Michelin ‘stars’ go alfresco
You don’t earn Michelin accolades without being a flexible player. When the pandemic restrictions started in March, some of the Bay Area’s Michelinstarred restaurants pivoted immediately to takeout or other culinary ventures. Others waited until summer, then joined the alfresco dining revolution. And one Peninsula standout is planning to reopen Sept. 15. Here’s a roundup of local and regional favorites and their offerings.
ATELIER CRENN » Dominique Crenn, America’s first threestar female chef, is now serving five-course tasting menus to a limited number of guests on the new outdoor terrace. For takeout, the Crenn Kit Luxe comes with ingredients and video instructions for trout mousse, caviar and koji rice tart, and more. Wine lovers can test their palate at home with the Blind Taste Kit. Sip the three wines provided, make notes — then rip open the envelope to compare your impressions against those of a Crenn sommelier. 3127 Fillmore St., San Francisco; www. ateliercrenn.com
AUBERGINE » The Central Coast’s first Michelin winner, the hotel restaurant at L’auberge Carmel, is still offering executive chef Justin Cogley’s eight-course tasting — only now guests dine on the outdoor courtyard of this 1929 property. His lineup is ever-changing, but you’ll always find sustainable Monterey Bay abalone on the menu. There’s also a weekend takeout menu. 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday-sunday. Monte Verde at Seventh, Carmel; www. auberginecarmel.com
BAUMÉ » Chef-owner Bruno Chemel has turned his attention to a prix fixe takeout menu. Vichyssoise is the first of his four September courses, followed by prime New York steak topped with trout roe and served with lobster tail, a cheese course with honey and figs, and the finale, peach-raspberry chiboust, with a molecular touch, a cassis gel. Timed pickups from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday-saturday. 201 California Ave., Palo Alto; www.maisonbaume.com
CHEZ TJ » Remodeling completed inside and out, this contemporary French restaurant will reopen Sept. 15 for outdoor dining, with tables on the porch of the Victorian home, as well as in a new patio nestled next to the garden. A shorter tasting menu and a la carte options — both still under wraps — will make their debut, according to Chez TJ’S owners, the Aviet family. 938 Villa St., Mountain View; www.cheztj.com
COMMIS » Chef-owner James Syhabout is creating family-style takeout meals for two, with offerings that change weekly. Local petrale sole in umamibrown butter sauce with yuzu topped a recent prix fixe menu; three other courses, including slow poached egg yolk with smoked dates, alliums and malt and green tea-lemongrass cake, were packed for home dining. Tuesday-saturday. 3859 Piedmont Ave., Oakland; www.commis restaurant.com
KIN KHAO/NARI >> Chefowner Pim Techamuanvivit, formerly of Santa Cruz, has hit the pause button at Kin Khao and brought the team over to Nari, her heritage Thai restaurant in San Francisco’s Japantown, to make takeaway dinners. Think pad kee mao with Nardello peppers, massaman gai with summer squash and bou loy dumplings in coconut broth. Takeout is available from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday-saturday. 1625 Post St., San Francisco; www.narisf.com
MADERA >> The Rosewood Sand Hill’s 16-acre hillside location offers executive chef Reylon Agustin the opportunity to serve his seasonal cuisine outdoors all day at a number of venues — two Madera terraces, the Portico, the Tandem coffee bar and the pool area for hotel guests or those who purchase a day pass. Popular picks? The bowls: Farmers Market, ahi tuna and baby beet-red quinoa. 2825 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park; www.maderasandhill.com
MANRESA >> Chef-owner David Kinch and his three-michelin-star team are creating both high-end and casual family meals for takeout. A recent top-tier menu showcased lobster, with a caramelized lobster tail with sauce Américaine leading the eight-dish lineup. On the casual side there were barbecue pork rib and vegetarian barbecue meals with side dishes and blueberry ricotta cake. Pickups Wednesday-sunday. 320 Village Lane, Los Gatos; www. manresarestaurant.com
PLUMED HORSE >> Executive chef Peter Armellino’s seasonal menu for expanded patio dining is currently featuring seared scallops (with Toybox tomatoes and Italian summer truffles), stuffed poblano chiles (with Brentwood corn), South Texas elk (with local blueberries and smoked sweet potato), plus his signature black pepper and Parmesan souffle. Outdoor tables may be reserved from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday-sunday. 14555 Big Basin Way, Saratoga; www. plumedhorse.com
PROTÉGÉ >> At this restaurant that joined the Michelin
ranks last summer, you can reserve a seat at a sidewalk table for executive chef Anthony Secviar’s brick chicken, Spanish octopus, ricotta dumplings and seasonal appetizers and desserts (along with those must-have brown butter parkerhouse rolls) or order a multicourse family meal to go. 5 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday-sunday. 250 S. California Ave., Palo Alto; www.protegepaloalto.com
RASA CONTEMPORARY INDIAN >> Chef Vijay Kumar’s full menu, from the popular Bombay sliders to the halibut pollichathu and organic goat biryani, is available at the outdoor tables and for takeout/delivery. If you’re dining alfresco, there are Indian-spiced cocktails to consider too. Dinner service starts at 5 every night except Monday and runs until 9 or 9:30 p.m. 209 Park Road, Burlingame; www.rasaindian.com
SAISON/ANGLER >> The Bay Area’s most creative Michelin pivot may be here on the waterfront, where chefs from both restaurants have teamed up on the Saison Smokehouse concept. These wood-fire specialists are smoking pastured chicken and pastrami brisket and grilling green chile pork ribs. Even dessert’s got the touch; it’s an embered caramel frosty. From the “larder” you can order pork cracklings and smoked olives. 132 The Embarcadero, San Francisco; www.saisonsmokehouse.com
STATE BIRD PROVISIONS >> At their starred San Francisco restaurant, chefs Stuart Brioza of Cupertino/ Danville and Nicole Krasinski of Los Gatos are serving fried quail, black garlic barbecue ribs, burrata-plum salad and more for outdoor/ takeout/delivery Wednesday through Sunday. If you choose sidewalk dining, you get a table for 90 minutes. 1525 Fillmore St., San Francisco; statebirdsf.com/home
SUSHI YOSHIZUMI >> You’ll need to wait for indoor dining to resume to try chef Akira Yoshizumi’s full 15-course omakase menu, but you can order his fresh, no-frills fish for takeout now. Look for specials like the toro uni ikura, anago and saba bou-sushi boxes, but note that some sell out quickly. Limited pickup hours Tuesday-sunday. 325 E. Fourth Ave., San Mateo; www.sushiyoshizumi.com
THE VILLAGE PUB >> Chef Mark Sullivan and his kitchen are offering both contemporary American fare and luxury meals for takeout, delivery and dining on the new patio daily starting at 5 p.m. Dishes like sweet corn mezzaluna, cucumber watermelon gazpacho and nectarine tart recently topped the former list; on the latter there are prime-aged steaks and caviar. Brunch is back too, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. 2967 Woodside Road, Woodside; www.thevillagepub.net
WAKURIYA >> Executive chef Katsuhiro Yamasaki and Mayumi Yamasaki have parlayed their kaiseki style of Japanese fine dining — with its focus on harmony and seasonality — into a takeout meal. Menu options change frequently, with diners selecting dishes from a list that in August included Snake River Farms’ wagyu with a steamed jidori chicken egg and jindara. Pickup is Wednesday-sunday evenings. 115 De Anza Blvd., San Mateo; www.wakuriya.com