The Phoenix Supper Club

Wow — had an amazing experience with PSC last weekend. Truly impressive and creative food, drink, music, and venue. Especially loved the unique use of lights and timing that matched up with the music vibe and hues of the food — subtle red hues would go up when a red dish was served. We experienced nightfall and sunrise using lights on the wall during dinner. Really unique –

This was really a differentiated experience, which is saying quite a bit. A limo picked us up and took us to an amazing victorian house. 20 or so tables were set out. There was a great jazz band that played much of the 3 hour meal without interruption. 10 fascinating courses with drink parings that went way beyond wine (fascinating cocktails and beers as well), and that I though were more interesting.
We were a party of 5, but most people there were couples. Dress ranged in formality, but was largely casual.

After attending the Loretto dinner in June and having a remarkable evening of food, wine, music, and romance, we had The Phoenix Supper Club plan and execute a private party for my wife’s 50^th birthday. I coordinated everything with Rhonda Davidson and the evening could not have been more perfect. General Manager Rhonda handled everything including venue, transportation, open bar and full-​time bartender, passed hors d’hourves, 5 course meal, flowers, decorations, birthday cake, and 3 piece Jazz ensemble. All of our guests had a remarkable time and raved about the entire experience.
Originally, we had selected the Meridian Gallery on Powell Street for the party, but after attending Loretto at the Westerfeld House on Fulton Street, we asked if we could relocate the party. Within one day the new location was confirmed. Since many of our guests were staying at the St. Francis the relocation required transportation to the new site. Rhonda handled the arrangements to perfection. Upon arrival at the Westerfeld House, a beautiful table was set with 5 forks, 4 knifes, 4 different wine glasses, plus printed menus and all of the accompaniments. As our group lined up for cocktails at the bar, passed hors d’hourves included Kobe truffle sliders, Ahi Tartare, Crab Rolls, and Beet & Goat Cheese Lollipops (that were amazing). A classy Jazz trio provided back ground music without overwhelming the space or creating a distraction. Althought it was never discussed in advance, a photographer was present the entire night providing portraits of our guests and capturing the event. This was an unexpected nice touch.
Only after we indicated we were ready for our dinner to begin, our guests were seated and Chef Tommy Halverson addressed the group to describe each course and the nuances of the ingredients their preparation. Wine pairings were were announced at the beginning of each course, including varietal, vintage, and qualities of each wine. Courses included Tomatoes and Melon, Seared Halibut on Saffron Infused Tabbouleh (favorite course), Surf & Turf with grilled scallop & pork belly, Poached Kobe Beef with bone marrow medallion and parsley root, and a beautiful wite cake with passion fruit filling.
Each course was perfectly prepared and presented. Over half of our guests were serious foodies and half were not. Everyone equally enjoyed the entire experience and were gushing about uniqueness of the evening and the venue. There is nothing like the Westerfeld House anywhere, and The Phoenix Supper Club has a great command of the venue and has perfected the preparation of amazing meals in non-​commercial kitchen. The entire expereince is unforgetable.
George Chrisman
Burlingame, CA

Pure perfection from beginning to end. I have never been to an event quite like this. From beginning to end I savored every course. This was the best food and dining experience I have ever had in SF! These hidden secrets are what the city is all about.

Check out Loretto.
More than a meal, an experience.
This is more exclusive than the french laundry, since they fill up fast and only happen once in a while.
The food is on par with other restaurants which have one michelin star.
When you consider this is done without a commercial kitchen, it’s remarkable.
The price seems a bit high at first, but when you factor the limo ride, the wine pairing [they pour nine 3−4oz glasses], complimentary champagne at the meeting place, complimentary champagne in the limo, complimentary cognac after dinner, it really becomes worth the price.
So many high end restaurants nickle and dime you, even when you do prix fixe. I’ve had two $ 80 meals cost me about $ 400. Here there’s no surprise with the bill.
Check it out.

My husband took me to one of their pop-​up dinners in Portrero for Valentines. We met at Chez Spencer for some complementary pre-​dinner drinks while we waited for our scheduled limo to whisk us to our mystery dinner location. (BTW, the waitress at Chez Spencer was very rude that night)
We had a nine course meal with pairings.
Food: 3 stars
6 of the 9 dishes were decent. 3 were unexciting. The overall flavors were well balanced, however temperature for the food must have been a problem due to the impromptu kitchens. 2 of my meat dishes were way too dry, and there are no flavors good enough to hide dried out meat. The food quality definitely does not justify the price tag.
Wine: 4 stars
Very impressing pairings. Nothing expensive, but were all very good choices for each dish.
Ambiance/​Experience: 4 stars
Impromptu is impromptu, but there was live jazz. This was pretty fun mostly due to the novelty and the limo ride. The staff were very nice and Loretta and her brother were great hosts. It was truly a very nice effort and I’m a sucker for supporting innovative experiences and unique food businesses.
All in all, this is a great date experience or special occasion with friends.

Experiences like the Phoenix Supper Club are rare. They are even more cherished when they take place on a special occasion such as Valentine’s Day 2010 in my case. My boyfriend found this dining experience, made the reservations and told me that he was organizing the entire evening. When I inquired where we would be spending the evening, he said that he had no idea and was basically as much in the dark as I was. Not very reassuring for a detail and organization driven German like myself, but I had to take a deep breath and put faith in him.
We were told to meet at a bar somewhere on Polk Street at a certain time for cocktails and further instructions. Upon arrival, we were introduced to Lauren, the event coordinator that my boyfriend had been in touch with. Several other couples were already enjoying cocktails at a few reserved tables and we proceeded to get introduced and enjoyed an apéritif. After about 30 minutes, we were told to leave and were each handed a glass of champagne before entering a stretch limo. The dark of the night took us away and no one knew what to expect.
After a short drive we arrived in a residential neighborhood and entered an old Victorian house with amazing antique architecture. The living room had been converted into a restaurant floor for the evening with intimate tables for twos and fours.
Loretto was an outstanding 9-​course wine paired meal. The service was outstanding, the fresh seasonal ingredients were bursting with flavor, and a truly romantic evening ensued. Happiness sank in.
There was a Jazz trio that provided lovely music for the evening and took the atmosphere up another notch. Thanks to the couple at the table next to us, around course 3 or 4 we figured out that they refill the paired wines and so in Russian and German manner, we went to town. By course 7, we were involved in conversations with said table and having a blast.
My boyfriend and I are not ones for sticking around for long after a meal is done, so when we wanted to get going although other couples were still sitting around and talking, the limo took us all the way back to our hotel rather than the initial bar spot we met at. That was definitely a nice finishing touch.
I will definitely enjoy another experience with the Phoenix Supper Club in my near future.
PS: To the Asian couple seated to our left — I felt really sorry for the guy that decided to woo his lady and spend quite a fortune on this evening. The tiny girl was so full after course 4 that she barely touched any rest of the food. Don’t bring your date here unless you know she can hold some food! It’s a shame to have all that yumminess untouched.

It was truely as good as it gets. The food was great, service was perfect and location was incredible. All good

This dining adventure is a real class event. From the moment you arrive at the rendezvous point you know it’s going to be a special evening. We were escorted into a reception lounge and our included cocktail orders were taken. Outstanding martinis! And it was easy to mingle with other guests should you choose to. In fact, everyone was very friendly and we especially enjoyed the company of another couple (we’re going to meet up with them again in the future). It almost seemed the limo arrived too soon! However, the party continued in the limo with champagne and more laughter. The venue this evening was a beautiful Victorian mansion and we were greeted at the door by a hostess that seemed like she knew us for years. We were seated at a table for two although there is some flexibility should you want to dine with new found friends. The 9 course meal with wine pairing was outstanding. Some favorites were, the seared scallop with braised pork belly, rendered breast of duck with fresh Medjool dates, Kobe beef with a bone marrow reduction, and a great Santa Rosa plum and ginger ice cream dessert … coffee and port made for a perfect finish. The wait staff were professional and friendly, always there but never intrusive. Did I mention the live music? Highly recommended!

Loretto by the Phoenix Supper Club was hands down one of the most exciting nights out I’ve spent in a long time! My date and I were treated to a magnificent setting (if I tell you where I’d have to kill you), a private table that made us both feel as if we were the only people there. A stellar Jazz trio entertained us throughout the evening as did our incredibly knowledgeable, professional and personable staff, proving you can have it all.
From the moment we sat down we felt like royalty. The sweet rolls served with lava salted butter set the tone. I could have made a meal just of the bread but thankfully held back as I knew what was coming.
We started our culinary journey with seasonal heirloom tomatoes, compressed (flavor and form) melon, fresh mozzarella, micro basil Fiordolio Olive Oil and the most syrupy Manadori Balsamico! You could have dipped me in that balsalmic dressing, it was that good!
Every course comes with its own wine pairing, now please understand that I am not a wine officianado but I drank every single drop of every tasting we were poured… and I loved it! I guess I just have a palate for wine that demands high quality as each glass was more bombastic then the previous one. Each white was a revelation in bouquet, flavor and crispness, the champagne was as sparkling as the repartee with my date and the reds foretold and prepared us for the heavier courses in such a way as to make us both feel like children waiting to receive a gift.
Our second course was a scrumptious Peruvian Purple Potato and Sweet Onion Purée with a deep fried fromage blanc and porcini mushroom filled squash blossom nestled in it like a present waiting to be opened. Every bite was an explosion of flavors!
Our third course was an amazing foie gras tourchon topped with a Bing and Ranier Cherry compote sitting on top of a toasted brioche. Dear God, Chef Tommy created a mélange of flavors that paired perfectly with the Mumm Cuvee «M» Champagne in a symphony of flavors that had us reeling in delight.
The 4^th course consisted of a perfectly prepared Alaskan Halibut on top of a saffron infused Tabbouleh panko breaded pillow surrounded by a harrisa sauce that was offset with the most refreshing cucumber shot I’ve ever tasted! The Stoneleigh Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand shocked our old factory senses with a bouquet so unique you thought you were drinking something only Kings & Queens ever got to taste. A shocking surprise that was as exceptional as was the food with which it was paired.
Number 5 paired a perfectly rendered breast of duck with a Medjool date gastrique and chanterelle mushrooms in navel orange oil complimented by an extraordinary Malbec from Argentina. What a combination, sweet, crispy, chewy and full flavored.
Our 6^th course of seared scallop, baby corn kernels in a zucchini package and our hands down favorite, braised and basted pork belly was the highlight of this feast for my date and I. The crispness of the Napa Valley Franciscan Chardonnay was intoxicating. We could have eaten a plate full of these amazing treats!
We anxiously awaited our 7^th course of poached Kobe Beef and bone marrow which was surrounded by a spectacular demi-​Grenobloise reduction and the perfectly shaved parsley root and carrot mille feuille I’ve ever tasted, a perfect compliment to this melt in your mouth beef. The Mount Veeder Cab only served to heighten our enjoyment of this course.
Our 8^th course was a beautifully plated Bohemian Creamery Bo Poisse cheese which one spread on walnut toast and topped with a sumptuous candied apricot jam and a touch of frissee greens as a counterpoint.
Our final dish was this beautiful single pie-​looking tart filled with elephant heart plums, plum gastrique and topped with a crystallized ginger ice cream and paired with my favorite wine of the evening, an Icewine from Canada!
We started dinner at 7:30pm and ended just before midnight believing it was only 10ish. The meal flowed smoothly, the plates were hot when called for and cold when needed. Our hostess was decked out in beautiful diamond and sapphire jewelry but was so down to earth, concerned with our overall experience and perfectly attentive without being over-​bearing that we were put at ease from beginning to end.
I am still finding it hard to believe that a young chef from Kentucky, no less, can not only source such a cornucopia of foods but knows not only what to do with them but takes every single ingredient to new heights. What a star!
In summary, whether you are celebrating a special occasion or just life, whether you find the $ 225 per person cost hard to fathom or just another expense, you will leave this culinary affair with memories and tastes for a lifetime. This experience is simply not to be missed, from start to finish we felt pampered, informed, educated, entertained and thrilled with each minute that passed. A memory of a lifetime right here in our backyard!

I know, crazy long review = boooooring. But wait! bear with me ’cause here’s the scoop :
I hate to bag on a group that is trying to make a go of roaming dining, because I dig the concept, unfortunately the Mephisto 5 course dinner I attended at Blue Sky Rental Studios was a disaster.
The space itself was pleasant —
— it did not blow my mind, but it was nice enough. Nothing to complain about.
To our chagrin, the upside all but ended there.
Here’s the deal :
Food — Temperature was off on everything. Stuff that should have been warm was room temp and dishes that should have been chilled where … room temp. Flavor was bland. I normally add salt to nothing and suddenly found myself wishing I had some.
Timing — Food came out painfully slooooooow. Fortunately the company I brought with me was great. Otherwise, I might have been tempted to throw a fit.
Staff — Door greeter and email responder, Lauren, had a lovely smile when we arrived. Sadly we only saw her again on our way out the door. Our server was very, very nice. Too bad he knew little about our food and even less about our «expertly paired» wines.
Wines — Whites were average. I really enjoyed the meager half glass of bubbly they poured when we sat down. Sadly they ran out after that and had to go to the store to fetch a subpar back up. The price tag was still on the boring Roederer Estate bottle. Amateur night.
This was the same event a fellow reviewer discussed and I echo her complaints. Peep her review.
In addition, a guest at our table had notified the event organizers a week prior that she’s (almost) vegetarian. Seafood only, please.
Veg-​heads please note: our food was poor, hers was offensive.
They (I kid you not) brought her the veggies/​garnish that was served with our entrees as her main course. Chef, you should be embarrassed. The staff comp’ed our table $ 22 for her entrée. This was after we where snipped at by one of the staff members (not our server) for notifying their group 5 days prior to the event that one of our guests was vegetarian. Really, this is unusual in San Francisco, a vegetarian? You must be joking.
Please note, when emails were exchanged prior to the event regarding our no-​meat-​please-​seafood-​is-​fine-​diner, we were told explicitly that this was not a problem.
I could go on, but you get the point. Take Phoenix Supper Club off your must-​do/​eat list and wait for the next ‘Out Standing in the Field’ event.
After waiting forever for a taxi (painfully long, like 40 minutes) we headed to Globe for our late night back-​up dinner.
$ 120 a head with the Phoenix Group +plus dinner take two = an expensive night out. Fortunately the oysters and pizza at Globe were fab.
Thank you and goodnight!

I had high expectations based on the other Unilocal reviews. I went on the 5-​course mephisto event in the blue sky photo studio. The space was nice and open with great views.
The food would have good if i) it wasn’t lukewarm when it arrived at our table and ii) if it didn’t take forever to get our courses. We waited a really long time to even get our first course. What topped it off was that the service staff didn’t really recognize that they were taking a very long time. It seemed like they didn’t know what is an appropriate amount of time to wait for service.
I would not recommend nor would I go again. For the price, there are much better restaurants and tasting menus in the bay area.
****
Update: After posting my review, someone from the Phoenix Supper Club did contact me to apologize and offer a re-​do. I appreciate the effort made to compensate us for our poor experience, so I’ll recognize it in this review (even though we are not accepting the invitation, nor am I changing my rating). Thanks for the effort.

New venue for PSC: an Elks Lodge. Now, when you think «dinner at the Lodge» what do you picture? You sure as heck don’t think of duck breast, gnocci, apple and radish salad… but that is what we saw on the menu this past Friday night.
This is gonna be an awesome match-​up. I can tell already!

There are dining experiences and then there are magical hours of culinary madness, and The Phoenix Supper Club is a little bit of both.
There’s a little mystery since you don’t know the location until that evening; it’s not a restaurant by standard terms, at least. On the night we went, we started at a bar on Fillmore, then were taken by limo to a historic Victorian (
) on Alamo Square. Over the 9-​course «Loretto» wine-​paired menu, a chanteuse entertained the guests like something out of an old time parlour.
Outside of the luxuriant food preparations (chef Tommy Halvorson earned his chops at at Bix and Gary Danko), what I found truly thrilling was talking to the other people who also chose to make this their evening. It’s such a unique concept — and not inexpensive — that you quickly realized everyone was celebrating something special.
The supper club harkens to another time and really almost another place. If you’re ever able to attend one of their dinners, I promise you it’s meal you won’t soon, if ever, forget.

I cannot shower PSE with enough praise. Loretto by the Phoenix Supper Club was absolutely spectacular. It ain’t cheap, but if you’ve got the dough to fork out for a special occasion (or just to have an unforgettable «foodie experience»), you will NOT be disappointed. In fact, it’s magical events like this that remind me how lucky I am to live in San Francisco.
I took my mom, and I’m pretty sure she was more stoked on this than anything we’ve ever done together. We met our fellow diners on a street corner, and a limo greeted us with champagne and took us to a surprise location. The service was incredible, the wine was incredible, the setting was incredible and most importantly, the food was incredible. 5 stars, all the way.

What an incredible dinning experience! The supper club on Nov 21 was at the Westerfield house in Alamo Sq and it was the perfect setting for the amazing 9 course meal and wine pairing. The people working were very friendly and made us feel right at home.
The wines were all very interesting and the whole experience of being whisked away to an unknown location in a limo with champagne in hand was so exciting!
While this is a great place to come with someone special I think it is much more fun with a group of 6 or 8 with whom to share the great food and wine.

My video adventure watching The Phoenix Supper Club folk prep for the night! The prep, the plating, and the adventure before the degustation. :)
And my adventure THROUGH the degustation here… drool…
enjoy, and think about hitting me up for a
adventure– i’m always game. :)

What didn’t happen last night at Mephisto presented by The Phoenix Supper Club?!?
Secret venue tucked away in SOMA… check
Cool urban art… check
Live Jellyfish… check
Trapeze act… check
Enticing music… check
Provocative entertainment projected on the wall… check
That’s right. Everything above was on top of the five course wine paired extravaganza in your mouth dinner. The menu, «Colorful and Comfortable», included
Butternut Squash Veloute accompanied by a smoked gouda sandwich that has been fried in sage butter paired with Gosset Champagne, Brut Excellence (NV)
Seared Loch Duart Salmon paired with roasted beets and Sausalito Springs watercress paired with Starmont Merryvale Chardonnay, Napa 2007
Roasted Sonoma Duck with grilled treviso and huckleberries tossed in a bacon vinaigrette paired with Groom, Barossa Valley Bush Block Zinfandel, Australia 2008
Pinot Braised Beef Short Ribs with glazed fall vegetables and mascarpone polenta paired with Martorana, Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Ginger Honey Cake with lemon-​green cardamom sorbet, pomegranate salad, verbena, and lemon olive oil paired with Pirramimma, McLaren Valley Riesling, Australia 2005
My personal favorite was the seared Salmon, perfectly grilled and flawlessly rare in the middle, and the ’08 Zin from Australia.
I hate to talk about price, but with everything above at a price point of $ 110, how can I not?
Find out about all of The Phoenix Supper Club events at

Chef Tommy Halvorson has a lot going on. In addition to Eat@111 Minna, he has a couple of incarnations of what he calls the Phoenix Supper Club. Mephisto (which is what this review is about) is a 5 course meal set at what they consider their home base at the Meridian Gallery. He also has a dinner called Loretto which is like the raves back in the day where you met at a map point, and then get transported to a secret location with a 8 course meal (im my todo list!).
I had emailed Chef Halvorson and one of his partners in crime, Crystal, on the fact that my friend had a few food allergies and wasn’t doing the wine pairing. Not only was it easy for him to accommodate those allergies, he came up with a series of drinks unique to my friends meal which were non alcoholic. Talk about going the distance! The seating in the gallery itself is very cool and if you’ve tried Josh Skenes, Kris Esquena, and Mark Bright’s Saison, which is another «pop up» (for lack of a better description) style dinner, it gives talented chefs who love to cook a showcase for their skills without the need to put in a full bore investment in opening a full scale restaurant. The results? Excellent food and service a la fine dining in a surprise locale. The food and wine for the evening:
–Prosciutto and Melon — San Daniele Prosciutto, galia melon «ravioli», ginger-​kaffir raita, mint
+ Champagne, Brut Excellence, Gosset NV
–Shrimp Scampi — Wild Louisiana Prawns, lemon emulsino, pried polenta, chili poil, parlsey «cream», chervil
+Sauvignon Blanc, Groom, Adelaide Hills, 2008
–Roast Chicken and Mushrooms — Crisp Rosie Chicken Thigh, chantrelle, maitake, balck truffle broth, shaved black truffle, cress
+Syrah Blend, Irma La Tage, Santa Rosa, 2007
–Steak and Potatoes — Kobe Bavette, horseradish whipped potatoes, braised shard, shallot, Kobe emulsion
+Cabernet Sauvignon, Martorana Dry Creek Valley, 2005
–Chocolate and Cherries — Brown butter brownie, Parisienne Cherries, brandied cherry sorbet, praline foam
+Riesling Pirramimma, McLaren Valley, Australia, 2005
The reinterpretation of classic dishes worked wonderfully. The flavors, attention to detail and of course, the ad hoc production for our table was very well received. The service was also excellent with room for socializing, which made the meal all that much better. Now thatt I’ve had the Mephisto dinner, it’s time to look forward to Loretto!

The Phoenix Supper Club’s Loretto Dinner, the new roaming supper club and its first nine-​course pop-​up affair brought to you by chef Tommy Halvorson (Bix, Gary Danko) debuted last night on October 24^th at the Haas-​Lilienthal House on Franklin. Fun experience and will rotate to other undisclosed locations around San Francisco.
The food was excellent. The 4 hours went by very quickly.
Things I would suggest would be more group seating which would encourage meeting more people. We kind of did this on our own that night, but would make it a rule with large tables of 12 – 16. I think that is better environment. It makes the whole mystery meet up and Limo ride more consistent with the experience. Meet people in the limo and then have dinner with them. If there is no connecting of individual parties then how is the Limo ride consistent with the overall experience?
I am also excited to see what the new identity and look for this concept is once Indicate Design Groupe gets done as well.