Mikkeller Bar

Name: Mikkeller Bar
Location: San Francisco, CA
Design: Martin heid design/build

An American take on a Copenhagen brewery, Mikkeller is as much a standout for it's location as it is for the design. 

The Abbot's Cellar

Name: The Abbott's Cellar
Location: San Francisco, CA
Design: Lundberg Design

The Abbot's Cellar is a well crafted and warm restaurant located in San Francisco. The design stays streamlined and clean, and gives new light to some mainstream trends.

James Beard Awards 2013

Just like many others in the food industry, May 6th was spent live streaming & refreshing every social media outlet to get the play by play of the annual James Beard Awards!

While many were awarded, we are always more interested in those that deliver the full package;  great chef, great food, and well designed spaces. Take a look at a few of our favorite winners, after the jump.

Mosto Tequila + Botanas Bar

Name: Mosto Tequila + Botanas Bar
Location: San Francisco, CA

Tacolicious, a San Francisco favorite, created it's fourth locations recently in the Mission. Located at the back of the Tacolicious space is tequila bar, Mosto. The narrow bar maximized it's small footprint with minimal seating and eye catching details.

Rich Table

Name: Rich Table
Location: San Francisco, CA

San Francisco's rich dining scene added another beauty with Rich Table. Rustic and warm, the space creates a neighborhood gathering spot.

Heirloom Café

Name: Heirloom Café
Location: San Francisco, CA

Heirloom Café is an authentic and rustic new restaurant located in the mission district of San Francisco.

What we love about this new interior in the warmth and familiarity that has been established.

Out The Door

Name: Out The Door
Location: San Francisco, CA

The sister to San Francisco acclaimed Slanted Door, Out The Door takes on a new approach to modern Vietnamese cooking in an incredibly stylish environment.

Craftsman & Wolves

Name: Craftsman & Wolves

Location: San Francisco, CA

Craftsman & Wolves is a speciality bakery located in San Francisco. What I love about this concept is simply how much they managed to elevate the experience of a typical bakery. Clean lines, simple materials, and a bit of rustic/ industrialall contrast the jewel-like qualities of the pastry displays.

Mission Cheese

Name: Mission Cheese
Location: San Francisco, CA

I love the modern simplicity of Mission Cheese. Using a clean palate with a bold colored subway tile, keeps the space simple and unfussy while remaining a pulled together and well thought through concept.

State Bird Provisions

Name: State Bird Provisions
Location: San Francisco

State Bird Provisions, located in the Western Addition neighborhood of San Francisco, has quickly climbed to the top of restaurant lists due to its innovative menu and serving technique. 

Plow

Name: Plow
Location: San Francisco

Plow, located in San Francisco, reminds me of the SF wine country. The use of natural materials, natural light, and industrial touches are reminiscent of being out on the farm.

Sight Glass

Name: Sight Glass
Location: San Francisco

My love for coffee and well designed coffee shops can easily be traced back to San Francisco. With new shops and roasters opening up daily, the coffee scene there is exciting and second to none. The coffee scene in Chicago could use a little work. With everyone brewing Metropolis or Intelligentisia, it's been refreshing to see Stumptown, Bow & Truss, and La Colombe enter the mix but it still lacks the local, small batch roasting you see everywhere out West. Sight Glass is just one of the many well designed roasters opening up all around SF and the interior is just as beautiful as their art. With a double story space outfitted with exposed wood beams, metal stools, and curved coffee bar, the space is industrial, warm and exciting.

Photo 3 © Inside Scoop SF

Photos 1,2,4 © The Cabinet Shop

Photos 5-6 © Brewly Noted

Happy National Grilled Cheese Day

Today happens to be National Grilled Cheese Day and I, for one, am extremely happy about this. One of my favorite neighborhood lunch spots from my stint in San Francisco was The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen. They featured gourmet versions of your childhood favorites and they did not disappoint.  Take a look at their space and their sandwiches and be sure to stop by the next time you are in S.F.

Image 1 © Grub Street SF

Image 2- 7©American Grilled Cheese Facebook page

RN74

Name: RN74
Location: San Francisco, CA
Designer: AvroKO

Named after the Route National 74, which runs through the 'Burgundy wine region of France' this San Francisco restaurant (opened in 2009) was styled after a french train station. The most direct nod to this is the vintage arrival/departure board, which features the nightly wine selection and prices.
Having watched this space get built from the ground up, I appreciate the design knowing its location and proximity to the new (& former) Transbay Terminal. The urban simplicity and almost rustic elegance of the space allows the guest to experience a wonderful meal in an environment that truly represents the diversity of the Burgundy area.

 Image 1 © sfgate.com

Image 2&3 © RN74

Virtual Caffeine: Blue Bottle

Name: Blue Bottle Coffee

Location: San Francisco; Mint Plaza

Designer:

While we have many coffee shops in SF that top the charts for their coffee (our favorite cup of joe comes from Philz on 4th & Berry). One of my favorite stops for coffee shop design is Blue Bottle located in the Mint Plaza. It is clean, modern with just a hint of industrial science lab. Take a look:

Image © curious coffee consumer

(This is how the drip coffee is created, it is a beautiful process)

Image © Scott Beale

Image © Mapplr

Image © Scott Beale

My other favorite Blue Bottle location; The San Francisco Ferry Building. I would grab a cup here every Saturday morning to stroll around the farmers market with.

Image © Jaunted

Bar Agricole

Name: Bar Agricole

Where: San Francisco, CA

Designer: Aidlin Darling

One of the things I miss about San Francisco is the food scene. With a heavy focus on pushing the boundaries and the equal important placed on the design of the space the food will be served in, you can quickly understand why Bar Agricole was nominated for a James beard award for outstanding restaurant design.

The space is currently hoping to obtain LEED Platinum certification and utilized as many local artisans as possible. I love the custom concrete booths and hand-made furniture. The material choices are simple and pure and presents both the food and drinks well. The next time I'm back in the city I will be sure to check this place out.

Photos 2-6 © Remodelista.com

Star Belly

Name: Star Belly

Location: San Francisco

Designer: Zack|deVito

One of my favorite places to visit while living in San Francisco was Star Belly. The focus on local and sustainable foods paired with an emphasis on community and sustainable design really won me over. The space is small in footprint but features a large community table-esq bar made from a recycled bowling alley lane (markings still present!). It also has tables for smaller groups and a small banquet at the front of the location. The amount of wood used throughout the space creates a modern, yet warm, atmosphere in the space and I loved the exposed shelving and storage throughout. The only design issue I found with Star Belly was the height of the chairs mixed with the height of the banquette and table. The table and banquette were perfect but the chair was too low, and therefor a bit uncomfortable to spend a long dinner at. I highly recommend checking out Star Belly the next time you are in San Francisco!

Images1 1, 3-5 © Antoinette Bruno via Starchefs.com

Image 2 © Designeats.com