San Francisco’s Traci Des Jardins closing her signature Jardinière restaurant
After more than 21 years, San Francisco chef Traci des Jardins is closing her flagship Jardinière, one of the city’s most respected restaurants.
The James Beard Award-winning chef made her announcement via the New York Times, telling the paper that while the restaurant is “pretty healthy,” it is “not thriving.”
According to the Business Times, the once very profitable restaurant is now lucky to break even, when considering employment costs, staffing challenges and increased competition in San Francisco.
The final night of service will be April 27.
Des Jardins told reporter Kim Severson she is “tired of fine dining,” and wants to concentrate her focus on Mexican food, including her other culinary ventures: Arguello at the Presidio and Mijita Cocina Mexicana in the Ferry Building. Her mother is of Mexican descent.
She also owns and operates the Commissary and Transit at the Presidio and works with the Bon Appetit Co. to oversee the Public House at Oracle Park.
She won a James Beard award in 2007 as the Best Chef in the Pacific region. In 1995, then with Rubicon, she was named one of the Best New Chefs in America by Food & Wine magazine.
Des Jardins partnered with designer Pat Kuleto to open this palace of French-California cuisine in 1997, ushering in a new era of fine dining in the Hayes Valley and Civic Center area. The restaurant immediately became popular with those attending the opera and symphony nearby.
In a statement issued Monday, Des Jardins wrote of fulfilling the restaurant’s mission: “We strive to be an amazing place to work; we have grown the Jardinière family, and have connected in ways that we never thought possible. We have been pioneers in the green revolution, sustainability, healthcare, support of our purveyors. We have educated our guests about food and drink while serving at least 5 million plates of delicious and exciting food. We have taken care of our guests and each other with a very clear commitment to doing both to the best of our abilities. We have created a culture that we can be very proud of.”
She added: “Few restaurants in San Francisco have made it to this landmark anniversary. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being part of the Jardinière family and the success of the past 21 years.
In the end, however, she told the Times, “My passion is moving me in a different direction. “I want to put Jardinière to rest as the distinguished place that it was, but it’s hard. It feels like I’m letting go of a style I built a 35-year career on.”