5 days in San Francisco

[dandelion]

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll check out one of these for sure....

Cheers!

[tanabutler]

You will be a few feet from Scala's Bistro--they have brunch. I have never had a bad meal there, myself. It's in the Sir Francis Drake hotel. Check out the paintings: the staircase ("La Scala") one, Paloma Picasso tried to buy right off the wall, but they refused her.

[KarenS]

I used to be Pastry Chef there. I think that Staffan Terje (the Chef) is great!

Edited March 14, 2005 by KarenS (log)

[Exotic Mushroom]

Not sure if you know this, but the chef and sommelier at the Fifth Floor have both recently quit. I don't think I'd eat there at this stage in the game since they were what made it so fabulous.

Laurent left almost six months ago and Belinda left about 9 months ago. They have both been replaced with extremely talented people. I'd be interested to see if any of the people criticizing Melissa's skills have eaten at the Fifth Floor since she took over.

Her food is very different than Laurent's, but I think it is every bit as fabulous. I have nothing bad to say about the meal I had there in January. I wasn't particularly a fan of her at Charles Nob Hill, but her new menu is quite spectacular. I don't really think her age is much of an issue. The woman has an encyclopedic knowledge of food and cooking techniques, and is far more skilled and creative than many chefs I have known twice her age.

[tanabutler]

Not sure if you know this, but the chef and sommelier at the Fifth Floor have both recently quit. I don't think I'd eat there at this stage in the game since they were what made it so fabulous.

Laurent left almost six months ago and Belinda left about 9 months ago. They have both been replaced with extremely talented people. I'd be interested to see if any of the people criticizing Melissa's skills have eaten at the Fifth Floor since she took over.

Her food is very different than Laurent's, but I think it is every bit as fabulous. I have nothing bad to say about the meal I had there in January. I wasn't particularly a fan of her at Charles Nob Hill, but her new menu is quite spectacular. I don't really think her age is much of an issue. The woman has an encyclopedic knowledge of food and cooking techniques, and is far more skilled and creative than many chefs I have known twice her age.

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"Encyclopedic knowledge"? I don't agree, at least not to the extent that such knowledge might include familiarity with mesquite (which was unknown to her at the meal she prepared which I attended), and with grilling over charcoal. While most of her courses truly were spectacularly flavorful, the salmon was so undercooked as to be inedible (without being raw enough to be sushi, alas), and it was filled with a kind of wild fennel that looked and tasted like lawn clippings. I am not trying to be a snob of any kind, but those things left an impression on me that won't be dispelled easily.

I'm sorry, but I won't be risking the expense of a meal at Fifth Floor until I hear the praises coming down the wire.

[Catherine Nash]

I wasn't particularly a fan of her at Charles Nob Hill, but her new menu is quite spectacular.

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Exotic Mushroom, that's interesting to hear because I, too, was not her biggest fan after eating at CNH. I may have to give Fifth Floor a go with Perello at the helm despite earlier misgivings.

And just to clarify - it's hard to tell what is directed at whom in these threads - but I don't want anyone to think that I was bashing Perello's skills. I just pointing out that L. Gras was no longer behind the stove and that the recommendations for the restaurant likely were made with his menu/cooking in mind.