Chef
Nancy Oakes
Boulevard Restaurant,
San Francisco, CA
Chef
Nancy Oakes has reached and sustained a level of awareness
and culinary excellence held by few chefs in America today.
Recently honored by the Sustainable Foods Institute for
her commitment to honoring sustainable food practices,
Nancy Oakes continues to demonstrate her commitment to
excellence in every aspect of her restaurant, whether
it be the selection of each ingredient her restaurant
uses, or the development of a new recipe for her constantly
changing menu.
Prior
to opening Boulevard in 1993, Chef Oakes earned high praise
at her restaurant, L'Avenue, a 50-seat San Francisco neighborhood
bistro where she created and sustained a wonderful loyalty
and intimacy with her diners. This relationship continues
at the 145-seat Boulevard. Before L'Avenue, Oakes and
a friend created a popular waterfront restaurant called
Barnacle, During her years of study at the San Francisco
Art Institute, Oakes was also known in San Francisco for
her down-to-earth yet elegant service and hospitality
while working at such places as Alexis on Nob Hill.
As
a self-taught chef, Oakes enhanced her philosophy with
the knowledge she gained from great teachers under whom
she served informally. From Girard Boyer and Taillevent
to Guy Savoy and Joel Robuchon, Oakes learned to cherish
all aspects of food from searching for the freshest ingredients
to perfect service.
At
Boulevard, Nancy Oakes is able to fulfill her dream of
giving diners a truly sensuous experience. She and her
crew continue to cook 'a la minute' for each diner, having
created a menu such that in any evening, they are preparing
a relatively small number of each item.
"When
you order a chicken, we actually cook it to order for
you over the open fire in our wood-burning oven. There
are no shortcuts. Even our pastries and cookies are made
in small batches so they have a home-baked quality. We
all feel a reverence for the food we use... we choose
diver scallops rather than dredged, and fruits and vegetables
straight from the farm or the farmer's market. In our
kitchen, we all share San Francisco's love and commitment
to good food," says Oakes.
Chef
Participant: Cooking for
Solutions Conference 2006
Chef
Recipes:
Cider
Brined Pork Loin with Shaved Brussel Sprouts, Smoked Applewood
Bacon, Pomegranate Relish and a Natural Jus
Quail
Stuffed with Foie Gras and Roasted Fresh Porcini, Sauteed
Spinach and Potato Mousseline and Natural Jus
Pan
Roasted Squab Foie gras Bruschetta,
Autumn Vegetables with Truffle Relish, Natural Sauce
Pumpkin
Brioche Pain Perdu with Spiced Blackberries
Sea
of Cortez Rock Scallop Vegetables Carpaccio
and Ginger Riesling Vinaigrette
Yellowfin
Tuna with Pickled Wasabi Leaves, Avocado, Yuru Vinaigrette,
Radish Salad and Lotus Chips
Other
Great Related Links:
Cooking
for Solutions
Healthy
Choices, Healthy Oceans Cooking for Solutions
and the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch
Programs are empowering seafood consumers and
businesses to make choices for healthy oceans. To learn
more, visit www.seafoodwatch.org.
Chef
Nancy Oakes & Meals on Wheels, May 18, 2008, Fort
Mason, CA
Nancy Oakes of Boulevard returns for her fifth year as
Gala Chef Chairwoman, who along with her A-list colleagues
will prepare the food lover's feast. . .
Oakes
Pairs Wines of Alsace with Flair
Although this French wine and food pairing took place
approxi-mately 5 years ago, the recipes that Nancy Oakes
prepared especially for Hubert Trimbach. .
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