[Photos: Patricia Chang]
Set to open either tonight, Tuesday October 28th, or sometime after tonight, but still in the very near future: Huxley is a casual, but intimate little Tenderloin bistro with more personality than you might think could fit in a mere 25 seats (10 of which are stools).
The decor (courtesy of Bon Vivants Design+Build team Colby Thompson and Nick Roberto,) features a mix of art deco brass fixtures and mid-century furniture, with reclaimed teak counters and hand-etched mirrors. The banquettes are meant to evoke park benches, and the chairs are from a French schoolhouse "circa 1950's?", according to Thompson & Roberto's own notes. The aforementioned stools, meanwhile, were handmade and upholstered by the two of them. Were we the sort of people who write for Curbed, we might describe the look as "upscale vernacular" or "schoolhouse deco."
Food wise, executive chef Sara Hauman (Bar Agricole) has designed a "New American bistro-style menu that's simple and rustic." Expect local proteins and lots of seasonal produce in dishes like baby carrots and fennel with peppercorn dressing, a beef short rib pot pie, a long-cooked lamb leg and grilled sand dabs. Breads will come from a collaboration with neighboring cafe Jane on Larkin, just around the corner. Brett Cooper, who has an upcoming project Aster with the Daniel Patterson Group, also did some consulting on the menu.
On the booze front, there will be beer and wine. Owner/GM Kris Esqueda (Saison, Sons & Daughters) will have a hand in the selecting, but he's built up a good reputation for it at Vinyl Cafe & Wine Bar on Divisadero. [Full disclosure: I got drunk there a lot from 2011-2014 because it was really close to my house and they had internet.] In my experience, this would be a fine place to let the folks behind the bar just pick a glass for you.
Expect the waiting list to get a little long in the next few weeks, but you can always kill time with a pre-meal drink at Edinburgh Castle or Whiskey Thieves across the street.
Hours to start are: 5:30-10:30pm, Tuesday-Saturday.
