SF Weekly treats you to the 7-Day Dish
“This is my house, and I want people to feel like family when they’re here,” says executive chef and owner Hoss Zaré of his new restaurant Zaré at Fly Trap (606 Folsom at Second St.). It’s no line; indeed, a sampling of his abundant, luxurious creations bears the feel of food cooked by a loved one. His location is imbued with both personal and San Francisco history. The original Fly Trap was established in 1906, and is also where Zaré first got a job cooking after moving here from Iran 22 years ago.
After a stint running a restaurant in Napa, the self-taught Zaré has returned to S.F. to share his culinary innovation of Mediterranean cooking with influences from his familial roots. “I am not afraid to put some of my heritage in it, from a great cuisine with 250 years of culture,” he says.
This pops up delightfully in dishes like the starter of spice-roasted bone marrow with bergamot preserve and Persian baby pickles, and entrée of abgusht lamb shank braise. Executive pastry chef Marisa Churchill has crafted imaginative desserts to mirror Zaré’s playful, style-bending menu. Highlights include the fried milk torrijas served with a rosewater-hot chocolate dipping sauce, and a delicate interpretation of Greek yogurt and honey: panna cotta, white truffle honey, and kalamata biscotti. Master sommelier Chris Blanchard has selected “wine on the fly” that’s not only from Napa and the Loire Valley, but also from places as far-flung as Galilee, Israel, and Lebanon, the last two part of a category they have happily dubbed “Peace in the Middle East.” “After two years, I wasn’t sure how they were going to take me, but it’s been a big welcome, so it’s kind of overwhelming and a blessing,” Zaré says. “I feel like I’m back to my home.” Zaré at Flytrap is open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner. 243-0580.
What’s the opposite of fast food? Slow Food Nation takes over San Francisco on Labor Day weekend, hosting events citywide from Friday, August 29, through Monday, September 1. There’s so much to see, do, hear, and – most importantly – eat. We’re most looking forward to “Food for Thought,” a speaker series at the Herbst Theatre and Milton Marks Auditorium; Fort Mason’s “Taste,” a massive gathering of gastronomic pavilions; and Slow Food Rocks, a two-day music festival featuring performances from Gnarls Barkley; Ozomatli; Medeski, Martin and Wood; Phil Lesh and Friends; and more. There’s something for every flavor and every pace, not to mention every budget – Slow Food Nation also has a wonderful free happening and installation that is appropriate for all ages: “Marketplace,” which takes place from Friday, August 29, through Sunday, August 31, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Civic Center Plaza. With more than 60 vendors, it will be a turbo-charged and especially artisan version of the delightful farmers’ market held there weekly. Civic Center Plaza concurrently plays host to the Slow Food Nation Victory Garden, our own edible slice of patriotism inspired by the victory gardens of World War II. Check the Slow Food Nation Web site for updated schedule information and ticket availability for all related events.
Many restaurants around town are hosting dinners in honor of Slow Food Nation. Ardent foodies that we are, several have sold out, but there’s one particularly special event still available that defines the ultimate date night: Dinner and a movie at Foreign Cinema (2534 Mission at 21st St.) on Friday, August 29. In partnership with Marin Organic, Foreign Cinema will present “A Taste of Marin,” a four-course menu composed entirely of produce from that region. The evening’s visual selection is Hidden Bounty of Marin: Farm Families in Transition, and many of the documentary’s farmers will attend, as will their produce, from steak and oysters to cheese and cream. Admission is $100 per person and includes wine pairings from Marin’s Stubbs Vineyards; call 648-7600 for reservations.
The venerable Jack Falstaff (598 Second St. at Brannan) now offers the Happy Jack Happy Hour every Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m. Specialty cocktails, like the New Jack Margarita (Cazadores and lime juice with late-harvest Viognier), are just $5, while executive chef Jonnatan Leiva offers luxuriant little nibbles such as Dungeness jalapeño crab cakes and spiced lamb meatballs. Call 836-9239 or visit http://www.jackfalstaff.com/jackfalstaff.
It’s time to make the rounds of new joints in town, starting with Limón Rotisserie (1001 South Van Ness at 21st St.). Recently opened by Nuevo Latino fusionist Martin Castillo, the executive chef and owner of Limón (524 Valencia at 16th St.), it’s the first of two high-profile Peruvian restaurants debuting in San Francisco this year (with Gaston Acurio’s La Mar expected to launch in September). Four Barrel Coffee (375 Valencia at 15th St.) is another fresh San Francisco success story. It began life as a popular cart in a Mission alley, and is now a hot new java spot where you can actually sit and sip.
(Originally published as SF Weekly’s 7-Day Dish dining newsletter, August 25, 2008.)
