The last time we saw San Francisco Restaurant Week was in January, just two months before social distance rules became our norm. Now in its second resurgence, San Francisco Restaurant Week will make its very first fall debut to bring back that energy in a post-coronavirus world.
On Friday, San Francisco Restaurant Week begins as part of the Eat, Drink SF program to celebrate the city’s vast culinary offerings. Much like the event in January, locals can spot lunch and dinner specials from $10 to $65, but with all things in 2020, the program will look slightly different.
About 95 restaurants across the city plan to participate to offer takeout, meal kits, outdoor dining or indoor dining service (if available). There will also be virtual events that included cooking and cocktail classes, live chats with restaurant nonprofit La Cocina, and a webinar hosted by members of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association.
Laurie Thomas, executive director of Golden Gate Restaurant Association, is thrilled at the outcome and shared that the organization made a big push to integrate businesses from neighborhoods that haven’t participated in the past.
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“We reached out to the Bayview, Mission, Excelsior [neighborhoods],” Thomas said. “We've really tried to make it a citywide program where it's not just big downtown restaurants … [because] the restaurants that are open now, a lot of them are in the neighborhoods.”
Downtown S.F. restaurants are still on the roster and on the opening night, The Vault Garden will kick off the program with a generous four-course dinner fixed by some of the Bay Area’s most talented chefs. Ryan Cole, a partner at the Hi Neighbor Hospitality Group behind The Vault Garden, thinks his guests will enjoy their alfresco meal that much more because they’ll be able to see the chefs prepare them outside.
“When they come in, they're going to feel the energy and action from the kitchen because we're actually setting up the entire kitchen outdoors,” Cole said. “So right in the middle of the garden will be chef Reem [Assil] at her station and chef Staffan [Terje] in his station.”
This year's Eat, Drink SF and San Francisco Restaurant Week will include about 95 restaurants. It runs from Oct. 23 to Nov. 1. On its kick-off event, six chefs will come together to make a lavish dinner at The Vault Garden.
Eat, Drink SFReem Assil, chef-owner of Reem's, and Staffan Terje, chef-owner of Perbacco and Barbacco, join Robin Song, executive chef at The Vault, and Jason Halverson, of the Hi Neighbor Hospitality Group, to add their unique spin on dinner that includes a mezze platter, pasta and a grilled fish. Belinda Leong, pastry chef and co-owner of b.Patisserie, will serve chocolate and coffee while Angela Pinkerton, owner of Pie Society, will make a passionfruit bay leaf meringue pie.
“I think the chefs are just excited to do something a little over the top because it's been so long since they've been able to do these events,” Cole said. “We're so fortunate that we actually can host these guest chefs.”
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The four-course meal is priced at $175 per person (tax and gratuity included). In past San Francisco Restaurant Week events, 1% of the cash earned by participating restaurants would go towards a specific charity selected by the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, but this year participating restaurants will keep all the proceeds.
“Normally we would have picked a charity [but the association thought] the restaurants are the charity,” Thomas said. “I'm a big proponent of that. Let’s just get people to the restaurant and let the restaurant and their staff benefit.”
Thomas hopes the 10-day program can bring a stream of financial support to restaurateurs who have seen their business revenue dry up since March, despite the recent addition of indoor dining at 25% capacity.
“It's really about driving business to the restaurants,” Thomas said. “The restaurants keep a hundred percent of the proceeds… [and] hopefully it will drive a lot of business because we're all just trying to get as much money in the next couple of weeks … before the weather gets rainy and cold.”
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When guests attend opening night at The Vault Garden, they’ll be seated in socially distanced tables and kept warm by heat lamps or blankets if the weather cools down. Cole believes guests might even feel like they’re having a traditional dining experience when they see the chefs prepare the meals near them.
“There are ways to do clever creative things [and] still follow all the rules that the [San Francisco Department of Public Health] has set out. That to me is what's most exciting.”
San Francisco Restaurant Week with East, Drink SF will run from Oct. 23 to Nov. 1. To see all the participation restaurants and deals, visit Eat, Drink SF. EPIC Steak will close out the event with a surf and turf dinner with live music.
