[...] while designers can try, each space carries its own personality that creates a visceral reaction.
[...] have you ever gone into a spot that looks sleek, shiny and well designed but feels uncomfortable?
The designers tried to duplicate the feel of the original restaurant that opened in 2010 and was named after owner Anna Weinberg’s great-grandfather, who had a butcher shop in Boston.
Coco500 was also a popular spot, so the new owners respected what was there, while making some changes.
The windows that look out over Brannan Street remain, but they converted a storage area into a covered patio, adding 15 additional seats.
Part of the back wall and the kitchen walls are covered in waffled stainless steel, which has a sleek industrial feel.
The restaurant also retains a friendly vibe; Weinberg is one of the best front-of-the-house people in the city, and she knows how to pick and train staff who have a similar efficient, warm vision.
[...] part, chef and co-owner Jennifer Puccio, with the help of chef de cuisine Dante Cecchini, a 2014 Chronicle Rising Star, kept the menu rustic and familiar, but there are always a few surprises.
Puccio promised the battered green beans would be on the menu, one of the most famous dishes from Coco500, but instead, at least for now, they’ve changed out the beans for chicken-fried okra ($7).
The 10 bites that kick off the menu speak to the ever-growing bar culture; in the move, Weinberg also acquired a full liquor license and has made the most of it.
The cocktails are well crafted, whether it’s a spot-on classic Boulevardier ($12) with rye, Carpano Antica and Campari; or what they call the Bull ($11), with gin, vermouth, tonic, rosemary, thyme and lime.
To go with the cocktails, you’ll find the deviled eggs and okra as well as the crispy Brussels sprouts chips ($9), another popular Marlowe signature.
[...] there are baked oysters ($3 each) topped with a thick version of New England chowder, as well as raw ones with smoked mignonette ($18 for six).
The cold greens are accented with smashed avocado, shaved carrots, watermelon radishes, and whole leaves of parsley and other herbs in a citrus vinaigrette.
[...] one dip into the deep red sauce reveals a hefty dose of booze and a fiery heat that’s a culinary equivalent of S&M.
The nuances of a chef’s palate are often revealed in soup, and the creamy mushroom ($11) reinforces what you might already know:
Two classics also get fresh infusions: steak tartare ($13) and roasted bone marrow ($14) that’s served with a salsa verde so good, you might want to spread it on bread, along with a small pile of dressed parsley and chervil that helps cut the richness and reset the palate.
The fillet is bedded on wild rice and celery root puree, which also features artichoke barigoule, grilled leeks and fennel.
Luchetti, who worked at Stars in its heyday and then went on to Waterbar and Farallon, was honored by the James Beard Foundation as Outstanding Pastry Chef in 2004.
The thick, tender square of cake needs nothing more than a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and a caramel sauce below.
A layer of chocolate crumb crust is pressed into the bottom of a squat canning jar, then topped with chocolate pudding that’s like whipped milk chocolate and whipped cream.
