French-Spanish Bask To Hit North Beach in May

The Basque-ification of North Beach continues with Bask, gearing up to open soon in the long defunct Clown Alley/Pickles locale. Eater catches up with French native owners and 20-year industry vets David and Suzanne Cot who have run restaurants in Toulouse and Hendaye, France. At Bask, the couple's first U.S. restaurant, the menu will reflect French and Spanish influences. Suzanne will recreate her Basque family recipes, like her grandmother's "finger licking" slow cooked sauce of red bell peppers, onions and garlic. A full bar of 30 to 40 different rotating cold and warm tapas will include fried green pimento, piquillo peppers, baby eel, tripe, snails, shrimp, and what the owners call “melt-in-your-mouth" baked camembert with honey.Also: the 36-month-aged Bellota ham a.k.a. "the caviar of ham." Expected entrées include paella, and squid in its own black ink.

From the sound of it, design rehab has been considerable: with new jutting prisms to make the ceiling an attention grabber, counter-tops cut from wine barrels, and light fixtures resembling mini jamon. The space itself will have communal dining counters, private tables, and a secluded back dining area. Additional menu options include white and red sangrias, draft beers, and "French-style" omelettes, crepes, and quiche for weekend brunch.

If everything goes to plan, Bask should be open by May 1st. For food images and more updates, stay on top of their Facebook.
—Chloe Schildhause

· All Bask Coverage [~ ESF ~]