| San Francisco Stories | Page 4 |
| San Francisco, California | Lee Houskeeper, Press Agent | Updated: October 12, 2005 |
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Historic John's Grill 100th Aniversary since 1906 Quake reopening John's Grill is the 27th "Literary Landmark's" in the United States and was the first restaurant to be rebuilt from the ashes of San Francisco's tragic 1906 Great Earthquake and Fire. Just off Union Square, John's Grill was made famous all over the world by the Dashiell Hammett's 1927 "Maltese Falcon" novel (later a classic Humphrey Bogart movie) written by one of America's best known authors in the back booth of John's Grill.
On October 11, 2005 at 5:30 PM (Tuesday evening) John's Grill (63 Ellis Street) hosted a Mardi Gras style benefit for the victims of hurricane Katrina. As the guests arrive they will be serenaded by a 12 piece Beadle Street style band, given 1000 strands of beads and showered with 200 pounds of "Dabloon" candies. John's Grill has arranged for one of New Orleans most famous chefs Gus Martin of the legendary Brennan's restaurant to cook an unforgettable Cajun dinner. John's is one of two restaurants in San Francisco that has three floors and will charge a sliding scale beginning at $50 and going to $150 for the celebrity filled top floor. Every dime (including the waiters salaries & tips) raised at this most special event will go to aid the Brennan's special relief fund. As there are only 250 available seats those interested in attending placed their reservations early. Executive Chef Gus Martin Gus Martin spent his childhood watching his mother and grandmother cook authentic Creole and Cajun food in their home kitchen. His mother, who was the first female "captain" at Commander's Palace, instilled in him a passion for food and fine dining. This being said, it's no wonder that New Orleans born and raised Executive Chef Gus Martin began his culinary career at age fourteen, working in the kitchen of Commander's Palace. Gus learned classic culinary techniques and studied the traditions of Creole c uisine under the tutelage of then Chef Paul Prudhomme. The art of seasoning became a real passion for Gus, and has remained at the center of his style of cooking. His ability to create flavorful Creole dishes is instinctive, and has been critical to his success. At age 17, Gus left the restaurant business to serve in the United States Army. Here, he learned leadership skills, the importance of teamwork and teaching techniques that would prove useful in years to come. After six years of service (including time spent in Alaska), Gus was eager to come home. |
Back in New Orleans, Gus returned to the Brennan family, this time as a line cook at Mr. B's Bistro. Gus quickly moved up the ranks at Mr. B's Bistro to Sous-chef, and held this position until 1992 when he moved to Commander's Palace to serve as Executive Sous-Chef to Chef Jamie Shannon. In 1997, Gus was promoted to Chef de Cuisine of the Brennan family's Palace Cafe, and was named Executive Chef of the restaurant in 1998. As Chef of Palace Cafe, Gus was a featured guest chef nationally on CNN's On the Menu. Gus traveled to Canada as an expert on Creole cuisine, and cooked at the largest Fourth of July celebration outside the United States. Nation's Restaurant News, Cooking Light, Food & Wine and other national publications have also featured Chef Gus Martin and his cuisine. Gus co-authored a cookbook, Palace Cafe: The Flavor of New Orleans, with Palace Cafe owner Dickie Brennan and his wife Leslie Brennan in 2002. Jeanette Martin, Gus' youngest daughter, tested her father's recipes prior to publication. Soon after the book's release, Gus created a dinner from the cookbook at the James Beard House in New York City. Gus now holds the title of Executive Chef at Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse, where he adds a New Orleans touch to the restaurant's USDA Prime Steaks. Chef Martin's creolized steakhouse menu features dishes from a House Filet with creamed spinach and Pontalba potatoes, topped with fried Louisiana oysters and drizzled with Bearnaise sauce, to Grilled Gulf Fish over rock shrimp and bacon stone-ground grits, touched with Creole meuniare sauce, and Bananas Foster Bread Pudding. At home, Chef Gus Martin is an avid griller. He and his wife of more than 25 years, Doris, have raised three children in New Orleans. For More Information on Gus Martin or Brennan's Steakhouse please contact:
Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse Nationally Ranked In a town filled with famous restaurants decades old, Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse, in just six years, has received local and national critical acclaim. National accolades include receiving the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence each year since it opened, and Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse being named one of the Top 12 Steakhouses in America by national foodwriter John Mariani. |
The steakhouse is featured in the September 2002 issue of Playboy. Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse is the only Louisiana restaurant that made the list. "We're excited to be part of this list. John Mariani is an authority on food and pioneered the national restaurant ranking concept in the 1980's with Playboy Magazine," commented Dickie Brennan. "One of our goals, when we opened the restaurant, was to create a steakhouse that made locals proud. This accolade is a tremendous honor for our restaurant and for the City of New Orleans," added co-owner and business partner, Steve Pettus. The restaurants are alphabetically listed in the article. Here's what John Mariani had to say about Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse: Those who are familiar with Commander's Palace, Mr. B's Bistro, Bacco and the Palace Cafe know that the Brennan family which owns these establishments doesn't skimp on ingredients or portions, and that everything that they serve gets the Creole touch. So here in this subterranean dining room, decked out with swords and rifles, the strip steaks aren't grilled or broiled - they're slapped onto red-hot cast iron skillets and seared to give them a delicious crust. Sip a Sazerac cocktail in the masculine bar up front, then order fried oysters, a robust Rhone wine and a thick porterhouse. Or try the mixed grill of andouille sausage, filet mignon, chicken and pork tenderloin served with two sauces and lyonnaise potatoes on the side. A Bananas Foster Bread Pudding with rum-raisin creame anglaise and a snifter of Maker's Mark bourbon is the perfect capper. Mariani noted the family's roots run deep in the restaurant business. According to Dickie Brennan, "for the past fifty years we've been perfecting the art of beef preparation in our family restaurants - that's why at Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse we grill our chops, sear our strips, oven-roast our prime rib and broil our filets." Dickie Brennan's Steakhouse features USDA Prime beef exclusively - a fact that sets it apart from other steakhouses. Executive Chef Gus Martin leads the culinary team at the French Quarter restaurant. George Henriquez is the General Manager. Straightforward USDA Prime Steaks with a New Orleans Touch, fresh seafood and innovative Creole dishes define the cuisine. It also features a club bar and 6 private dining rooms. The restaurant is located at:
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