Caribbean-Inspired Palm House Headed to Cow Hollow

Anderson Pugash and Bruce McDonald, two of the owners of Bergerac, scooped up the former Nettie's Crab Shack in Cow Hollow late last year, but they've been mum on what they're up to—until now. As Inside Scoop reports, the space is set to become a restaurant called Palm House, specializing in Caribbean food, and they've brought in Gayle Pirie of Foreign Cinema as their consulting chef. (McDonald is a partner in that restaurant as well.) Foreign Cinema's onetime chef de cuisine, Lea Walker, will take the same role in Palm House's kitchen, running its day-to-day operations.

The restaurant has been renamed for the 150-year-old palm tree that rests outside, and while there aren't many details on the menu as of yet (watchwords include "affordably priced," "not too cerebral," and "health-conscious"), the idea is to evoke a British/West Indies feel with the de rigueur local/sustainable bent. Supporting the tropical vibe will be The Restaurant at Meadowood bar manager Sam Levy, who's consulting on a menu of cocktails that will involve mojitos, margaritas, rum punches, and fancy concoctions served from a good old-fashioned slushy machine.

Housed in a historic mansion, Nettie's was well-known for its patio, and Palm House will be continuing the trend, paving and expanding it with black-and-white tile. Designer Shelly Amoroso is redecorating the interior as well, to give it more of a colonial Victorian feel. At 130 seats, the space is sizable, but more than half of it will be given over to bar-style seating in the hopes of fostering a party-like atmosphere for the neighborhood. Expect Palm House to arrive on SF's shores sometime in May.

· Palm House bringing Caribbean to Cow Hollow [Inside Scoop]
· Nettie's Sold to Anderson Pugash and Bruce McDonald [~ ESF ~]