Melissa Perello's Frances Opens

For every restaurant that has closed (and this year, there have been many) another opens in its place. The natural ebb and flow is what makes this a good eating town, constantly in a state of change and renewal. The latest long-awaited addition to the dining scene is Frances, Melissa Perello's first solo venture, which will open it's doors today (3870 17th Street between Noe and Sanchez, 415-621-3870) in the former home of a short-lived Filipino restaurant that Perello (and her father and a team of pros) renovated extensively. I interviewed Perello for our November issue, and while at that time she shared many details, one thing she wasn't ready to reveal was her menu.

But in an email today she revealed some of the juicy details—applewood-smoked bacon beignets, duck liver mousse with pickled currants and grilled levain bread, slow-roasted beef with creamed winter greens and cipollini onions, crisp pork confit with melted Brussels sprouts, grits and butter bean-porcini ragout on the side. Some might argue it sounds like the kind of simple, rustic food that many restaurants in SF are preparing right now, a point I'm not sure Melissa would dispute. That may be the case, but no matter—it sounds like exactly the kind of food I'd like to be eating on any one of these cold evenings. Frances is open for business! Get in there and give Melissa a warm welcome.