Enjoy Caviar on the Bay at the Tsar Nicoulai Caviar Café!

If you live in the Northern California area, you may have seen Tsar Nicoulai Caviar featured on restaurant and winery menus such as Aphotic, Foreign Cinema, Lord Stanley, Allora, Kru, Vacanza Romana, Fizz Champagne and Bubbles Bar, Twin Rocks Winery, and Domaine Carneros (where I am a wine club member), but did you know there is a café dedicated to their products in the San Francisco Ferry building?

Last week, I attended an industry wine tasting in San Francisco, and I was looking into where I might explore in the City after the tasting was over. It didn’t take long for me to decide on the Tsar Nicoulai Caviar Café as my destination, as I have been enjoying caviar as often as my budget allows for the past few years, and trying to learn as much as possible about its production.

The café is situated amongst a myriad of food-themed shops and eateries like Acme Bread, Hog Island Oyster Company, Señor Sisig, El Porteño, Fatted Calf, and many more. The café is more of a large food stall with a bar area and table seating, but a wonderful place to sit and people watch all the foodie tourists (and some locals alike) walk by. My server, Tim, gave me a table all to myself, and I sat down eagerly awaiting to sip some bubbly and sample some items on the menu.

I selected a glass of Lanson Champagne to kick off my experience in style! Soon after, Tim brought me two different caviars to taste with a tiny little mother-of-pearl spoon. The first one was the “Classic” variety (from the California White Sturgeon raised on Wilton ranch), and the second was the “Baerii” (imported from their farm in Greece and from a species of sturgeon called Acipenser Baerii).

Why the special spoon? Because a metal one, particularly silver will, quite literally “tarnish” the delicate flavor of the roe. I also learned from Tim that the word “Malossol” which appears on the label of each jar/tin is a Russian word meaning “little salt”. It indicates the product has been cured.

Next up, I tasted their smoked salmon tzatziki dip topped with salmon roe. This dip was creamy, flavorful and incredibly tasty across the texture of the cracker and the gentle pop of the roe. I sipped some of my Champagne and happily awaited more!

A few moments later, Tim presented me with a beautiful spread of three more caviars to taste: The “Estate”, the “Osetra”, and the “Select”, along with the proper accoutrements: blinis, Tim’s Cascade Unsalted potato chips, and La Panzanella crackers, Bellwether Farms Crème Fraîche, hard-boiled egg, and chopped chives. It was at this moment I decided that if Heaven had a waiting room, this would surely be it! It was blissful to be sitting in the cafe enjoying my beloved beverage,  and exploring the different flavors and nuances of my new-found favorite delicacy. 

The “Estate” variety (from $45 for a 1/2 ounce): This is the gateway caviar. It’s the entry level to luxury and one of my favorites to enjoy with a glass of Domaine Carneros Ultra Brut (which, by the way, was my next glass of wine during my meal). I am a wine club member at Domaine Carneros and always have multiple bottles of sparkling wine to pop open (especially for a caviar occasion). I would definitely use this caviar atop tater tots or waffle fries.

The “Osetra” variety (from $75 for a 1/2 ounce): Produced on their farm in Greece (also Eco-certified) and imported. If someone wants to give you a “bump” of this, always say “yes, please!” Best with a drier white wine, bubbly, or Champagne, and would also pair beautifully with a sparkling Greek wine I sampled earlier in the day, a Xinomavro/Assyrtiko blend called Lune Noire by Domaine Oinea, Amyndeon, Macedonia.

The “Select” variety (from $55 for a 1/2 ounce): A premier caviar with medium to large sized beads. I would consume this variety on top of something flavor-neutral, but elevated to showcase the delicate flavor profile. That is why the flight comes with blinis and unsalted chips. Why upstage the star?

My third glass of bubbly was the Argyle Rosé which hails from the Willamette Valley. Its magical deep pink color and earthy aromas/flavor was a divine pairing for my final dish at the café: The Choux Au Craquelin (Cream Puff) filled with lemon creme fraiche and vanilla, and topped with a fourth variety of caviar: The Golden Osetra. It was the perfect sweet and salty ending to the meal.

You can purchase any of the caviar I tasted at the link here, or if you’re impatient like I am, many of the varieties are sold at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op to take home immediately if you live nearby, including some salmon and trout roe for $18-30 if you’re not ready to spend over $30, but want to try Tsar Nicoulai products or elevate your morning eggs. They also carry the crackers and the Crème Fraîche that were on my sampler plate.

National Caviar Day is July 20th. Come celebrate 40 years of Tsar Nicoulai Caviar at the Ferry Building! From now until June 18th, you can use the promo code: FEEDMECAVIAR for 20% off your tickets. The event promises to be a fabulous time, and the café has collaborated with several restaurants: Aphotic, Hog Island Oyster Co., and more, as well as wineries such as: Domaine Carneros, St. Supery, amongst others. BUY TICKETS HERE and I WILL SEE YOU THERE!!

I’ll be following up this post with more on caviar, how to use the delicacy to elevate your own home cooking, and more about Tsar Nicoulai and their ranch in Wilton. Cheers and bye for now!