Precita Park Cafe Names New Chef Launches Dinner After Dark

November 20, 2012 - San Francisco, CA- Precita Park Cafe recently hired Chef Tu David Phu to spearhead a new dinner menu that features elevated California-driven food and full table service in a casual all-day cafe space.

Completing stages at New York's Daniel and Gotham Bar & Grill, Chef Phu spent two years at Berkeley's Saul's Deli, where he executed a menu based on house-made products. Many food items on Precita Park Cafe's dinner and all-day menu are also prepared from scratch like fresh burrata and mozzarella, gnocchi, sauces, hummus, granola, and jams. Breads, pastries, produce, meats, and dairy are sourced from sustainable and local small family businesses and selected by Chef Phu and staff.

Dinner Menu
Seasonal salads rotate depending on daily market shopping and what Chef Phu might have foraged at nearby hills. The edited and often-changing dinner menu also features a selection of thin-crust pizzas using house-made mozzarella and tomato sauce, fresh ricotta gnocchi and entrees such as Sausage-stuffed Chicken with Braised Fennel and House-Made Romesco Sauce ($14) and Short Ribs with Polenta Fries, Braised Greens, and Cr?me Fraiche ($15). Seasonal house-made desserts like Sweet Potato Pie and Cr?me Brulee ($3.50 to $6), and Mitchell's Ice Cream and Straus soft serve are dessert options. Coffee choices include Sightglass and Equator.

The evening beverage program kicks off with a daily Happy Hour from 4:00 pm-7:00 pm, offering $5 wine and $3 Precita Park draft hefeweissen. Local craft breweries make up the beer selection, and an edited list of whites and reds are offered for either $8 a glass/$30 a bottle or $9 a glass/$40 a bottle. Music often happens after 8:00 pm on weekend evenings.



Design
Veteran restaurateur and owner, Rachel Herbert, who has a penchant for creating inviting casual eateries that border some of San Francisco's most popular parks, converted a corner grocery store and turned it into a neighborhood gem with reclaimed wood countertops, couches and bar seating, and teak tables and Eames chairs. Expansive windows create an indoor/outdoor feel and provide a view of the park and trees. A portion of the dining room is carved out for wine and craft beer tastings with its own custom-wood counter and stools. Local artists provide visual interest and rotate regularly.

Community
Herbert's other noteworthy locations, Dolores Park Cafe and Duboce Park Caf?, have become a haven for residents and visitors that frequent these popular parks. Her dedication and responsiveness to the needs of each neighborhood and its respective community makes her a valuable part of the city's dining landscape.

At Precita Park Cafe, Herbert and Operations Manager Dana Oppenheim have created a space as diverse as its location. Laptop-lunching diners sit alongside toddler-toting moms, and neighbors are thrilled with the walk-able dining option. The space has quickly become the hub of the community and was recently used as a polling place. Herbert contributes to countless school programs, arts funding, and local film festivals and believes that she has a responsibility as a small business owner. "We give back and stay involved by investing in the local community," says Herbert.

Precita Park Cafe is located at 500 Precita Avenue at Alabama - open Monday-Saturday, 7:00 am-10:00 pm, Sunday 8:00 am-8:00 pm; (415) 647-7702. For current menus and biographical information visit: www.precitaparkcafe.com