Osito

Last updated

Osito
Osito
Restaurant information
EstablishedOctober 15, 2021 (2021-10-15)
ClosedMay 11, 2025 (2025-05-11)
Owner(s)Seth Stowaway, Jenn Yoo
ChefSeth Stowaway
Food typeLive-fire California cuisine
Rating Etoile Michelin-1.svg
Street address2875 18th Street
City San Francisco
StateCalifornia
Postal/ZIP Code94110
CountryUnited States
Coordinates 37°45′42″N122°24′39″W / 37.76167°N 122.41083°W / 37.76167; -122.41083
Website ositorestaurant.com

Osito was a restaurant in San Francisco, California, opened in October 2021 by chef Seth Stowaway and using exclusively live-fire cooking over a wood fire. It held a Michelin star. It closed in May 2025.

Contents

History

In partnership with Jenn Yoo, [1] Seth Stowaway opened Osito on October 15, 2021. [2] Stowaway, who had been executive chef at Bar Agricole, named it for his nickname, which means "little bear". [3] [4] Originally planned for early 2020, [3] the opening was preceded by trial pop-ups and was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. [5] [6] Stowaway leased the space, in the Mission District, in May 2020. [7]

It was the first entirely live-fire restaurant in the Bay Area, originally serving a tasting menu built around a different meat or seafood each evening, [3] [7] in two seatings at a long communal table from which about 22 diners observed the meal being cooked over wood-fed flames. [2] [8] [9] The menu came to follow a monthly theme, such as "Growing Up" and "Old World Techniques". [4] [8] Stowaway described the cuisine as California cuisine with Latin American influences, based on his upbringing in Texas and on the Mission, where he also lives. [3] [10] Prior to opening, he planned to employ formerly incarcerated and rehabilitated people. [3] The kitchen butchered whole animals and sourced produce from local farmers. [10] Designed by Studio Terpeluk, the restaurant had dark wood panelling including reclaimed redwood [10] [11] and was decorated with numerous plants. [8]

Osito later added an à la carte menu and a private dining room. [5] [10] An associated cocktail bar called Liliana's operated next door [8] until December 2023; [12] the Bar at Osito replaced it in February 2024 [13] but closed the same month after Stowaway found running a second business distracting. [14] The space was later a pop-up for Bar Agricole after its closure in SOMA. [10]

In April 2025, Stowaway founded The Same Sun, a collective of independent hospitality business owners to reduce operating costs by pooling resources. [10] [15] The following month, he announced that despite a plan to make up rent arrears, [6] Osito had become financially unviable, and the restaurant would close permanently after brunch on Mother's Day, May 11, 2025. [5] [10] [16]

Reception

Osito was awarded a Michelin star in December 2022 [1] [10] [17] [18] and retained it until it closed. The Michelin Guide described it as a "rustic, lodge-like spot" whose food was "both elemental and elevated"; [4] other reviewers described it as "a breathtaking commitment to communal dining" [17] and "both casual and special", [19] although one found the experience more memorable than the food. [8]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Kadvany, Elena (December 7, 2022). "Michelin stars announced: These Bay Area restaurants won (and lost)". San Francisco Chronicle.
  2. 1 2 Bitker, Janelle (June 7, 2021). "S.F.'s Osito finally has an opening date for its $295 live-fire tasting menus". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Bitker, Janelle (September 26, 2019). "No burners, no ovens: San Francisco's next $200 tasting menu restaurant Osito promises all live fire". San Francisco Chronicle.
  4. 1 2 3 "Osito – San Francisco". Michelin Guide. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 Vaziri, Aidin (May 6, 2025). "Michelin-starred restaurant in San Francisco announces sudden closure". San Francisco Chronicle.
  6. 1 2 Guerrero, Susana (May 8, 2025). "'Doesn't make financial sense': Michelin-starred SF restaurant calls it quits". SFGate.
  7. 1 2 Bitker, Janelle (June 1, 2020). "15-course tasting menu restaurant Osito to land in S.F.'s Mission". San Francisco Chronicle.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Chen, Julia (September 21, 2022). "Osito". The Infatuation (review). Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
  9. ↑ Hogan, Clara; Amy Sherman (April 20, 2023). "The best restaurants in San Francisco to try right now". Time Out San Francisco. Archived from the original on May 23, 2023.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Deseran, Sara; Lauren Saria (May 6, 2025). "Another acclaimed restaurant burns out: Osito is closing". The San Francisco Standard.
  11. ↑ Tsapovsky, Flora (March 17, 2025). "Take a Look at San Francisco's Most Beautiful Restaurants". Eater SF. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
  12. ↑ Saria, Lauren; Dianne de Guzman; Paolo Bicchieri (December 20, 2023). "Veritable Oakland Soul Food Classic Set to Close". Eater SF. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
  13. ↑ Cortez, Mario (February 6, 2024). "Michelin-starred restaurant unveils new bar next door, and more S.F. restaurant openings". San Francisco Chronicle.
  14. ↑ Cortez, Mario (March 1, 2024). "A rare Hawaiian bakery shutters, and more Bay Area restaurant closures". San Francisco Chronicle.
  15. ↑ Deseran, Sara (April 10, 2025). "A former 'crackhead' reinvented himself as a fine-dining chef. Now he wants to pay it forward". The San Francisco Standard.
  16. ↑ Okorie, O. Gloria (May 11, 2025). "Michelin-star restaurant, Osito, shuts down due to 'SF economy'". KTVU.
  17. 1 2 Bicchieri, Paolo; Dianne de Guzman (December 6, 2022). "Here Are All the New San Francisco Bay Area Michelin Starred Restaurants for 2022". Eater SF.
  18. ↑ "2022 California MICHELIN Stars". Michelin Guide. December 5, 2022.
  19. ↑ Tsapovsky, Flora; staff (November 20, 2024). "The Best Splurge Restaurants in San Francisco". Eater SF. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
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