Last night, Kevin and I went to Epic Roasthouse, Pat Kuleto’s new venture on the Embarkadero. Having followed a bit of the controversy about the new building, we wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

The View: Inside, a wall of glass looks up and out to stunning views of the Bay Bridge. To my delight, we were promptly seated at one of four two-tops by the window. If there are more than two of you, you won’t get to sit by the window, but all of the tables have a view.

Cocktails: On the recommendation of our server, Diana, I went with the Conversos–pear green tea infused gin, Lillet Blanc chartreuse, and lemon. Yummy!

The Little Things: The bread–rosemary, cornbread, and a popover–was just okay, really totally forgettable. But the salt–yes, the salt!–might have made up for the bread. We had three kinds: Hawaiian black salt, something I don’t remember, and a Himalayan salt. Regarding the latter, its powerful flavor really livened up my entree, which we’ll get to in a second.

Starters: My husband had the Bibb lettuce salad with tangerines–good–and I had the Oysters 2×2–2 Oysters Rockefeller and 2 Oysters Bienville. When Diana was explaining to me Bienville’s association with New Orleans, I nodded politely and didn’t let on that in my hometown of Mobile, Alabama, we have our own Bienville Square. Just so happens that Mobile was “settled” in 1702 by one Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, and was the first capital of the French colony of Louisiana. But I digress. The oysters were very good, but I found myself wondering why Epic Roasthouse was serving oysters from the East Coast, Nova Scotia, and Washington, when we have delicious oysters just a stone’s throw away in Tomales Bay.

Entrees: I had the whole fish–spring bream–and Kevin had the New York strip with a side of truffled mashed potatoes. The potatoes were the stand-out, creamy and tart with a really scrumptious truffle kick. The steak was cooked just right and very good; Kevin, who rarely cleans his plate, didn’t leave a scrap. The fish, de-boned tableside, was tender, large, and well-prepared, but upon first taste seemed to be missing something. Then I added a dash of the Himalayan salt, which worked wonders, and devoured the whole thing, head and all. The mound of couscous beside the fish spicy but uninspired –I only had one bite.

Wine: Since Kevin doesn’t drink much (oh yes, you wonder, how did I end up married to a man of such admirable temperance?) I ordered by the glass. I had the Jeanne-Pierre Dirler Riesling–very nice.

Dessert: A little while later, out came the chocolate souffle, accompanied by caramel ice cream. This was delicious and completely decadent, and so rich that between the two of us we only ate half of it.

Ambiance: Easy to hear one another while talking in soft to normal tones. Tables spaced well apart. To me, this is a huge plus. Not exactly romantic, but not overly businesslike either.

Service: Excellent! Unpretentious, friendly, and knowledgeable.

Overall: I’d definitely recommend Epic Roasthouse for date night or a special dinner with friends. It’s pricey, but it’s a lovely experience with stunning views of the Bay Bridge. We got there in the early evening, so it was still light, and it was lovely to watch the lights of the bridge glowing by nightfall.