Nightshade Has That Ruby Glow / Some dishes shine

When Ruby's bright tomato sign disappeared from Third Street after an eight-year run, pizza fans lamented its passing. The restaurant earned wide acclaim because it was one of the few places that specialized in its kind of crisp, cornmeal crust pizza.

But Dan Rubinstein, better known as waterproof phone case Ruby, didn't let lease disputes stop him. He left the business last summer and opened Nightshade on Steiner at Sutter, an area that straddles Pacific Heights and the Western Addition.

The nightshade theme is carried through in the interior, where a huge, realistic-looking eggplant vine wraps the post in front of the host stand, the famous Ruby's red tomato is above the kitchen and a giant potato adorns a door to the dish-washing area (all three vegetables are of the nightshade family). Where Ruby's was small and intimate, this space is much larger. Its hard surfaces and large windows give the 100-seat space the cool feel of an office building. Some elements, such as the green hanging globes over the bar and the high-tech Italian halogen lights next to the bar, are cutting-edge. The double line of round white globes that hangs from the ceiling makes the room look even larger, which diminishes the elements that might give the space a more personal feel.

INTERIOR NEEDS TO WARM UP
The interior Hello Kitty iPhone4 leather cases needs to warm up a lot, especially to go with the rustic food created by Bela Durst, who worked three years at Stars and then went on to other restaurants around the Bay Area.

And even though Rubinstein has de-emphasized the pizza ($3.25 a slice; $18.50 whole) by placing it at the bottom of the menu, it's still the best item, whether topped with fennel sausage, roasted peppers and onions or slathered with eggplant, mushrooms and Roma tomato sauce. If the crust tastes familiar, it could be because the owner was an original partner in Vicolo, which has been dishing up this thick, rich cornmeal crust in Hayes Valley for nearly 15 years.

As with many new places, Nightshade had a rough start, including chef changes. We happened to show up on the night Durst took over, and he was trying to produce unfamiliar food in unfamiliar surroundings. We decided to give him a few weeks to settle in.

On our three return visits, it was evident that he had put his stamp on the Italian menu. While much of the menu is familiar, a few items showed the chef's creative bent. For example, he cuts a head of butter lettuce into wedges, much as cooks used to do with iceberg, and drizzles it with a Gorgonzola vinaigrette with roast peppers and pancetta. It's cold, crisp and refreshing, with just the right amount of tangy dressing.

He also papered a dinner plate with thin slices of prosciutto ($8.75) and topped them with a warm pile of just-crunchy green beans mixed with roasted peppers, crispy bits of bacon and a chop of hard-boiled eggs that presented a soothing counterpoint to the intense flavors of the marinated vegetables and salty meat.
The mussels ($8.25) had the potential to be great; the only problem was that the seafood appeared to have been cooked separately from the lemony herb broth. Its flavor never permeated the mussels.

The main courses, in many cases, had items piled so closely on the plate that they bordered on gross: The roasted spring chicken ($13.50), which was nearly as small as a half Cornish hen, with less meat and more bone, was crowded by creamy-lumpy rosemary mashed potatoes, sauteed greens studded with pearl onions and a soupy broth that made everything a mess. The presentation was much better for the pork chop ($15) in a creamy sour cherry sauce, with au gratin potatoes and a pile of green beans. And the flavors were absolutely glorious in a grilled halibut ($17), a nightly special, complemented by a creamy tomato sauce. Only the gritty spinach detracted from the combination. On another night the halibut was served with leeks and roasted peppers, and was almost as good.

ORDINARY OFFERINGS
The restaurant's potential becomes obvious in this type of dish. However, too many offerings are ordinary, including the Caesar salad ($5.25), the rigatoni with Italian sausage ($9.25) and the dense gnocchi with wild mushrooms and roasted shallot cream ($7.50). And a few dishes need to be rethought, including the ravioli stuffed with seafood mousse ($14.75). Not only was the filling rubbery and the pasta too chewy, but the combination of blood orange, tarragon, Pernod and nicoise olives left an unpleasant medicinal aftertaste.

What should have been an excellent grilled steak ($19) with porcini mushrooms and crisp wedges of potatoes Anna was a major disappointment because the meat we ordered medium rare was still raw and cool in the middle.

The tiramisu ($5.50) was a dry, gooey mess, one of the worst versions I can remember. The chocolate fruit tart ($5.50) with strawberries could have been fine, but the crust needed some work. The honey anise pine nut tart ($5.75) also needed a more pliable crust and a different combination of flavors. Much like the ravioli, it had a slight metallic quality.

Two desserts were worth ordering: an intensely flavored espresso panna cotta with caramel sauce ($5.50) that had a rich, almost creme brulee texture; and a thick lemon cheesecake ($5.50).

The main disappointment at Nightshade, however, isn't the food, but the service. Clearly the staff isn't trained. Servers pick up plates while people are still eating, deliver food to the wrong person and seem unable to anticipate what a table might Phone Case need. It's apparent that the staff wants to give good service, but the restaurant hasn't come up with an efficient system.

Still, it's nice to have Ruby's back in business. And it's even nicer to know that if you don't want to trek across town there's free citywide pizza delivery. Rubinstein recommends ordering it half-baked so you can finish baking it at home and enjoy some of the best pizza in the city. WINE LIST OFFERS 25 BY THE GLASS
The strength of the wine list at Nightshade is the 25 selections available by the glass. Pours are generous and prices are reasonable.

The two-page list of bottles bears the personal stamp of owner Dan Rubinstein. The imports are particularly strong: 1995 Perrin Cotes du Rhone Blanc ($21), 1995 Doro Princic Tocai Friuliano from Italy ($29) and the New Zealand 1996 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc ($26). Among the imported reds, the 1995 Bodegas Rico Carchelo from Spain ($18) is one of the best values. Other good choices include the 1992 Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella ($26) from Italy and the 1992 Guigal Gigondas from France ($29).

The domestic wines don't have a theme. They're all over the board, but you can find some interesting selections. At the top of my list are the 1994 Shafer Firebreak Sangiovese ($38) and the 1995 Rabbit Ridge North Coast Merlot ($31). In the white wine category, try the 1995 Cain Musque Sauvignon Blanc ($25) or the 1995 Arrowwood Sonoma Chardonnay ($36).

The dessert, spirit and special drink list is also unbalanced. Most of the single malts, for example, have a very peaty character, and the majority of the specialty drinks are made with vodka.