As we reported in March, RT Rotisserie is the second creation of husband-and-wife chef team Evan and Sarah Rich. The 46-seat, 800-sq.ft. space in the former Mandarin Villa is the newest restaurant to the Hayes Valley neighborhood.
"What we hope to do is create simple, honest food that you could eat any day of the week for lunch," said Evan about their new spot, just one block away from their first restaurant, Rich Table.
The duo wanted to create something that reminds of their favorite home-cooked meals after ski trips in Lake Tahoe. With that in mind, they'll be serving rotisserie chicken, pork and cauliflower, all prepared the same way before serving.
The dishes come in a signature brine of buttermilk, umami powder, garlic and Douglas Fir, brushed with a smoked, roasted garlic oil, then finished with an abundance of fresh herbs, including dill, shiso, parsley and mint, as well as a lemon on the side.
Diners can also choose from four to five sauces, with "Nanny’s BBQ" sauce inspired by Evan’s grandmother.
Evan told us they'll be serving food "that you could eat any day of the week for lunch, dinner or even both—and know without a doubt that we are behind it."
For patrons looking for some variety, the three main dishes are also available as sandwiches ($10-$12), served on a house-baked, San Francisco-style Dutch crunch bread, or in a seasonal salad.
Sides include options like umami sweet potato fries, dusted with a porcini powder and herb to remind patrons of Rich Table’s porcini donuts, as well as a charred cabbage slaw and oysters on the half shell.
Guests can also order chicken soup, made with free-range chickens sourced from Rocky Jr. of Petaluma Poultry, located just north of San Francisco. Closer to home, pork will be supplied by local Olivier Butchery in the Dogpatch neighborhood.
The beverage menu offers one bottled beer and one rotating beer on tap from local breweries, as well as one red, one white, one rose and one sparkling wine for $10-$13 per glass.
Designed by Mission-based studio Fine Root, the counter-service restaurant's dining room is flooded with natural light. Fine Root brought white oak and grey hand-rolled industrial steel accents together with existing beams to the dining room.
To add a bit of color, pops of red can be found throughout the restaurant. The front door, Rotisol rotisserie, utensil canisters, as well as radish tile accents all come in red.
The space, which also includes gas pipe lights, white oak walls and radish design accents similar to the one seen at Rich Table, was purposely designed to remind customers of the couple's first restaurant.
"It kind of fell into our laps," Evan said. "We love the space because it reminds us of Rich Table."
RT Rotisserie is open every day of the week, from 11am until 9pm.
