Latest news with #Saison
Eater
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
Meet the Fine Dining Vet Dishing $20 Stunners at Wine Bars
Private chef Shawn Phillips says he came to the work like a fish far, far from any body of water: just focusing on survival. He'd originally left Michelin star-holding kitchens to take care of his daughter, starting to cook more and cash bigger checks with each stint in a different Bay Area restaurant scene. Now, when he's not working his 9-to-5, he's running his debut pop-up Tartufino. He rolled up to Hayes Valley's Birba in October 2024. Once a month, he takes over the patio. Some summer Saturdays, he takes over his buddy's Tal Palo in Los Altos. But Phillips is no 20-year-old elbowing around the city's powerful pop-up scene. He's cooked at Napa's La Taberna, Yountville's the French Laundry, and in San Francisco at Saison under Joshua Skenes and Atelier Crenn where he worked as sous chef. He even pulled a stint at Chicago's Alinea. Tartufino is his shot at re-entering the fray. 'I haven't been in a professional kitchen in a very, very, very long time,' Phillips says. 'But it's kind of like riding a bike, once you kind of get back into it, it kind of all just falls into place.' And for diners, Phillips's food is the quality his Michelin-star pedigree might imply — but at a dramatically lower price and with zero pretension. The filthy risotto and red beans and rice dishes are luxurious, creamy, but nuanced in presentation. There's a delightful hint of sweetness in the Jamaican banana curry gastrique he lathers on quail. It's a bit of a cliche: Haute cuisine, but for the people. Yet Phillips finds a way to pull that off with a big smile and even a few primo nods to Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West (the old Kanye). The former in dish names, such as the Blacker the Berry, which is an end-of-season mulberry and mushroom medley over creme fraiche. The latter serves as design inspiration, the Chicago rapper's teddy bear traipsing across Phillips's menus. The dishes on his menus come from his myriad personal and professional backgrounds. There's French cuisine from his chef jobs. Then there's Southern food from how he grew up, his roots. Next Mexican food, or Latin food he adds, thanks to his daughter's half-Mexican identity. Spanish food and Italian food hail from his career, too. The jamon toast — tomato jam with bread soaked in jamon fat before loading it up with cured meat itself — is a play on a dish he served at Saison. The San Francisco Chronicle 's write-up in February of his homemade tortellini with lamb neck and uni with fondant potatoes and chicken drippings helped vault his work further into the posh dining conversation. But that doesn't mean he's going to turn over an open sign to his own place any time soon. The pandemic, and the rippling cataclysm that hit the restaurant industry, shifted how Phillips views restaurants. Unless some wealthy benefactor cut him a blank check, he isn't so sure he'll look for backers. A few cooks at Birba and Tal Palo pitch in, but Tartufino is fully a one-man operation. Twice a month works for him. 'At heart, I'm a kitchen rat,' Phillips says with a laugh. 'I love seeing people with smiles on their faces. Now, it's about having my little girl watch daddy do something he's always loved to do.' Tartufino has pop ups at Birba Sunday, July 6 and at Merkado for a Notorious P.I.G. on Sunday, July 20. Then he'll work at 11 a.m. on Sunday, August 10 for the Dandelion Chocolate summer Sunday brunch before returning in September.
Eater
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
Overheard at the 2025 Michelin Guide California Award Ceremony
The San Francisco Bay Area, and all of Northern California, did numbers at the state's Michelin Guide ceremony on Wednesday, June 25. There were 2025 numerous stars awarded, with Sonoma restaurant Enclos and San Francisco restaurant Kiln fetching two Michelin stars each. Which chefs and teams take home new accolades and honors can be an indication for the state of the industry and what to add to a diner's hit list for (at least) the following year. All the scuttlebutt before and after the show, everything overheard, can be just as telling. What follows are photos, commentary, snark, and hard-hitting news from the night itself. 'It's a team effort. A lot of people feel they lost their shine in comparison to Los Angeles. The new mayor can help get restaurants back on track with better regulation.' — chef Junsoo Bae, Ssal , retained its star 'Of course I want to see Rich (Lee of Saison)'s restaurant [get a second star], but we're doing good work and Angler's a strong restaurant no matter what. [Retaining a star] is like you know you're safe for another year. It's never guaranteed.' — chef de cuisine Joe Hou, Angler , retained its star 'The nerves aren't with us tonight.' — chef David Fisher, 7 Adams , retained its star 'We're not the new restaurant anymore.' — chef Serena Chow Fisher, 7 Adams , retained its star 'I feel nervous, excited.' — chef Brian Limoges, Enclos, earned two stars 'All the people who are here have restaurants. That are open.' — anonymous Michelin star-holding general manager speaking to another guest 'It's all very odd.' — the guest 'Yes, it's all very odd.' — same GM 'We all packed in an Uber [to come to the ceremony]. Everyone's a little tense at the beginning 'til people unwind and get a little loose.' — chef Rich Lee, Saison, retained its star 'It's so good to be amongst all these people. Whatever happens, I'm just grateful to be here.' — general manager Ian Cobb, Enclos 'I'm just happy to be here. I hope everyone gets what they want.' — chef Rogelio Garcia, Auro , retained its star 'We're happy to be here. *Fist bump*.' — chef Thomas Keller, The French Laundry , retained its three stars 'This isn't the right place to congregate!' — partner to a chef de cuisine at a San Francisco Michelin star-holding restaurant drinking in front of the bar 'There doesn't seem to be one.' — someone else at the bar 'You're not wrong.' — same partner 'It hasn't hit yet.' — chef de cuisine Adam Gale, Enclos 'Yeah it's a shame what happened with Osito since he had such a vision.' — chef Harrison Cheney, Sons and Daughters , on moving into a new restaurant space 'You [Eater SF] came to one of the good ceremonies,' — chef David Yoshimura, Nisei , retained its star 'Your [Eater SF's] suit has the same stitch as mine!' — chef David Barzelay, Lazy Bear , retained its two stars 'It's a good night,' — chef John Wesley, Kiln, earned a second star 'You have so many goddamn restaurants,' — chef at a Michelin star-holding restaurant to another chef 'I know,' — that other chef at another Michelin star-holding restaurant See More: San Francisco Restaurant News
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Yahoo
Bring Scott Clark's Pre-Surf Fire Cider To The Beach This Weekend
Scott Clark knows a little about being on the coast. His restaurant, Dad's Luncheonette, is a train caboose parked on the Pacific Coast Highway in Half Moon Bay. This casual destination, which serves simple but thoughtfully prepared sandwiches, bowls of soup, and slices and pie, overlooks the Pacific Ocean. 'That's the water I'm in every day of my life, fishing and kayaking, foraging and surfing,' Clark writes in his recent cookbook Coastal: 130 Recipes from a California Road Trip. It is a decidedly different life than the one he was leading as chef de cuisine of Saison in San Francisco, a restaurant with three Michelin stars and ranked 27 on the list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants while he was there. The grueling workload of fine dining doesn't leave much time for surfing in the Pacific Ocean or, as the name of his train caboose restaurant suggests, being a parent. The recipes in Coastal illustrate Clark's decision to leave behind fine dining in 2017 and embrace a more casual lifestyle with his family, without forgetting the knowledge and skills that made him a great chef. (MORE: Kick Off The First Days Of Summer With A Tomato Sandwich) This recipe, which Clark calls 'Pre-Surf Fire Cider' shows both sides of his personality. It's the perfect companion to an early-morning beach trip, when you need a sip of something to warm you up and get you ready to dive into the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean. It's also a sophisticated, cheffy spin on the health-conscious fire cider trend, which leans on insights from folk medicine to boost the immune system. 'This is a digestive, immune-boosting ripper. I go nuts for it. I chug a hefty pour before surfing because it gets me loose,' Clark writes. 'You can also slam it into cold water, pour it over ice, make a tea with it, whisk it into salad dressing, or if you're feeling real frisky, blend it into a Bloody Mary. But beware: It's not the easy sipper you're looking for; it's a shot of nature's high-octane fuel.' Pre-Surf Fire Cider Ingredients 2 cups unfiltered raw apple cider vinegar ½ cup unpeeled, chopped fresh ginger ½ cup peeled, chopped fresh horseradish root ½ cup garlic cloves, peeled and smashed ¼ cup peeled, chopped turmeric 3 Tbsp honey, plus more as needed 2 serrano chiles, halved lengthwise Peel of 1 lemon, preferably Meyer, pith removed Peel of 1 navel orange, pith removed Peel of 1 grapefruit, pith removed ½ tsp black peppercorns ½ tsp pink peppercorns ¼ tsp fine salt, such as Maldon Instructions In a large mason jar, combine all the ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to push the solids down to submerge them in the vinegar. Crank a lid on the jar, give it a good shake, and store it somewhere dark and cool for 4 weeks. Pour the cider through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth into a clean mason jar. Discard the solids. Taste the cider and add more honey, as needed, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it's perfect for you. The cider keeps, in the fridge, for a few months. Excerpted from Coastal: 130 Recipes from a California Road Trip by Scott Clark with Betsy Andrews, © 2025. Published by Chronicle Books. MORE ON - Think Spring With This Pasta Primavera - Feeling Spicy? Make This Thai Chili Oil - Refreshing Spring Sips
Eater
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
Fine Dining Chef Josh Skenes Opens a Spicy Fried Chicken Restaurant in Arts District
One of the world's most acclaimed chefs is getting into the fried chicken business. Joshua Skenes, the founding chef of Saison and Angler in San Francisco (and part of Angler LA at opening), is opening a fast-casual restaurant on June 6 called Happies Hand Made in the Arts District in the space adjacent to Tatsu Ramen. Skenes, who opened Leopardo in mid-2024 and temporarily closed it in early 2025 to work on Happies, is serving thick, spicy, Sichuan-inflected fried chicken tenders with fruit and tea drinks; heavily seasoned beef tallow fries; soft serve topped with passionfruit and strawberry; and frozen cocktails. The tenders will be served atop crispy waffles, milk bread slices, or a pile of dressed salad greens. The surprise debut comes after months of speculation about the fate of Leopardo, Skenes' Italian American pizza and seafood restaurant that opened in 2024 along La Brea Avenue. Leopardo had garnered some local and national recognition for its pizza and was included in the California Michelin Guide. The restaurant quietly closed in early 2025 and has yet to set a reopening date, but promises a renovated interior design. Prior to Leopardo, Skenes founded Saison, which reached three Michelin stars (it's currently at two after his departure), and Angler, which still has a single Michelin star. Angler in Los Angeles operated at the Beverly Center from 2019 to 2023. His only previous foray into casual dining was with Fat Noodle, a venture with Umami Burger founder Adam Fleischman that never fully opened. In the meantime, Skenes' Happies Hand Made restaurant opens its doors today at noon with limited hours of operation from Friday to Sunday. The fried chicken tenders are possibly the biggest in the city, encrusted with a crispy Southern-style exterior and dressed with a mildly spicy Sichuan-style chile sauce. A gentle smokiness comes through with each bite, which distinguishes these tenders from other versions around town. Craggly fries are coated in black pepper and heavy seasoning, resembling Chinese and Korean snacks, and they're fried in beef tallow for good measure. Skenes has always excelled in soft serve ice cream, with compelling renditions at Angler and Leopardo. Here, soft serve swirls are topped with strawberry sauce, passionfruit, or whole honeycomb. Prices are fairly reasonable, with fried tender combos at $26 for two tenders, a choice of crispy 'liquid' waffle, milk bread, or salad, and a housemade soda. Fries are $5, and soft serve is $8. To round out the menu, Skenes has a huge array of beverages, like fruit sodas; lemon mint, honey oolong, and hojicha tea, cold brew coffee with a whole doughnut on top; boozy slushies flavored with coconut or kyoho grape; and a few other fruity cocktails. The wood-lined space conjures a retro diner, with a slatted divider barely separating the rest of the high-ceiling industrial space from the next-door Tatsu Ramen. Still, a few wall counter stools and plush booth seating make for decent on-premise dining. The restaurant is currently dine-in only, with take-out and delivery forthcoming. Happies Hand Made is open Friday to Sunday, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and is located at 427 S. Hewitt Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90013. Sign up for our newsletter.
San Francisco Chronicle
05-06-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Which Bay Area restaurants landed on the World's 50 Best list?
Two of the Bay Area's most decorated restaurants, SingleThread and Atelier Crenn, have landed on a global stage once again. Influential restaurant ranking group World's 50 Best Restaurants included the fine dining institutions on its extended list of restaurants, from 51 through 100, which includes 37 cities around the globe. Atelier Crenn in San Francisco placed at No. 96, while Healdsburg's SingleThread was named No. 80. 'We are grateful when our name appears, a sign that our labor is seen,our flame recognized,' Atelier Crenn executive chef and owner Dominique Crenn wrote on Instagram. The restaurant has appeared on the main 50 best list, at no. 48, as recently as 2021, but fell off the list completely last year; SingleThread, meanwhile, fell from its place last year at No. 37. Past Bay Area honorees on World's Best 50 Restaurants' main list include Saison, Benu and the French Laundry, which has been inducted into the organization's 'Best of the Best' hall of fame after being placed in the No. 1 spot. The World's 50 Best Restaurants, published by the British media company William Reed, put out its first rankings of top fine dining destinations in 2002. The group has been criticized in the past for a lack of diversity in its organization, not requiring members to pay for their meals, as well as uneven gender and geographic representation in past lists. The main list, which will rank restaurants from 50 to No. 1, will be revealed in Turin, Italy on June 19.
