Prelude

The Best Restaurants in San Francisco | Eater SF

"At Prelude, chef Celtin Hendrickson-Jones takes inspiration from his childhood spent cooking with his maternal grandmother and great-grandmother in Alabama. But rather than straight renditions of those dishes, he’s putting his spin on it, informed by his time at two-Michelin-starred Commis, Morimoto, and Niku Steakhouse. The result is a playful, but not stuffy, fine-dining take on Southern dishes, such as the smoked catfish dumplings, a spinoff on crayfish etouffee, or a boneless wing stuffed with dirty rice. The tasting menu is the best way to sample what Prelude has to offer, but there’s an a la carte option as well. If picking and choosing, your best bets are those aforementioned dishes, but it’s also worth trying the grits with its “smattering of garnishes,” which include perhaps some of the best bacon crumbles that grits have ever seen. Must-try dish: If you’re familiar with ambrosia salad, Prelude has a version that will have you rethinking your feelings toward that nostalgic dish in the best of ways." - Paolo Bicchieri