Restaurants rarely get a second chance to succeed, and those that do often fail. Yet Anna Weinberg may defy the odds at Marlowe, which until a few months ago was known as South.
She owned that restaurant with one of Australia's best-known chefs, Luke Mangan, who created the Down Under menu. The food was good, the interior cool, but the restaurant never had enough traction. Mangan bowed out and Weinberg decided to go it alone.
She redecorated the interior, though its stylish South of Market industrial aura remains - perfect for the location across from the Caltrain station. To head the kitchen, Weinberg brought on Jennifer Puccio, who first attracted my attention at Cortez, where she earned three stars for her food.
Meat-centric
At Marlowe, Puccio creates a market-driven menu with an emphasis on meat, including what has become my favorite Bay Area hamburger ($13). It's a Niman Ranch beef patty with a little lamb mixed in to fortify the flavor. She places it on an Acme bun with a slather of horseradish aioli, cheddar cheese, crisp bacon and cool shredded lettuce. It's accompanied by great fries; they're medium-thick and the exterior shatters like safety glass to release a puff of steam from the souffle-like interior. This might not seem like big news, but when I recently blogged about it I got more than 500 comments.
The restaurant is named for Weinberg's great-grandfather's butcher shop in Boston, and Marlowe pays homage to the trade. A chalkboard features drawings of animals with dotted lines showing the various cuts; on another a roll of butcher paper lists daily specials. The white-and-black hexagonal flooring looks as if it's seen its share of sawdust. South's communal table remains, straddling a massive earthquake beam, and large windows overlooking the train tracks add to the industrial look of the 48-seat space.
Stylish presentation
The food is fresh and presentations are more stylish than you'dexpect reading the one-page menu. Little Gem salad ($8) with avocado, market vegetables and citrus vinaigrette is artfully arranged in a precise rectangle that echoes the shape of the plate. Tucked between leaves are coins of red beets and watermelon radishes, as sheer as organza, dolloped with avocado mousse. The showstopping presentation matches the vivid taste.
