Boulevard (restaurant)

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Boulevard
Boulevard (restaurant).jpg
Boulevard (restaurant)
Restaurant information
EstablishedSeptember 29, 1993 (1993-09-29)
Owner(s)Nancy Oakes
Head chefNancy Oakes
ChefDana Younkin
Food typeCalifornia continental
Dress codeCasual
Street address1 Mission Street
City San Francisco
State California
Postal/ZIP Code94105
Country United States
Coordinates 37°47′36″N122°23′34″W / 37.79323°N 122.39287°W / 37.79323; -122.39287
Website www.boulevardrestaurant.com

Boulevard is a fine dining restaurant in San Francisco, California. It occupies the street level of the Audiffred Building, on the corner of Mission Street and the Embarcadero; the kitchen is in the basement. [1]

Contents

History

The restaurant was opened by Nancy Oakes and restaurant designer Pat Kuleto in 1993. [2] [1] Dana Younkin, who started at Boulevard in 2006, became executive chef in the early 2010s; [2] a former executive chef, Pamela Mazzola, opened Prospect with Oakes and Kathy King in 2010. [1] [3]

Boulevard closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and reopened on September 29, 2021, its 28th anniversary. [2] The Belle Epoque-style interior, [4] intended by Kuleto to evoke "an ancient Parisian bistro beneath the Eiffel Tower", [5] was lightened by designer Ken Fulk, [2] with shades of blue replacing some of the dark wood. [1] [6] The New York Times subsequently described the decor as "an ornate mash-up of William Morris-style patterns and Art Deco accents". [7] The menus were revised, and a bar and lounge serving à la carte food was added at the front of the restaurant. [1]

Cuisine

Boulevard serves seasonal California cuisine. [1] [6] The food was described in 2000 as "New American comfort food", [4] and later as reminiscent of a French bistro, [2] including pork chops grilled in a wood-burning oven. [1] After the reopening, the menu has more Italian and Japanese influences, described by the New York Times as California continental, [7] and includes more vegetable and seafood dishes; the oven has been replaced by an Italian charcoal oven. [1]

Reception

In 2013, the San Francisco Chronicle called Boulevard "a favorite with both locals and tourists". [8] In 2014, the reviewer called the desserts "as good as the savory courses." [9] This was repeated in 2018, when Boulevard was included in the Chronicle's list of the top 100 restaurants in the Bay Area and food critic Michael Bauer also praised Oakes for "ma[king] vegetables on the plate as exciting as the protein." [10] The New York Times included Boulevard in its 2023–24 list of the 25 best restaurants in San Francisco; food critic Brian Gallagher singled out the pastry selection as "formidable". [7]

Oakes won the 2001 James Beard Award for best chef in California. [2] Boulevard won the 2012 James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant; [8] [11] the restaurant had received a record 8 consecutive nominations. [12] [13]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Elena Kadvany (September 28, 2021). "S.F.'s Boulevard nearly closed. Its reopening signals a new era for the dining institution". San Francisco Chronicle.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Elena Kadvany (September 20, 2021). "Longtime S.F. restaurant Boulevard is reopening with a new look and menu". San Francisco Chronicle.
  3. ↑ "Restaurants: Prospect". San Francisco Chronicle. May 9, 2014.
  4. 1 2 "In San Francisco, On The Boulevard Of Dining Dreams". Hartford Courant. September 2, 2021 [April 2, 2000].
  5. ↑ "The most beautiful restaurants in San Francisco". San Francisco Chronicle. September 24, 2018.
  6. 1 2 MacKenzie Chung Fegan (May 7, 2024). "If you can't get to 15th century France this year, try this S.F. restaurant instead". San Francisco Chronicle.
  7. 1 2 3 "The 25 Best Restaurants in San Francisco Right Now". The New York Times. September 4, 2024 [October 3, 2023].
  8. 1 2 "Restaurants: Boulevard". San Francisco Chronicle. May 7, 2013 [May 4, 2013].
  9. ↑ "Restaurants: Boulevard". San Francisco Chronicle. May 10, 2014.
  10. ↑ Michael Bauer (2018). "Top 100 Restaurants 2018: Boulevard". San Francisco Chronicle.
  11. ↑ Robin Wilkey (May 21, 2012) [May 17, 2012]. "Nancy Oakes, Boulevard Chef And Owner, On San Francisco Food Trends And Winning The Ultimate James Beard Award". The Huffington Post.
  12. ↑ Erin DeJesus; Hillary Dixler Canavan (March 23, 2015). "7 Charts That Explain the James Beard Awards". Eater. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
  13. ↑ Paolo Lucchesi (May 8, 2012). "SF Boulevard restaurant wins James Beard award". SFGate. Retrieved January 10, 2025.
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