After 10 Years, a Beloved Bernal Heights Chef Will Open a Second Restaurant | Eater SF
"A second restaurant from a long‑time fine‑dining chef will debut on the corner of Precita Park this August, currently in the final heat of a Kickstarter as last touches are completed. The chef — owner/operator at Bernal Heights’s 3rd Cousin — says he’s aware of the controversy that surrounded the breakup of landlord Stephan Roulland and restaurant owners/chefs David Fisher and Serena Chow Fisher, calling it a complicated scenario and saying he’s headed into this venture clear‑eyed. He notes, “3rd Cousin is 10 years old now,” and that, “I’d thought about doing a second restaurant for many years.” Unlike the tasting‑menu approach of the former occupant, the new spot will be more casual while retaining a fine‑dining backbone: playful plates such as uni hand rolls dished as tacos, the big burgers he served throughout the worst of the pandemic, and the planned “dish of the year, disco fries,” will all appear alongside larger, more traditional mains — steaks, seafood, and powerful vegetables. A huge raw bar will anchor one black marble counter stocked with oysters and clams, and dessert ideas include a Dubai chocolate‑inspired soft‑serve sundae with pistachio, seasonal fruit, and kataifi. Beverage director Oceano Ordóñez from 3rd Cousin will oversee drinks, having curated an Old World–centered wine list plus beers from local breweries (including a neighborhood brewery), with mocktails and shrubs also on deck. Herbs and greens will come from the restaurant’s rooftop garden, powered in part by solar panels. The space — a take over of the former Marlena (briefly Foliage from chef Mo Bejar), which closed in August 2024 — has been redesigned by Sky Creative Lab, will get an additional outdoor parklet, and has seen a refinished floor and other turnkey elements; the chef reached out to Roulland in April 2025 after briefly eyeing a Presidio location. He frames the project as an opportunity to stretch beyond his upscale, special‑occasions restaurant: “This is a blank palette for me to do things I can’t do at 3rd Cousin,” adding, “People know me in Bernal Heights. I see this as my ode to comfort food.” The restaurant at 300 Precita Avenue will open in August 2025 with dinner service Wednesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; reservations go live on Resy on Friday, July 18." - Paolo Bicchieri
