I’ve been tracking this project for months, and finally got some official news on it: ~TWENTY FIVE LUSK~ is going to be opening in an historic 1917 building this coming September. According to the release, “25 Lusk will offer sophisticated, contemporary, approachable fine dining specializing in neoclassical-influenced cuisine.” The executive chef and managing partner is Matthew Dolan, working with general manager and managing partner Chad Bourdon. Dolan’s background includes Café des Artistes in New York, Emeril’s in New Orleans, Topper’s at the Wauwinet, and Garibaldi’s in San Francisco. Bourdon has managed the four-diamond, five-star Cranwell Resort, Spa, and Golf Club in Lennox, Massachusetts, and Farallon in San Francisco. (The two friends met while they were students at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.)
Architect Cass Calder Smith is creating a style that will bridge modernity and industrial elements with a warm and inviting sensibility. The building was originally the Ogden Packing and Provision smokehouse and meat processing facility, and all of the original exposed brick and massive timbers remain in place. Some highlights of the 9,800-square-foot space include massive windows, suspended fireplaces, semi-private dining tables in the former smoke rooms, a glassed-in kitchen, and a semi-private chef’s table. Nope, it’s not small at all: there will be 120 seats in the main dining area, a lower bar and lounge level, 30 to 35 seats in the private dining room, and a communal table. And in case you’re trying to think where Lusk is, it’s off Townsend Street, between 3rd and 4th Streets.
