatouille and have that feeling of being unfulfilled?
Up until a couple months ago, I couldn’t find a single restaurant that could deliver satisfaction to my craving until Mistral.
Sure, it’s a bit pricey. But how many places can you walk into and order freshly seared lamb alongside a good helping of ratatouille and mac n’ cheese? Everything is made on location and the girls works so very hard to make sure everything is done just right for your simple, quick order.
Deliciousness that I will not avoid in the future…

My 3 stars are based on just one experience here.
Despite me just trying this place out, well I did find it quite tasteful and the lady behind the register was quite polite and nice.
My order:
–½ Chicken
— Broccoli
— Mac and Cheese (ok)
–Seasoned tomato (ok, tasty)
The portion was a little overwhelming, but overall it was tasty.
Note: Not a sit in place, but in front and outside of this place you can sit and enjoy.
The food overall looks yummy when you approach the place and see it on display and I after this… well I did do a taste and decided it was
a-​ok.
Friendly service.
I admit, well I will come back and try something different out on the menu.

It’s one of those months again. I feel like I live here part time.
We arrived too late to have brunch at Market Bar. Stocked up on my favorite Italian wines at the wine merchant. We needed a quick bite to hold us off before the ice cream-​a-​thon.
½ lb. Gumbo. Pretty good.
½ lb. Polenta. Good but could have used some gorgonzola.
Quarter chicken, yukon golds and ratatoullie lunch plate. Good. I didn’t try the chicken. Felt like everything might have needed a tad more salt/​seasoning.

Went to Mistral Rotisserie for lunch on a busy Saturday afternoon. It’s definitely one of the shorter lines, and luckily, there’s a decent amount of seating. They have an assortment of meats and sides which made making a decision tough. I decided to go with the lamb plate with macaroni and cheese and potatoes; I heard the potatoes are amazing because they sit underneath the rotisserie meat and soak up all of the meat drippings.
I thought the lamb was fine, though a bit dry. The macaroni and cheese was probably the best thing on my plate, but even that was just okay. The mac and cheese was cold/​room temperature, and mac and cheese just isn’t particularly tasty served that way. The potatoes did indeed soak up some of the meatiness and flavor, but they were still just roasted potatoes.
A solid meal at an ok price (for the Ferry building) but I’d try something different next time.

The food is better than average and some of the dishes are pretty tasty. I really like the lamb and the garlic-​y potatoes. Most of the sides I tried were pretty good and things tasted reasonably fresh for food that comes out of a warming case like at a deli. Made with organic ingredients.
The portions were a bit erratic in size at times. There was the one time I spent $ 15 for the lamb, two sides and a water and got microscopic portions. That was a day I felt really ripped off for my expensive snack. The owner, however, sent me a nice mail when I complained. I went back later (unknown to her), and the portions were better size. it must have been a fluke. Portions aside from the meat are more «right-​sized» than gigantic even normally.
I think you get more meat with the chicken than the lamb and it’s much cheaper, but I’m not as much of a fan of semi-​dry rotisserie chicken. Preference I guess.

I came back and was very disappointed with the service. I was overcharged about two dollars for a 13 dollar meal and I didn’t get a receipt as usual so it’s easy to get overcharged. On top of that, when I emailed this establishment about my concern, they didn’t even acknowledge it. Originally, I was going to host a party with their food but they just lost my business. It’s not professional when a business doesn’t issue receipts, overcharges patrons and gets away with it, and then ignore their communication altogether.

This is a great place to get a delicious filling meal at the Ferry Building. They’re known for their rotisserie chickens, but I usually go for a vegetarian plate. You pay by the pound for tasty sides like roasted tomatoes, three-​cheese macaroni and cheese, and white beans provençale. On cold days, their soups are warming and filling. I recently had a potato soup with mushrooms and leek that was perfect with a crusty roll from Acme.
Mistral gets five stars for the above as well as being a pretty affordable option in the always-​expensive Ferry Building.

I heart Mistral.
Okay I’m totally biased because the owners are: Fabrice and Betty Marcon. The latter used to teach part time at City College and I took a class in Specialty Baking with her. Great teacher, great sense of humor, and during our final she «proctored» by reading books, not looking up even once to check if we’re not cheating off each other.
Anyway… the food at Mistral looks really fresh and good, and mind you this was at 6:30 last night, when they are half hour to closing time. So they don’t cut corners here. I wanted to get the chicken, but figured rotisserie chicken is overrated. So I got the lamb stew, and Fabrice, who was manning the table, was very affable when I asked him what’s good to go with the lamb. He quickly ladled some ratatouille and polenta. I was skeptical about the polenta, but it was throughly unfounded as it was SO good! Before he handed me my paper plate, Fabrice even wiped down the rims like they do in real restaurants. No surprise there, he used to own and operate Hyde Street Bistro.
Well, all in all, I do heart Mistral and I hope they will stick around for a looong period of time.

The ultimate Wednesday lunch meal. When the workweek has worn you down and the weekend is still not in sight, a meal from Mistral is just what the doctor ordered.
My go to meal. the lamb, ratatouille, roasted tomatoes, and roasted potatoes or mac and cheese. Also helps that most of Mistral’s food is healthy for you. Sure beats that six month McDonald’s diet I was on.
It doesn’t hurt that the the two women who work there are totally hot… I have a thing for girls with tattoos.

Ingredients:
1) 1 lbs pork ribs
2) 1 order potato confit
3) 1 order ratatouille
4) 9 lbs little brown dog who freakin loves pork rib bits and would gnaw off her own leg to get a piece
5) 1 ferry building walking distance from apartment
6) 1 table outside of said ferry building
7) 1 girlfriend (optional — adds flavor but complicates recipe)
8) 1 view of SF bay and bay bridge
9) 1 lazy sunday could be late morning could be mid-​afternoon who cares the sun is out
mix well and serve. makes 2 servings of complete and utter happiness. repeat as desired.

I had heard good things about this place, which is why I stopped by on a business trip. I wouldn’t say I was disappointed but the exceptional was often offset by the mediocre to bleck.
Exceptional: the butternut squash was fantastic. Roasted with some butter and spices it was nice and a little crunchy on the outside but gooey and soft on the inside. I heart squashes. Fantastic. Mike M. got the lamb, it was also fantastic, tender and pink in the middle. The Mac and Cheese and the potatoes were also good. Mac and cheese had the good homemade cheese crust and the potatoes weren’t soggy and well seasoned.
The polenta was horrible. It looked good but it tasted like paste and stuck to the forks like plaster instead of being smooth and creamy. It was overly gooey and flavorless, and the texture was awful, it reminded me of gruel with a hint rosemary. I should have gotten the lamb stew of the chicken but the pork looked so tasty and I and I saw how they slathered each piece in pork juice before they plated it so I was sold. Unfortunately, despite it’s well seasoned exterior and pork au jus, it was really dry. It’s hard to make pork roast, I get it, but I had high expectations. I ended up throwing it away as I ran out of beverage to wash it down with.
I’d come here again for the lamb and get the right sides, I should have gotten chicken but I wanted to try something different. The lamb stew also looked promising but I’d probably explore somewhere else next time.

This wonderful take-​out is just the ticket when you want comfort food, but haven’t the strength or acumen to pull it off. Items are cooked daily, and the lamb is always a great choice.
There’s stocks and other great things to take home for the pantry… Since it’s summer-​winter, I can eat here soon, and have the beef stew…

The Ferry Building has many unique take out shops. In Mistral, the selection is limited and idea of food sitting for hours under the lamp ain’t too thrilling but they do a good job with their meats. There’s about 8 sides you can choose from much like a Francois, Bourgeois Boston Market.
The roasted chicken was seasoned and roasted perfectly. The sides were mediocre, scoops of carbs and spoons of veggies. The yogurt from the fridge is great, actually I don’t even know if it’s yogurt since I can not comprehend the French labels but it’s creamy and «yum-​o!»

News alert! Pawk pawk pawk! Dry chickenx!
Rotisserie chicken is the eigth wonder of the modern world — try it at Lulu’s for example. Maybe it’s because our poor bird was sitting out in the air, cut up already and not basting. Maybe the free range happy xicken are a little scrawnier and not brined.. . but it’s about 30% more expensive than Safeway chixants and despite the nice subtle herb seasoning not as juicy or tasty. A little late in the afternoon and several of their other dishes looked a little air dried. :(
I’ll probably go back, give it a second chance and another star. The tiny place is reasonably priced, sincere, and has a sinful looking array of food that is good for you and fattening at the same time. I want to love you, oh Mistral, I really do.
Pawk!