The Jay, Autograph Collection

Inside Prelude, San Francisco’s New Southern Restaurant in the Financial District | Eater SF

"Inside the Jay hotel at 433 Clay Street, the first-floor restaurant Prelude whisks diners away from the building’s Brutalist, gray exposed-concrete exterior into a space that evokes the Presidio’s eucalyptus groves; the décor—eucalyptus wood throughout, a custom carpet mimicking a grove floor, seed-pod–inspired lighting, a lounge ceiling with gold plaster that glistens like sunlight under the canopy, and stained-glass leaf panels by Debbie Bean—creates an elevated, moody backdrop for chef Celtin Hendrickson-Jones’s fine-dining approach to Southern grandma fare. Hendrickson-Jones, who grew up cooking with his mother and grandmother in Alabama (Sunday fried chicken, creamed corn; Christmas gumbo) and who trained at Niku Steakhouse, two-Michelin-starred Commis, and Morimoto, combines those family recipes with California agriculture and refined technique—examples include cornbread financiers with cultured Hokkaido uni butter and a signature grits dish that will remain both a la carte and a prix-fixe staple: Tierra Farm hominy grits paired with crispy country ham; shrimp pickled in Aleppo pepper, Champagne, apple cider vinegar, and herbs; pickled and preserved vegetables; cultured butter; and a gravy made from the shrimp shells and head. Design lead Sergio Mondragon says they “gravitate to a very elevated, sort of moody space” and considered the lighting “the jewelry” of the room; Prelude debuts Thursday, August 22, and reservations are available on OpenTable." - Dianne de Guzman