THERE’S A NEW FRENCH RESTAURANT FROM A FINE DINING PRO OPENING DOWNTOWN

After a sterling career in Palo Alto, chef Bruno Chemel is coming to San Francisco. He’ll open Le Parc Bistrobar at 185 Sutter Street, attached to the Galleria Park Hotel in San Francisco, the space formerly occupied by Gaspar Brasserie. Chemel will serve French staples including salmon tartare and coq au vin, wine, and cocktails, and the two-story restaurant’s vibe will be that of a “mid-20th century Parisian-style brasserie,” according to a press release.

The chef is well-known for his Peninsula Michelin star-holding restaurant Baumé, which opened in 2010. Less than a year after opening the restaurant received a Michelin star and for the eight years following Baumé received two. Chemel is also somewhat infamous for sending a press release in fall 2021 to celebrate the loss of those Michelin stars, telling the Chronicle he thought the guide held “erratic, corporate focus and fixations.” Only time will tell how Le Parc Bistrobar will fare in Michelin’s eyes.

San Francisco bars are up for national awards

The Spirited Awards Regional Top 10 Honorees were released this week, and the Bay Area shows up in all the U.S.-based categories. Pacific Cocktail Haven and True Laurel are amongst the nominees for Best U.S. Bar Team – U.S. West. For the Best U.S. Cocktail Bar award, Trick Dog and True Laurel are in the mix. In the Best U.S. Hotel Bar category, Rise Over Run at the LINE Hotel is one of the finalists. For the Best U.S. Restaurant Bar, Lolo and Viridian in Oakland made the cut. In the Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar category, Aphotic, Cavaña, and Stoa take three of the 10 spots. Winners will be announced in July at the Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans.

Two of three Cracker Barrels go dark

Two of three Northern California Cracker Barrel restaurants closed in early April. The Mercury News reports the outposts in Sacramento and Santa Maria closed due to “performance,” the business confirming the two closures to the paper. The final NorCal location for the business is in Bakersfield.

Fast food prices hit a new high

In advance of a fast food worker protection bill going into effect, businesses throughout California saw a 7 percent increase in menu prices over the past six months, the highest bump of any state in the country. The Mercury News reports the price hikes occurred in the lead-up to April 1, the start of California’s historic $20 minimum wage guarantee. The Sacramento area code, the paper found, was up the highest as far as specific areas at 7.6 percent increase in six months.

Senator visits Peninsula restaurant

Cory Booker, former Democratic presidential candidate and junior United States senator from New Jersey since 2013, recently dined at Twelvemonth in Burlingame. The restaurant is well-known for its plant-based menu; the building that houses the restaurant also received a Platinum LEED rating. In an Instagram post, co-owner Natalie Trahan praised Booker for his commitment to sustainability and highlighted that his “dad jokes are on point.”

2024-04-18T16:58:54Z dg43tfdfdgfd