“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas/ Ev’rywhere you go; Take a look in the five-and-ten glistening once again/ With candy canes and silver lanes aglow./ It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas,/ Toys in ev’ry store,/ But the prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be/ On your own front door.”
Oh sorry, I was distracted by all of the excitement of the season—and, I know, my singing leaves a lot to be desired. Speaking of desired, how about places around town that are rolling out holiday specials, new places that must not be missed, and some good old-fashioned ideas for pampering. By the end of the holiday season, finishing a hectic (and let’s admit, financially exhausting) year, who doesn’t need a little pampering?
If you are not feeling the holiday mood just yet, maybe a trip to one of our fair city’s holiday ice rinks will get you there. Check this out: with two locations to choose from, Union Square or the Embarcadero, you can work up an appetite after becoming one with the ice and your skates. Over at Union Square, Morton’s Steakhouse is offering a three-course dinner for $49.99 per person or $99.99 for two! This is a deal to behold, and what’s not to love more than a delicious deal during the holidays. Note that this is an “in the know” special feature as it’s not listed on the menu; you have to request the special from your server, and then let the good times roll.
Over on the Embarcadero you can get into the spirit of “luxury, naturally” with the Hotel Vitale & Americano Restaurant. Vacation at home with the special “Slow the Holiday Hustle & Bustle” package, which includes two nights’ deluxe accommodations, complimentary holiday cocktails at Americano created by award-winning house bartender Ronaldo Colli, Chef Paul Arenstam’s Favorite Things guide to the Ferry Plaza Marketplace, including discounts to retailers and shops, a Ferry Building welcome amenity, eco-friendly holiday decorating and entertaining ideas from the hotel’s special events team, and last but not least, two fifty-minute massages at Spa Vitale (did someone mention pampering?). This offer is available thru December 31 for $899 (based on double occupancy; hotelvitale.com).
Just down Mission at the oh-so-popular RN74, a late-night drink special is being offered every night at 10 p.m. with $3 Kronenbourg beers and $1 Fernet Branca shots; if those aren’t your fancy, sommelier Rajat Parr has selected glasses of white or red for $6. Yup, you read that right, a glass of wine at RN74 for $6—bingo!
You may have heard the culinary buzz around town regarding Saison, an intimate private dining room being executed by co-owner/ executive chef Joshua Skenes, co-owner/sommelier Mark Bright, and business partner Kristopher Esqueda. Saison is special for several reasons. Saison is French for “season”; in my book, the marriage of seasons and France is a perfect culinary storm. And Joshua delivers, elegantly bringing to his menu the primary ingredients of seasonality, sustainability, and integrity.
Saison smartly operates out of an existing storefront that is the Stable Café during the day; Saison uses the gallery space and garden room in the rear for its dinner service by night. Upon entering, you’re welcomed by Joshua, Mark, and their small staff, guided by the kitchen, and shown to your table. Such effortlessly welcoming service continues throughout your dining experience; it feels five-star without the fuss. The menu price is $70 for five courses; Mark selects wine pairings for that day’s menu for an additional $40 cost. Reservations are currently accepted one month in advance (415-828-7990).
Over at Jardinière, chef/owner Tracy Des Jardins and executive chef Morgan Mueller are offering a Monday evening prix fixe menu for $45, which includes wine pairings. Meanwhile, Tuesday thru Saturday in the “J Lounge,” they are offering a menu of selected bar bites and cocktails between 8 and 10 p.m. for just $8 each. You will find the ever-charming Brian MacGregor behind the bar all ready to shake you up a Tequila Crusta using Rancho Blanco Tequila, Maraschino Liqueur, Combier Orange Liqueur, and a dash of lemon to accompany your grilled gruyere cheese on house-made brioche. How can you pass up an offer like this? It’s a perfect opportunity to round up the girls (or guys) for an evening out to catch up on what’s been going on around town.
There are two new “lunch only” venues worthy of a visit! Naked Lunch (504 Broadway), at Enrico’s Restaurant in the lively section of Broadway, is being operated by former Café Majestic alumni chef Ian Begg and general manager Ryan Maxey. They’re serving farm-fresh sandwich selections (Tuesday–Saturday; 11:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m.) for either dining on the Enrico’s patio or brown bagging back to work. The sandwich of indulgence and Ian’s badge of honor is the foie gras torchon and duck prosciutto with tomato butter, lettuce, and truffle oil, while a big crowd pleaser is the Tuesday Special of Fulton Valley Farms fried chicken with creamy coleslaw aioli. Ian and Ryan offer up three sando selections daily as well as a salad, soup, drink, and a sweet.
Executive chef Chad Newton of Fish & Farm (F&F) fame has launched American Box Lunch Takeaway (339 Taylor Street at O’Farrell) next door to F&F. Chad has played with the farm-to-table ingredient list as well, to offer up six box lunch choices, as well as three to four sides (weekdays; 10:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.). Some favorites: the #2, Juicy Lucy Cheeseburger Box, and the #4, Line-Caught Tuna Sandwich Box. Whichever neighborhood works for you, the thing to remember is just get in there and get some; it’s that good! You can follow these new hot spots on Twitter—@NakedLunchSF and @AmericanBox, respectively—for daily lunch postings.
The SOMA and the South Beach area are welcoming with open arms Ironside, the new eatery from District owners Jon D’Angelica, and Ryan and Chris Vance. This neighborhood eatery is an all day affair offering coffee and quick bites in the a.m. hours, eat-in or take-out options for lunch, and a casual vibe for the evening and later, after you’ve gotten home and are looking for a place to hang out with your friends and unwind after a hectic work day. Executive chef Bob Cina (also of District) is offering up comfort food with some twists. How about trying a selection of Breakfast Empanadas or Breakfast Buns in flavors like maple and smoky bacon, and washing it down with a cup of locally roasted Four Barrel Coffee. With an address at 680 Second at Townsend, lunch needs to be on target for a quick bite, and Bob delivers with a good selection of soups, salads, and sandwiches, such as the cuke and quinoa salad and porchetta sandwich with pork saddle and scamorzza cheese. The dinner menu has offerings of New England clam chowder with smoky bacon and Tabasco butter (if you were wondering why it tastes so bloody good, it’s from Bob’s Bostonian roots), and baked littleneck clams with chorizo and green garlic. Just a few of the entrée options are Latino-style whitefish, skillet-roasted game hen, or a flatiron steak. The renovated, bi-level loft eatery is housed in the historic Chronicle Books building. Designer Je Anne Ettrick has played with the historic element in using rugged walnut tables and benches, a barn-wood-and-zinc counter, and a chandelier made from a seven-foot antique wooden gear. On the wall there is an oversized vintage billboard with a ’50s-era advertisement from an old San Francisco Brewery that proclaims, “Lucky Lager is always right!”
If you happen to find yourself South of Market, and it’s a Sunday in December, it’s not unlikely that you might be seeking to set the tone before a long day of shopping, or perhaps to nurse a pained head resulting from a really fun Saturday night. Embrace Bacar with its Bottomless Bloody Mary Brunch. Order up brunch bites like chanterelle mushroom and cherry tomato scrambled eggs or a Belgian waffle with Blossom Bluff stone fruit and maple syrup all the while you are sipping your endless Bloody Mary, all for $10. While that could have a dangerous outcome, it just might make holiday shopping this year more fun than ever!
So there you have it—the holidays! It’s time to get out, celebrate, and propagate good cheer. And what better way is there to do so than enjoying some new restaurants and the food and drink specials being offered? I’m a true believer in the old adage, “you can find happiness in your own backyard”; certainly this is the best city to become a hometown tourist in, relishing the beauty of food and wine, which we have in rich supply! This being December also means the end of the line for 2009, and, for that matter, the first decade of the new century. So here is wishing everyone health, happiness, and peace in the New Year!
San Franciscan Steven Oliver is a restaurant manager and wine buyer.
