Under Beverage Director David Kolvek, Sons & Daughters Will Emphasize Alpine Wines and Expand the Wine List to Complement the New-Nordic Inspired Menu

San Francisco, CA | October 24, 2023 – Sons & Daughters, the beloved Michelin-starred restaurant in San Francisco’s Nob Hill neighborhood, is pleased to introduce David Kolvek as its new Beverage Director. Opened in 2010, Sons & Daughters recently introduced Harrison Cheney as Executive Chef, who became the 2023 Michelin Guide California “Young Chef “ and the team is looking forward to welcoming Kolvek’s influence on the beverage program.

With a new focus on wines from mountainous regions, both the Alps and here on the West Coast, David Kolvek’s wine list pays homage to the winemakers toiling in those challenging alpine conditions. In addition to recalibrating the focus of wine regions, the format of the wine list is changing. “I wanted to create a wine list that reads like an atlas. Grouping wine regions not primarily by the country they’re in, but by the mountains, rivers, and coasts that influence them,” says David Kolvek. 

“We’re excited about David’s vision for our beverage program at Sons & Daughters. Like myself, he has a unique upbringing with international travels and experiences that will contribute to the evolution of our restaurant,” says Chef Cheney. “He has an acute understanding of how the Alpine regions of Switzerland, France, Italy, and others influenced winemaking in the U.S. and we’re looking forward to what he will bring to our table.” Kolvek and Cheney are working to challenge each other’s palates and expand the connection between food and drink. 

Kolvek’s passion for hospitality, food, and wine brought him to San Francisco and ultimately into his role as Beverage Director at Sons & Daughters. His gravitation towards creative thinking and educating guests about wine is what drives him. 

“I find joy in learning about wine: its history, place in culture, and the people that make it. It’s up to us to relay that knowledge in a way that our guests can connect with,” says Kolvek. “Wine has taught me a lot about the world. It’s like a liquid liberal arts education, and that’s what I want to share.” 

Kolvek grew up primarily in the Sea-to-Sky Corridor in British Columbia, after a short time living in Slovakia where his parents immigrated from. The Coast Mountains of the Pacific Northwest have been influential to his perspective. His family owned and operated a pizzeria and later a café outside of Vancouver, B.C. where Kolvek learned first-hand the importance of work. Later, Kolvek studied Computer Science & Business at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. Since moving to San Francisco over five years ago, he has held managerial positions at West Coast Wine Cheese and Birba Wine Bar before joining the Sons & Daughters team in October 2022. In 2023, Kolvek became a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers and received his WSET-3 Certification. He was named 2019 “Top 10 Sommelier in the Bay Area” in the Bordeaux Supérieur Wine Competition and is a California Wine Appellation Specialist.

At Sons & Daughters, Kolvek is looking forward to creating an Alpine driven wine list that pairs well with Chef Cheney’s cuisine. The new focus dovetails with the updates to the restaurant’s beverage program, which now features a new non-alcoholic beverage pairing that utilizes sustainable practices and techniques like lactic fermentation. With Kolvek’s influence, the wine list will expand its bottle selections, and feature labels that shine light on this often-overlooked wine category. Kolvek is confident that these unique Alpine wines pair perfectly with Chef Cheney’s acid-driven, New Nordic cuisine which highlights Northern California’s seasonality.

Sons & Daughters is located at 708 Bush St. San Francisco, CA 94108, and is open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner starting at 5:30 p.m. The tasting menu is priced at $229 per person served over the course of two and a half hours with an optional beverage pairing for $165 per person and the Non-Alcohol beverage pairing is $115 per person. Reservations can be made on Tock. 

SONS & DAUGHTERS (San Francisco, CA) — Sons & Daughters is an elevated, intimate 16-seat Michelin-starred restaurant in Nob Hill within walking distance of downtown San Francisco. Sons & Daughters, which earned 3.5 stars from the San Francisco Chronicle, offers a 18-serving tasting menu inspired by new Nordic flavors and is anchored in classic techniques and the seasonality of Northern California. Chef Teague Moriarty opened Sons & Daughters in 2010 and has since stepped away from the kitchen completely as the owner paving the way for Harrison Cheney, who joined the team in October 2022 and was appointed Executive Chef in January 2023, in the interim spending time taking the reigns and creating a new menu that reflects the restaurant’s ethos and his own culinary background. Chef Cheney is a force to be reckoned with having spent a moon quarter of his culinary career at two Michelin-starred Gastrologik in Stockholm. His pedigree also includes working with acclaimed Michelin-starred chefs Phil Howard at The Square in London and Michael Tusk at Quince, and at The Ledbury at Notting Hill. Cheney’s elevated and thoughtfully composed menu showcases modern, progressive dishes that imbue Nordic influence through acidity and balance, and highlight the abundance of locally sourced ingredients. Most recently, Harrison received the prestigious 2023 MICHELIN Guide California “Young Chef Award” and is honored to be in a position to inspire future generations within the restaurant industry. The wine program showcases an extensive, boutique selection of both classic and New World wines. Sons & Daughters is focused on sustainability by working directly with local growers, farmers and purveyors, minimizing food waste by using every part of the product and composting, and implementing mixed recycling – all with the goal of reducing the restaurant’s environmental footprint. Diners can anticipate a warm, welcoming atmosphere and high attention to detail when dining at Sons & Daughters. For more information, please visit www.sonsanddaughterssf.com, follow @sonsanddaughterssf on Instagram, and like on Facebook. 

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Gourmet gem Marlena in Bernal Heights has lost the chef couple who gave the three-year-old restaurant Michelin star status in its first year, despite opening at the height of the pandemic.

It was an odd development last month when we learned that chefs David Fisher and Serena Chow Fisher have been linked to a new venture in Japantown/Lower Pac Heights — taking over the space, which continues to be run by Gardenias. They are involved in this project along with Ryan Cole from Hi Neighbor Hospitality Group (Trestle, The Madrigal, The Vault Steakhouse) who also helped open Marlena.

As Eater first reported, the Fishers have now effectively exited the Marlena building, releasing a statement on Instagram saying they have parted ways with the restaurant owner due to a vision conflict.

“When we opened Marlena almost three years ago, during the pandemic, we started serving chicken sandwiches in take-out picnic baskets,” they write. “We put our heart, soul and resources into the restaurant as if it were our own, even naming Marlena in homage to David’s late mother… Unfortunately, we were at odds with the owner of Marlena over differing ideas of.” Hospitality advised.” and integrity, and as it reached an impasse our only option was to exit the restaurant.

They go on to say that they “have partnered with Hi Neighbor Hospitality Group for real ownership of a new restaurant that we plan to share with you in the fall.”

David Fisher recently told Eater that Marlena “morphs into something we don’t want to be a part of anymore.” And Eater notes that the restaurant’s liquor license is in the name of Stephane Roulland and something called Bouillon LLC and the Fishers never had an ownership interest.

There’s no word on what happens to Marlena next, all we know is that the Fishers will be back on 1963’s Sutter Street in a few months. The name “Doing Business As” on the spirits license transfer there is “7 Adams,” but that could just be a placeholder and the chefs aren’t sharing details just yet. Gardenias also hasn’t said if it’s closing or moving.

David and Serena Chow Fisher met in New York while working at Pearl & Ash, and Serena also worked as a pastry chef at three-Michelin-star Eleven Madison Park.

Until now: Michelin-starred Marlena Chefs expand to Japantown

The post Michelin-Starred Marlena Simply Misplaced Its Two Cooks, Who Are Transferring On to a New Challenge appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

It’s no exaggeration to say that Marlena, the affordable fixed-price restaurant on the side of a hill in Bernal Heights, has been one of San Francisco’s culinary breakthrough stars for the past three years. The restaurant relocated to the former premises of the Hillside Supper Club in August 2020, a time we now remember as the peak of the pandemic, and served sandwiches to go before plunging a foot into indoor dining in November – only to along with every other restaurant in the city to be closed due to a surge in COVID cases. Throughout the spring, the restaurant reopened for al fresco dining and then indoors before being awarded a coveted Michelin star in autumn 2021.

All along, husband-and-wife chefs David Fisher and Serena Chow Fisher have been at the helm, even naming the company in honor of David’s late mother. Together with Hi Neighbor Hospitality Group’s Ryan Cole, they guided the restaurant through the turmoil of the pandemic, then closed for renovations last summer before moving again in the fall.

In short: It was a wild rollercoaster ride and an undeniable success. But on Friday, June 30, the Fishers say they want out.

The couple confirmed to Eater SF on Friday that they were splitting from Marlena effective immediately, announcing the fact in an Instagram post on Friday night. “It’s just becoming something that we don’t want to be a part of anymore,” David said in a recent conversation with Eater SF.

Although the couple have been the faces of the acclaimed restaurant for three years, they explain that they don’t own the company; According to the restaurant’s liquor license, the owner is Bouillon LLC, which is managed by Stephane Roulland, who is also listed as CEO. According to the Fishers, their relationship with the owner has deteriorated to the point where they are unable to continue working at the restaurant. In the post, they give “a conflict with the owner of Marlena about different ideas of hospitality and integrity” as the reason for the departure. Eater SF has reached out to Roulland and will update if we hear anything.

It’s uncertain whether Marlena will remain open without the chef couple who have earned the restaurant a spot in the Michelin Guide. In August 2021, the Guide praised how the couple “creates both the savory and sweet side of things” with “precise technique and subtle yet imaginative use of ingredients.”

As previously reported, the Fishers and Cole are already working on a new restaurant that will take over the premises of the former Gardenia’s at 1963 Sutter Street. The spirits license lists the company name as 7 Adams, but the trio tell Eater SF the vision for the restaurant is still taking shape. Cole, who was hired as a consultant during Marlena’s early days, hasn’t been part of the restaurant team since April.

This is an evolving story and Eater SF will be updated as more details become available.

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The world of fine dining is an enticing place, typically employing intricate cooking techniques and luxurious ingredients as chefs create beautifully presented dishes worth savoring. The Bay Area is fortunate to be home to a number of Michelin-starred and James Beard Award-winning restaurants and chefs, but dining at one of these acclaimed restaurants usually comes with a hefty entrance fee that sends diners around $200 or more each Person can cost person – a price that the average, price-conscious guest regularly cannot afford. Plus, these luxury experiences typically last for hours, stretching a meal into a full-length, multi-course marathon event in even the busiest restaurants.

But a sea change seems to be underway in the Bay Area: A number of upscale restaurants are offering shorter, more affordable tasting menus that could open the door to the world of fine dining for new customers. Restaurants including two Michelin-starred Commis, two Michelin-starred Birdsong, one Michelin-starred Bar Crenn, one Michelin-starred Sorrel and one Michelin-starred Mister Jius all recently released tasting menus at lower prices moving towards more affordable territory and cutting those long meals down to more manageable lengths. At Bar Crenn, for example, the Le Comptoir experience includes a six-course selection of “impromptu dishes” that cost $300 per person. Bar Crenn’s newly added snack menu, meanwhile, offers “five luxurious and playful little bites, both savory and sweet” at a much lower price of $125 — perhaps perfect for someone who’s tiptoeing into sampling celebrity chef Dominique’s dishes Crenn wants to hatch.

“This is an access point for those nights when you might want to spend some cash and be confident.”

At Sorrel in San Francisco, in addition to a two-and-a-half hour eight-course experience priced at $185 per person, the team recently added a four-course tasting menu at $98 per person for a 90-minute meal. The trigger for creating the shorter tasting menu, according to operations manager Joel Wilkerson, was the debut of Sorrel’s bar program last fall. Unlike the restaurant, the eight-seat bar requires no reservations and prides itself on first-come, first-served service with an a la carte menu and low-alcohol cocktails. Response to the bar program has been overwhelmingly positive, and Wilkerson says the team has been looking for more ways to “make people happy.” “The whole point was just creating accessibility to experience what we’re doing here,” says Wilkerson, “without the commitment of having to be here for three or more hours on a Wednesday night.”

Discussing the new four-course meal, Wilkerson pointed to the pandemic as a learning opportunity for the sorrel group; Having been through a lot with COVID, the team needed to take a closer look at their product and their customer. “I think restaurants are fundamentally evolving and changing things,” says Wilkerson. “And to run a restaurant, you have to be agile and be able to pivot and change.” Part of that is recognizing that the restaurant scene can be restrictive. Another reason for the new menu, he says, is to get the city moving again and get residents active — including by giving them reasons to get out and maybe try a new restaurant. “It’s really about getting people out on the sidewalks,” he says, “out in the restaurants and making San Francisco feel alive again.”

Patricia Chang

Mister Jiu’s in Chinatown offered an a la carte menu when it debuted seven years ago, but the restaurant has recently switched to a five-course tasting menu that costs $115 per person (with the option of larger and pricier dishes like Liberty Farms’ popular whole roast duck). For Executive Chef Brandon Jew, the new tasting menu presented a new opportunity. In practice, it offered his team the ability to prepare and execute more detailed dishes, such as B. a finely folded giant dumpling that has been added to the new seasonal menu. The change also yielded more practical results: less food waste, for example, because guests pre-select all dishes when making reservations. To Jew, the updates just make sense. “I feel like this is a way for me to potentially make this restaurant last longer,” he says. “For me that was more important.”

Whatever the reasons for these new, more affordable, and typically short menus, it seems Bay Area diners are responding positively to the changes. According to Wilkerson, regular customers have contacted Sorrel to express their excitement for a shorter, less expensive tasting menu with the high quality they have come to expect from the restaurant. “It’s a stepping stone, right? It’s there for people to get their feet wet,” says Wilkerson. “Sometimes it’s your anniversary, do you want to spend all the money you have in your savings account to go out to dinner? Sometimes you want to experience something different or something new and maybe you’ve never been to a Michelin star restaurant – this is an access point for those nights when you might want to indulge and rely on it.”

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The post Right here’s Why A few of San Francisco’s Michelin-Starred Eating places Are Rolling Out Cheaper, Shorter Tasting Menus appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Chef Aaron London made the sudden, shocking announcement Thursday that he’s shutting down his popular Michelin-star restaurant AL’s Place after seven years. London has won plenty of recognition for the restaurant, including a notable “best new restaurant in the country” nod from Bon Appetit in the year of its opening. And rather than the closure decision being brought on by a rent hike or lack of customers — London says the restaurant is fine — the chef told the San Francisco Chronicle he wants to spend more time with his partner and 1-year-old daughter.

“If I was fine just burning myself to a crisp, that’s one thing. But now there are other people in my life that need me to not be burnt to a crisp, that need me to be around,” London told the news outlet. “Ultimately I’ve made the decision to recraft my professional life around family rather than family life around the professional.” The restaurant’s last day will be August 28.

Scott Weiner tells you where to go (in San Francisco)

Axios approached State Senator Scott Weiner to discuss where he would go in the city for his “best day ever” and he shouts out a number of his favorite places to eat and drink. Among them are Castro Tarts for pancakes, Dinosaurs for the roasted pork sandwich, and bars like Powerhouse and Oasis. Read more here.

The St. Ignatius v Sunset Mercantile drama continues

Look, it’s a lot to recap, but if you’ve been following along with the Sunset farmer’s market argument discussions with St. Ignatius school, the latest development is that the school is now saying it’s not them who went back on their word over the new agreement, it’s Sunset Mercantile. The most recent finger pointing is cataloged over at SFGATE.

Sacramento Bakery closes after a year in business

Sacramento’s Mud Pie Stand Bakery announced it will be permanently closing in an Instagram post to customers Thursday. The business owners called the closure a “necessary decision” but acknowledged the ending does feel devastating. The owners said rising food costs, supply chain issues, and little foot traffic have been tough, and they’re completely getting out of the food industry for health, family, and financial reasons. The shop opened in June 2021 and the last day is September 17, or until product runs out.

Of course sad to see you go

In more sad Sacramento news, the Sacramento Bee covers the cancellation of the offal-centric festival, Have An Offal Day, which was initially set to happen this upcoming Sunday. The festival features chef-driven plates made from various organ meats, but ticket sales were much slower than expected, so organizers instead decided to cancel with no plans to bring the event back in the future.

Go do things this weekend

Fogus or not, there are a number of things happening this weekend in the Bay Area as the summer begins winding its way down to Labor Day. Two things we’ve been chatting about at Eater SF are this Sunday’s Lumpia Lands at District Six (as covered by KQED), plus the Tea & Others x Telescope Coffee collab happening Saturday and Sunday. At the Tea & Others shop in Lower Haight, order a seasonal dessert set of pluot-rose trifle paired with oolong tea (with a pluot compote) for $15.

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The post Michelin-Starred San Francisco Restaurant AL’s Place Is Closing. Right here’s Why appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The restaurateur Michael Mina has closed his eponymous restaurant at 252 California St., but the closure also marks the start of a new project that is slated to open this fall.

Estiatorio Ornos, a Michael Mina restaurant focused on Greek seafood, will take over Michael Mina’s former premises and is expected to open in September. As Estiatorio Ornos moves away from the former restaurant’s Middle Eastern menu, Mina hopes it will bring back memories of the days of AQUA, the restaurant he ran before Michael Mina.

“I started my career introducing new fish dishes to people at AQUA, and the Estiatorio Ornos is an evolution of that …” Mina said in a statement. “This new version of the restaurant will not only continue to offer a tasting menu, but also a la carte experience that feels more social and uses its roots to pay homage to the Mediterranean seafood experience.”

The restaurant plans 76 seats with wraparound cabins, a bar with a redesigned cocktail menu and a menu that focuses on children’s dishes inspired by Mina and Estiatorio Ornos partners, Chef Girair “Jerry” Goumroian and Chef Nikolaos Georgousis. The menu options include phyllo-encrusted Dover sole and Mediterranean sea bass. The restaurant also plans to hire a fish sommelier who will suggest some of the best ways for guests to enjoy their meals.

The restaurateur Michael Mina has closed his eponymous restaurant at 252 California St. to present his upcoming Estiatorio Ornos restaurant.

David Varley

In a statement, Mina said the pandemic affected his decision to close the Michelin-lauded restaurant, which won its first star in 2011. During the COVID lockdown in San Francisco, Michael Mina remained closed while his pop-up Mac ‘N Cue in collaboration with Ayesha Curry operated in the restaurant area. The pop-up has since moved to other locations in San Francisco and continues to only be delivered.

“While I’m so proud of what we were able to achieve at Michael Mina, the evolution of our Middle Eastern tasting menu seemed like a natural complement given the history of Greek influence in ancient Egypt,” Mina said in a statement. “Last year was a shared period of reflection and I sat back to really think about what the next chapter of this space should look like and what is best for our changing city.

“San Francisco will always be one of the best food cities in the world and I am 100% committed to constantly evolving our concepts to support its growth and to honor a place without which I would be nowhere.”

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