The very talented and slightly obsessive- in a good way- chef Thomas McNaughton opened Central Kitchen, his spin-off restaurant from the carbolicious Flour + Water, which sits just a few blocks away, late last year yet you still need to be some sort of table wrangler in order to snag a reservation at his 48 seat spot in San Francisco’s gastro-fanatic Mission District. A two-time finalist for the James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef Award, McNaughton and his team deliver casual fine-dining in an industrial rustic environment that even boasts garden-patio seating- which is a bold move, as the city’s pervasive night-time fog doesn’t usually warrant dining al fresco without a fleece…or a fur. Not to worry, the patio is partially covered so neither will be mandatory.
Central Kitchen is set in an old factory space, and the minimalist back dining room is designed with an open kitchen at one end and a bar at the other. If you manage to walk in last-minute as I did, be prepared to sit on benches, counters, or hard stools- if you can grab one- yet somehow it doesn’t really seem to matter once the enticing food comes your way.
McNaughton’s refined cooking talent lends to his glossy cuisine, and his previous experience at San Francisco’s fancy mainstays- Gary Danko, Quince and La Folie- is evident in every dish. A daily changing seven-course tasting menu is available along with his inspiring a la carte plates, infused with a multitude of flavorful ingredients. Sourcing four to five types of wood to prepare dishes in his hearth and capitalizing on local bounty, his California cuisine also emits traces of European style, although everything tastes truly original. Directly next door is McNaughton’s retail store and deli Salumeria, where sandwiches, charcuterie and other on-the-go delish can be picked up for perhaps another al fresco meal…weather permitting. www.centralkitchensf.com
