Peru and a View

the tablehopper | 9:28 am | July 2, 2008 | Foodie 411

San Francisco is about to get a Peruvian culinary superstar on their roster of great chefs: Gastón Acurio of La Mar fame. Acurio has restaurants in seven countries, including Peru, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, Mexico, Spain and Venezuela, with plans to open in Costa Rica and Brazil. He is opening his first restaurant in the U.S., La Mar Cebichería Peruana, and it’s going into a 100-year-old building at Pier 1½, just a bit north of the Ferry Building.

There will be a pisco bar/lounge area (up to 65 seats) where you can get a pisco sour plus all kinds of other pisco drinks, and graze on small apps to share. Then there’s the ceviche bar further inside, offering about ten kinds made with local fish that will highlight a variety of Peruvian chiles, plus some tiraditos, all served on a large bar (around 30 seats) of up-lit blue glass. There is also a spacious dining room in the back (88 seats) flanking the exhibition kitchen, turning out contemporary-Peruvian fare, plus a big outdoor patio overlooking the water that will have a fire pit.

The chef de cuisine (José Luis de Cossío, who opened the first La Mar with Acurio), the pastry chef, and floor manager are all coming from Acurio’s restaurants in Peru. Local wine guru Emmanuel Kemiji is consulting on the wine list, finding perfect wine pairings for the dishes, and in fact is consulting with Acurio on all his restaurants. La Mar is slated to open at the end of August or early September.

BLD (Brunch, Lunch, Dinner)
An update on places serving BLD around town:

First, Uva Enoteca in the Lower Haight is starting their weekend brunch on Saturday July 12th. Hours will be 10am–3pm every Sat–Sun.

• 568 Haight St. at Steiner, 415-829-2024.

Spruce is now offering a Harvest Menu at lunch, a prix-fixe three-course meal and optional wine pairing. The menu is seasonal, and currently features braised spring onions, pancetta-wrapped day boat scallops, and for dessert, pannacotta with market blueberries. The menu is $30 without wine, and $45 with. (Diners may also opt for a half wine pairing.)

• 3640 Sacramento St. at Spruce, 415-931-5100.

And in SoMa, Luce has launched Sunday Suppers, a “farm to table” tasting menu inspired by executive chef Dominique Crenn’s Saturday visits to the farmers’ market. $45 per person, and $65 with wine pairings.

• InterContinental Hotel San Francisco, 888 Howard St. at Fifth St., 415-616-6566.

Marcia Gagliardi writes a popular weekly e-column about the SF dining scene, “the tablehopper.” Subscribe for free at www.tablehopper.com and get it in your inbox every Tuesday. Got news? Email Marcia at taste@sanfrancisco.travel.