Maestro Readies Its Reveal In The Former Stars

Last we spoke of Maestro—the gargantuan new French-American bistro headed for the former Stars/Trader Vic's space—it was gunning to open in December. Now director of operations Stella Filmus says she's hoping to pull back the curtains with a grand opening before the end of the month. As Inside Scoop mentioned, the entire kitchen area has undergone an extensive and expensive full remodel. The wooden boats, rattan chairs and kitsch of the Trader Vic's erahave been stripped away to reveal the clean lines of the once iconic Stars: a 35-foot wooden bar, expansive high-ceilinged dining room, and several private dining rooms too. The intent is very much there to "recapture the mojo of Stars." Former Ritz-Carlton General Manager Matt Murphy has stepped in to run the front of house. Filmus plans to keep the prices of the menu approachable while the wine list will offer a range of prices, from very affordable to very expensive bottles. There's talk of a filet mignon burger with foie gras, although many of the menu details are still being finalized in the next 10 days.

The other part of this story is the patisserie and daytime cafe next door, which is now in soft-opening mode, and serving very affordable pre-packaged sandwiches and salads to local workers. Filmus runs a successful traditional French pastry business out of La Boheme in Burlingame, and the production facility has completely moved to the large new space here on Golden Gate. Filmus is excited to reveal her macarons, opera cake, croissants and such to San Francisco. She's planning to scale up with a presence at more farmers markets, and is in the process of recruiting pastry chefs from France to help her grow. Take a look at the photo gallery, here on the La Boheme website, to get a glimpse of what to expect. There's lots more on Maestro and the patisserie coming down the pike as the opening approaches.

· All Maestro Coverage [~ ESF ~]
[Photo: Inside Scoop San Francisco]