Alta CA Gets Bar Manager, GM, and Ice Cream Shop

Alta CA, the new mid-Market restaurant from Daniel Patterson, is nearing the finish line. After announcing a chef, Yoni Levy, last month, the very tight-lipped project has announced a bevy of final details, including a notable addition: The Malted at Alta, an ice-cream shop within the restaurant. Ice cream will be Alta's only dessert option, and in a first for the group, the ice-cream-hungry hordes will also be able to take it to go. The team is still working out details, but the plan is to offer scoops and sundaes in unusual flavors with "chef-driven" toppings, enjoyable at the bar or on the run.

Speaking of the bar, there's also been a hire on the bar side: Ashley Miller, most recently of Hakkasan. Her plan is to offer drinks with lots of housemade touches, including liqueurs, bitters, aging, and low-temperature infusions using produce and herbs. A longtime staffer at Tres, Miller possesses a deep knowledge of tequila and agave spirits, which may also make an appearance here and there on her menu. She'll be joined by GM and fellow Hakkasan alum Ben Hetzel, who was also one of the original owners of the Lower Haight's Uva Enoteca. Perennial DPG designer Scott Kester is once again behind the modern space, which will feature a 17-foot-high shelving system, central bar, and open kitchen.

Levy's menu is still in development, but the group describes it as a "New World take on Old World fare," with potential menu items like house-cured pastrami, smoked trout, cracked wheat porridge, roasted pork shoulder, and hyper-local vegetable offerings. The price range for dishes will be $5-26, and Levy will also offer a to-go composed lunch option, complete with a housemade soda. The draft beer program will mainly focus on local brews (including selections from Almanac), while Coravins will be in use to pour an international selection of reserve wines that date as far back as the 1960s. The opening date is still under wraps, but diners can expect Alta to open its doors sometime in early-to-mid December.

· Yoni Levy Taking the Chef Job at Patterson's Alta CA [~ ESF ~]
· Daniel Patterson to Open Casual Spot at 10th and Market [~ ESF ~]
· SF's 10 Most Anticipated Fall Restaurants [~ ESF ~]