THE JOURNAL
Alfred’s Steakhouse, San Francisco. Photograph by Ms Alanna Hale, courtesy of Alfred’s Steakhouse
The best places in The City to find a big investor for your app startup.
Congratulations! You made a LinkedIn connection with a potential angel investor from Silicon Valley, and she’s eager to hear more about your startup. But you need somewhere to meet. Somewhere that signals what kind of entrepreneur you are. Smart. Visionary. A man with an instinctive feel for the zeitgeist and a healthy respect for the timeless. The places below will serve you well, having earned their places of pride in San Francisco’s cutting-edge culinary scene. All you need now are reservations. And a pitch deck. And an idea. Maybe a website that will send you something cool to wear with next-day delivery? Oh, you’ll figure it out.
Charmaine’s
Cocktails at Charmaine’s. Photographs by Mr Noah Webb, courtesy of Proper Hotels
The city’s Mid-Market neighborhood just received a much-needed injection of cool thanks to the first outpost of Proper hotels, a luxury outfit housed in a historic flatiron building (and with upcoming locations in Downtown LA, Austin and Santa Monica). The jewel in its crown? This rooftop bar, where on a recent evening, an acquaintance of ours overheard a gentleman making a very earnest pitch to a potential investor. The outcome of that conversation is unknown, but if it succeeded, we would give at least partial credit to the elegant highballs, the welcoming fire pits, and the sweeping views of the Bay.
1100 Market Street
Park Tavern
Bloody Mary at Park Tavern. Photographs courtesy of Park Tavern
This masculine bistro in North Beach has the requisite dark-leather banquettes and exposed-beam ceilings for a proper night of deal-making. The Marlowe burger consistently ranks among the city’s best, or emulate Gordon Gekko’s off-menu go-to by getting the well regarded beef tartare. And trust us (because we were there last night), you will never have a better devilled egg. Should you wish to celebrate with a magnum of champagne, the dynamic wine menu has you covered. (Require a follow-up meeting to clarify how, exactly, your company will be on the path to profitability by Q4 2020? Consider Leo’s Oyster Bar, a newish seafood-forward establishment that similarly blends the modern with the classic, and hails from Ms Anna Weinberg and Mr James Nicholas, Park Tavern’s wife-and-husband proprietors.)
1652 Stockton Street
Tartine Manufactory
Baguettes at Tartine Manufactory. Photographs courtesy of Tartine Manufactory
“Hello. I wanted to make sure you received my email, and see if you might be interested in hearing more about my idea in person. Oh, great. Exactly – nothing formal, just an introductory chat. Can you make it to the Mission District next Thursday for breakfast? Okay. Let’s meet at Tartine Manufactory. Nice little spot, airy, excellent coffee. And the bread… it’s transcendent. Oh, you were there for dinner last week? Yes, that prime rib is amazing. Anyway, want to say 7:30am? Fantastic. And thank you. I truly believe you’ll want to get in early on Oculus Lyft, my virtual reality platform that lets you experience life as a rideshare driver… Hello?”
595 Alabama Street
State Bird Provisions
Pork Belly Salad at State Bird Provisions. Photographs by Mr Ed Anderson, courtesy of State Bird Provisions
Snag a table at this inventive Fillmore establishment, and you will have demonstrated both your taste (this is the best restaurant in the city, if not the country, right now) and your connections (as you might expect, reservations are as coveted as a meeting with Mr Reid Hoffman). The owners just finished a round of mild renovations last month, so even the most experienced or jaded foodie will admire your selection. Fair warning: everything is served dim sum style. So if you and your angel investor can’t come to terms on whether to get the guinea hen dumplings or the duck liver mousse, your business relationship may be doomed. (Also, the solution is to get both.)
1529 Fillmore Street
Alfred’s SF
Steak at Alfred’s Steakhouse. Photographs by Ms Alanna Hale, courtesy of Alfred’s Steakhouse
While certain artifacts from the Mad Men era of dealmaking have been happily relegated to history’s dustbin, doing business at a classic steakhouse remains an excellent way of spending one’s time. This Financial District spot smartly combines old and new. The building itself was once home to the Blue Fox, where Messrs Frank Sinatra and Joe DiMaggio were known to mix it up way back when, while Alfred’s has been operating continuously in one location or another for nearly 90 years. Last year, acclaimed chef Mr Daniel Patterson (of Alta and Coi) took it over, giving the menu a modest Californian cuisine-inspired update, while keeping the red-leather booths, dry-aged steaks and best-in-class martinis that made it an icon. If you’ve successfully persuaded someone to sign on the line which is dotted, you will find nowhere better to celebrate.
659 Merchant Street _ Read more here _
City slickers
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