Lazy Bear | San Francisco’s Favorite Popup Goes Brick & Mortar
For a long time, Lazy Bear was an underground pop-up, delighting diners who were in the know with their communal dinner parties. In the last few weeks, it went from underground to brick and mortar. Reservations were of course a scramble, compounded by the fact that they went with Alinea’s ticketing system (nonrefundable, like concert tickets). The system crashed the first time they tried to release tickets, and when I went to buy mine, I had to try five credit card charges before I got a confirmation number. Luckily, it finally went through, and they got rid of the four extra charges, which, at $120+tax and tip per person, would’ve been a hefty sum.
Jesse and I headed to the restaurant right after our visit to Alcatraz, and we were invited into the upstairs lounge area, where they explained the communal dining concept that still backs their meals, even in the new restaurant space. The entire meal is served to the restaurant (seating 40) in tandem. It’s a unique experience and selling point, and one that I think works better than expected.
We were one of the first to arrive, so we got our pick of seats in the upstairs bar/lounge area, and we were treated to cocktails as we waited for others to arrive. The space, by the way, is gorgeous. I’d describe it as a hipster, elegant lodge with high ceilings and plenty of West Elm decor. Before the meal even started, I was home-decor shopping.
Then came the first rounds of “snacks,” a.k.a. amuse bouches, passed by servers who came around and described each dish.
Our treats received upstairs: roasted pineapple juice with rye whiskey and basil cocktails, a shooter of whipped scrambled eggs with bacon, maple, and a dot of hot sauce, a Damson plum with chicken liver mousse, and sweet corn custard with American white sturgeon caviar. All delicious. I wish there were more of the sweet corn custard though. What a teeeeny tiny serving.
Below, charred tomatillos with caramelized onion creme fraiche, beef jerky, and radish.
Then it was time to head downstairs to our assigned seats, where the chefs were preparing the next dishes in the long open kitchen adjacent to the dining tables.
Chef David Barzelay (Lazy Bear is an anagram of his last name) introduced himself and the restaurant concept. For each dish, a chef would come up and present it to the group, and we were welcome to come up to the kitchen at any time to check out what they were doing and ask questions. They’ve taken care to translate all of these elements from their pop-up days to their new brick and mortar, and I think they’ve actually done a pretty good job. I can easily see more restaurants working toward this communal dining model. Sure, it’s an experiential thing, but it’s also got to be easier on the restaurant than managing 10 tables at different paces. Much like saying a ticketing system is for cutting down on cancellations and empty seats– sure, but it also must be nice for the restaurant to just have that money in their pockets instead of doing traditional reservations. The win is mostly on their end.
Our little pocketbook menus with brief descriptions of each dish.
Left to right: marmalade bread; a lettuce soup that’s like a deconstructed Caesar salad; my favorite dish: a take on shrimp and grits with Carolina gold rice grits, which apparently has been making a big comeback; Guinea hen with chantarelles; smoked beef striploin with sungold tomatoes; pluot consomme gelee; a dessert play on breakfast flavorts; and finally, petit fours to top it all off. If you want much more detailed food descriptions, go to Jesse’s blog to read all about it!
All in all, I don’t know if you can tell from the photos, but the portions were pretty tiny for a $120 tasting menu. And in the end, that’s my biggest gripe. I don’t really know that we got our money’s worth. The format is unique; the space is beautiful; but the food? I would’ve expected more, and I do mean that in a quantity sense. And that’s not a common complaint from me, either!
Photo with the chef.
As we finished up our meal, the guests for the second seating were milling about upstairs and getting their snacks. We were then invited to leave or go hang out upstairs after they were seated.
So, overall, a pretty impressive shift from pop-up to brick and mortar. I think Lazy Bear has accomplished more than anyone would’ve expected. But for once, if someone were to say, isn’t that just overpriced? I’d have to say yeah, that’s probably my biggest complaint too. After spending $150, You shouldn’t leave feeling like you could still eat a burrito. But hey, if you really need one, there are plenty just down the street.
Anna Wu is a wedding and portrait photographer based in San Francisco but often jetsetting around the world. Follow her on facebook for more photography and travel adventures.