Frances

"That's what Michelin is looking for - 

To get that chef's personality on the plate."  

  -Jean-Georges

     I chained my bike up a block down the road from the restaurant.  For some reason, I did not want the chefs to see me through the front window, bending and fumbling with my finicky U-lock. - The ridiculous things we consider when we are nervous.-  I stepped through the front door.  "Damn!" I thought, "this place is tiny."  The dining room consists of a few tables by the front window, a narrow hallway adjacent to the kitchen with three tables for two filed in, and a small service bar facing the front door, no bigger than a coffee table. The first cook I met here was posted up on this bar with a cutting board, just beginning his day's prep work. 

   "Michelin Star?!" "How do they do it in this space?"    
     

      I approached Frances not quite knowing what to expect.  I had not previously dined here and had no inkling as to what they contributed in this vibrant Bay Area food scene.  I've heard rumors of the Chef's resume and of her time spent as the chef at the Fifth Floor Restaurant, I knew the space was small, I've heard about their Michelin Star award, and I knew that people's faces lit up when I mentioned I would be staging here.

Learning a new method to make gnocchi 

     
   
     The kitchen was equally small, but efficiency was evident.  The hood vents gleamed, the mise-en-place was fresh, bright and organized, and the floor mats were of slatted wooded, bound with galvanized wire.  Clearly, there was a mind behind this shotgun-style restaurant who understood something about professional cooking.  There were five people, including myself, who would be working in this space tonight.  "Ok," I thought, "lets give it a shot."  "I don't know how I will fit, but lets give it a shot."

Plating

       They put me at the front bar to complete a few tasks before service began.  It was here that I met a very congenial individual, who we will call Yanni.  Whether he was conscious of it or not, this man gave me a few pearls of perspective which I would like to share with you.
       Yanni is a server, and a good one at that.  He had been working at Frances for some time now and like the rest of the staff, he seemed content to stay.  Before Frances, he, like much of this town I am discovering, worked for the San Francisco Restaurant Don himself, Daniel Patterson.  Yanni and I had a great conversation.  He told me he was from Greece, but had a family with his American wife.  For a time before his kids were old enough to be in school, they would swap residencies between Greece and the U.S. every few years.  This was a life which allowed him to connect with loved ones from both sides.  -He recounted this part with a glint of reminiscent longing in his eye.- Since Yanni has been in the states full time, he has only worked in upper-echelon establishments.  When I inquired as to why this was, his response was a quick and sure, "That's where the money is."  This was not validating for me.  Now Yanni was not a naive man by any stretch, and his calculated, personable disposition eluded to the fact that he was 1.) a veteran in his field, and 2.) had been around the block enough to know, all distraction aside, romanticism comes second to supporting a family.

The pastry station:
A small speed rack on wheels.
All station prep is kept on sheet pans below.
Donuts are fried to order.
 Laminated dough is baked to order.
An admirable use of a small work space. 

       So what does this mean to me?  A twenty four-year-old idealistic, scavenger who is trying to square away an inspired, passionate future.  It means that Yanni was only divulging a half-truth.  He left out the part about Personal Pride.  Frances is an institution of thoughtfully-designed menu concepts, well-trained individuals, refined decor, and focused vision.  It is a bustling, relevant dining destination, juxtaposed tastefully by its quiet neighborhood location.  It was clear that Yanni takes pride in his surroundings.  He takes pride in the product that he sells.  He takes pride in the fact that NOT EVERYONE is fit to do his job.  You won't find a server like Yanni turning tables at a Red Lobster, because the product at a Red Lobster does not inspire his idea of quality.
       So yes, maybe money is a driving force for this family-man server.  Money, however, does not materialize unless the heart is there to make the picture complete.  If the food on the plate comes from a place of passion, it will attract personalities cast from the same mold.  In that respect, every part of the restaurant becomes a product of the chef's vision.  It is a complete picture of harmony between food, hospitality and inviting surroundings.  Frances has servers like Yanni who will consistently provide a good product because they are working for a chef with a vision that they can stand behind with pride.

Diamond Princess Peach 'vol au vent' tart -
Frangipane, honeycomb candy, clover honey ice cream

   Michelin Star?  
Ok, I'm starting to understand now.

"Hey, thanks for the free help."
Appreciation from the kitchen, Ricotta Gnocchi- style