Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/537687
92 / the tasting panel / july 2015 Freedom & Flexily FRED SWAN EATS HIS WAY ACROSS SAN FRANCISCO TO PONDER ITS CULINARY POSSIBILITIES by Fred Swan The halibut tartare with turnips and crème fraîche at The Progress is almost too beautiful to eat. PHOTO: ED ANDERSON D im sum means Chinese food. Pastrami goes on towering deli sandwiches. Pig ears are for making faux silk purses. And restaurants have their name on the door. Except in San Francisco: There, breaking rules is the rule and even counter service can be counter-culture. Sometimes all it takes to make a staid, regional dish fresh and surprising is substitution of the main protein. Experience pastrami outside the sandwich at Smokestack, a steampunk-hipster BBQ brewpub and bar. This Dogpatch neighbor- hood eatery looks askew at Q, supplementing the usual brisket and chopped pork with Wagyu beef back ribs, duck and, yes, pastrami. The pastrami is house-smoked with almond wood for a gentle hour, just enough to add subtle depth.