Hello fall and a short list of things that will keep you entertained during the month of September. Ranging from the dissident life of a pirate, pork, oysters, a reason to visit Hayes Valley, a tenth anniversary, and the perfect place for tea for two! Sound interesting? Well, sit back, grab a glass of wine, relax, and read on.
LAFITTE
Natural light fills Lafitte
Pier 5 is the new home for Lafitte, chef Russell Jackson’s principle in his unique culinary revolution. The dining menu is rotated daily, weekly, monthly, in what Jackson calls “a menu of logic.” Translation: he and his talented team will serve what is seasonally available from his local purveyors. The food style and preparation is a reflection of influences—contemporary American, classical French, regional Italian, Mexican and Japanese—all of which Jackson has experienced over the kitchen ranges he has worked at. Bar and wine director Alex Bachman is showcasing inventive, ingredient-driven cocktails and a global wine list.
The dining room is flanked by original large pier windows allowing for incredible views of the city skyline and Bay. Favorite seating is at the chef’s counter; just ask for Josh, and he will guide you through any culinary questions you might have about the menu, while you watch the crew prepare truly inventive cuisine.
HOG & ROCKS
SF residents will agree: all things pork, oysters, and liquor are high on the list of favorite indulgence items. So what happens when you roll out a restaurant based on all three? You call it paradise, and say hello to Hog & Rocks, the city’s first ever ham and oyster bar (at 3431 19th Street, in the Mission). The fare is elegantly simple: in-season oysters, artisanal ham, comfort fare, and a spirited lineup of classic cocktails and canned beer.
That’s right beer lovers: four brands in a can (it’s touted as the best way to preserve beer’s freshness), in addition to seven options in a bottle and seven selections on draught. Chef/partner Scott Youkilis, also chef-owner of Mission eatery Maverick, along with a seasoned and talented restaurant crew—notable among then Tres Agaves Tequila’s Eric Rubin—have created a lively venue offering indoor and outdoor seating. “Both are unique products of terroir and time, flavored by their natural environments,” Youkilis says, offering up his take on the parallels between ham and oysters. “Oysters are affected by factors like the alkalinity of the water in which they are produced, while ham takes on characteristics determined by the barn atmosphere where it’s aged.”
PROMOTED
The Hayes Valley neighborhood abuzz! Adam Keough has been appointed the new executive chef for Absinthe Brasserie & Bar as well as Arlequin Café.
“Adam is here to add the refined skills he developed while working with Michael Mina and apply them to what we do,” says Absinthe owner Bill Russell-Shapiro, “food of quality but less expensive and formal. With his experience, he brings a high level of creativity to Absinthe and to Arlequin Café.” Locally, Keough has worked under Joshua Skenes (at Chez TJ in Los Gatos; Skenes is now chef/owner at Saison) before joining Mina and the Mina Group as the Interim Chef at Arcadia in San Jose. In February 2006, the twenty-eight-year-old Keough opened Stonehill Tavern in Dana Point for Mina; he was quickly promoted to executive chef. While there Keough he was named “Best New Chef of Orange County” by Riviera magazine.
Also, don’t miss the selection of cocktails—inspired from Keough’s new brassiere fare menu—being hand crafted by bar manager Carlos Yturria.
TEN REASONS TO CELEBRATE
September will kick off CHAYA Brasserie’s ten-year anniversary with a month-long celebration including a Countdown to 10-10-10 promotion, a special $20.10 lunch prix-fixe menu, and the launch of a new menu from Executive Chef Tetsuya Osaki.
CHAYA is beloved for its sweeping views and Japanese hospitality with French savoir faire.
Twenty ten has been an exciting year of milestones for the CHAYA Group, which also commemorated the twentieth anniversary of its seaside favorite CHAYA Venice in April, following the twenty-fifth anniversary of the original CHAYA Brasserie in Beverly Hills in the fall 2009.
In the ’80s, CHAYA and Spago were the it places to dine at when in LA; all these years later they’re still in the dining spotlight!
HIGH TEA
The InterContinental Mark Hopkins now features Tea at the Top, at the Top of the Mark. When was the last time you had true tea service? The British tradition is a lovely one to uphold, and what better way to keep it fresh than 
on the 19th floor of this famous top-of-Nob-Hill locale; the views! This is an indulgence even seasoned locals shouldn’t pass up!
San Franciscan Steven Oliver is a restaurant manager and wine buyer.
