Ducca – New Restaurant at Westin San Francisco Market Street About to Open

As you may or may not know, The Westin San Francisco Market Street in San Francisco is newly located at the old Argent Hotel space. And it looks like the new restaurant, Ducca, is getting ready to open.

Here is an excerpt from Marcia Gagliardi at Tablehopper

“…Just adjacent to The Westin San Francisco Market Street (formerly the Argent Hotel) in early June will be ~DUCCA~, a restaurant after my own heart since it’s inspired by Venice, Italy (I lived in Venexia for a year while I was going to school). The name is a spin on the word for doge, duca. The executive chef is Italian-born Marta Cristina Causone (no, not Nick Stellino like some people were led to believe), who is crafting a menu that will highlight seasonal Northern Italian-inspired cuisine with a focus on the sea. There will also be a menu of cicchetti, or rustic bar snacks, which is a huge part of Venetian culture, with a Cal-Ital wine list. The Puccini Group designed the space; you can check out some renderings here. I especially love the silk-screened images of the Duke and Duchess, the three smoke and black Murano glass chandeliers, and the curved marble bar in the lounge made of yellow sienna Italian marble. There is an alfresco terrace that by night will become a lounge, with communal tables and a fire pit that is actually a 68-inch metal fire bowl. Ducca will be open for lunch daily 11:30am–2pm, and dinner is Sun–Thu 5:30pm–10pm and Fri–Sat 5:30pm–11pm. The bar and lounge will stay open until 1am. 50 Third St. at Market, adjacent to The Westin San Francisco Market Street.”

See related articles:
Argent Hotel in San Francisco Changing Name to Westin San Francisco Market Street
Exclusive Offer at the Westin Market Street San Francisco: 3rd night free

Time at the W Hotel in the Big D

So many letters being thrown about in Texas but the W Dallas Victory is worth more than just one – too bad the brand name is so strong. Maybe that’s why they added the Victory to the end of it (I know, I know, it’s just the name of the street). What I love about Dallas is that the last few times I’ve been there, I’ve seen more Bentleys, Ferraris, and Porsches per square foot of a parking lot than anywhere else except some of the haunts in Los Angeles.

Adding to the growing downtown Dallas hotel scene (Hotel Zaza, Hotel Palomar), the W Dallas Victory brings some stellar refinement next door to the American Airlines Center. The pool on the 16th floor actually provides you a view of the AA Center, where they play clips from the games inside on the large screens outside. There is something fun about infinity pools that are outside and high up – can’t quite pinpoint what it is. They are less fun when the main view is of the train tracks and a construction crane, and when the list of rules of what can and can not be done in the pool take more than a short glance to understand. (No blowing of nose? Must wear rubber pants over diapers? What kind of party hotel is this?) But a quick turnaround from the pool and the view over downtown Dallas is stunning, especially at night.

What did I like about the W:

1) The rain showerhead in the bathroom. I love those.
2) The changing colors and decor of the The Living Room Bar on the lobby floor, and the ultra-swank Ghost Bar on the 33rd floor.
3) Bliss Spa shower and bath products in the room.
4) Love the design of the hotel and the artwork, including the hanging mini-cow curtain above the stairs in the lobby. (If you can describe it better, let me know).

What I could have done without (or less of):

1) I’m not sure how I feel about the open floor plan of modern hotels these days where there is no barrier between the bathroom and the bedroom. Didn’t really matter since I was alone (although I did bang my head on the glass wall between the shower and the sink).
2) Pay for Internet Access – just make it free already. Especially since a wireless card worked anyway.
3) Running into OJ Simpson in the bar. That was weird. Much less fun than other Dallas run-ins, such as Jessica Simpson at Hotel Zaza a few years ago, or running into Tony Parker and Eva Longoria at a spa last year.
4) Upbeat dance music is fun at night, but not so fun at 8am in the morning in the elevator.

Related articles:

Hotel Zaza Uptown in Dallas
Ever Choose A Hotel Based on a Bathroom?

Hotel MiniBar Heaven

Real Simple has published a list of some unusual and strange offerings they have been finiding in Hotel MiniBars. And today Hotel Chatter released a shortened version of some of their favorites from the list, including a harmonica at Hotel Allegro in Chicago and an Oxygen dispenser at the Westin, New York City.

In the past, we’ve also seen some interesting takes on hotel mini-bar offerings, such as Pocket Change’s investigation into Intimacy Kits at hotels in New York, including 60 Thompson, The Hudson, and Hotel Gansevoort.

Also, Omni hotels have been trying to incorporate a more local flavor to their minibars by introducing “Sensation Bars” in 10 cities. In Jacksonville, Fla., that will mean Orange Blossom Pilsner added to the menu. The Omni Interlocken Resort between Denver and Boulder features Boulder Potato Chips. A Houston branch stocks Lammes Texas Pecan Praline Chewies. And guests at the Omni Royal Crescent may receive “voodoo love dolls.”

Social Bookmarks:

San Francisco Hotels Taking the Lead on the Rising Restaurant Scene

Seems these days in San Francisco that a new restaurant is opening on every single corner. While the locals have always been known for their love of quality ingredients, restaurant owners have been leading the way for years in helping to educate and nurture that love.

Now it appears that the San Francisco hotel scene has finally taken notice and realized that a restaurant in their hotel can be a destination in itself.

Here are 5 hotels with notable restaurants in San Francisco.

Ame at the St Regis Hotel

Voted Best New Restaurant by Zagat’s (2007) and Esquire (2006), and in the Top 10 of San Francisco Restaurants by the San Francisco Chronicle for 2006, Ame’s menu showcases seasonal New American cuisine. Guests can select from a menu of raw treatments from the sashimi bar, such as sashimi, crudo, tartare and cru, as well as a range of appetizer and entree plates, and an assortment of artisan cheese and desserts.

Ame, in the St. Regis Hotel, offers a relaxed yet elegant dining experience. Guests are welcomed to the intimate, L-shaped dining room by rich mesquite wood floors and striking surroundings. The interior of the restaurant includes a custom-designed sashimi bar, a stunning red wall, and the restaurant’s signature “red table,” a five-foot square table that seats eight. Other design elements include bronzed window screens, offering privacy from the sidewalk traffic, as well as two decanting stations. More about Ame.

Michael Mina at Westin St. Francis

Creating a perfect harmony of bold flavors, sophisticated textures and artful presentation, Chef Michael Mina shares his finest culinary expression in refined American cuisine. Masterful and playful creations celebrate the purity of ingredients.

Renowned California designer Barbara Barry worked closely with Mina to create a timeless, naturally elegant interior. The design honors the history of the landmark property while creating a warm and welcoming ambiance with pale celadon, parchment and toasty brown tones and gold Murano lighting accents.

A selection of over 2,200 wines from all over the world highlights selections from Burgundy, Austria and the Rhone, among other areas, with an emphasis on mature wines, offered in every price range. A wide selection of wines-by-the-glass and half bottles are also available. Bottles range from $25 to $14,000. Read more about Michael Mina.

Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton San Francisco

If world-reknowned accolades are what encourages your restaurant selections, then good luck finding a restaurant with more than this one.

* ExxonMobil Travel Guide; Five Star rating: 2007 (four years)
* American Automobile Association; Five Diamond rating: 2007 (11 years)
* San Francisco Chronicle; “Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants” 2006; Four Star rating: 2006- 2005
* Zagat Survey 2007: “America’s Top 100 Hotel Restaurants” (27/27/28)
* Food & Wine Magazine; one of the “Hottest Restaurants in the World” 2006; top 50 Hotel Restaurants in the US
* Gourmet Magazine: “Where to eat in 2005″
* Gayot’s GaultMillau Guide; “One of the Top 10 Hotel Restaurants in the US for 2006″

Masa’s at Executive Hotel Vintage Court

On Nob Hill in downtown San Francisco, at Executive Hotel Vintage Court, the internationally acclaimed Masa’s restaurant is a destination in itself. Masa’s Restaurant is one of San Francisco’s most beloved and highly esteemed fine dining restaurants. With the assistance of a team of four extremely talented individuals including Chef de Cuisine Executive Chef Gregory Short. Masa’s restaurant provides renowned superior service and exquisite French cuisine.

Redesigned in February of 2001 by Orlando Diaz-Azcuy, Masa’s Restaurant in San Francisco is a gracious and elegant triumph of modern simplicity and warmth. Entering into an unassuming foyer and bar of creamy sandstone, you are then welcomed into an intimate chocolate-hued dining room filled with white, toile d’Juoy fabric-covered chairs and tables topped with small vases of pink or white roses. Cranberry-hued, shirred silk lampshades suspended from above, offer a warm glow to the room. Across the room, you see a large, whimsical, hammered-bronze sculpture commissioned from artist Albert Guibara called “Les Muses de La Cuisine,” that depicts long-limbed figures dancing with artichokes, asparagus and grapes. Read more about Masa’s.

Fifth Floor at Hotel Palomar

Since opening in 1999, Fifth Floor has consistently received national acclaim as one of the country’s premier restaurants, we have garnered numerous accolades, including glowing reviews in Town & Country and Gourmet to Mobil’s yearly four-star ratings and multiple Grand Awards from Wine Spectator. Located on the fifth floor of San Francisco’s luxurious Hotel Palomar, Fifth Floor is led by a stellar team.

The restaurant’s seasonally inspired, ingredient-driven California cuisine is complemented by Fifth Floor’s Wine Spectator magazine Grand-Award winning wine program. Directed by our seasoned sommelier Emily Wines, our wine list features 1400 bins and over twenty by-the-glass selections. We are particularly proud of our collection of wines from the Burgundy and Bordeaux regions, and our selection of hard-to-find bottles from American vintners. Read more about Fifth Floor

If you try one of these or have thoughts on a hotel restaurant in your own city, drop me a line.

Social Bookmarks: