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Anna Weinberg and James Nicholas are at it again. The increasingly prolific restaurateurs (they’re the team behind Big Night Restaurant Group, which owns Marlowe, Park Tavern, Leo’s Oyster Bar, The Cavalier, and Marianne’s) are opening their sixth San Francisco restaurant, this one an extension of the Marlowe brand. Called Petit Marlowe, it will be a wine and raw bar taking over the Les Clos space in SoMa, just around the corner from Marlowe.
“It’s going to be a gorgeous French wine bar menu, plus raw bar because it went so well at Leo’s,” Weinberg told Eater. “It’s going to be adorable. We went to the Paris Flea Market with Ken Fulk and bought all the furniture there, back bar chairs and everything.”
Les Clos owner and Saison co-founder Mark Bright is staying on as a wine advisor, and will bring his extensive French wine knowledge to the project, especially a focus on rare Burgundy. “I never had plans to close the space, but they’ve been approaching me for a while,” Bright told Eater. “I have a lot of other projects going on and a great relationship with them, so it felt like the right time for them to take over.”
Weinberg has had her eyes on the space for a while, and once a deal was worked out, she and Fulk, also known as SF’s designer extraordinaire and the creative behind Big Night’s other spaces, went to Paris, where they scoured the Les Puces de Saint-Ouen flea market for treasures. They came back with things like brass cocktail tables, crystal chandeliers, and even an oversized antique red and black bookcase, which will be repurposed as a custom back-bar installation. The space will have distinctly Parisian vibes, with classic maroon banquette seating and a Carrera marble bar that will run the length of the space, plus brass and wood arches that will hold chinoiserie, ceramics, and vintage silver service pieces.
Big Night’s chef Jennifer Puccio is taking on the food, which will be heavily raw bar-focused, plus small plates like charcuterie, cheese, salads, and steak tartare. The food will all be very wine friendly, even executive pastry chef Emily Luchetti’s desserts.
Les Clos will close for business on January 15, at which time Weinberg and team will begin renovations for a March opening of Petit Marlowe. At that time, it will be open Monday through Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Stay tuned for more details.
