Archive for February 3rd, 2010

Saison – San Francisco

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

Saison Restaurant, San Francisco (image credit: saisonsf.com)Neighborhood: Mission
2124 Folsom Street
(between 17th St & 18th St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
Tel. 415.828.7990
Hours:
Fri. 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Attire: Casual
Credit Cards: Yes
Parking: Street
Prices: Expensive

Reservations: For Reservations, please call: 415.828.7990 or online at: http://www.saisonsf.com
reservations are taken by phone tuesday through sunday 11am-5pm, one month to the calendar date.

Saison, hidden behind the Stable Cafe, is dubbed these days as a “Pop-Up” operation, it is a new type of emerging restaurant, an establishment that began operation by restricting opening to only one night a week, on Sunday nights.  Since then, it has expanded the schedule to include weekend nights Friday, Saturday & Sunday. In Saison’s case, the space has a dual use as chef Joshua Skenes contracts the use of the kitchen during weekdays to make gourmet sandwiches to be sold on a food cart. This entire situation was brought about and evolved into what it is, because of the challenging times facing restaurant ownership today. Joshua Skenes and his friend Mark Bright, a wine consultant, conceived this idea to make the best use of the space. Kris Esqueda handles the dining room and seating. To obtain a reservation you must make it online through Open Table, one seating on Friday and two seatings on Saturday and Sunday or by telephone at the number listed above.

Skenes held a position in the kitchen of famed Chef, Jean-George Vongerichtten. He was spotted by Michael Mina and he asked Skenes to help open Stonehill Tavern at the St. Regis Resort in Monarch Beach at Dana Point. Skenes accepted a position as the Executive Chef at Stonehill Tavern. Mark Bright also assisted in the wine programs at many of Mina’s restaurants including Arcadia in San Jose, Sea Blue and Nob Hill at MGM Grand Las Vegas, and Stonehill Tavern at the St. Regis Monarch Bay.

Quince – San Francisco

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

quince3Quince
470 Pacific Ave
San Francisco, CA 94133
Tel. 415-775-8500
Credit Cards: Yes
Prices: Expensive

Michael & Lindsay Tusk’s restaurant Quince is settling into its new digs, an airy and modern room that was the former space of Myth on Pacific Ave. If any improvement has been made to Quince’s already exemplary cooking, in all likelihood, it was due to adding more kitchen space.
David Lynch, a former wine director of Babbo, opened by Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich, is also a member of the Quince team and manages the beverage end of the operation.
Two of the cooking highlights sampled were; a tagliatelle and crab, laden with succulent, fresh Dungeness crab meat, and a moist and juicy pigeon was roasted to perfection.

During his career Michael was a chef at Chez Panisse and Oliveto and Lindsay worked the front at Oliveto and Boulevard.