For nearly 25 years, Greens Restaurant in San Francisco has been setting trends. It is a pioneer in many ways. It was one of the first to offer a completely vegetarian menu. Having been built and now operated by the San Francisco Zen Center. Housed in what was an Army machine shop in historic Fort Mason near the foot of the Golden Gate bridge, its dining room has one of the most fantastic views of the San Francisco bay.
A view out of the window toward the Golden Gate Bridge at Greens
The philosophy may be eastern, but the restaurant has a distinctly western look and feel. The tables are covered with white table cloths and the servers are attired in white and black. And what the dishes may lack in meat content, they more than make up for in quality, innovation and taste. Chef Annie Somerville knows no other way.
Somerville has been at Greens for 22 of those nearly 25 years, and we chatted with her about her latest cookbook, "Everyday Greens" (Scribner). Even though the restaurant serves only vegetarian, the book is probably the only place that notes the fact. "We don't proselytize vegetarianism," declares Chef Somerville, "we just hope our customers enjoy their meal."
This is Chef Somerville's second cookbook (her first, "Field of Greens" [Bantam]), and it is packed with many unique taste and flavor combinations. Each book is filled with recipes that will inspire you. Oh sure, you'll find tofu, but it's used not as a meat substitute, but as a malleable ingredient that can be marinated, roasted, sautéed, or whipped. The main thing here is, the variety. Vegetables star in these dishes, but the supporting cast are the sauces, the condiments, the grains (polenta, rice, potatoes and more), the cheeses (think organic, artisanal), the techniques. It is not steamed bland veggies.
