The Fly Trap
606 Folsom St.
Surrounded by birds, fly swatters and laughter is the atmosphere in which you will find Valen West in her element. A born Virginian, Valen has been on the west coast for most of her adult life but get on the topic of opossums and dirty dancing and she’s got some stories for you. She also has a passion for plants which is obvious from the lush environment that surrounds you at The Fly Trap, her Soma restaurant, that is rich in San Francisco history.
The romantic outdoor eating garden stretches the length of the building and has overgrown ivy, personal heat lamps and artistic charm in abundance. The inside has all the class of an upscale fine dining establishment minus any of the pretentiousness. Nowhere is this more obvious than at the bar where her hodge podge of quirky glassware brings smiles along with an outstanding cocktails. Her love for the Alameda antique fair is present in many of the touches of decor in her fun yet refined environment. But the most wild room is the restroom with an ode to her friend Stanley, the maintenance man and rubber duckies.
The food, which has a few nods to the previous Persian chef, is full of mostly seasonal mediterranean dishes. The trout salad with cucumber “linguine” is a long time favorite of mine and it’s hard for me to pass up their fried brussels with bacon tossed in mustard vinaigrette. The house made gnocchi which has a rotating seasonal sauce is generally a fantastic vegetarian option while the lamb chop is full of flavor with pistachios and pears. And since Covid has taken away so much seating she has started serving brunch on the weekends and it is truly a Sunday fun-day in the secret garden.
As wonderful as the dining experience is, Valen’s cocktails are as beautiful and creative as she is with cucumber ribbons and lollipops as garnish. Before firmly grounding her feet in SF, she was a traveling trainer for Planet Hollywood teaching bar staff how to make and serve cocktails and set up bar programs. In San Francisco she managed Julia and Moose’s, both classic spots that have been long closed but live on in infamy of those in the neighborhoods they served. And while her drinks are professional, with names like Cabana Boy and Walk of Shame, her humor lightens the mood and delivers joy in a Garfield cartoon glass.
Like most restaurants, her business has been hit hard by this last year and while she watched many places shutter their doors for good, she bought art pieces from local artists and printed a banner with the Maya Angelou quote “And still I rise!” Keep rising Valen, keep rising!
