[Photo: Eva Frye]
We've been tracking this doozie for years; and on yesterday's lengthy summer solstice eve, Bluestem Brasserie was finally ready to throw on a party dress for its Grand Opening soiree. The sun was out (how quickly it leaves us); the breeze was warm. In other words, the stage was perfectly set for a well-heeled crowd of investors and media friends to nosh and drink away—as they tend to do at these things. Bluestem opens tomorrow at 11 a.m. for its first day of service. Until then, consider this here report as your early admittance.
1) Owners Adam and Stacy Jed were all smiles, working the crowd and posing for pictures. Adam took a few minutes to take Eater in the kitchen to say hi to Chef Canavan, hard at work. He plated watermelon gazpacho, housemade lamb sausage and mini corn dogs during our brief encounter.
2) Pastry Chef James Ormsby came into the kitchen, warning Jed of an impending fire. One of the guests was downing every drink left on tables. Maybe he thought it was a dive bar opening.
3) Designer Olle Lundberg was showing off the dramatic Indonesian wooden tile floor to suited guests in between passed rose profiteroles and maple bacon beignets.
4) Jed re-entered the dining room with a plate of hors d'oeuvres and a guest commented "you've finally graduated to server," to which he came back with, "they've finally let me leave the dish pit!"
5) Guests crammed onto the terrace outside, where an ultra-friendly bartender told us the prosecco and sauvignon blanc were crowd-pleasers. She also dropped a tip that Gavin Newsom and The Gettys were supposed to come, though we never saw them.
6) The indoor bar was busy serving up Salt Lick martinis, a dirty shaken twist on the original using bison grass vodka and caper berry brine.
-Eva Frye
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