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 Housed
in a beautiful landmark building in San Francisco’s Civic Center area,
Jardinière features the award-winning French-California cuisine of
Chef Traci Des Jardins in the warm, elegant two-story interior designed
by restaurateur/designer, Pat Kuleto. Des Jardins and Kuleto, in their
first venture as partners, opened the restaurant on September 12,
1997.
Located in the former Kimball’s building, Kuleto designed
the 135-seat restaurant to complement Des Jardins’ sensibilities and
her wish to blend “beauty, simplicity, warmth, and the most wonderful
flavors I can create.” Pat Kuleto, renowned for his restaurant designs
at such places as San Francisco’s Boulevard and Farallon, created
a dramatic and sexy but warm and inviting interior. The wood and glass
door entrance with its cocktail glass design and elaborate inlaid
marble flooring lead guests immediately to the oval-shaped mahogany
and rare black marble-topped bar in the center of the restaurant.
Thick velvet aubergine drapes show off the building’s original exposed
brick walls and the mahogany columns throughout glow with tapered
rose-colored glass sconces. Guests are then drawn to the sweeping
staircase leading to the upstairs dining mezzanine that surrounds
the central opening overlooking the bar. Above is a dramatic inverted
Champagne glass dome with twinkling lights that remind diners of bubbles
in a
Champagne bottle. The draping of the staircase, the color of rich
pewter, seems to continue into the balcony railings, which are unusually
detailed with lit-glass and pewter-colored Champagne buckets set in
the railing’s posts.
Jardinière is indeed a place to celebrate - in
addition to Des Jardins’ excellent cuisine, the restaurant features
over 20 wines, Champagnes, and sparkling wines by the glass. The restaurant
also has a late night menu of light fare plus a selection of appetizers
and entrees from the regular menu at the bar. A jazz trio performs
Sunday through Tuesday, providing an entertaining but unobtrusive
addition. Jardinière is located at 300 Grove
Street on the corner of Franklin.
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