Vegan chef taking Jardiniere space
Less than a month after San Francisco bid adieu to Hayes Valley’s Jardiniere, a new restaurant is set to replace it on Grove Street.
Tracy Vogt, owner of a 32-acre farm animal sanctuary in Sonoma, is spearheading the new venture alongside Matthew Kenney, a chef with multiple upscale vegan restaurants across the country. The forthcoming project is going to be called Baia, which means “bay” in Italian. Vogt has not announced an opening date.
“The focus will be Italian comfort food, all plant-based,” Vogt, the new owner, said via email. “I knew I needed to find a strong chef with a proven track record who can create really amazing Italian food, which is why after visiting a couple of Matthew Kenney’s restaurants in L.A. and New York, I realized he would be a perfect fit to bring to S.F.”
Vogt said the goal with Baia is to “show people that you can eat plant based without resorting to a plate of soggy tofu and steamed veggies.”
Kenney opened an upscale vegan restaurant called Folia in Beverly Hills last year with dishes like watermelon poke and hearts of palm ceviche. The chef also operates a vegan pizzeria chain called Double Zero. One of its popular pies is made with tomato, farro-fennel sausage and cashew mozzarella.
In San Francisco’s tech circles, the Vogt name rings familiar. Kyle Vogt, who is also listed on the liquor license for Baia, is the founder of Cruise, the self-driving division of General Motors. This month, T. Rowe Price and others invested $1.15 billion in the company, pushing its valuation to $19 billion, according to reports. Kyle and Tracy are married, but the restaurant has no affiliation with Cruise.
Baia as an idea originated a few years ago when Vogt changed her diet and became vegan. She said she started noticing a dearth of plant-based (i.e., vegan) restaurants in the city.
“The ones we have are always packed full every night,” she said. “I definitely think there is a market for more plantbased restaurants in the Bay Area, as people are becoming more concerned with their health, the environmental effects, and animal welfare concerns associated with a traditional meat-heavy diet.”
Before Jardiniere closed and marked the end of a dining area in San Francisco, the building was known for its opulent aesthetics, which included illuminated ice buckets along handrails and more than 180 seats spread over two levels. The ambitious layout also contributed to Jardiniere’s closure. The space had become too unwieldy, according to then-owner Traci Des Jardins.
This hasn’t deterred Vogt, who said she chose the space because of its history.
“It is an incredibly iconic S.F. restaurant, so I realized it’s a rare opportunity to work in such a beautiful space,” she said. “We don’t have set plans yet on design, but will likely modernize it a bit while maintaining its classic character.”