In a city silly with Michelin-starred restaurants and globally-lauded chefs, Lord Stanley was one of our local Michelin-starred restaurants I’d visited less often than others. It’s easy for even greats to get lost in the shuffle in a city with literally hundreds of world-class restaurants.
I’ll admit my initial experiences when the restaurant first opened in 2015 weren’t as warm as at many of a similar price range and quality, so that played into why it didn’t run high on my return list on those all-too-rare nights I can choose my returns amid constant work travel and reviewing of new and changing restaurants.
But I’ll be the first to say, in its new incarnation, launched September 7th as Turntable at Lord Stanley, the restaurant has hit new heights. I was saddened to see the announcement this month of In Situ closing, as I was of the (unpopular) opinion that In Situ was Corey Lee’s best restaurant (most known for his three Michelin-starred, World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ Benu).
In Situ was a brilliant concept allowing diners to travel the world — and through eras — with each dish. Turntable is certainly not the same concept, but it has a similar spirit: a collaborative showcase of global chefs partnering with Lord Stanley co-chefs/husband-and-wife owners, Rupert and Carrie Blease, who launched this new incarnation with global events expert, Michael Goldman of TasteMakers.
Turntable is like a rotating residency for world-renowned chefs, sharing signature dishes or experimenting with new concepts. A fall lineup of Argentinian chefs (all from Buenos Aires) runs September through November, culminating Thanksgiving week with chef Narda Lepes of Latin America 50 Best #50 restaurant, Narda Comedor, who was named World’s 50 Best 2020 Latin America’s Best Female Chef. Micaela Najmanovich of restaurant Anafe cooks there now through October 2nd, followed by Julio Martin Baez of Julia Restaurant October 5th through the 30th, then Mercedes “Mecha” Solís of Café San Juan November 2nd through 27th.
The initial tasting menu is $125 per person or $200 total with drink pairings.
In a smart turn, there is a hot pink takeout window offering a couple of playful dishes to-go, in addition to tasting menus savored in the clean lines of the intimate dining room, so you can experience “high-low” chef creations. Gracious wine director Louisa Smith works with the chefs to offer natural wine pairings, many of them rarities from the chef’s home country. Carrie and Rupert host the chefs in every element from housing to local farmer’s markets visits, while continuing to bring their presence to the dining room.
My husband and I walked in on a pristine night around sunset as the soothing white of the restaurant gave way to a warm glow. Starting off with a Lord Stanley cocktail, I was delighted to see a menu of straightforward-yet-unique low-proof cocktails, like the clean Sake Sawa, featuring one my faves: Oakland great, Den Junmai Namasake. The sake mingles delicately with grapefruit, lemon and green pepper. I especially loved the robust-yet-elegant Argentine Daisy, a classic twist combining Meigamma Vermut Rosso, Cocchi Americano, and Argentinian Stella Crinita Pet Nat sparkling wine.
Irresistible beginnings were Anafe classics of chicken liver parfait on an almond financier dotted with peach chutney, alongside warm challa bread smeared with house creamy ricotta in za’atar spices and olive oil. Both laid a good base, as one often gets a few courses into these small-portioned tasting menus before starting to feel satiated.
Crudo de Vieiras, a crudo of Massachusetts-sourced scallops, was stunningly accented with jalapeños, coriander oil, charred corn, cilantro, finger limes, and ice lettuces. The dish tasted like a burst of silky sunlight. Todos los Hongos (translating to “All of the Mushrooms”) is an earthy yet light mix of royal trumpets, peach, and lobster mushrooms cooked a la plancha, vividly contrasted with white cashew purée, hazelnut, nasturtium, and dates in a port wine reduction. It ran earthy, nutty, vegetal, and sweet simultaneously, amplified paired with 2020 Les Cigales, a white muscat and grenache blanc, skin-contact natural wine. The wine is floral, dry, and aromatic, reminiscent of a sour beer. Its earthy, apricot skin and pit notes sing with the mushroom dish.
The salad course is generous and cool with melon, tomato, cucumber, white onion, and jalapeño granita, paired with the aforementioned Den Junmai Namasake. The salad’s genius ingredients are Meyer lemon, fresh mint, and the umami whisper of fish sauce, all adding layers of complexity. By the time Arroz al Horno con Mollejas (roasted rice and lamb sweetbreads) arrived, we were both getting full. But the perfectly crispy-soft rice begged to be finished. I savored a kick of lemon aioli, fresh lemon squeeze, and nurturing heft of grilled greens. A pairing of 2020 Escala Humana Bequignol red wine from Argentina’s Uco Valley, brought contrast to the meaty comfort, with berry acidity and a lean body.
The couple next to us was discussing why there wasn’t a steak course, given the popularity of Argentinian steak, even as they gushed over the rice and sweetbreads. I, for one, was grateful not to see the obvious dishes we often find at U.S. Argentinian restaurants, whether they’re steakhouses or even Argentinian empanadas spots (which I’m crazy about). Instead, this was a peek into Argentina now from one of Buenos Aires’ forward-thinking, young female chefs. Without being able to travel there, we journey to South America for the night, and can only gain a more expanded picture by checking out menus from each chef this fall.
Chef Micaela brought out dessert to each table herself, her humor and energy sparking the room with a rich, low voice resonating as she joked and laughed with us. Her Paris-brest crocante, a French dessert of choux pastry filled with praline semifreddo, drizzled in dark chocolate, was the right play of pastry crunch and fluffiness with creamy semifreddo, gaining nutty depth from a pairing of Quinta de Infantado Tawny Reserva Port from Portugal’s dreamy Douro region.
Walking out onto Polk and Broadway on an untouched night, I started plotting a return to Lord Stanley’s Argentinian chefs’ residencies to get more of a taste of the country’s culinary vision in my own backyard. I’m grateful to the Bleases for being willing to evolve their restaurant into a space that champions and supports chefs (and their food and cultures) that we all (deliciously) benefit from getting a chance to know.
// 2065 Polk Street, www.lordstanleysf.com
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