Little by Little

Cuisine	American (New)
Price	$$ (16-30)
Rating	5/10
Last Visit	June 30, 2021
Location	SFBA: East Bay (Other)

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General Notes

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Little by Little is an unusual New American restaurant, and you'd be forgiven if you've never heard of it. It's situated in Fremont Times Square in the Marina Foods plaza (which contains almost entirely Asian vendors), but it's hidden in the back. The food is decent but not outstanding. The menu is really interesting but the restaurant tries a bit too hard to be "hip" -- there's a mismatch when you compare the menu descriptions to the actual foods. That being said, it's a cool concept in a city that's badly lacking in New American restaurants.

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Positives

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> (2019) Although the lunch menu is limited, they apparently sometimes have off-menu items that are typically only available for dinner. When I visited, they had the bone marrow (which I really want to try), seared scallops, and duck confit available as well.
> (2019) Free popcorn to start off for dinner! They also have free Hawaiian rolls upon request, which are surprisingly good.
> The portions are surprisingly big and the items are relatively cheap.

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Negatives

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> The environment and menu descriptions don't seem to match with the actual food - it's not every day you get served chips in the form of a bag at a restaurant.
> (2021) Little by Little has very much pivoted towards a pickup menu. Although they have indoor seating, all items are served with plastic/paper utensils and plates. Menu items under "boxes" are literally served in takeout boxes. It's great for pickup, but detracts from the experience in-person.
> (2021) Service is meh, the experience isn't that great, and they close relatively early (8pm)

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Dishes Tasted

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• ★★☆☆ Seared Scallops -- Polenta, braised collard greens, shrimp chili oil, chervil. The scallops themselves are wonderful - well seared and seasoned. I think the other elements don't quite work super well with scallops, and the polenta lacks a slightly grainy texture that I'm looking for. Kind of a borderline between a 2 and a 3.
• ★★★☆ Truffled Mac & Cheese -- Lumache pasta, jalapenos, broccoli relish, chili flakes, garlic confit. The pasta had an excellent semi-al-dente texture - I find most mac & cheese that I try to be unpleasantly mushy. The truffle flavor is quite distinguishable, and the other elements add a nice touch to the dish.
• ★★☆☆ Rice Bowl (Chimichurri Chuck Steak) -- Chimichurri chuck steak, garnet yams, roasted kale, broccoli di ciccio, brussel sprouts. The roasted vegetables are nice, but the dish badly needs some more acidity. I barely even noticed that the chimichurri was there. The chuck steak is a bit overcooked as well.
• ★★★☆ Bone Marrow & Chimichurri Chuck Steak -- Kale, spinach, chili flakes, breadcrumbs, just rice, horseradish aioli. The horseradish aioli is delightful and goes really well with the steak. The steak itself tender and delicious. I'd like the bone marrow to be broiled/heated a bit more.
• ★★☆☆ Queso Tacos -- Porchetta with chicharron -- almost identical to the porchetta tacos. Porchetta is good but the tortilla is lackluster.
• ★★★☆ Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Truffle Mac and Cheese -- White truffle oil, cauliflower, breadcrumbs, whole roasted garlic. Great dish, the light truffle flavor adds a nice touch. I mostly like the breadcrumbs, but found them slightly too fine and crispy for my taste.
• ★★☆☆ Porchetta Tacos -- The pork belly is cooked really well - tender, flavorful, and juicy. The salsa also works pretty well with the dish. I'm not a big fan of the texture of the tortillas - it's a bit too soft and could use a bit more of a bite. Also could benefit from a bit more acidity or herbs.