Today we’d like to introduce you to Peter J. Hemsley.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My relationship to food began with my mother’s approach to food, mixing her rural Pennsylvania farm country cooking heritage with the American inventiveness. My cooking career debuted after high school when I began working in pro kitchens during my summers between college terms. I trained professionally in France, lived in Paris for four years, and have worked in New York City and in California. I’ve always been connected with my artistic side – in my youth, you’d find me constantly with a graphite pencil, drawing. The combination of food and art began in earnest in 2011 when I started to concentrate my art work entirely on the food world. In 2016, I began Open Palette Hospitality, and in 2019 we opened our first full-fledged restaurant space Palette, which also acts as part art gallery and retail space including an in-house ceramics workshop.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road. Finding a space big enough to accommodate my concept in the high priced San Francisco market was a challenge, and starting up a multi-use concept integrating sophisticated hospitality, retail, and art gallery components is quite challenging in it of itself.
Please tell us about Palette.
Palette is a seasonal California restaurant where each dish tells a unique story. We utilize the wood-fired oven or rotisserie to showcase the robust flavors of California’s bounty and work closely with local Bay Area artisans, such as House Ceramicist Andrew Kontrabecki, to develop one-of-a-kind dishware – an experimental approach to artful plating that provides guests a full-circle connection to every meal. The concept’s art gallery is dedicated to artwork that is inspired by food and the natural world, with a retail store that houses all of the products that we produce in collaboration with our network of artisans and artists (we also have an in-house ceramics studio). This is a unique concept and stands apart from other restaurants by virtue of what it is.
Pricing:
- Kicking off on Saturday, September 7, Palette launches a new concept within its own concept. A limited-time dinner series called: Inception. Art-lovers and foodies alike are invited to experience Chef-Owner Peter J. Hemsley’s artistic interpretation of an 8-course prix fixe menu ($185 per person, inclusive of beverage pairings, live entertainment, and gratuity), featuring dishes that showcase California’s seasonal bounty, as well as unique wares created in collaboration with in-house artisans melding art and cuisine into one seamless fine-dining experience.
Contact Info:
- Address: Palette, 816 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
- Website: www.palette-sf.com
- Phone: 415-865-0529
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/palette.sf/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/palettesf/
Image Credit:
Tonys Tartare Dish_Credit Rob Williamson, Strong Heart Dish_Credit Ghost Media, Retail Space_Credit Ghost Media, Dining Room_Credit Rob Williamson, Gallery_Credit Rob Williamson, Chef Peter J. Hemsley Portrait_Credit Jane Fisher
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