There's a taker for the prominent anchor restaurant space at the Ferry Building that was officially vacated by The Slanted Door this spring, and it's a new concept from the Michelin-starred team behind Sorrel.
Sorrel chef-owner Alex Hong and director of operations Joel Wilkerson announced Monday that they plan to open "a large format, full service restaurant offering a seasonal ingredient menu rooted in the bounty of the California coastline" early next year, in the former Slanted Door space. Because of the significant size of the space, Hong and Wilkserson are also planning to open a bakery — likely in the interior-facing portion of the space that was formerly home to the Out the Door takeout counter.
In a statement, Hong and Wilkerson said, "We are excited to bring our next restaurant to the Ferry Building. Opening here is not just about serving great food; it's about becoming part of a historic landmark and the narrative of San Francisco as a culinary destination."
They add, "We are thrilled to bring a fresh, approachable dining experience and we can’t wait to share our new concepts with the public seven days a week."
The two-man team has signed a 15-year lease at the Ferry Building.
Longtime tenant Slanted Door and its owner Charles Phan announced in early May that the restaurant would not be reopening, after a four-year-long closure and several previous announcements about an ongoing renovation. The Slanted Door, which won a James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant and spawned an influential cookbook, had been an early tenant in the Ferry Building after its 2002 renovation as an upscale food hall. But Phan has gone on to open other locations in San Ramon, Napa, and in Beaune, France, and it's not clear if he'll seek to revive the restaurant in a new SF location at some later date.
In response to this prominent downtown restaurant space finding a new tenant, Mayor London Breed issued a statement saying she is "overjoyed to see this Michelin-starred powerhouse moving into our beloved Ferry Building."
"Their investment in our city, in our waterfront, is just another building block in downtown’s dramatic comeback!" Breed said.
Hong tells the Chronicle that he and Wilkerson had been looking for a new space downtown for about two years, and were in talks for a different space in the Ferry Building when this larger one came available.
Sorrel earned a Michelin star right out of the gate in 2019, after opening in SF's Laurel Heights/Presidio Heights in 2018. It has held that star ever since, serving refined versions of Cal-Italian fare, including luxe pasta dishes, in a prix-fixe format.
It sounds like the Ferry Building concept, which still does not have a name, will be a more casual affair, with an open kitchen and seated bar — and like The Slanted Door it will enjoy the views of the Bay from floor-to-ceiling windows, and will hopefully return to the daily bustle of that former restaurant, which was ever-popular with the downtown expense-account crowd.
Hong, a Colorado native, worked in a number of prominent restaurant before opening Sorrel, including Jean-Georges in New York City, Quince in SF, and Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder. He was also named as a nominee for the James Beard Rising Star Chef award in 2018.
Wilkerson, who has a Level 2 Sommelier Certification, previously served as general manager at Atelier Crenn, which now has three Michelin stars.
Look for the new restaurant to open in early 2025.
Related: The Slanted Door, a Longtime Anchor of the Ferry Building, Is Not Reopening
Top image: Photo by Kate Greenberg
