The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco had one of the most traditional fine dining restaurants in the city and Executive Chef Ron Siegel performed greatly in the kitchen, but new times demanded a change so a completely new restaurant called Parallel 37 saw its light by the end of 2011. Executive Chef Ron Siegel has left, but the concept is nowadays more approachable than it used to be and a more casual style is present in the stylish dining room. The current Chef de Cuisine is Michael Rotondo. He has worked at former Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago.

The traditional fine dining restaurants get fewer and fewer around the world, with a customer base that demands quicker dining experiences in a more casual environment without losing sight of the culinary quality. Parallel 37 is a perfect example of that and the new concept works great, indeed. The name of the restaurant is inspired by the geographic latitude running near the San Francisco Bay Area, the latitude line passing through Northern California with one of the best and most sustainable agriculture regions in the world, with amazing produce including the wines from the area nearby.

You might think that the price tag will be high since the restaurant is located in a luxury hotel, but think again because all the items on the menu offer good value for money. There is a wide range of dishes to choose from, but none will cost you more than around 30 dollars at the most. To have a Sonoma duck breast with salsify, radishes and shiitake mushrooms prepared by one of the top chefs of America for less than 30 dollars is great to say the least. The menu may look familiar, but perfectly cooked Angus beef ribeye with Yukon gold potatoes, king trumpet mushroom, cipollini onion and sancho pepper reduction will never disappoint you for sure.

Parallel 37 is another example where traditional fine dining has been turned into a more casual dining experience for a wider audience and the experience you will have can be summarized in one word – great!

Written by Andy