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Sunday, January 13, 2008

San Francisco's Fabulous Lesbian Chefs


It may seem that, in the testosterone-driven restaurant world, a woman’s place is decidedly not in the kitchen. But a handful of "out" female chefs lead some of San Francisco's most esteemed eateries.

 Traci des Jardins has long been a prominent figure in the city’s dining scene. Her flagship restaurant, Jardinière, recently unveiled a significant remodel to commemorate their tenth anniversary. The updated look eschews heavy, drapey fabrics and dark tones for a lighter, earthier look. Jardinière now also features a downstairs lounge where diners can nibble on sophisticated small plates over a cocktail or selection from the expansive wine list; the upstairs dining room remains a serene oasis for fine dining.

 des Jardins oversees two other notable San Francisco restaurants: Mijita (1 Ferry Building, No. 44), a casual Mexican restaurant in the Ferry Building Marketplace, and Acme Chophouse (24 Willie Mays Plaza) in AT&T Park. She also recently raised her public profile by throwing her hat in the ring as a contestant on the Food Network's competition to find The next Iron Chef America.

Only in San Francisco, the online presence of the San Francisco Convention and Visitor's Bureau published this interesting look at San Francisco's comfortably-out Lesbian chefs. They are among the very best in the City. Here are more chefs selected by Only in San Francisco:

Fellow Iron Chef alumna Elizabeth Falkner has performed on-screen as sous chef to existing Iron Chef Cat Cora. Falkner's primary venue, Citizen Cake (399 Grove St.), has established her as the grande dame of the fancy pastry scene in the city. Her artfully arranged cakes, replete with layers of ultra-rich butter creme, are legendary. Falkner and her partner, Sabrina Riddle, have undertaken a new venture, Orson (508 Fourth St), in the city's burgeoning SoMa/South Beach district.

Inspired by the sophisticated dining scenes in Milan and New York, Orson occupies a former warehouse. The two women exert their design sensibilities on the vacuous space, complementing the industrial chic with a softer touch, including abstract paintings created by Falkner's father. A two-story climate-controlled wine tower and a custom DJ booth round out the edgy interior.

Citizen Cake has itself undergone a remodel, now sporting additional tables and bar seats, a larger bar and improved definition between the patisserie and the loft-like dining room. Falkner's satellite outpost, Citizen Cupcake, graces the turret of the Virgin Superstore, overlooking bustling Stockton and Market streets.

Another major force in pastry is chef Shuna Lydon, who was part of the team that launched Sens Restaurant, in the Embarcadero Center. Lydon brings a wealth of experience in some of the highest-profile kitchens in the the Bay Area, including Michelin three-starred French Laundry, and neo-Moroccan destination Aziza (5800 Geary Blvd).

Lydon's signature technique involves starting with traditional pairings, then introducing elements that challenge and surprise. For example, Pistachio Gift features rosewater-mastic ice cream rests aside a vanilla-sugar phyllo pastry confection, concealing pure pistachio frangipane within. A Honey-Cumin Pot de Creme sparkles with sea salt, bee pollen and an apple-white fig-toasted walnut salad reminiscent of charoset, the Passover delicacy. And if diners are especially lucky, Lydon will offer up something made with butterscotch. You haven't had butterscotch until you've had Lydon's butterscotch.

Speaking of the real thing, authentic Neapolitan thin-crust pizza is all the rage in the city these days, and chef Sharon Ardiana is cooking up some of the best in town. Ardiana opened Gialina (2842 Diamond St.) in the Glen Park neighborhood a year ago this January, to instant acclaim. As an homage to her emigrant Italian family, Ardiana uses seasonal and organic ingredients to create explosively flavorful pizzas, hearkening back to the freshness of vegetables grown in her family's own back yard where she grew up in Western Pennsylvania.

Ardiana is adept at combining ingredients to create flavors that are more than the sum of their parts. The popular Atomica combines mushrooms, chiles and red onions atop tomatoes and fresh mozzarella; even notoriously fussy food critic Michael Bauer of the San Francisco Chronicle approves.

Related stories from Sam Spade's San Francisco:
Restaurants in San Francisco - Inside Tips - the Ultimate Guide
Coffee in the Castro (best places for a hot cup of joe)
Top 100 Restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area (The Chronicle's top 100 list)
Taxicab Crooks and Scam Cabs in San Francisco (an important warning you should read!)
San Francisco Ferry Building Marketplace - Complete Guide (Fantastic meals, organic food)
San Francisco's Best Hamburger (in the tradition of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives)

Other resources:
CHOW's list of recommended restaurants (recommendations from local folks)
Only in San Francisco's restaurant search engine (find any restaurant you are looking for)
Menupages - see sample menus online before you go (a terrific service - give this a try!)
SanFrancisco.com's restaurant guide (lots of information and details here)
San Francisco Chroncile's Restaurant Roundup (cream of the Chronicle's top 100 list)

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on Sunday, January 13, 2008

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