Bar Tartine Sandwich Shop On Its Way
Owners Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson opened Tartine Bakery in 2002. Since the overwhelming success of their bakery in the San Francisco Mission District, they have opened its sister restaurant Bar Tartine. Now the pastry chefs have bought the space next to Bar Tartine, previously a luggage shop, and are continuing their expansion with the impending opening of the Bar Tartine Sandwich Shop.
I caught up with Vinny Eng, the restaurant’s manager, to learn more details about the upcoming Bar Tartine Sandwich Shop. Even though he was unable to give me an exact date for the shop’s opening, he did tell me that it could be as soon as this month. I got the feeling that it could take a bit longer than that to iron out all the last-minute details, as Vinny made it clear that Chad and Elisabeth’s priority is to not rush the process and instead make sure everything, from the menu to the decor, is up to their standards first.
The sandwich shop’s main component will be its European bread oven. This new addition will allow Chad to explore his baking with a variety of grains, and the shop will be selling whole loaves as well. For the sandwich shop’s menu, Bar Tartine’s current chef Nicolaus Balla will be offering Northern European inspired sandwichs, plus various preserves, pickled vegetables, and spice blends that have all been made in their kitchen. The menu will be strongly inspired by Chad’s recent trip to Central and Northern Europe.
Elisabeth and Chad’s bakery and restaurant have both stood out since their inceptions. In 2008 the couple even won a James Beard award and were named the best pastry chefs in America. Since their approach in the restaurant world has been a success so far, one can only expect the same level of success for their upcoming sandwich shop. As Vinny puts it, “They’re driven by curiosity and they always want to try and explore different aspects of their craft.” In addition, they choose to work with local people from the Bay area whenever possible, whether its the artist Jesse Schlesinger who is collaborating with them on the interior of the shop, to Linden Street Brewery in Oakland.
To keep up to date on the approaching sandwich shop check here.
