Bar Tartine Chefs’ Guide To San Francisco

Bar Tartine, San Francisco, Chefs, Co-chefs, Nick Balla, Cortney Burns, Valencia Street, Where to eat in San Francisco, Best Restaurants, Where Chefs Eat, Chefs Feed, Mission, Where to eat in the Mission, Tartine Bakery, The Mission, Outer Richmond, Hayes Valley, NOPA, Sunset, Inner Richmond, Neighborhoods, Chef’s Recommendations

Bar Tartine’s co-chefs Nick Balla and Cortney Burns are more focused on ingredients and creating flavors than they are on defining their style or developing systems.

Nick spent his high school years in Budapest, Hungary, and the early part of his career as the chef at Japanese restaurants like Ozumo and Nombe. Both experiences still influence his flavors. Cortney manages the production of the house-made products including dairy culturing, charcuterie, pickling, and pastries.

The ingredient-passionate duo talk about their favorite local suppliers and where they love to eat, drink and shop around San Francisco.

Bar Tartine Chefs’ Guide To San Francisco

January 20, 2014

Chefs Nick Balla & Cortney Burns

The Food We Cook...

We want our food to be delicious, not intellectual.

We Always Keep On The Menu...

Smoked potatoes with fermented ramps.

Our System of Collaboration...

We have no system, we shoot from the hip on everything. Chad Robertson and Elisabeth Prueitt are an inspiration; we are lucky to be a part of the culture they created with Tartine and Bar Tartine.

Local Ingredients We Love...

Here are a few examples of unique items that the Bay Area does best:

- McFarland Springs Trout - the only vegetarian-fed farmed fish

- Beef from Straus Dairy Cows - because of their mindful meats

- Trace Farm - for avocados

- Full Table Farms - for their peppers.

A Chefs’ Guide

Find | Shops & Markets

The best market experience for us is a trip down Clement and Geary streets in the Richmond district. We like to go to all of the Russian and Chinese shops and purchase everything that looks unfamiliar.

European Food

Try the fermented cabbage rolls.

3038 Clement Street, San Francisco, CA 94121

T: 415.750.0504

Eat | Restaurants

Bread at Outerlands

Photograph courtesy of Outerlands

Outerlands

This is one of the most unique restaurant experiences you can have and embodies the Bay Area. Genuine friendliness and incredible food with the laid back sunset surf vibe.

4001 Judah Street, San Francisco, CA 94122

T: 415.661.6140 | outerlandssf.com

Little Fishes at Nopa

Photograph courtesy of Nopa

Nopa

The food is always incredible and satisfying. Lawrence Jossel is an example of how to be a chef the right way.

560 Divisadero Street, San Francisco, CA 94117

T: 415.864.8643 | nopasf.com

Udon with Meat Sauce at Spices #1

Photograph courtesy of Spices

Spices #1 and #2

We usually eat off the beaten track. We like strong flavors and ethnic restaurants. Spices#1 and #2 always come up as our comfort food favorites. Funky, unique, and very different from the typical American Chinese restaurant. We like to order all of the small cold appetizers. Most are smothered in chili oil and covered in numbing spicy Szechuan peppercorns. Subtle it isn’t, but it is very entertaining food.

Spices 1 | 294 8th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94118 | T:415.752.8884

Spices 2 | 291 6th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94118 | T: 415.752.8885

spicesrestaurantonline.com

Izakaya at Nojo

Photograph courtesy of Nojo

Nojo

Our quintessential San Francisco restaurant favorites might be different from others. For us, it again comes back to the produce. Our favorite place to go for good veggies is Nojo. Chef Greg Dunmore interprets Japanese classics with such respect. This is a true California izakaya and a real reflection into heart of Bay Area cooking culture.

231 Franklin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

T: 415.896.4587 | www.nojosf.com

Drink | Cocktails