Mary Ladd

Where the Chefs Go: Cookhouse Revs Up in North Beach

Images courtesy of Pamela Palma Photography

“I want to live here!” was the most squealed phrase at the Herbivoracious cookbook event for Michael Natkin at the aptly named Cookhouse venue. The crowd settled into a light filled room and many appeared comfy and happy with their meal and setting.

Cookhouse is a gorgeous North Beach nest that opened in February 2011. You can call it an event space, which it is. But such dry words hide the fact that Cookhouse is a sophisticated and vibrant spot that makes people wistfully cry out that version of “I could move here!” according to Director of Operations Amy Bryan. Climbing the stairs, one gets a decidedly mix of Paris in San Francisco feel. No wonder Cookhouse is ground zero for "in the know" birthday and anniversary parties, corporate mixers (leave that rubber chicken at the hotel banquet hall!), or perhaps an intimate dinner with the likes of Ravi Kapur, Stuart Brioza, Nicole Krasinski and Elizabeth Falkner before she decamped to the east coast. Prices depend on event, and more information can be found online here. San Francisco magazine is on to this celeb chef hangout and held a potluck here for a group of Best Chef Award winners last month.

Cookhouse has the kind of beautiful kitchen I love to work in: Thermador ranges and induction burners, MAC knives, Staub Dutch ovens, and a KitchenAid mixer. Neat freaks whoop over how well the cooking utensils are set up and organized, and the building dates back to 1913 and has served as a sound engineering office, bookstore and salon over the decades. It's clean, spacious and organized... the way I wish my home kitchen could always be.

Brendan Marshall of Kitchit has used Cookhouse for chef based events and said,

“Cookhouse has a nice venue with the facility to handle dinner parties of 20-30 people. For us, it’s all about connecting people with chefs. Cookhouse works for people who want a different venue.” 

Cookhouse’s Bryan confirmed that, “It’s a private venue you can rent for any use and it doesn’t have to be food related. That’s why we built it. We do a lot of private events, birthdays, anniversary parties, corporate team building, and classes. We even do a little bit of food photo shoots and filming here.” Professional cooking staff is available to help with the cooking and event flow, and Cookhouse has taken pains to work with local artisans and can order foodstuffs from Bi-Rite Market.

(Feed the) Machine: Caffeine, Sandwiches & Mayor Ed Lee

Where were you when San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee proclaimed today to be officially all about Machine Coffee & Deli (1024 Market at 6th, San Francisco)? His presence at the ribbon cutting added business-nerdy flair to the opening of the latest (yet smallest) food outpost from the folks behind neighboring Show Dogs and sister restaurant Foreign Cinema. The Machine space is of the order-and-go variety, and you can grab a seat outside.

Gayle Pirie was eating a croissant with jelly before the ceremony, and her husband John Clark received the proclamation from Mayor Lee. Clark talked about how he and his friends looked at renting in the area when he moved here 30 years ago. "It was quite blighted and rents were practically nil." Things are changing in the area: Pirie & Clark's work--with the help of their investors--are one of the motivating factors behind the revitalization of the area, which Lee said is continuing to attract other businesses. 

Halves of smoked turkey sandwiches from Show Dogs' Chef Peter Temkin and Four Barrel coffee samples were available after the ribbon cutting. Sticky buns from Foreign Cinema will be among Machine's breakfast options, and Temkin's lunch menu has house-smoked meats, sausages and roasted meats. 

Slow Food Nation Taste Pavilions

Slow Food celebrates "food that is good, clean and fair." These honey samples looked and tasted good. Other foods on offer at Fort Mason today at times took as long as forty five minutes to get. Thankfully, the Native Foods tent had a shorter line, and we gladly tried all three items on offer: bison chili (rich, thick, meaty, clean tasting), hominy, and wild rice cakes with a spicy kick. While I was happy to try something that reminds me of my Dad's Kwakiutl Native American heritage, I also found myself hoping that the cooks there would have a steady stream of customers all day. I had time to mull it over as we sat on hay outside, people watching, eating, drinking and talking.

It's great to have face time with the makers of these foods and drinks, sure. But it would've been a more satisfying event if the lines were not so long and slow.

Champagne: Ready, set, pair!

Champagne shouldn’t be used just for the holidays. It can make the every day happy hour at home seem over the top special. Champagne’s sparkling bubbles lighten the palate, and work with both starters and well into the main course. Try pairing some bubbly with:            

Hearts of palm with prosciutto and Parmesan,

Smoked salmon with crispy vegetables,

Grilled brie and smoked duck breast with fig jam,

Hamachi tartare,

And with dessert:

Dark chocolate mousse with white chocolate whipped cream,

Warm apple and walnut with caramel ice cream,

Chocolate truffles