The speakeasy trend peaked in the mid-aughts in New York and San Francisco cocktails bars where it first launched in the years prior, just as it was taking off around the country. But the clamor for “secret,” hidden spaces in restaurants and bars has not abated. There remains a thrill in finding a gem behind nondescript doors, a hidden room, a cozy hideaway.
Brand new Anomaly SF, opening January 19, 2023, from chef/owner (and former competitive cyclist) Mike Lanham, feels like just such a space. On a recent March weeknight, my partner, Dan (“The Renaissance Man”), and I walked up to the new space on a sleepy, residential corner of Lyon and Baker in Lower Pacific Heights for our early opening reservation at 6pm.
We weren’t even sure we had the right place as it looked dark with covered windows under apartments in a Victorian-reminiscent building. But two plants marking the entrance and a couple waiting outside tipped us off. We entered to a warm welcome from GM (general manager) Matthew Mako, a pour of Champagne and a sleek space that belied its exterior. Cement floors are warmed by rugs, warm woods, sleek lighting, fabric-covered wall coverings (which Mako and his wife handmade themselves) and cozy-sleek chairs in the lounge area up front, which may eventually be a bites and drinks area. It’s an intimate, two-room space seating 34 total: the front room feels like a lounge in a friend’s modern loft, while the neighboring dining room is intimately engaged with an open kitchen.
Dan and I settled in for an 11-course tasting menu ($121 per person, optional $88 caviar supplement for two) at our table right in front of the kitchen action. We immediately entered bliss mode with Petrovich Caviar, warm little French toasts and that dreamy Vilmart & Cie ‘Grand Cellier’ Brut Champagne. We fondly remembered this course from their tasting menu pop-up days, which we experienced in the Dogpatch in 2021 (my review here). Chef Lanham and crew have run Anomaly in various spaces for nearly 5 years, in which time he has continued to hone and evolve their recipes. The butter mochi-esque chew I remember from the French toast is still there, but it’s less chewy and more dissolve-in-your-mouth now, warm and oozing buttery goodness contrasted by the caviar’s briny glory.
While it’s hard to top this course, other courses showcase Lanham’s playful hand with molecular techniques (yes, think dry ice, gels, foams). I’m already moved by Lanham’s “rise from the ashes” story after a spinal injury that could have left him unable to walk. On the plate, I value his whimsical technique, the opening menu dubbed, “Home for the First Time.”
We weave from a “chips and dip” course of cumin-redolent carrot and beet chips, dipped in sumac-lemon crème fraiche, to an “emoji egg” (egg yolk jam, subtle bacon, seaweed dashi, whipped and fried potatoes), the fluffy, warm evolution of his, “An Egg: Sort of,” a signature from the Anomaly pop-up and another bite I loved in 2021.
Another fave from that pop-up was his “hot soup/cold snow” course of carrot soup with liquid nitrogen sumac snow, a contrast in hot and cold extremes dramatically poured tableside. In their opening restaurant menu, this course evolved to romanesco and lemon snow soup, partnered with a bread course of mochi-esque, smoked pao de queijo Brazilian tapioca rolls I appreciated so at the pop-up, tasting as authentic as those I’ve had at family-run, “hole in the wall” Brazilian restaurants. Chablis is about as happy as wine gets and a pairing of a 2020 Domaine Jean Dauvissat Heritage Chablis with these now signature Anomaly bites was exactly that: happiness.
There is imagination behind a salad of thin, shaved, curling strips of kohlrabi (aka German turnip) immersed with green apple balls, cashews, shiso, avocado mousse and tarragon. A deliciously exciting salad or vegetable dish can be a pinnacle of a chef’s creativity. There was a little too much kohlrabi and not enough of the other elements to layer each bite, but the combination of flavors is a win. Mako (again smartly) paired this with a crisp, lovely cider-mead blend from a small Calaveras County cidery just southeast of Sacramento: Posterity Ciderworks’ “Bee A Good Neighbor” Sparkling Apple Mead.
A course of delicata squash “royale,” essentially a savory custard but not so much chawanmushi-style as a softer pudding, is graced with Asian pear, Champagne sabayon and peanuts. A crisp tuile covers the bowl, decadently topped with sea urchin, the tuile cracked and eaten together. It’s a “wow” course, the peanuts and squash giving it an almost peanut butter-y vibe, married to umami. Though Lanham has been experimenting with different ingredients on this one, I would so keep the peanuts. This was the most fascinating of the new-to-me Anomaly dishes. Paired with Chitose Tsuru Junmai “Ginpu” sake, the rice wine’s creamy, sweet melon body played off the dish’s pear, nutty, of-the-sea layers.
Fennel! Fennel! Fennel! is a cheeky course inspired by a (rare thus far for Anomaly) “shitty Yelp review” saying the restaurant was good but featured “no meaningful ingredients.” So Lanham decided to make a whole dish of fennel in honor. Much as I hated fennel growing up, I adore it as an adult — as I have intentionally converted myself to all my younger food avoidances. So I appreciated the four-way fennel melange of roasted fennel in fennel jus over a puree prepared in Pommes Robuchon-style, famed French chef Joël Robuchon’s signature pomme purées (pureed potatoes) lush with butter, milk and salt. It’s accompanied by noodle-like ribbons of fennel dotted with orange smoked trout roe for textural contrast.
There’s a fascinating layer of black truffle canade (truffle, butter, bread) atop a large hand-dived scallop from Maine in yuzu and tarragon dashi broth. Prather Ranch filet mignon is partnered with beet millefeuille (a beet, mushroom, Parmesan, garlic gratin) and caramelized celery root purée. Lanham gives “throwback” filet mignon the sous vide treatment, so it’s super tender, cooked under pressure with garlic and thyme. Each may not delight as much as earlier courses, but there is no dud here.
Bay Area native and GM Matthew Mako crafted the wine list and pairings, hailing from an impressive roster of Michelin-starred, world’s best restaurants in SF: Benu (he was part of the opening team), Quince, Saison (where he was Director of Hospitality) and Avery (where he was partner). His wine selection includes choice California wines, most bottles under $200, the aforementioned welcome mix of sake, beers and mead/cider as well as quality non-alcoholic options like Proxies verjus and NON wines.
Chef Lanham’s background includes culinary school at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa, Auberge du Soleil and Solage’s SolBar in Napa, Spruce in SF, now 2 Michelin-starred Commis in Oakland, and Bird Dog in Palo Alto. During his recovery time for the aforementioned back injury, he began corresponding with zero waste-pioneering chef Sasu Laukkonen from Michelin-starred Restaurant Ora in Helsinki, Finland, where Lanham eventually flew out to meet and glean from, helping to further hone his vision for Anomaly.
Lanham also steers the pastry side of the menu, showcasing his Georgia roots in a sweet potato dessert with elements of maple and dark chocolate. But my preference on the dessert side was the palate cleansing pre-dessert, Textures of Lime. A take on key lime pie as granita with crust crumble, it’s uber-tart, bright, just what I want after rich savory courses — and based off my all-time favorite pie. The dessert bites (mignardises) included my other favorite, playful dessert taste: a luxurious house mint chocolate ganache inspired by after dinner mints. I was delighted to see a more unusual, funky-fun yet elegant Chavost Ratafia Soléra Champagne organic dessert sparkling wine being poured instead of the wonderful but expected dessert wine options (Sauternes, Tokaji, vin santo, etc.)
When whimsy meets skillful technique, is when Lanham’s vision comes into clear view: childhood nods (like peanuts, after dinner mints), the kitchen overflowing with dry ice that floats toward our table as dishes are prepared before us, the interplay of French toast and caviar, chips and dip, sea urchin and custard. There are less memorable moments, as with most tasting menus, but the “hits” honed in a few years of pop-up mode have set Lanham and team up for a strong start at Anomaly SF.
Even more impressive, the team welcomes all guests, which means they have dedicated menus for vegetarians, pescatarians, vegans and the gluten-free. It’s a tasting menu restaurant more affordable than many that feels like you’re dining in a talented chef friend’s industrial-modern apartment hidden away in the City.
// 2600 Sutter Street, anomalysf.com
