There is quite the swanky new spot to come to Chestnut Street, taking over the former Circa: THE DORIAN. The project is from Anderson Pugash, Benson Wang, and Jack Herr of Palm House, Bergerac, and Audio, plus general partner Guri Walia and advisory partners Austen Afridi and Scooter Simmons.
The menu is all about classic American dishes designed to share, like a chopped Caesar salad, deviled eggs (naturally), shrimp cocktail, and steak tartare, plus mussels and fries, a flat-iron steak, and a burger. The chef is Chris Ricketts, the group’s executive chef. You can look over the menu here.
As for the cocktails, Fifty Fifty Cocktail Co. founder Anthony Parks has put together a crafty menu of classic cocktails and martinis made with premium spirits, from a Gibson to a Martinez, and a Fifty-Fifty made with the addition of a dry manzanilla sherry. For those of you “down with brown,” look for more than 75 fine American whiskeys and plenty of whiskey-based cocktails. Get thirsty while looking at the cocktail menu here. The wine list has a mix of international and local selections, including two rosés and several sparkling choices. It’s also worth noting that they have a solid selection of half bottles and larger-format bottles, for groups of different sizes. Peruse all the options right here.
The space is now airy and bright (some windows were added), with a shimmering chandelier in the Drawing Room (the dining area), with banquettes and booths, plus bright chairs the color of peacock blue and Fornasetti plates on the walls. The room is anchored by a round conversation settee in pistachio. It’s whimsical and fun, with some Victorian and fin de siècle elements presented in a playful way (Shelly Amoroso is behind the design). The spacious main bar (tricked out in brass) is flanked by booths upholstered in faux crocodile, and the peacock color is echoed in the barstools. There’s also the semiprivate mezzanine, now a study, that’s perfect for small groups.
Happy hour will be Tue-Fri 4:30pm-6:30pm, featuring $1 oysters and half-off bottles of rosé and Champagne. Hours: Thu-Sun 4:30pm-12am, Fri-Sat 4:30pm-2am. Brunch will come later this fall. 2001 Chestnut St. at Fillmore, 415-814-2671.
The dining room (The Drawing Room) at The Dorian. Photo by Michael David Rose, courtesy of UrbanDaddy.
