One Market was opened in 1993 at one of San Francisco’s prime spots with views of the Ferry Building, the Bay Bridge and the streetcars passing just outside the windows. The restaurant has been around for a long time and it is impossible to imagine the city without the restaurant since it stands for everything positive associated with San Francisco.

One Market is one of the safest restaurant reservations you can make if you like to have a great time of hospitality and delicious food. The Lark Creek Restaurant Group really has made a great success out of One Market. Founding Chef and Principal Bradley Ogden is no longer standing over the stove, but Chef and Partner Mark Dommen does an excellent job in managing the big kitchen for the about 200 guests on fully booked evenings. Yes, One Market is not a small and intimate restaurant, but the restaurant has a huge personality despite the fact that it is so big. Well, big at least for people coming from other countries than the United States and China.

Chef Mark Dommen started his culinary career when he was 16 years old. He became the Chef of One Market in 2004, but he had many years of experience before that. Dommen started his career for real at Fleur de Lys in San Francisco where he was taught French haute cuisine by Chef Hubert Keller. Dommen’s newly gained skills in French cooking came to perfect use during his four years spent in New York with Gray Kunz at Lespinasse and with David Burke at Park Avenue Café. Mark then moved back to California for a position as the Executive Chef of Julia’s Kitchen in Napa Valley, which became a success.

Chef Dommen’s French cooking techniques combined with the amazing produce available in the region around San Francisco warrant a great cuisine. You will have a contemporary American fare, but with numerous influences from Europe and Asia. A typical ingredient of the region is the Dungeness crab, and Dommen’s approach to it, with grapefruit, elderflower, hearts of palm and shiso is something you should try. There are many great dishes, but our favourite is the Rossotti Ranch goat rack with duck and foie gras sausage, faro, nettles and earl grey jus. In addition, on Friday and Saturday evenings you can have what the restaurant calls the “Weekly Beast” which is a set menu of a particular meat from head to hoof or foot, like a goat, or even a whole salmon.

There are many talents working at One Market in addition to the Chef, like the General Manager and Partner Larry Bouchard, Pastry Chef Patti Dellamonica-Bauler and Wine Director Tonya Pitts. All the efforts the folks at One Market put in result in a great restaurant for everyone, from people looking to close a deal over a lunch to couples seeking a joyful evening.

Written by Andy