THE CATERERED OPTION
These eight companies, each with its own niche and style, share a taste for excellence.
RECIPE: Seared Scallops with Butternut Squash Purée, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, and Port-Balsamic Glaze (from Fork and Spoon Productions)
Butternut squash purÉe
1. Cut a medium-size butternut squash in half and remove the seeds. Rub with olive oil and season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
2. Place on greased baking sheet and roast in a 375°F oven about 35 minutes or until tender.
3. Let cool for 10 minutes and then scoop out flesh and place in food processor along with 3 tablespoons each butter and heavy cream; purée until smooth. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste.
PORT-BALSAMIC GLAZE
Combine 1 cup good-quality ruby port and ½ cup balsamic vinegar in heavy-bottom pot and reduce slowly on a low flame until syruplike in consistency.
SCALLOP PREPARATION
1. Season 18 day-boat scallops with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper.
2. Heat sauté pan until pan is very hot. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place scallops in hot pan and let caramelize, approximately two minutes. Flip over and finish cooking for 30 seconds or until just cooked through.
3. Place a small amount of the butternut squash purée in the middle of the plate and top with three seared scallops. Drizzle the balsamic glaze over the scallops and sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds.
Style to spare: “Michelle Cheatham of the Invisible Chef is very inventive and can create delicious evenings for 10 to 100 in your living room or poolside,” says interior designer Jean Larette. “She has great style and is often asked to help trim your home with holiday cheer.” 415-922-3663, invisiblechef.com
Tray tempting: Berkeley’s green-certified Greenleaf Platters is an easier and generally less expensive alternative to a full-scale caterer. Bite-size servings of breakfast, lunch, hors d’oeuvres, dinner, or dessert are delivered to your home already arrayed on stylish ceramic serving pieces, not frumpy plastic. Think roasted Niman Ranch filet mignon on rosemary biscuits with horseradish cream, or mini–flourless chocolate cakes. $500, with a 20-person mini-mum, plus $100–200 for delivery and pickup of trays. 510-647-5165, greenleafplatters.com
HIRE A CHEF
For a small soirée, you don’t need an army of caterers—one cook will do. These four really know their way around a kitchen.
Match.com for cooks: The South Bay’s culinary headhunter, Four Star Private Chefs, connects party hosts with professional private cooks who have at least eight years’ experience with long-term engagements (working for the likes of the Schwabs and Annie Leibovitz) and one-night stands. Expect to pay $45 per hour or $300–500 per day, plus a $100 placement fee. 650-508-0322, fourstarchefs.com
The underground gourmet: If you’re prepared to relinquish control of your menu and decor for one of the best dining deals around, call “Kitchen Kriminal” Stefen Janke. The owner of Gourmet Solutionz catering in Davis and onetime chef of Cypress Club
and sous chef of L.A.’s Patina keeps his culinary life exciting by creating surprise seven-course meals for hosts adventurous enough to let him into their kitchen. The only crime is the price. Flowers, chairs, linens, and a meal for 10 are a steal at $650.
530-400-1724, Gourmetsolutionz.com
Go fish: Ready-made sushi platters from San Francisco’s revered Ebisu restaurant start at $50. But fish lovers in the know prefer to hire chef and owner Steve Fuji to custom-roll sushi and cook up a mouthwatering array of other Japanese delicacies. $55 per person, 25-person minimum. 415-566-1770, ebisusushi.com
From Lima, with love: Peruvian classics—think seviche—are the specialty of Penelope Alzamora, a private chef and teacher at Tante Marie’s Cooking School. Peruvian native Sandra Jordan, whose family owns Jordan Winery in Alexander Valley, loves Alzamora’s cooking
so much that she’s been known to FedEx ingredients from Peru if they aren’t available here. 415-788-6699, tantemarie.com
The Takeout Option
place an order with these friendly markets and bakeries, and bring the party home with you.
Platters and pickup
Meat and greet: The party menus
at Avedano’s Holly Park Market, a combination butcher shop and gourmet grocery, rely heavily on sustainably sourced meats. You can start with a platter of housemade charcuterie and smoked-chicken crostini with dried cherry compote.
If your tastes tend toward the High Renaissance, order a roast suckling pig or fresh ham seasoned with rosemary, accompanied by a pecorino cheese and potato torte seasoned with sage. 235 Cortland Ave., S.F.,
415-285-6328
The right stuff: Bi-Rite, the 18th Street corridor’s favorite market, offers the perfect platters for a Hanukkah party. Owner Sam Mogannam’s menu is full of treats like potato latkes, chicken liver, matzo ball soup, and Niman Ranch brisket braised in zinfandel. For a non-kosher fête, try the marinated chicken skewers and focaccia finger sandwiches. End on
a high note with a s’mores pie, made with chocolate ice cream and toasted meringue on a graham cracker crust, from Bi-Rite Creamery, just across the street. 3969 18th St., S.F., 415-241-9760
All the trimmings: Market Hall Caterers has been an East Bay staple for 20 years. For this year’s holiday menu, you can choose from a crostini platter with a selection of toppings that includes roast beef, truffle butter, watercress, and Serrano ham with romesco, and a Niman Ranch tri-tip cocktail platter with horseradish cream, fig-olive tapenade, and cocktail rolls. Let one of the in-house experts help you assemble a cheese platter, and don’t forget to order some of the cheddar chive biscuits to go with
your holiday ham. 5655 College Ave., Oakland, 510 547-4066
Gourmet organic: Along with pre-pared everyday and holiday meals
with all the fixings, Whole Foods has
a complete catering department dedicated to the likes of mini-crostini, crab cakes, roasted-chicken drumlets, and grilled vegetables that come ready
to serve on low-lying wooden trays. wholefoodsmarket.com
Dessert to go
Just like homemade: Berkeley’s Sweet Adeline is a popular stop for classic holiday pies (think pumpkin and pecan, $20–25), but we’re betting the shop will become just as revered for its new harvest tart. Featuring dried nectarines, plums, and pluots,
it could be considered the new fruitcake—only one that hosts will actually be thankful to receive. 3350 Adeline St., Berkeley, 510-985-7381, sweetadelinebakeshop.com
Sweet and soulful: The poached-quince tart ($30 for an 8-inch tart), pound cake minis, and other organic French pastries at Potrero Hill’s Petite Patisserie are an almost guiltless indulgence, thanks to the bakery’s environmentally and socially responsible practices. 1415 18th St., S.F.,
415-821-9378, PETITEPATISSERIE.COM
Traditional Italian: If serving a Yule log is part of your party plan, a call
to Emporio Rulli should be, too. The classic Italian bakery’s “Cassatta” Tronco di Natale ($32, serves 6–8; $52, serves 10–12) is a shamelessly decadent combination of rum-soaked ladyfingers, ricotta cremosa, pistachio-almond paste, garnished with caramelized pistachios, Italian candied fruit, white chocolate ribbons, and meringue mushrooms. 464 Magnolia Ave., Lark-spur, 415-924-7478; 2300 CHESTNUT st., S.F., 415-923-6464, RULLI.COM
Some like it haute: In the East Bay, Masse’s Pastries makes delicious, meticulously sculpted, ultramodern desserts, including the ever popular vibrant, green-glazed, chocolate-and-mint Mint Melissa and the hexagonal, white chocolate–draped Snowball Surprise chocolate cake.
1469 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley,
510-649-1004, massespastries.com
Let them frost cake: You can have your cake and ice it, too, with a Decorating Party to Go kit from Kara’s Cupcakes ($100). The package includes everything you need to get friends excited to frost: two dozen unadorned cupcakes, three to four frostings in piping bags, holiday sprinkles, and fondant decorations. 3249 Scott St., S.F., 415-563-2253; 900 North Point, Ghirardelli Square, S.F., 415-351-2253, karascupcakes.com
Divine intervention: “The chocolate fudge cake at Royal Sweet in San Anselmo tastes like a secret family recipe that has been passed down from another era,” says Marin-based interior designer Jean Larette. Or order a platter of just-as-yummy fudge cupcakes to go. 625 San Anselmo Ave., San Anselmo, 415-453-5368,
Surprise ending: The individual citrus buttermilk pudding cakes ($5.25 each) at Hayes Valley’s Modern Tea are impossibly moist, creamy, and easy on the host. Rustic-chic Mason jar containers mean there’s no plating necessary—and you get a partial refund if you return them after use. 602 Hayes St., S.F., 415-626-5406, MODERNTEA.COM
Chocolate dreams: “The simplest—and arguably the most delicious—holiday party dessert is a selection
of fine chocolates,” says SmartsCo’s Julie Tucker Legrand. Pick and choose from a variety of local chocolatiers, including Charles Chocolates, Recchiuti Confections, and Richard Donnelly Chocolates. For fun, round out your sampler with bars of chocolate from around the world, available at Fog City News. FOG
CITY NEWS, 415-543-7400, Fogcitynews
.com; CHARLES CHOCOLATES, 510-652-4412, CHARLESCHOCOLATEs.COM; Recchiuti Confections, 415-826-2868, RECCHIUTICONFECTIONS.com; Richard Donnelly Chocolates, 888-685-1871, donnellychocolates.com
the diy bash
whip up some holiday hors d’oeuvres from our best food minds, and mix up some drinks with local cachet. then invite as many friends as your place can hold, and bask in the swellness of it all.
10 simply delicious appetizers
Parmesan crisps
Spread grated parmesan on parch-ment paper or a Silpat and bake at 350°F for 5 to 7 minutes or until golden. Cool, cut into cracker shapes, and serve with an assortment of toppings, such as romesco, eggplant caviar, and olive tapenade, all available at gourmet supermarkets. Fork and Spoon Productions, 415-552-7130
Crab Louis cups
Mix 1 pound fresh Dungeness crab meat, ²⁄³ cup Louis sauce (1 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon ketchup,
1 teaspoon chopped capers, and
1 teaspoon parsley), and 1 diced avocado. Spoon onto 30 small lettuce leaves and garnish with fresh tarragon. HIRO SONE, CHEF AND PROPRIETOR OF AME, 689 MISSION ST.,
ST. REGIS HOTEL, S.F., 415-284-4040
Deviled eggs with uni
To make 20 deviled eggs, hard-boil, chill, peel, and halve 10 eggs. Transfer the yolks to a bowl and mix in 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Scoop the yolk mix into the boiled egg whites, top with 1 teaspoon uni, salt lightly, and serve. Hiro Sone
Prosciutto-wrapped
butternut squash
Wrap peeled, 1-inch cubes of butternut squash in prosciutto, sliced extra thin, and bake at 375°F for 30 min-utes or until the squash is soft. Add
a toothpick, sprinkle with parmesan
or fresh thyme, and serve. Left Coast Catering, 415-934-0600
Crostini cheese bites
Top Anjou Bakery fruit-nut crostini with a dollop of gorgonzola picante or fromage blanc. Cowgirl Creamery, Ferry Building Marketplace, 415-362-9354, cowgirlcreamery.com
Easy roasted chestnuts
Cut Xs into the flat side of unshelled chestnuts, toss with olive oil and sea salt, and roast in a 425°F oven for
25 minutes. Serve warm in bowls or paper cones, and provide a bowl for discarding shells. Componere Fine Catering, 510-420-0900
Tomato bisque shots with baby grilled-cheese sandwiches
Ladle tomato bisque into demitasse cups and garnish with a mini-swirl of basil oil and a grilled-cheese sandwich stick. To make the sandwich sticks, use country white bread or pan de mie, crusts removed, and cheddar or American cheese. Cool slightly, slice into six or eight long sticks, and serve on the side or balance across the cup’s rim.
Caesar salad crudités
Stand crispy hearts of romaine leaves upright in a low vase. Serve with a dip of creamy Caesar salad dressing.
Caviar and potato salad bites
Peel and chop Yukon gold potatoes into quarter-inch cubes and boil in salted water until tender (a few minutes). Mix with sour cream, lemon zest, minced chives, and pepper to taste; scoop into wonton soup spoons; and top with a generous pinch of California Estate Osetra caviar. $59 per ounce at Tsar Nicoulai, 800-952-2842, tsarnicoulai.com
The Cheese Spread
Instead of the same boring chèvre and Brie with grapes on the side, break out of the mold. Cathy Goldstein of the Cheese Board Collective suggests these festive pairings for your cheese platter:
• Blue cheese (such as dulce latte gorgonzola) with chopped dried pears and walnuts in Belgian endive cups
• Crumbled feta, Humboldt Fog, or bucheron with fig tapenade and crostini
• Fiscalini Farmstead cheddar with apple or pear English chutney
• Baked brie or St. Marcellin, topped with chopped, toasted mixed nuts and a drizzle of hazelnut oil, with a side of baguette slices.
Cheese Board Collective, 1504 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, 510-549-3183, cheeseboardcollective.coop
Holiday cocktails
The Lush
John Jasso of Bar Johnny (2209 Polk St., S.F., 415-268-0140) originally created this bubbly cocktail with blackberries, which he swaps for pomegranate seeds during the winter months.
¾ ounce vodka
½ ounce Chambord
Pomegranate seeds
Top with champagne
Place the pomegranate seeds in the champagne flute, add the vodka and Chambord, then top with champagne.
Satsuma Sidecar
Duggan McDonnell, the mad mixologist behind the lively, Latin-themed Cantina (580 Sutter St., S.F., 415-398-0195), gives a classic sidecar local flavor by using Osocalis brandy, made in Soquel from California grapes, and Qi white tea liqueur distilled in Alameda. Qi’s invigorating orange flavor is less sweet than most orange liqueur, which makes it popular with many bartenders, but you can substitute Grand Marnier or Cointreau if you like.
1½ ounces brandy
¾ ounce Qi white tea liqueur or other orange liqueur
Juice of 1 satsuma mandarin
½ ounce simple syrup
Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with strips
of orange zest.
(For a party, multiply the recipe by
six and serve in a pitcher.)
Warm Rhum Punch
Thad Volger of the new J Lounge
at Jardinière (300 Grove St., S.F.,
415-861-5555) offers this gently
spiced rendition of winter’s favorite warm drink.
2 ounces dark rum
1 ounce lemon juice
¾ ounce simple syrup
Fresh ground cinnamon to taste
Fresh ground nutmeg to taste
2 ounces green tea
Combine the ingredients and heat until warm. Garnish with grated orange zest.
FLORALNOTES whether you want a few perfect posies or the full greenhouse effect, these eight florists never fail to delight.
Theatrical flair: Floral designer Laurel Ann Winzler, a favorite of the San Francisco Symphony for nearly 20 years, attributes her bouquets’ dramatic, abundant style to her longtime hobby as an extra for the San Francisco Opera. You can see how her exposure to creativity and craftsmanship plays out in her seasonal and locally influenced arrangements which start at $75. For $75 an hour, she’ll also come to your home, set your table, and dress the place up. 415-386-8360, flaurel.com
Modern minimalism: Clean, com-posed, architectural, and extremely chic arrangements are long-standing trademarks of Hayes Valley’s Rose and Radish—as are amaryllis in lacquered or sculpted towers,
creatively arranged calla lilies, and potted orchids. $75 and up, with a $12 delivery fee in San Francisco.
460 GOUGH ST., S.F., 415-864-4988, ROSEANDRADISH.COM
High fashion: Saks, Chanel, Neiman Marcus, Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, Bulgari, the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay—practically every business that dresses to impress has Orna Maymon of Ornamento on speed dial. Add her to yours if the occasion calls for simply sophisticated arrangements, which may include vases wrapped in natural bark or moss, monochromatic blooms, or French-imported Christmas roses. $150 and up. 415-668-9624, ornamento.com
Très chic: “Thierry Chantrel of La Follia creates the most imaginative table decorations,” says Meriwether McGettigan, owner of Meriwether,
a San Francisco estate-jewelry bou-tique. “Although he can do absolutely fantastic flower arrangements, he also creates amazing centerpieces incor-porating all kinds of other materials. Maybe it’s the French blood in his veins that gives him such good
taste.” 2310 17th St., S.F., 415-551-2310, THIERRYCHANTREL.COM
Rustic charm: For unfussy local and seasonal flowers, stop at Oak Hill Farm in the Ferry Building Marketplace, where organic, Sonoma-grown plants, flowers, grasses, berries, fruits, and vegetables find their way into bouquets and wreaths that would make Mother Nature proud. $20 and up. Ferry Building marketplace,
415-399-0220, oakhillfarm.net
Bold statements: Vibrant colors, unexpected combinations, and clean, modern designs define the striking floral statements at Presidio Heights’ Birch. Bouquets start at $75. 3263 Sacramento St., S.F., 415-922-4724, birchsf.com
Keep it casual: “For a small dinner party, I buy flowers from Cal-Mart
on California and Spruce in San Francisco and arrange them myself,” says Splendora founder Gina Pell. “The selection is huge and really fresh. If I’m doing something fun, I order an Edible Arrangement online. Fruit is better than cake, or so says my personal trainer, and there’s something a little goofy about bringing out one of these babies that puts everyone in a good mood.” CAL-MART, 3585 CALIFORNIA ST., S.F., 415-751-3516, ediblearrange ments.com
Indoors and out: “Baylor Chapman at Lila B. Design is one of the most creative and stylish floral designers I’ve seen in years,” declares SmartCo’s Julie Tucker Legrand. “She does a fantastic job working with you to create an interior plant and flower design, garden design, and floral arrangements for celebrations.”
415-563-6681, lilabdesign.com
THE DIY TABLE
to create your own special effects, all you need is a little inspiration. the Bay area’s leading party planners offer a few of their favorite ideas.
Ditch the pointsetta: Bring the outdoors inside with a large bouquet of nothing but baby’s breath, magnolia branches, or evergreens in a big silver urn. Another idea, from Fork and Spoon Productions: group large containers filled to different levels with cranberries, kumquats, leaves, pinecones, seckel pears, crab apples, pomegranates, and chestnuts, then surround them with candles to form a cliché-free seasonal centerpiece.
Make flowers more festive: Pin gold, silver, or glass beads into the center of blooms to add a bit of glamour. Or borrow a trick from Tisa Mantle of Componere Fine Catering and fill tall vases with seasonal fruit, such as cranberries or kumquats, then add water before placing flowers inside—it’s a cheerful holiday touch that also hides unsightly stems.
Jazz up the centerpiece: Instead of a standard-issue tablecloth, dress up your buffet with a length of fabulous wallpaper used as a runner. Fork and Spoon’s mod variation: buy a wide strip of white faux fur (available at many fabric stores) and decorate with simple votives, or groups of clear or iridescent Christmas bulbs and candles.
Turn the tables: For a chic and
funky supper-club look, use tables
of different heights and sizes and a variety of complementary linens, Componere’s Mantle suggests.
Add dash to your dishes: Trans-form plain plates into fancy china
with squiggles of edible gold or silver, available at kitchenware shops such as Sur la Table. Ferry Building marketplace, S.F., 415-262-9970
Cast a warm glow: To bring some unity to a mismatched collection of candleholders, votives, and vases, wrap a fat ribbon around the middle
of each one, and top with thin twine, raffia, or a smaller ribbon tied into a neat bow.
Go over the top: Steal one of floral designer Laurel Winzler’s favorite holiday looks: a series of smaller arrangements—bowls of floating blossoms or fruit, candles, Moroccan tea glasses containing a few blooms, or votive candles—scattered over a large table. Spectacular!
INVITATIONS & PAPER GOODS
Is anything more welcoming than
a beautifully crafted invitation or placecard? these chic sources will make you swear off evite forever .
Crafty cool: For original custom invitations and placecards at a fraction of the special-order price, pay a visit to Flax Art & Design. Stationery department head Casey Jones can help you make stunning personalized pieces out of decorative paper, stamps, stickers, ribbon, twine, and ornaments. 1699 Market St., s.f., 415-552-2355, flaxart.com
Always in style: Creative table-
top props from Gump’s double as sophisticated place settings and
party favors. Vice president of visual merchandizing Herman Seemann’s favorites include silver or gold fortune cookies, ornaments in gift boxes, and bells, all with personalized ribbons; placecards wedged into silver-dipped pinecones; and little journals where guests can pen and keep their New Year’s wishes. 135 Post St., S.F., 800-822-8055, gumps.com
Asian-inspired: Handmade Japanese paper expert Kozo Arts brings the clean and vibrant style of Japanese design to your tabletop with placecards that can be customized by San Francisco calligrapher Barbara Callow, custom letterpress cards by Oakland’s Painted Tongue Press, bold favor boxes and bags, and sleek wooden gift boxes in various sizes. 1969 Union St., Ste. A, 415-351-2114, kozoarts.com
Vintage modern: Combine elegant design sensibility with vintage letterpress printing processes, and you’ve got the gorgeous paper creations of Petaluma’s Dauphine Press. If you don’t have the time or money to custom-order, check out Dauphine’s website for exceptional fill-in-the-blank invitations, placecards, and pyramid-shaped favor boxes. 3820 Cypress Dr., Ste. 12, Petaluma, 707-776-0790, dauphinepress.com
Playful placemats: Brighten up your holiday table with vibrant paper placemats and matching letterpress placecards from Carrot & Stick Press. Wrapping paper’s got nothing on its selection of colors and patterns. 6050 Lowell St., Studio 102, Oakland, 510-595-5353, carrotandstickpress.com
Utterly breathtaking: Couture paperie and custom letterpress boutique Twig & Fig stocks fresh, contemporary placecards at its Berkeley shop—along with a calligrapher to pen the details, if desired. 2110 Vine St., Berkeley, 510-848-5599, twigandfig.com
MUSIC
MAKERS
These guys can keep The mood mellow, pump up the volume, or serenade your guests with their own heavenly chorus.
That’s entertainment: Whether you’re looking for an elf to greet guests, a choir of carolers, or Mariah Carey to ring in the New Year, Innovative Entertainment can make
it happen. Performance packages start at $550 for a solo guitarist,
while big-name headliners can command $1.5 million. 415-552-4276, innovativeentertainment.com
Dial-a-DJ: At the East Bay’s Denon and Doyle, the region’s top source for mobile DJs, a turntablist can spin the evening’s energy, act as an MC, or orchestrate the flow of an entire event. A simple four-hour, music-only package starts at $695, while having the DJ act as an announcer, take requests, put a timeline together for the evening, and move guests from dinner to the dance floor can up the rate by $400. 800-944-9585, djay.com
Tomorrow’s Yo-Yo Ma: Hire a student from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Music to Go! program, and you may just have the next Midori playing your holiday party. The students—soloists, trios, quartets, singers, and carolers—audition for the coveted positions and also work weddings, funerals, and free performances for schools and hospitals. $90–100 per musician, plus $30 booking fee. 415-503-6258
Mix master: DJ Earworm is party designer Stanlee Gatti’s favorite. “He’s a masher—he mixes today’s techno music with tunes from 30 or 50 years ago.” djearworm@djearworm.com
Child’s play: Local stars of the children’s music circuit Orange Sherbet, who have recorded with the bluegrass band Hot Buttered Rum, perform playful tunes that adults also enjoy—even after hearing them for the millionth time. An hour of whimsical song and dance with founding duo Jill Pierce and Tamsen Fynn is $500, or $1,000 for the whole gang. 415-302-6257, orangesherbet.org
Sock hop: “Billy Philadelphia makes any party happen,” says jewelry
shop owner and party aficionado Meriwether McGettigan. “He is great at reading his audience and playing just the right sort of music to get everyone on the dance floor and keep them there.” billyphiladelphia.com
PARTY ESSENTIALS
The bigger the blowout, the more help you need, But these crowd-pleasing services will make even a small dinner party seem swanker and more special.
Ready rentals: Don’t bother shopping around. Classic Party Rentals has a monopoly on the rental market for everything from basic and Riedel champagne glasses to Chiavari chairs to giant party tents. The good news is that prices are reasonable enough—flatware from 40 cents to $1.10 per piece, chairs from $1.55 to $8.50 each, coat racks for $21—that it makes sense to leave the linens and china in the cupboard, pay the delivery fee, and rest assured that someone else will be doing the cleanup. 650-652-0300, classicpartyrentals.com
An extra hand: No reason to pay a caterer if all you need is a cook to help with basic food prep, a bartender to sling drinks, or a server to pass appetizers or replenish platters. Instead, do what every major party planner in town does when gearing up for big gigs: call the Party Staff. Its trained and insured employees will work your party for $32 per hour, with a five-hour minimum. 415-273-7000, partystaff.com
The car guys: “For valet parking, there’s absolutely nobody better than Soirée,” declares Stanlee Gatti. “I’ve even taken them on road trips. I never hesitate to ask Jamie, the owner, for something completely outrageous having to do with transportation, whether it’s boats or airplanes, and
he handles it.” 415-447-9771
Ame
This mod spot inside the St. Regis Hotel can be partitioned off to create cozy dining spaces for up to 32 guests. Large groups get a special preset menu featuring chef Hiro Sone’s trademark seasonal new American cuisine. 689 MISSION ST.,
S.F., 415-284-4040
Aziza
This Moroccan restaurant in the Outer Richmond has two private dining options: a white-tablecloth space with red banquettes and a lofty red ceiling (seats 40), and a curvy, dark, sexy lounge with low tables and pillows (seats 30). The four-course meals are served family-style. 5800 GEARY BLVD., S.F., 415-752-2222
Bacar
This sleek SoMa hot spot, known for its selection of wines by the glass (and its killer blackberry margaritas) has two private dining options. The upstairs mezzanine can seat up to 50 for dinner or 60 for cocktails in a loftlike space separated from the din and clatter of the main restaurant by velvet curtains. Downstairs, with its separate bar and restrooms, the wood-paneled wine salon feels like
a private members’ club; it seats 60 for dinner and up to 80 for cocktails. 448 BRANNAN, S.F., 415-904-4100
Coi
Chef Daniel Patterson’s minimalist restaurant can accommodate up to eight people in a tucked-away private dining space, available at no extra charge. Guests can order from the main menu, known for its unexpected twists on California cuisine, or have Patterson’s staff create a menu for you. 373 BROADWAY, S.F., 415-393-9000
El Raigon
This Argentinean steak house in North Beach, which specializes in Estancia-style ranch–raised beef,
can accommodate up to 20 carnivores in its exposed brick private room downstairs. Parties of 10 or more get a four-course prix fixe menu; smaller groups can order from the main menu. 510 UNION ST., S.F., 415-291-0927
Foreign Cinema
Chez Panisse holds its holiday party
at this hip Mission district restaurant, so you know the food—California Mediterranean—is good. The plethora of private dining options includes a Director’s Table (seats 10), a Modernism gallery (includes a movie projector, sound system, bar, and art exhibitions), the Russian-themed Laszlo room (cocktails for 100). Or you can rent the whole restaurant for 225 of your closest friends. 2534 MISSION ST., S.F., 415-648-7600
Kokkari Estiatorio
Chef Erik Cosselmon serves his sophisticated take on Greek cuisine
in two private spaces. The intimate Hania room downstairs can seat up
to 12 guests ($1,000 minimum). The Oenos room on the main floor features racks of wine and big bay windows and can seat 35 (preset menu, $2,000 food and beverage minimum). Save a seat for Dionysus. 200 JACKSON ST., S.F., 415-981-0983
Luka’s Taproom & Lounge
If your idea of dressed up is a pressed T-shirt and jeans, this East Bay nightspot is the perfect holiday hangout. Nibble on gourmet pub food in the game room amid pinball machines, a pool table, and a circa-1945 jukebox (up to 35 people) or rent the dance floor, complete with DJ (accommodates up to 75). 2221 BROADWAY, OAKLAND, 510-451-4677
Oliveto
Oliveto’s upstairs Siena room seats up to 28 guests (16-person minimum) in an airy space that’s a little bit rustic, a little bit romantic (think hand-wrought candlelit chandelier), and utterly grown-up. Order from the Italian-influenced four-course menu or ask chef Paul Canales to create something special for your guests. 5655 COLLEGE AVE., OAKLAND, 510-547-5356
Perbacco
Fresh Northern Italian fare is on
the menu in this modern financial district spot with two rooms for groups. White tablecloths cover long rectangular tables that seat 18 in the private Barolo room. The semiprivate Barbaresco room holds 40. The mezzanine seats 80 and overlooks the kitchen and dining room. Chef Staffan Terje will customize a menu for parties larger than 12. 230 CALIFORNIA ST., S.F., 415-955-0647
Quince
Here’s how to host an intimate Pacific Heights dinner party without having to plunk down $5 million for a mansion in the neighborhood: Treat up to 10 guests to dinner at Quince’s chefs’ table, located next to the kitchen.
The food and beverage minimum
is $1,200, during the holidays.
1701 OCTAVIA st., S.F., 415-775-8500
Scott Howard
This financial district restaurant serves up California-influenced Spanish, Asian, and French fare in two private dining areas: a mellow downstairs room that opens into the wine cellar and seats 24 people, and a higher-energy space located just off the main restaurant that accommodates up to 30. 500 JACKSON ST., S.F., 415-956-7040
Slanted Door
The private dining area (up to 20 people) offers the same ravishing bay views and Vietnamese food as the main dining room, but the decibel levels are a tad lower and the pace a bit slower. The 10-course menu starts at $63 per person and includes four appetizers, four entrées, and two vegetables, or work with chef Charles Phan’s staff to create your own. FERRY BUILDING MARKETPLACE, S.F., 415-861-8032
Town Hall
The upstairs private dining room at this buzzy SoMa restaurant has the exposed-brick charm of the main
floor without the migraine-inducing acoustics. It seats up to 40 for regional American and New Orleans–style food, or 80 for cocktails.
342 HOWARD ST., S.F., 415-908-3900
Links:
[1] mailto:djearworm@djearworm.com