Out There: Tickling the Outdoor Ivories

So Out There & Pepi were on our way to see the exhibition "J.M.W. Turner: "Painting Set Free at the de Young Museum, and we took a scenic short-cut through the San Francisco Botanical Garden. (Admission to the curated garden is free with proof of SF residency; $7 to soak the tourists.) Imagine our surprise when we heard the dulcet tones of piano-paying wafting through the trees!

Turned out we were there during the installation of "Flower Piano," an interactive public art project on offer through July 20 in the garden. The brainchild of piano proponents Mauro Ffortissimo and Dean Mermell, "Flower Piano" has sited 12 pianos around the 55-acre garden, and anyone can sit down and play. When we were there, one pianist was picking out Erik Satie's "Gymnopedies," which Pepi remembered from having once having been placed on hold. Another player was working his way through a Scott Joplin rag, and yet another was having her way with Chopin. It was an unexpected smorgasbord of pianistic delights.

We're not sure how they'll keep the pianos in tune given the perpetual mists in GG Park, but more power to presenting group Sunset Piano. More info can be found at sfbotanicalgarden.org.

Brunch Dish

Owner-partner Manuel Montalban and chef-partner Gualberto Nic Camara invited Out There to sample the new weekend brunch menu at Manos Nouveau (3970 17th St., SF), an offering of their French-Latin-inspired cuisine. We arrived at Noon on July 4th, and in keeping with how the Castro neighborhood had apparently cleared out for the holiday, found that we had the place to ourselves. The service was therefore quite personal and attentive.

During brunch hours (Sat. & Sun., 11 a.m.-2 p.m.), Manos Nouveau's menu is divided into categories of pequeno (smaller bites), brunch mains and sides. We were quite intrigued with the ahi tartare deviled eggs garnished with caviar ($16) on the menu, but it was 86'd because of the holiday delivery schedule. Instead we sampled the chicken breast croquettas topped with bell pepper slices, sauteed spinach, poached eggs, watercress criolla, and an aji pepper cream sauce ($20): really good.

We enjoyed dishes rooted in Latin heritage such as the black-bean bacon soup topped with a poached egg ($15), a recipe reconceived by Montalban from his grandmother's kitchen; and a Latin-style French onion soup ($13, also found on the dinner menu). Our holiday "plus one" Wilder had ordered the filet mignon rib-eye burger, ground in-house ($23), but the house canceled the order because we were clearly full from the two soups and croquettas.

To wash down, the restaurant offers an agave wine with oyster shooters ($10) and a tropical fruit juice mimosa ($10). But we each had a glass of a nice sparkling brut rose, a perfect complement to the yummy victuals.

Manos is Spanish for hands, and nouveau is French for new and inventive. Together they conjure up a contemporary French culinary style using Latin ingredients and recipes. For reservations visit manosnouveau.com or call (415) 872-5507.