Chef David Lawrence in the 1300 on Fillmore kitchen. Photo courtesy of 1300 Fillmore

At events like SF Chefs, we’ve noticed again and again that chef David Lawrence has culinary offerings that stand out. His “Soulful American” bites with roots in England and Jamaica include such dishes as shrimp grits and white grits with pesto, and organic skillet fried chicken, with an upscale twist. Lawrence’s plates tend to demonstrate how the deep South can cozy up with fresh California produce, using classic French technique.

Since opening in 2007, Lawrence’s restaurant, 1300 on Fillmore, remains a draw for Sunday gospel brunch crowds, as well as those looking for a group dinner or bar snack–the fried chicken or skillet catfish; meaty ribeye; variety of grits and even warm chocolate beignets with coffee soda are almost begging to be shared. Lawrence, a London native, is 1300 on Fillmore’s executive chef and managing partner. He has cooked for royalty and was formally trained in the culinary arts at Westminster College. In 1982, Lawrence joined England’s most celebrated and honored culinarians, Albert and Michel Roux, who were definitely considered “celeb chefs” there and were the chef-proprietors of the world-renowned Le Gavroche and the Waterside Inn (at that time, both three-star Michelin restaurants). Lawrence cooked his way through five of their famous restaurants and became a sous chef, in four short years. In 1986, Lawrence became chef de cuisine at Interlude Restaurant in London, which gave him the sweet chance to make meals for none other than the Prince and Princess of Wales; Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon; and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

He left for the U.S. in 1988 in a kismet vacation moment that led to chef de cuisine work with a former Le Gavroche chef named Kurt Graising who was opening 231 Ellsworth Restaurant in San Mateo. Lawrence next landed at the (ornate and beautiful) Carnelian Room and Cityscape restaurants in San Francisco, respectively. While at Cityscape, he created the Chefs for Kids program, which raised thousands of dollars for the Tenderloin After School program. Lawrence is also generous with his time for various local charity events. We caught up in person recently to find out more about his culinary style and career. His comments have been edited for length and clarity.

Bay Area Bites: Can you tell us about your successes & goals?
Lawrence: The restaurant just celebrated five years of business last October. When we opened the restaurant, it was all fanfare and then the economy crashed. We survived but had to cut back and there was no sous chef, and no general manager. My wife Monetta White and I did all that. We we’re able to do so with the support of the city and the people who came in. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved. Now I’m looking at expanding.

Our gospel brunch is on Sunday. For Easter, we decided to try something different, and keep our hours to the daytime and not open at night. I saw hordes of people walking back up to Pacific Heights as they left brunch. Then when I went to Safeway, I saw a line of people, and there were families and kids walking down here. I remember when we first came here and Monetta lived at Bush and Fillmore. Back then, no one went below Bush Street.

Bay Area Bites: What are your best selling menu items…and your favorites?
Lawrence: For the best seller, it’s always the fried chicken. When I walk around and go out, people say that fried chicken is the bestseller. It is so funny because I come from Europe and have worked with Michelin-starred chefs. I have no complaints but my claim to fame is chicken. I just turned 50 in February, and it’s, “Wow, I’m 50 and known for fried chicken.”

I am the most proud of dishes like shrimp and grits and fried chicken. The shrimp and grits dishes really got me to look at this cuisine and what we do. Monetta is from Mississippi and we’ve been together for 19 years. We have a similar thing in England where I am from that is cornmeal porridge: sugar, nutmeg, and spice to make it nice and creamy. I cooked the grits more or less the same way and decided to do it without the sugar. Slowly but surely, people became interested and back then, no one was doing this.

Bay Area Bites: As a chef and businessman, what would you like to be known for?
Lawrence: It’s a fine line doing both. I’ve seen many amazing chefs open restaurants and crash. I’ve seen many mediocre chefs succeed because of their business acumen. As a chef, you have to cook what your customers want instead of what your ego wants. It’s about getting that balance. With the restaurant’s earlier days, I had foie gras, lamb, and rabbit and it was great for me but I couldn’t sell it. I never wanted a hamburger but I put one on the menu because people want it. It’s about finding the fine line between your own ego and what makes sense and sells. That way, you can hopefully still enjoy what you do.

Bay Area Bites: Guilty pleasure?
Lawrence: My thing is chocolate HobNobs. You call them cookies, and I call them biscuits. I don’t buy them because I can’t eat just one.

Bay Area Bites: Where do you live?
Lawrence: We live right above the restaurant. The commute is awesome. I love it. If I get five minutes for myself, I can go upstairs. It gives me just enough time to recharge my batteries. I can pop down if someone is here and wants to say hello, which is the least I can do if they have come all this way to eat at my restaurant. 1300 is my love and will be my love for the rest of my life.

Related Information:

1300 on Fillmore
Address: Map
1300 Fillmore St.
San Francisco CA 94115
(415) 771-7100
Facebook: 1300 on Fillmore
Twitter: @1300onFillmore

1300 on Fillmore was featured on KQED’s Check, Please! Bay Area in 2012.
Watch the restaurant segment from the show:

Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert.
Photo courtesy of Good vs. Evil

The two rather famous best friends wore similar dark suits and their set looked like the boxing matches from the 1940s and 1950s, with one ominous lamp shining over an uncomfortable chair against a dark backdrop. It was a night that was billed as Good vs. Evil, and started out with Bourdain interrogating Ripert. One of the nicest surprises was how well Ripert was able to dish back to his pal Tony with that rather sexy French accent of his.

Orpheum Theatre. Photo: Mary Ladd

Bourdain and Ripert were in town for a short amount of time before heading to San Jose for a Saturday night show. Later tweets showed that Tony planned on hitting up a 7-11 store to find food to feed Ripert in San Jose. As for where to eat in the City, Bourdain said that he loves having a “crab with the crab fat“ at Swan Oyster Depot and Ripert responded that he wanted to go there with Tony for breakfast [which they apparently did do]. Bourdain also pointed out that the Bay Area has produce that is the envy of the East Coast.

When the talk turned to Alice Waters, Bourdain showed restraint, a gentlemanly move given the recent fire at Chez Panisse. Audience, he’s sure they would get along swimmingly if they met at a party… but do remember, he warned, that Waters chose shark fin soup as her last meal on a panel he did with her and Duff Goldman–a fact that had the audience guffawing. He appeared to have publicly forgiven Waters, as well as other famous food celebs ranging from Rachael Ray to Emeril. Ray sent him a fruit basket, and “how can I not love” someone who made a joke that Mario Batali will loan you a scrunchie if you give him a blow job—-a jab Ray made at a roast for the ponytailed chef.

Ripert got flack from Tony for letting Henry Kissinger, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, The Situation, and Snooki take their respective spots at the table at his award winning Le Bernardin restaurant. “You gave The Situation and Snooki a kitchen tour, too?” he asked, and Ripert said, “Yes.”

When pushed, Ripert said that tennis star John McEnroe is the one star he would not let dine at his restaurant. “He hurt your feelings!” Bourdain said, as Ripert sheepishly nodded under the bright interrogation lamp. Ripert later said that hipsters are allowed at his restaurant and that guests can take photos of the food at Le Bernardin as long as they don’t use a flash. Bourdain posited that hipsters are “people who are younger than us” and that Ripert felt that the founders of Le Bernardin, Gilbert and Maguy le Coze were hipsters of an earlier era.

Ripert said that he is anti-corkage fee yet also anti-bring-your own wine. He pointed out that Le Bernardin is after all a business (a fair point for any restaurant), and Bourdain said that he thought Le Bernardin had the best sommelier. Ripert waffled a bit on the bring-your-own-wine bit when he conceded that he would be open to guests bringing a great bottle of wine in, but only if they please share a glass with him.

Paula Deen is the one culinary star Bourdain will not forgive, because he is “genuinely appalled by her acts on the planet” which include hyping Southern cooking “into something it’s not.”

Bourdain gave major props to Mission Chinese Food and said that it is rare to see a San Francisco restaurant find such big and immediate success in New York. “I am sure they will take over the world,” he said. Bourdain was aware that Mission Chinese Food plans to next open in Paris, and giggled over the fact that Ripert had to run to the bathroom during his first visit to Mission Chinese, because “he couldn’t handle” how spicy the food was. Clearly Bourdain, given his far flung travels and history of eating dishes like calves brain and pig anus on air makes him the more adventurous eater. Yet Ripert aptly pointed out that Bourdain has not been a kitchen chef in fifteen years. Touché, Monsieur.

One exclusive that Bourdain and Ripert shared with us at the La Cocina meet and greet: they filmed in the mountains of Peru together for Bourdain’s Parts Unknown show on CNN. The series debuted Sunday and viewers can see the friendly pair doing a variety of activities that sound potentially interesting. “We were looking for cacao beans and cooked chicken together, which is a departure for the show,” said Bourdain. “Eric kept telling me, ‘one more mountain’ while I was stumbling around” on their way to find cacao. Bourdain rolled his eyes and laughed as he continued with, “He’s from the Pyrenees, where there’s yodeling and he’s pretty used to all those hills.” Ripert laughed and nodded at this.

They showed a comfort and ease with each other that continued through the meet and greet, where they signed everything from books to body parts while digging into a big plate of La Cocina treats. La Cocina Executive Director Caleb Zigas said that the after party event came about when Bourdain’s production company, Zero Point Zero contacted him. Proceeds from the meet and greet went to La Cocina and Zigas said the party provided an avenue for the La Cocina businesses who have brick and mortar locations. The two hundred or so guests in the green room gawked and took photos of Bourdain and Ripert, and a line snaked around the room for the chance to get autographs.

Inticing Creations baker Kelly Zubal crafted a stunning cake in the shape of a duck press for Bourdain and Ripert. She said that it took her three hours to make and she even brought an edible pen with the hopes of getting a signature on her sweet treat. Zubal confirmed with Bay Area Bites over email that, “Bourdain couldn’t believe I made a duck press and wrote ‘best cake ever’ on it. It now has a place on my cake display area at my cake studio.” Sounds like Bourdain was acting more good than evil to us.

We wish this one was televised, too: Alice Waters, Martin Yan, Joanne Weir, Virginia Willis, Nell Newman, Rick Bayless, Thomas Keller, Charles Phan, Joel Riddell and Irvin Lin were among the folks who took the stage for Tuesday night’s 2013 International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) awards ceremony in San Francisco. Oakland Food Connection and food incubator La Cocina were also honored. IACP’s professional awards are widely viewed in the food world as something of a gold standard for cookbooks, food writing, digital media and culinary tours. The awards marked the closing night of the organization’s 35th annual conference, which went with a “Dirt to Digital” theme this year.

Check out the full list of award finalists and the grand list of winners. While the awards ceremony stretched out over a few hours and was oddly lacking any form of culinary nourishment (there were definite rumblings after the ceremony about that), it offered quirks, songs and even a few dick jokes courtesy of Libbie Summers, whose Salted and Styled blog won for Best Culinary Blog. On the other end of the spectrum, the evening kicked off with all guests looking up and saying “thank you” as a dedication to publisher Peter Workman, who passed away just this week. It was also emotional for Lifetime Achievement Award winner Alice Waters, who gratefully accepted her prize and joked in her speech that while she cannot farm, “I am a picker,” which got the audience laughing–wise words from the founder of Chez Panisse and the Edible Schoolyard. Waters also professed her admiration for cooking teachers because: “I cannot teach.” She immediately went on to acknowledge IACP attendee and stalwart Darina Allen, whose Ballymaloe cooking school she visits every year (for her birthday).

When Charles Phan won in the Chefs and Restaurants cookbook category for his “Vietnamese Home Cooking” (co-authored with Tasting Table Senior Editor Jessica Battilana), he confessed that he did not have a speech but had enjoyed some bourbon to presumably get warmed up. Phan thanked Battilana, his agent and wife, Angkana. “My wife made sure I turned the book manuscript in, so I wouldn’t have to return the book advance money to Ten Speed Press.”

“Jerusalem: A Cookbook” by Yotam Ottolenghi, Sami Tamimi, received the award for Cookbook of the Year, and Marion Nestle garnered a prize in the Food Matters category for her weighty tome, “Why Calories Count: From Science to Politics.” The deeply satisfying sugar-rush images in the Bouchon Bakery cookbook garnered an award for Food Photography and Styling, and the Dining Around with Joel Riddell radio show won in the Long Format Audio category. The team at Chronicle Books may still be celebrating given their author Diane Morgan won for her book, “Roots: The Definitive Compendium with more than 225 Recipes.”

Culinary Tour Operator of the Year went to Copita chef Joanne Weir, who shared that as a child, she told her father that she wanted to be a bus driver, so that she could drive a bus on every road in the world. Her confession seemed to scare him a little. Weir dedicated her prize to him because he passed away last year. Food blogger Irvin Lin won the Best in Show prize for his photography, and he asked the IACP crowd to “hire me, I’m available,” a sentiment which was echoed by the next winner.

The conference itself is that rare chance to possibly figure out how to eke out a living doing things in the culinary field–it can be exciting but also daunting in the number of possibilities it presents. There were various declarations for members to support each other and that each one “stands on the shoulders” of those who have come before and after them. That may sound hokey and like general conference speak yet three people we spoke with found these pronouncements to be inspiring.

Many attendees shared with Bay Area Bites that the chance of learning from so many different people doing interesting things is one of the main draws of shelling out $750 to $950 to register for the full conference—that’s on top of the $280 it costs to initially join IACP. Off the record, we were told that IACP is in the midst of something of a revamp and that costs and programming issues have been noted if not yet changed. These folks said that they attend as much for the learning sessions on, say, the meaning of restaurant reviews in the era of Yelp to getting a lowdown on sourdough or video content strategy. The coffee breaks are also highly valued and networking even happens in the bathrooms. Yes, really.

Kale salad and eating local may remain a big trend, but IACP attendees see much, much more at play in the food world. We asked some notable thought leaders to answer a few questions in person:

• What is this conference about for you?
• The theme of the conference is Dirt to Digital; what does it mean to you?
• How does the theme translate to the food industry?
• What did you learn about in the workshops and what are the clear trends that emerged from the conference?

Here are insights from Corby Kummer, Danielle Gould, Sandor Katz, Joanne Weir and Sarah Copeland. Their responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Corby Kummer is a senior editor at The Atlantic magazine. Known as “the dean of food writing,” Kummer’s 1990 Atlantic series about coffee is a benchmark for excellence in long-form food writing. He is the author of “The Joy of Coffee,” based on his Atlantic series, and the recently published “The Pleasures of Slow Food.” Kummer is the recipient of three James Beard Journalism Awards, including the MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award.

Kummer: This conference is about seeing people who are following food issues on the level of the home cook. It’s about how the things that we in the media are interested in and write about play out in real life and the home of a consumer.

IACP has always been the most connected to the real world of any group because it’s people making their living as culinary professionals. They are in touch with sustainability, farming and local issues. I thought the conference was brilliantly named “Dirt to Digital” because online is where all of the IACP members need to be marketing themselves and their products.

With social media, no one yet knows how to master it but everyone’s trying to learn. IACP has always been at the forefront of practical and real world applications. That’s a unique role because being so smartly focused attracts the most interesting, lively and active people in the food world. And I’ll take any opportunity to connect with them.

Danielle Gould is the Founder and CEO of Food+Tech Connect, a media company and network for innovators transforming the business of food. Through news and analysis, events, and custom research, Gould helps companies of all sizes drive innovation and understand how information and technology are changing the way food is produced, distributed, and consumed. She is also a founding member of the Culinary Institute of America’s Sustainable Business Leadership Council and is a regular contributor to Forbes.

Gould: This is my first time at IACP and they invited me to talk about food and tech trends and hackathons as a model for food innovation. Our panel touched on the opportunity and the medium, as well as how to demystify technology. It is also about helping people understand the knowledge and the challenges that are out there. We’re trying to empower people to put that knowledge out there where they’re collaborating with designers and developers to solve that problem. I travel the whole country and spread the gospel and learn about how people are thinking. It’s about using technology to help solve problems, spread messages and improve business models and just accelerate innovation that’s happening on a small scale.

In the past, a book would take you two years and a product would take 18 months. For a food producer or chef, that means that it takes awhile to market things. Technology offers opportunities: now you can self-publish that cookbook in close to real time, and get feedback on your product.

“Dirt to Digital” is at the heart of what food technology is. You’re looking across the supply chain, and food is interconnected. It is a system, and that goes to the consumer. A lot of times when people think of digital, they think of consumers. Emerging trends and what role technology is for each trend is a part of that. Technology is very broad and means so much to so many different people.

I just love learning how people respond to technology and food and how they use it. The other major takeaway was a lot of the panels weren’t very popular or not as sexy but were about funding. Everyone’s having trouble making money in the food space.

Sandor Ellix Katz, “one of the unlikely rock stars of the American food scene” according to The New York Times, is a self-taught fermentation experimentalist. His books “The Art of Fermentation” and “Wild Fermentation,” and the fermentation workshops he has taught across North America and beyond, have helped to catalyze a broad revival of the fermentation arts.

Katz: I’ve never been to IACP before. I don’t think of myself as a culinary professional. The work that I do is demystifying and sharing skills with people who aren’t necessarily culinary professionals. The highlight for me has been to meet people whose books are influential. [Katz was sitting with Bruce Aidells when we caught up with him and Aidells shared the table with us while we caught up.]

Aidells: What’s good sauerkraut without good sausages?

Katz: A kraut — quesadilla is my fast food, and I make it with Pepper Jack. That’s one of my standard meals.

The theme of the conference is significant. What does “Dirt to Digital” mean? I was just on this panel that was high tech versus low tech yet I don’t necessarily see things that way. I’m interested in understanding these processes in their simplicity. So that doesn’t mean you can’t use technology to have more control over the processes. It’s very empowering to see how the underlying principles don’t need equipment. If you get involved in sausage making, you can use a funnel for the casing. You can also just be there with you hands, pushing the meat through to the casing.

For cheese, you can buy nice molds, perhaps. There are elegant crocks to make things but you can also do it with a jar that’s already in your pantry. I appreciate the conference and there’s much information spreading by digital means but it may be telling people how to use their hands.

Joanne Weir is a James Beard award-winning cookbook author, cooking teacher, host and executive producer for the award-winning television series Joanne Weir’s Cooking Confidence. She is the chef-owner of Copita, a tequileria and restaurant in Sausalito. The author of 17 cookbooks, including the newly released “Cooking Confidence,” Joanne is the Culinary Editor at Large at Fine Cooking! magazine. She travels and teaches extensively around the world as well as in her studio kitchen.

Weir: This conference was so interesting because I’ve approached it differently as a restaurateur this year. I usually approach it as “I write for magazines” or my cookbooks or how to fill your cooking classes. This time I’m taking in things that are really different. I want to sit in on the reviewing and Yelping session.

I still love to see all the people I know when I come to IACP. And I love that it’s in SF and I get to share Copita–they’re going over by ferry. I did a tour on Saturday and people loved it. I’ve shared in a different way and am still excited about my restaurant.

For me with “Dirt to Digital,” I don’t know if I put the two together. Yet every single thing I do is fresh. I have an organic farm — and my next series is called “Fresh” for TV. I am always interested in digital media. The market has changed and the whole landscape is changing. My hope is it that it goes back to dirt and less digital. Is that so ‘Chez Panisse’ of me? (laughs) I do digital but food is still my passion. Perhaps next year the IACP theme should be “Back to Passion.”

IACP is pretty current on things. What they’ve done this year is now bloggers have been integrated. I left feeling in past years that I had to do so much on my own blog. I’ve always done food that is following my passion and on what brings about major possibilities for me. I attended a book session that talked about book advance spending and how book tours are back and rely on the digital medium.

My trend is always Mexican, and that comes with owning Copita. I saw the trendologist Kara Nielsen here and she said, “You couldn’t be in a more trendy thing, with Mexican food and tequila.”

I do modern Mexican food.

We used to think of Italian red tablecloths and Chianti — yet now Italian food has come a long way. One of the trends here is taking cuisines and elevating and educating around the cuisine. Thomas Keller was talking about that and I have seen that in this conference.

Sarah Copeland is the Food Director at Real Simple and author of “The Newlywed Cookbook: Fresh Ideas and Modern Recipes for Cooking With and For Each Other.” Her book, “Feast” will be published in December this year and she has authored numerous articles and recipes for Real Simple, Saveur, Food & Wine, Health, Martha Stewart Living, Better Homes & Gardens and Food Network Magazine. She has appeared as a guest on The Martha Stewart Show, Good Morning America and ABC News Now.

Copeland: A lot of the conference is about relationships. I see faces from every different facet of my career and have been reconnecting and catching up on what people are doing that is new and exciting. There’s a chance to celebrate successes while hopefully helping a few people too.

On “Dirt to Digital,” one of the most challenging things of this industry from my perspective is that I started in print. That part has changed so dramatically in ten years or even five years. For most food people who are in love with food, it is very tactile how we communicate yet that is changing so much. The dirt part communicates place, smell, and touch, which are all the good things. It includes the agriculture, and the farmer. There are so many layers and it is complex with dirt. That’s how food is to me: we touch humanity and civilization, nutrition and wellness. In the digital sphere, how do you capture that? I think we are all figuring that out.

I did a panel on recipes and copyright for the conference. There were folks from Pillsbury there who were trying to figure out their contest. We also had teachers, bakery owners and bloggers. As Food Director at Real Simple, I have to be savvy and think about those aspects.

On almost every panel I ask, ‘What’s the best panel?’ This year, everyone is focusing on video. I worked at the Food Network — and yet this industry has been print for so long. With Hungry and YouTube and different avenues, it’s just so video-focused. The trailer for my first book is a minute and a half but my next one will probably be half that, to seventy-five seconds. My new book ‘Feast’ from Chronicle Books is coming out in December and I’ve learned a few things that I’ll do differently. I am coming away from the conference with the feeling that there is room for every voice and every talent. If you are generous, they will help you, too.

My editor and I wondered what it is like to be a woman in the culinary field right now. I talked to three Bay Area women: Elvia Buendia of the newly opened La Luna Cupcakes, Prospect Restaurant Chef and Partner Pam Mazzola, and Strong Table Owner Fontaine McFadden. I asked them about their own personal growth as a woman in the food industry, their experiences being female in the culinary profession, whether or not they have female mentors, the “state of women” in culinary arts, and what it is like to work with other women in the food industry. Their comments have been edited for length and clarity. Here are their thoughts, in their own words:

Elvia Buendia. Photo courtesy of Eric Wolfinger

As a woman, I have received so much support from local organizations like CEO Women, a nonprofit based in Oakland that no longer exists, and La Cocina, the incubator program based in San Francisco. Both programs target and assist entrepreneur women, like myself, to succeed in the world of business. Before participating in CEO Women, I had no idea how to do a business plan, in fact I did not even know what that was or its importance!

My passion for pastries and baking pushed me to pursue my dream in opening my own cupcake shop despite physical struggles such as English as my second language, finances, and even social discouragement. In fact, many people constantly asked me, “how are you going to open a business if you don’t even speak English?” And I always told them, “I’m going to sell my cupcakes, not my English skills.”

Being a woman has been a blessing and has encouraged me to push myself for my own well-being as well as for the well-being of my family. I wanted to inspire my children, now 15 and 21, to reach for their dreams no matter how many struggles they faced to meet their goals. I think so far I’m doing well with constant support from programs such as La Cocina.

La Cocina has been a huge help and I admire the women that have given me words of wisdom regarding food and business, among those included are Leticia Landa, Carola Mulero, and Daniella Sawaya. Without their help, support, and words of wisdom, I do not know where I would be.

Overall, my culinary experience is related to the pleasure I receive when I see people eating and enjoying my cupcakes. I am truly honored to contribute to the culinary and baking world, as I bring a mixture of different flavors from my own cultural background and I look forward to continue my professional development as a baking chef in the field.

Pam Mazzola. Photo courtesy of Jeannie O’Connor

I started my career cooking at the Fairmont Hotel in a male-driven kitchen and quickly realized this was not the direction I wanted my career to go in. My entire cooking career has been at single-owner, female chef-directed restaurants. This has allowed me to be very focused in what I do. Having worked with a great partner and true collaborator (Nancy Oakes) for the past 25 years has allowed me to achieve the success that I have. As in any solid relationship, Nancy and I have always shared in the responsibility of what we do together. We have common goals, a similar sensibility in food, and are like-minded in terms of desires for our careers as well as our lives outside of the restaurant. I raised three children while I was cooking at Boulevard, and I don’t think that would have been possible if I had not been working with someone who was sensitive to my family needs and with whom I shared a deep trust.

I’ve seen a marked growth in gender equality in the restaurant field. Female chefs share equal status with male chefs. The difference I see is that there is a natural camaraderie between women in this industry, and a real sense of shared responsibility between women who work together.

Fontaine McFadden. Photo courtesy of Fontaine McFadden

My experience in the culinary world started with my first job out of college working the front of the house at an Italian restaurant on Nantucket Island. I then worked as a florist for years, had a brief and uninspiring job in marketing, dabbled in sustainable building and did some personal organization before finding my way back to food when I enrolled in culinary school. I lucked out with my externship turned job at Hands On Gourmet where I worked between the kitchen and the office as the Director of Operations for two and a half years. In November of last year I left to start my own business and am now reveling in that best/worst decision ever. I run a prepared Paleo meal service available for pick up out of local Crossfit gyms. It’s been crazy and amazing and I have a long way to go, but I’m excited to take on the hard work ahead.

To get at the very broad question of what it’s like to be a woman in the culinary field I would have to rewind a bit and start with what it was like to grow up with my Dad and big brothers. I have been wholly shaped by them and can’t really separate out my experience in the workforce as a woman without first pointing to them.

I grew up on an organic farm in Mendocino county and my Dad put me to work, treating me as an equal to my brothers. We all drove tractors, we all did carpentry, we all got up at 5 a.m. and worked in the vineyards until it was too hot to be out in the sun. I built fences, I branded cattle, I installed solar panels and I even did some time in the office. My Dad did an incredible job of instilling a strong work ethic in us all, regardless of the fact they were boys and I was the little girl. And it was the same story with school and sports and social activities; we were all held to an equal standard of excellence. Growing up working, playing and competing with my brothers prepared me to jump into a world dominate by men in charge and taught me how to thrive in that environment. I’ve been really lucky in that way. My life has not been shaped by discouraging moments or impossible obstacles attributed to my sex alone. I have always seen my abilities and inabilities to be based around who I am as a person and don’t believe that something is possible or impossible just because I am a woman.

Having said that, I realize that this is not the norm and the fight for equal rights among the sexes is not over (what fight against inequity is truly over?). I have encountered plenty of situations where my own view of gender equality is definitely not shared. In those instances I use that ignorance to fuel my motivation beyond what is inherent in me. Maybe by throwing back dirty kitchen talk, or changing a tire in a dress… whatever it is, I like to mess with gender-based assumptions. And in brandishing this viewpoint I have found that I generally end up working harder than I might otherwise, thus becoming more successful and proving my point all the more.

Obviously, there are many avenues to explore within this broad topic of women in the workplace. One of the more interesting and applicable ones for me, is the struggle for balance between masculine and feminine. I believe that chivalry is not dead. I love having doors opened for me, but I also want to be taken seriously in my career and respected as a member of my community. Luckily, these are not mutually exclusive. As I’ve gotten older I have found a better balance between my more overt tomboy tendencies and my girly-girl attributes (of which there are many). I used to think that it was one or the other but thankfully I am finding ways for those two to coexist. For me, the most important thing is that I act in a way that is indicative of how I want to be treated. That is all I can control and if I do my best in that area then I’m feelin’ good.

Juliana Calderon, Dennis Leary and Luis Euan

Great eats alert: in the very near future, Dennis Leary will open two new spots–Cafe Terminus and a to-be-named bar at the corner of Geary and Leavenworth in San Francisco. The chef has also added a 40-acre Capay Valley farm to his roster and is the chef-owner of spots that showcase culinary consistency (pulled pork with mustard cabbage sandwich on freshly baked bread, anyone?) with a deeply personal feel: from Canteen, to Golden West, The Sentinel and a bar, plus House of Shields. Leary’s goal of operating seven eateries is getting closer to becoming a reality—the name of his corporation is Pleiades, which means “seven sisters” and is from Greek mythology. Leary presents as a focused and driven chef and is not one to use Twitter or other social media, although he lets his staff post menu updates since they are excited to do so. He appears to be succeeding without being trendy–an example being no TV or clock for a definite old school charm at House of Shields. He is exploring a “100 Menus Project” based upon the 1971 tome, The Hundred Glories of French Cuisine by Robert Courtine at Canteen. A “100 Menus” dinner costs “around 50 bucks.” His office is above the Sentinel and is lined with books and historical images. We caught up in person recently to find out more about his new spots and ideas on hospitality. His comments have been edited for length and clarity.

Books in Chef Leary’s office

Bay Area Bites: Who are your mentors & how have you grown in this business?
Leary: My business mentors are Angelo Sangiacomo, Drew Nieporent and Chip Conley. Alain Rondelli is a great chef. Angelo and his wife called to congratulate me when I was first starting and I admire that he is self-made, 100 percent. After awhile in this industry, it has become just self-taught and self-directed for me. I don’t think my style is derivative. I have a lot of customers who trust what I do and get it.

I got a nice letter of congratulations from Thomas Keller. That was such a classy gesture and a cool thing for me to see ‘oh, he’s paying attention.’

Publicity upsets the balance. People come in with expectations. I built a restaurant with $50,000 and it’s next to a bathroom and dorm by the Academy of Art. I’m not using fancy china and there aren’t plush seats. Whatever money I make goes back into the restaurants. I’m using the most basic packaging and china, and keeping it as simple as possible. I want people to go in and enjoy themselves with a dining experience that harkens back to maternal child connections. Pretty much every meal we eat, that dynamic is at play and it is always present with just the very act of being served. However, you’re paying for it. That is a relationship that’s attractive to a lot of people and they want a clean transaction.

The service industry has exploded and people don’t make their lunch anymore. They go and get it. With my places, we want to provide sustenance and not get in the way. I love talking to people and feel like I have a real connection to my customers.

Bay Area Bites: Tell us about your new places and farm in Capay Valley.
Leary: The two San Francisco deals are technically done and we’re applying for our liquor license for the bar. I haven’t spent more than 30 seconds in there but am interested in the bar from a design and hospitality standpoint. It’s a tiny place that will become small and beautiful. We’ll have some great cocktails. The area where the bar is still feels urban and interesting and getting the bar space was one of these six degrees of separation things: there’s a whole network of brokers and listing agents that you talk to all the time. Getting the spot has to do with the fact that basic politeness pays off and we made an offer that is attractive.

For Café Terminus, we’re dedicated to simple food and drinks, also with strong hospitality. People want their name remembered—I know I like places where the staff remembers me. There’s more competition in the Financial District now: get a sushi burrito, or visit the grilled cheese chain. But that doesn’t matter. I’m more concerned in referencing culinary tradition in a way without being retro and nostalgic. When you’re trying to do old timey SF nostalgic shit, it doesn’t work.

I use knives and wooden spoons in my cooking style and don’t use a lot of fancy new techniques although I am certainly familiar with them. I’m just not interested and feel like food should not get in the way. I’m not selling an experience. What I want is a lively dining room with a convivial atmosphere and food to be delicious and well-prepared. It’s a business. I’m not trying to prove that I’m smart and it’s not a monument to myself.

I have a 40-acre farm in Capay Valley called Gauchito Hill Farm. There’s a river through it and two farmers, Thea Rittenhouse and Andres Marega own and run their own business and are my tenants. Their business is expanding and this summer I will use some of their produce on my menus. I want to help them out to the extent that I can and not be in the way. They have lettuce and spring mixes, Asian greens, carrots, and herbs. In Capay Valley, there are people who have lived for generations up there. I appreciate that.

I will also start taking my restaurant compost up to the farm, and started training my staff on doing that. I’d rather use the compost myself than see it go to Recology.

Bay Area Bites: What factors are at play with your culinary work in a small restaurant space like Canteen?
Leary: The economics of the Canteen space demand that the food be very simple. It is a business. No one goes into the restaurant business to make a living. You go into it because you enjoy it. I’m not some East Bay idealist and use organic everything and then fail. My food is dominated by necessity and I have to factor in, “What can I get that people will like?”

I’m not there to prove that I’m smart or forage or pickle my own things. Now there’s a whole legion of people doing that and when I did have the time I used to pickle, cure and butcher. Now it comes down to, “What’s a realistic use of my time?”

It’s just me and the sous chef working there and we want things to taste right and go out hot or cold, as they are meant to.

Bay Area Bites: Your sandwiches are creative and have a popular following downtown. What are the bestseller sandwiches for the Sentinel and Golden West?
Leary: At Golden West, it’s the short rib sandwich. Corned beef is the best seller at the Sentinel. I rarely eat anything when I’m at the Sentinel. I just pick and choose bites of things. Our production kitchen is over at Golden West, so there is a lot of logistics to coordinate there.

Rabbit Pate Sandwich from the Sentinel Photo: Mary Ladd

Bay Area Bites: Where do you like to eat in the Bay Area?
Leary: I like Yuet Lee, and places in North Beach, where I live. I like Calzone’s look and that it has neon on the front. They’re nice there and it’s fun to go there on a Monday night. The places I like have been in San Francisco for years. You don’t have to wait in line. They’re not flooded with people. They’re real. You can’t try to be authentic. You need a little weariness and to have been around for awhile. The whole notion of an instant classic, I don’t buy it.

Related Information:

Canteen
Address: Map
817 Sutter St.
San Francisco CA 94109
(415) 928-8870

Golden West
Address: Map
8 Trinity St.
San Francisco CA 94109
(415) 216-6443

House of Shields
Address: Map
39 New Montgomery St.
San Francisco CA 94105
(415) 216-6443

The Sentinel
Address: Map
35 New Montgomery St.
San Francisco CA 94105
(415) 284-9960

Gauchito Hill Farm
Brooks CA
(530) 796-0704
Email Address: gauchitohillfarm@gmail.com

Steve Sando neck-deep in Rancho Gordo beans. Photo courtesy of Steve Sando

Sexy and bold looking beans from Rancho Gordo: these aren’t your granny’s beans! Bay Area native Steve Sando brings a touch of glamour to his indigenous “New World” heirloom bean company, which was founded in 2001. The Napa headquarters for his company, Rancho Gordo, is decorated with movie posters from 1940s and ‘50s Mexican cinema. Those posters serve as the inspiration for Rancho Gordo’s unique packaging, which feature images of beautiful Mexican women from that era. That is but one creative spin Sando has been put on marketing a food group often relegated to the bulk bin aisles.

Rancho Gordo Napa store. Photos: Wendy Goodfriend

Come summer, it’ll be interesting to see how many of Sando’s posters will make it to his soon-to-open store inside the Ferry Building. Rancho Gordo will move into a space currently occupied by the Scharffen Berger Chocolate folks. Sando sells more than two-dozen types of beans, and Rancho Gordo’s new brick-and-mortar presence will let him expand his offerings to include stone ground chocolate, banana vinegar, grains, corn tortillas, and other products that complement the beans.

Sando originally started his heirloom & heritage bean business from his dining room table, when he was searching for heirloom tomatoes and could only seem to find ones that were from a hothouse in Europe. Many of his beans are rare and endangered, and Sando travels to Mexico and Central and Southern America for research and discovery. In the beginning days of Rancho Gordo, Thomas Keller became a customer and word soon spread. Other famous fans now include Annie Somerville, Marcella Hazan, Deborah Madison and Paula Wolfert. Rancho Gordo quickly grew into a bona fide operation, with much of the bean production done in California. In 2008, he co-authored Heirloom Beans: Recipes from Rancho Gordo (Chronicle Books, $22.95), with Vanessa Barrington, who was profiled on Bay Area Bites in early 2011. His next book was The Rancho Gordo Heirloom Bean Grower’s Guide: Steve Sando’s 50 Favorite Varieties (Timber Press, $19.95).

Steve Sando in his office at Rancho Gordo. Photo: Wendy Goodfriend

Sando recently talked with Bay Area Bites about the move into the Ferry Building, a book he’s working on, and more. His comments have been edited for length and clarity.

Bay Area Bites: How did the Ferry Building move come about? How does that fit into the history of Rancho Gordo?
Sando: I have been selling at the Ferry Building Farmers’ Market for eight or nine years and have long been interested in doing a store there. It seemed like the right time to pursue that and I went to my business advisors. They told me that we grew 34 percent last year. Knock on wood, I haven’t taken any money to keep the business going. I live really humbly and let this thing grow. We are taking a line of credit to open in the Ferry Building, but there’s no debt. The most amazing thing is that I did this during the recession. I hear horror stories. We fill a real demographic need for real new world food. We’re not doing Mexican food per se but we do acknowledge that this area was Mexico at one time.

I started Rancho Gordo ten years ago without any sort of agriculture or business background. My professional career began at Esprit, where I was a sales rep. I did all of these different things after that for work and didn’t find my stride. My plan wasn’t to have a bean company. It just happened. I had decided that I’d be a screw up and have a nice garden and maybe work at Target. But everything with Rancho Gordo all worked out.

For our chefs, beans are a drag to ship. Once we open in the Ferry Building, it will be easier for a lot of them to visit and pick up more product. CUESA and the Ferry Building have been really encouraging. Early on, Thomas Keller decided that what we’re doing was groovy – that reaction definitely worked its way down, or up as it is.

Bay Area Bites: Tell us about your Bay Area upbringing.
Sando: I grew up in Sausalito and watched the food revolution. I wasn’t thinking I’d be a part of it, but in high school I worked for the farm worker boycott. We asked people to boycott grapes and lettuce. That was my ‘ag background.’

Bay Area Bites: Did anyone ever teach you about beans when you were younger? Why focus on beans for a business?
Sando: We had taco night when I was growing up, with doctored up Rosarita beans. That’s where my love of beans came from–I could eat them out of a can, I loved them that much.

It seems that we should know our own food before we lose focus. Before, people tried to do beans and had the focus be mainly on the health and vegetarian qualities. I have no interest in health and vegetarianism and feel that vegetarians don’t own beans per se. There was a complaint that my Heirloom Beans book did not have enough vegetarian recipes in it… There is a great bonus that beans are so healthy and are so green to grow. When you make meat, you grow food for cows. With beans, you put the seeds in the ground and have the protein. I’m interested in the green aspects but really most interested in the bean’s flavor.

I am researching a new book on beans and looking at dishes like pasta fagioli and cassoulet. I am finding Jewish dishes and Spanish dishes. Beans are a great ingredient for main dishes, yet too often they are put off to as side dishes or forgotten. The book is still in the proposal stage and we are conceptualizing it.

Bay Area Bites: What are your favorite heirloom items?
Sando: I love heirloom corn because the quality is so much more interesting and there are different varieties. My palate can tell which valley this corn is from, and when they still have a dried corn flavor. It’s not as distinctive then. I just love heirloom melons.

Bay Area Bites: Part of your work at Rancho Gordo is traveling and bringing back heirloom varieties. What have you been traveling for lately?
Sando: I asked Marcella Hazan, “What is it that you can’t get?” Then I try and find it. I asked Marcella and she said Sorana beans. I love to drop a name and it’s fun to just ask folks like Marcella. If you’re a young farmer, you can’t just have beets and chard anymore.

We’re getting more European varieties of beans from working with Georgeanne Brennan. Her husband worked with us on projects and her books are great. We found French Tarbais seed but call them cassoulet beans due to a terroir issue. Georgeanne was really key in her work with early vegetables and bringing the seeds over.

We’re working on getting pottery along the Oaxaca and Guerrero coast and importing stuff from Los Reyes. There’s no glaze on them, and the sides are just really thick so they don’t break. I love the pottery for cooking beans. We’ll be on the coast hunting for pots.

Bay Area Bites: Where do you like to eat and shop for food in the Bay Area?
Sando: I live on Mount Veeder, which is the mountain between Napa and Sonoma. For shopping, I have so many friends who grow food. I get the rest of what I need at the Mexican market.

I shop at Mexican markets around here for sour prickly pear, known as xoconostle. It lasts longer off the shelf and adds sourness to mole dishes. I like Lola’s markets in the North Bay.

In San Francisco I go to Bi-Rite and Fatted Calf.

I used to go to Bombay Bazar. My city (San Francisco) is changing a lot. I had a great 20 years there but now it’s losing a lot of things I used to love.

Related Information:
Rancho Gordo
Address: Map
1924 Yajome St.
Napa CA 94559
(707) 259-1935

Twitter: @RanchoGordo
Facebook: Rancho Gordo

Window looking into South at SFJAZZ Photo: Angkana Kurutach

In Hayes Valley, the new 35,000-square-foot SFJAZZ Center is the first permanent home for SFJAZZ. The new center is already a major draw for musicians and jazz fans locally since every seat in the house offers amazing acoustics. Now, jazz fans also have their own watering hole with casual bites. This week, Chef Charles Phan opened South restaurant, with craft bourbon cocktails by Erik Adkins and food ranging from fried beignets (by Pastry Chef Chucky Dugo) to alligator sausage, tender spicy beef jerky and oysters baked or fried. Bar food is a definite departure from the clean award-winning Vietnamese fare Phan is known for, but South gives him a chance to play and riff. Phan has been open with Bay Area Bites about his growing love of bourbon, and is due to open the bourbon and fried chicken Hard Water concept on the Embarcadero. He just returned from a research trip to Kentucky with Adkins and architect Olle Lundberg and the trio sampled from up to fifteen barrels each day. “We had to stop at that point,” he said with a laugh. Lundberg’s renderings of the space can be seen below.

Charles Phan. Photo: Angkana Kurutach

With a growing empire of Bay Area restaurants including the highly regarded Slanted Door, Phan said he is happy to be a part of this new San Francisco institution, even if he did at first say no to the prospect. Turns out, he does know how to provide quality sustenance for hungry musicians and their fans and has put some thought into how to do that: “A lot of them are always on the road, and it’s tough for them to get a good, warm meal. They’re like gypsies. At the end of the day, we want to provide good food and value.” Because Phan also oversees the SFJAZZ catering and green room operations, he hopes to get musicians to enjoy the food so much that it will be one reason for them to return, again and again.

South’s Alligator sausage. Photo: Angkana Kurutach

South’s Cornmeal crusted fried oysters with jalapeño remoulade Photo: Angkana Kurutac

SFJAZZ Trustee and Boonville author Robert Mailer Anderson helped raise the money to build the new center. He and his wife Nicola Miner are friends to many musicians and writers (including me, full disclosure) and are major Obama fundraisers. Anderson will eagerly share the details of where to get his favorite late night meal of al pastor tacos–San Jose taqueria, here we come. Regarding why Phan was chosen to head up the food for SFJAZZ, Anderson is quick to sing Phan’s praises, “We’re a cutting edge jazz center so we should have someone who is cutting edge in the culinary world.”

South at SFJAZZ Renderings by Lundberg Design

South at SFJAZZ Renderings by Lundberg Design

He is also quick to second Phan’s notion that food is important for any musician: “Because musicians travel so much, they are always talking about food. With the guys, they tend to talk about food and women. The perfect night out seems to include music, food and drinks.”

The fifty seats at South have full window views of the outside scene and the space is perfectly set up for a quick The Battle of New Orleans cocktail and nibble. Part of the South bar peers into the Robert N. Miner auditorium through a large glass panel. SFJAZZ’s Marshall Lamm confirmed that bar patrons can nab a peek during live performances, which may be markedly different in both vibe and appearance than other music spots (guests do need a ticket to take in any performance). Phan noted that because the Miner auditorium holds up to 700 guests, it makes more sense for jazz patrons to plan on getting a cocktail, versus food, at South. During performances, there is also an upstairs bar with views onto a wall filled with breathtaking black-and-white images of jazz greats.

Jazz greats: a view from the South and SFJAZZ building Photo: Mary Ladd

South currently offers eleven cocktails priced at $10, and draft beer and local wine are also available. The Blenheim ginger sparkler is a kicky and not-too-sweet refresher for designated drivers and best of all, concertgoers can tote their drinks back into the auditorium in compostable glasses.

South’s bar: prepped The Battle of New Orleans bourbon drinks. Photo: Mary Ladd

French 75 cocktails at South’s bar. Photo: Angkana Kurutach

Prominent jazz vocalist and fourth generation San Franciscan Kitty Margolis sounded relieved and enthusiastic over Phan’s menu. She noted that his fare is miles better than the sort of dry “bandwiches” she has endured during her career. Since I had never heard the term bandwich, she explained it: a “bandwich” or “gigwich” is an unappealing catered sandwich that is often served to musicians. Sometimes, it may happen that the musicians are performing for a group that is enjoying a fancy dinner that looks and smells great, from afar. The musician’s cold bandwich usually arrives wrapped in plastic with grey mystery meat in between two slices of old looking bread. Condiments are an afterthought for bandwiches and forget about seeing some fresh and green Little Gem produce that Phan is using in his celery root remoulade dish at South. Bandwiches are so terrible that Margolis, who has performed in Italy, Japan and all over the world, now specifies in her rider contract that bandwiches are forbidden.

Celery root remoulade with Little Gem lettuce. Photo: Angkana Kurutach

Phan’s seasonal touches are evident on the menu, which he said can draw from the south of Italy and south of Spain. Margolis and Anderson both discussed how similar jazz and cooking can be, due to the use of improvisation. At first bite, the South menu looks more like improv from the American historic south, with a seasonal and California twist: chive-rice ball (called a calas) with red pepper jelly, cornmeal crusted fried oysters with remoulade, black-eyed pea spread paired with poppy seed crackers, duck rillettes with Creole mustard, and chicken gumbo. The menu is geared towards small plates that seem to point to a lighter approach that incorporates sharing. Breakfast and lunch are slated to begin next month, and Phan hopes that South will draw in locals as well as musicians. “That’s why we’re doing breakfast and lunch, for the folks who live nearby. We want people to use the space all day long.”

Chick Corea plays in the Robert N. Miner auditorium at the SFJAZZ Center. Guests can visit South for food and drinks before and during performances like this one.

Related Information:

Address: Map
201 Franklin Street (at Fell)
San Francisco CA 94102
(415) 539-3905

Dinner daily 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Breakfast and lunch opening in April 2013

Twitter: @SFJAZZ
Facebook: SFJAZZ

Preeti Mistry at Juhu Beach Club with spice jars. Photo courtesy of Preeti Mistry

Chef Preeti Mistry is gearing up to open her Indian street food-inspired, previously a pop-up, Juhu Beach Club in Temescal, Oakland on March 1. Having her restaurant business set up in the old SR24 space in the East Bay instead of the originally planned Mission District is a marked change from when I interviewed her last summer, for the Bay Area Bites’ annual LGBT Pride stories. Breaking off (amicably) with a business partner and wanting to live closer to her work were the main factors behind this decision. She shared that she is now working with family to run the business but has also been buoyed by offers of general help from fellow Oakland business owners. Getting a Top Chef to set up shop in Oakland is a bonus for Temescal, a district that has arrived as a food and dining destination–complete with its own new culinary tour from Edible Excursions and a thriving Sunday farmers’ market.

I was able to experience Juhu Beach Club via a stop on the Oakland Taste Temescal media tour from Edible Excursions. It’s obvious Chef Preeti and her crew have worked hard to transform the once grey and dark hues of SR24 into something that is definitely more Mumbai-beachy and fun: pink and orange swirl together with golden notes in a wonderful monkey wall pattern, which match the adorable tiffins that will be used to serve kids meals (a smart menu move, considering the local population). Her partner Ann Nadeau was on hand to help serve sassy lassis but mainly stayed in the background while the Chef talked to our group. Guests will be able to see the kitchen action, where Preeti will cook with her sous chef and line cooks.

Juhu Beach Club interior. Photo: Naomi Fiss

There are 50 seats and 6 stools and the open space definitely grants guests an up-close-and-personal view of the making of every slider-like pav (with custom rolls from Starter Bakery), Gujarti-style samosa, mung bean “Guju chili” soup, curry, salad and sassy lassi. The menu is approachable: vegetarians, carnivores and kids should all find something here. The color blocked kiddie-friendly tiffins are designed by a nearby artist and will be for sale; I am making space in my pantry after seeing how cute and functional they are. Juhu Beach Club just received their beer and wine license and will be opening for dinner March 1. Cheers!

I interviewed Chef Mistry to find out more about how the process is going from operating her pop-up restaurant to getting an actual restaurant finalized. Her comments have been edited for clarity and length.

Pav (slider-sized sandwich) menu items: Sloppy Lil’P (left+right) Holy Cow (middle). Photo courtesy of Preeti Mistry

Bay Area Bites: Congrats on the new restaurant. When we last talked to you, you were planning to open a spot in the Mission. That situation changed for you in October 2012. Why do Indian Street Food in Temesal?

Mistry: It was a matter of circumstances. Even when I was in San Francisco, I was saying ‘I want to open in Oakland.’ The Mission space and the partner connected to that didn’t work out, which was actually a blessing. If we were having a hard time then, running a business wouldn’t have been easy. We were able to realize that and walk away from each other and there were no hard feelings ultimately. I moved to Oakland a year and a half ago. Once we walked away from a financial partner, I started looking at things financially but also looked at how it would affect my lifestyle. We’ve gotten to know the scene and it’s so happening here. Temescal is really fun, and there has been a great community in terms of chefs and restaurateurs.

India’s Bizarre Love Triangle Samosas. Photo: Mary Ladd

Bay Area Bites: Do you have a new business partner? How did you come up with the funding after the relationship with your former business partner ended?

Mistry: No. (Laughs). It’s a family business now. So. You know. That was one of the reasons why we picked the space. It was really set up. I talked to a few contractors and architects and they were urging me to find a spot that was already set up. I looked at cheaper places but it was a Pandora’s box — they had been dumped for a reason. Once you start with the building department…. With our new Temescal location, it’s been all elbow grease and a little cosmetic work. There have been a few expenses that have come up but that’s par for the course.

We did a lot of cleaning and changed the space pretty dramatically. It was really dark in here, very Gothic with big chandeliers. The baseboard and entire ceiling were dark grey and then there was deep magenta red. We just brightened it so there is a lot of bright pink and orange on the walls. It gets an advantage of the sun that comes through in the day. We got funky wallpaper with monkeys to give the space a fun and casual feel, because we want to see people wanting to hang out here.

Monkey wallpaper at Juhu Beach Club. Photo courtesy of Preeti Mistry

Bay Area Bites: Have you met any of your restaurant neighbors?

Mistry: The person that owned this restaurant owns the taqueria next door. We share bathrooms and storage space and one of the more qualitative parts of purchasing was that he wanted to make sure it would be someone who’s cooperative. Not ‘I bought your restaurant. See ya later.’ I interact with his manager Kevin and family all day and they’ve been super. I’ve also talked with Jen Louise Dunning at Pizzaiolo. Tanya Holland was super helpful with advice as was Sarah Kirnon with Miss Ollie’s. I just ran into Paul Arenstam at the restaurant supply store and he said, ‘Give me a call if you need anything.’

Bay Area Bites: What are your favorite menu items?

Mistry: The Bombay sandwich, which we just tried out. The way it’s made in India is with a sandwich maker in a campfire. We’ll use a steak press and do it on the flat top. Everyone was like ‘I don’t know what this is but it’s awesome’ when we did the taste tests. I’ll press it with Jack cheese, cilantro chutney, sliced beets, potatoes, pickled onions and our house-made chaat masala. There’s also a healthy amount of butter and it’s like a veggie grilled cheese. I’ll change it seasonally. It’s kind of funny how the chutney and masala make it distinctly Indian. It’ll probably be priced at $7.

Bay Area Bites: How about drinks and desserts? … anything unusual?

Mistry: All of our wine will be on tap. I want to focus on beer more because it just pairs better in my opinion with the Indian food and spices. We’ll have 1-3 white wines. People want to pair Indian food with really sweet Rieslings and I can’t stand that. The wines will definitely be on the crisper side. For every tasting we’ve had, the big question is, ‘What will the red be?’ We’re looking for something nice and lean, and nothing really fruity and jammy or high alcohol.

I make the sassy lassi in-house, and it’s sweet and salty. We’ll have cilantro lemonade and also the Darjeeling Limited, which is half cilantro lemonade and half tea. Gotta have a hot chai and we will be serving imported Thums Up plus Limca sodas, which are owned by Coke now. They have a distinctive Indian flavor.

Sassy Lassis. Photo: Naomi Fiss

We’re going to have Straus soft-serve for dessert, but will do it differently than other places. I may use infused oils as toppings: things like pistachio and pumpkin seed oils. There will be tropical fruit drizzles of passion fruit, guava or rosewater. I’m sure we’ll make some seasonal local macerated fruit. Then there will be add-ons like salty curried peanuts, Chai spiced pecans and those little fennel candies.

Bay Area Bites: Any advice for folks looking to open a restaurant?

Mistry: Laughs. That’s so funny. Cholita Linda was talking on the Edible Excursions tour about how they’re opening on Telegraph and that it had been in 3 months of waiting. I couldn’t wait like that!

I guess for me as a first time restaurateur I would say finding an existing business is a way to factor your time and money. Juhu Beach Club will not have that high a price point. The average check will not be $70 per person. The ability to make that money back and profit is crazy. For me, it was always start small and see if people liked it. Even with that funny liquor store in the Mission, we spent $1,500. My advice? Start small.

Vada Pav. Photo courtesy of Preeti Mistry

Bay Area Bites: Do you think there is a Top Chef celeb halo that helps or hinders your work? What is that like?

Mistry: I think for a long time I was really angry about Top Chef. But you know it’s the thing that has helped me get the word out. I suppose if I hadn’t been on the show it would take longer for people and media to show up. The fact that people already know who I am is helpful.

As for hindering, I can’t say that there is anything negative at this point four years later. People are excited. I’ve talked to people in Oakland and they’re excited to have someone from Top Chef. I was at the farmers’ market and a lady told me ‘I’m really excited you’re opening here.’

I was talking to the cashier at the planning department and she said she is a huge Top Chef fan and she recognized my name. It’s nice that people recognize me. If my food didn’t stand up or the service wasn’t helpful then people wouldn’t continue to show up. Especially in the Bay Area, where there are so many good chefs who haven’t been on TV.

Preeti Mistry at Juhu Beach Club. Photo: Naomi Fiss

Related Information:
Juhu Beach Club
Opening March 1 for Dinner
Address: Map
5179 Telegraph Avenue
Oakland CA 94609
(510) 652-7350
Hours: Tue – Sat: 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Twitter: @juhubeachclub
Twitter: @chefpmistry
Facebook: Juhu Beach Club

The Fizzary owners Taylor Peck and Aaron Dolson. Photo courtesy of Cassie Destino/The Fizzary

The duo is a NorCal success story, and have the words “San Francisco/Santa Cruz” emblazoned on each Taylor’s Tonics bottle. They use Square for payments at The Fizzary and received a visit from Square Grand Poobah Jack Dorsey recently, who brought a camera crew along. Back in 2009, Peck embarked on a quest to make organic fizzy treats. With a little seed money provided by San Francisco based David Rio Tea Company, Peck and Dolson joined forces and Taylor’s Tonics Botanical Soda Kitchen was created. The product line is sold for $2 a bottle at the Fizzary (like all the other products there) and has elixirs that includes Chai Cola, Mate’ Mojito, and a holiday collection. Taylor’s Tonics did steady business at last month’s Fancy Food Show, and can be found in 40 states and 600 retail locations.

Array of beverages at The Fizzary Photo: Steve Murdock

Peck said the Fizzary exists “to bring as many independent, domestic brands as possible under one roof for retail display.” He has helped folks who are new to the soda and retail world in a “pay it forward” style that fits his outgoing personality. Bay Area Bites caught up with these young soda kings to find out about their new business, what soda’s they recommend and their thoughts on anti-soda legislation. Their comments have been edited for content and clarity.

Bay Area Bites: Why do the Fizzary in San Francisco? Or even in the Mission District?
Peck: We started in Santa Cruz as a tea company and wanted a little more taste of the big city. So we moved the whole operation up here. David Rio helped us finance our Chai Cola and we ran the soda line out of a suite near Rainbow Grocery. Then we were at 7th and Brannan but that burned down. So we set up operations in Bayshore temporarily.

We looked for property in SOMA and Mission exclusively. This location couldn’t be more perfect. We appreciate Valencia and the deep Mission and knew we had a stand-alone ‘go-to’ destination. Our plan was to turn into a brewing area for our herbal concentrates and have the public see the process and the treats we have in here. We needed foot traffic, visibility and a minimally industrial showroom workshop. It was literally a long run. There has been a lot of turnover on this something of a sleepy block. We’ve gotten a very warm reception with our neighbors and we are very outgoing and colorful. This space gives us a little more opportunity to shine with our DIY vibe rather than being somewhere in Fisherman’s Wharf, Valencia Street or Union Square.

The Fizzary exterior. Photo: Cassie Destino

Bay Area Bites: You had plans to use this as an event space. Is that still the case?
Peck: Yes and no. We have a bottling workshop and are able to do events for 100 people or so that are much more specialized and custom. The event needs to be able to integrate well into our production space in back. There is definitely room for both but it is not just an open conference space. If you want to do a performance by a giant steel kettle, that’ll work here. Having uplit LED lights on our apparatus is actually pretty cool, and we’ve done that since moving here. There can be a bar set up back there and folks can start with a soda up front with us.

Bay Area Bites: What are your bestsellers? What’s best for daytime sipping versus nighttime?
Dolson: People like the uncategorized and the unique: cucumber, ouzo, rhubarb, red hot, Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray, butterscotch, and even bug barf. People also shop based on the look of the label, whether it is antique or generic.

Peck: I have to recommend Taylor’s Tonics, Café Azteca and Espresso Cola—-our shop is set up to subtly recommend our product line. Joia all natural soda from Minnesota is more like a fruit drink. Root beer and ginger ale are absolutely the top sellers. We intentionally set up the space so root beer and ginger ale are on different sides. You can see on the weekends how people split, with root beer over there and ginger ale over there.

Dolson: For daytime sipping, some people come here right when we open for Dr. Pepper to start the day. There is Dublin Dr. Pepper, which is special. We bought the last pallet of them.

Bay Area Bites: Are there any sodas that have potential aphrodisiac properties and would good for dates and special occasions like Valentine’s Day?
Peck: There’s Nexcite, which is a Swedish love potion. Love Potion No. 69 also works!

Bay Area Bites: You had a booth at the Fancy Food Show and BAB’s Stephanie Hua covered your “Untraditional Sodas.” How did the show go? Had you been before?
Peck: We had not gone as exhibitors but had been there as attendees for many years. The show is in our backyard and we talked to a lot of people and had good sales. The natural food products show in Anaheim is our main show.

Fizzary at SF Fancy Food Show. Photo: Stephanie Hua

Bay Area Bites: How do most of your customers find the shop?
Peck: I’ve been surprised at how many people have searched us out. We get 60 percent foot and 40 percent destination shoppers. That’s a testament to food bloggers who wrote about us when we first opened — everyone came to visit from that. We don’t take anything for granted. We had a national wholesale operation for four years yet our media coverage now is far more than anything during those years.

Bay Area Bites: What is the sugar content of your Taylor’s Tonics?
Peck: All have unrefined organic sugar cane and a small dose of stevia to get the sugar level down and keep the drink to under ten calories. About two years ago it would’ve been 50-50. We have a lot of transition batches in the shop where folks are cycling through and getting sugar used. Our sugar price went up for organic from 60 cents to now a $1.30 a pound, which is a complete reaction to the consumer. We joke that we shot ourselves in the foot. The upside is we are stuck in the same boat with our competitors.

The Fizzary’s Sweets. Photo: Aaron Dolson

Bay Area Bites: How do you feel about the proposed soda tax and move against sodas in Richmond, CA and New York state?
Peck: We’re not opposed to it. Soda is a luxury, an indulgence. I drink copious amounts of it. I think the legislation is wisely written to tax over a certain ounce. I don’t believe it should be vilified. It’s an indulgence – when you attack based on sugar and carbonation, just think about some unfiltered apple juice that has more sugar for comparison. The informed consumer is able to enjoy what’s in the shop. We set up our model to be a four pack. At the same time you can’t get a mixed pack like that at Safeway. We’re not so afraid of the legislation. The only time you get more than 12 ounces here, you’re paying for it. We offer sugar free and other options. The legislation changes will affect the corner bodega or Safeway more.

Related Information:
The Fizzary
Address: Map
2949 Mission St.
San Francisco, CA 94110
(877) 368-4608

Twitter: @TheFizzary
Facebook: The Fizzary

Bridget Batson and Patrick Kelly. Photo: Erin Gleeson

Making and eating a meal of sea urchin pasta is now an ongoing tradition for the couple, and on the Monday after Valentine’s Day, Patrick will buy a tray of uni, and Bridget will make her infamous uni pasta (see recipe below). Customers looking for their own sumptuous seafood and aphrodisiac inspired Valentine’s menu can book a table at Gitane from February 14-16. Bay Area Bites interviewed the SOMA residents recently and their comments have been edited for clarity and grammar.

Bay Area Bites: What is it like to work together? How do you negotiate work vs. home life?
Batson: All these fun questions! We’re both extremely different. One thing we struggled with was carving out the time to be at work. I usually work in the morning and he works at night. We do have a good eight hours of crossover. We started working together at Gitane after I’d been here a couple of years. I needed some culinary help (laughs) and the Claude Group was expanding.

Kelly: We definitely had to draw some ground rules and make sure that our Sundays are work-free. We work in different ways at the restaurant. She is a brilliant organizer and I’m more food focused. We definitely work together well.

Bar at Gitane. Photo: Erin Gleeson

Kelly: We wanted to make the menu approachable and went with all those sexy items like oysters and a lot of shellfish. (Bridget laughs). Gitane is such a phenomenal date place and it makes sense to have those items that are aphrodisiacs. There is an option to add black truffles, which we get regularly for our special events.

Bay Area Bites: Where are a few of your favorite romantic spots in the Bay Area and why?
Batson: Hmmm. We like Kokkari together. There is something about spit-roasted meats that is romantic to us! (They both laugh). At the Buena Vista, we have an Irish coffee and walk by the water and take our dog.

Kelly: The Buena Vista may not be very romantic but it’s definitely a lot of fun. We also love taking our dog to Golden Gate Park and the Presidio as well.

Bay Area Bites: What’s your favorite dessert?
Batson: One of the fun things we both like and grew up with are malted floats. Made with root beer. You don’t see it on menus that much. We make ourselves floats at home.

Kelly: A favorite pastry chef of mine is from La Folie. Whatever she makes is great. Honestly we don’t get there that often.

Gitane Dining Room. Photo: Erin Gleeson

Kelly: I love fried chicken at home. I don’t get to do it at home too often. It’s a big mess but I love it.

Bay Area Bites: The uni dish is so rich and different, yet sounds like a great tradition to keep up. Tell us more.
Batson: We were lucky and once got a live version of sea urchin when a friend of ours went diving at Sea Ranch Mendocino. We tried live ones in the shell and a bunch of abalone. That was great.

Kelly: I give myself a reminder to order the uni and get it dropped off and delivered at the restaurant. Having uni together was one of those things we first did when we got together. I brought her a tray of uni instead of flowers. We started a tradition (laughs).

Batson: If every woman is lucky enough to get uni!… We’ll celebrate on Saturday or Sunday.

Bay Area Bites: Where do you get your inspiration for the restaurant?
Kelly: We just got back from a trip to Spain. That was a lot of fun and we ate our way everywhere. We were doing a black rice dish on the menu that we found during our earlier travels. We’ll definitely put it back on the menu. Also, baked fideo will be back soon on the menu. In Spain, we found tons of rice dishes and fresh seafood. We’re doing a roasted monkfish steak on top of paella rice that is completely inspired by our travels.

For more inspiration and recipes, we like to read and are on the internet constantly. We have a ridiculously large cookbook collection. Travel is about recreating dish. Being in San Francisco, we are sensitive to seasonal changes yet we keep the menu focused on Spain.

Batson & Kelly Style Uni Pasta. Photo: Leila Seppa

Recipe: Batson & Kelly Style Uni Pasta

Ingredients:
• 8 – 10 pieces uni (also called sea urchin or tongues)
• 1 lb capellini or angel hair pasta
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tbs garlic, chopped
• 4 Tbs parsley, chopped
• 1 Tbs chili flakes
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 stick butter
• salt & pepper
• 1 lemon

Method:
Cook the pasta as directed, set aside. In a sauté pan, warm the olive oil for 1 minute, add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes or until soft. Add the chili flakes and white wine, simmer for about 3 minutes or until the alcohol flavor is gone. Add in your pasta, butter and parsley and toss until the butter is melted and the pasta is hot through out, season with salt and pepper.

Gently fold in the uni until it is barely incorporated being careful to not break the tongues. Place in a big bowl for two (of course! ) and finish with a squeeze of lemon to taste.

Related Information:
Gitane
Address: Map
6 Claude Lane
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 788-6686

Twitter: @gitanesf
Facebook: Gitane Restaurant