Looking for a handsome new restaurant to grab a bite? Well a brand-new contemporary Southern spot debuted just last night. Prelude, the newest member of the Omakase Restaurant Group, opened on the ground level of the Jay Hotel just a few blocks from the Transamerica Pyramid.
Inside a beautiful space designed by AvroKO, diners can choose between the main dining room, an intimate salon with bar and lounge seating, or a private or semi-private dining room. The design takes inspiration from the Presidio and its eucalyptus groves with sage leather, warm wood tones, amber lighting and gold plaster on the ceiling, which is supposed to evoke California sunlight coming through the canopy.
Chef Celtin Hendrickson-Jones hails from San Francisco’s Michelin-starred Niku Steakhouse, as well as Oakland’s double Michelin-starred Commis, Larkspur’s Picco, Morimoto Napa and Verdant in Tulum, Mexico. His menu is deeply influenced by his maternal grandmother and great grandmother, who were from Alabama (his self-mocking Instagram post hilariously calls out how his pale complexion matches that of plucked chickens he has tied to a pole for preparation).
Prelude serves à la carte small plates like dirty rice stuffed chicken wings and large plates like Mount Lassen Trout. A staple on the menu will be tierra vegetables hominy grits, always served family style. You can select a multi-course prix-fixe menu with the option to handpick your dining experience or a “salon menu” you build yourself from the choices of quick bites and larger plates.
The cocktail program also takes inspiration from the South, led by bar director Franco Bilbaeno, while head sommelier Morgan Harris (of Saison Hospitality and in collaboration with Maison Healdsburg) curates the wine list with selections from Napa, France and Italy. Bilbaeno’s also from Niku, as well as the Mission’s Medjool (at one time, possessing San Francisco’s only rooftop bar), plus Michelin-starred Michael Mina and Angler SF (Hendrickson-Jones and Bilbaeno are throwing stars around like martial artists).
Prelude is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 9pm. Reservations are available through OpenTable.