Little Gem Prepares To Open Next Week In Hayes Valley

Little Gem Prepares To Open Next Week In Hayes ValleyPhotos: Nuala Sawyer/Hoodline
Nuala Sawyer
Published on December 10, 2015

Hayes Valley will soon be adding a healthy fast-casual restaurant to its mix of lunchtime eateries and fine dining options. Little Gem, a gluten-, dairy-, and refined sugar- free restaurant, will be opening its doors for dinner sometime next week.

400 Grove St. has been under construction since 2013, and from the get-go, the ground-floor space was designated for a restaurant. In June, we broke the news that Eric Lilavois, formerly of the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group, was eyeing the space, which was confirmed by a press release in July

The building at 400 Grove was designed by Fougeron Architecture for DDG and DM Development, and Little Gem's interior design comes from Boor Bridges (whose work you may recognize from Equator Coffee and TeaThe Mill or David Rio Chai Bar). Entering on Grove Street, customers are faced with a counter and two stations to place their orders. Order numbers are printed on pieces of wood (reclaimed from the furniture and decor). The restaurant boasts 58 seats, with a row of counter seats that look onto Gough Street and a larger, more spacious dining room that occupies the rear half of the restaurant. 


Eric Lilavois, the owner of Little Gem, told us that the concept came first, and the space second. He looked at 400 Grove when it was still a shell, and though it might be a good fit, but it was only when he finished his appointment and began walking around the neighborhood that he knew it was the one. He swung by Souvla to say hello to his former colleague Charles Billies—and then accidentally passed Monsieur Benjamin, owned by another former co-worker, Corey Lee. "I was surrounded by friends," he said. 


Although he hails from a fine-dining background, Lilavois is striving to elevate the realm of fast-casual dining with Little Gem. "There's many people doing high-end dining well," he told us. "But all people should have access to this type of food." 

With accessibility in mind, Lilavois and chef Dave Cruz (another Thomas Keller alum) have created a menu centered around high-quality ingredients and simple, but tasty fare. Wrap-style sandwiches filled with vegetables and slow-cooked meats will be offered at lunchtime, while pan-seared salmon ($14), lentil stew ($5.50) and quinoa with olive and almonds ($5) will be available to mix and match for dinner. 

Dishes being prepped by Chef Dave Cruz. (Photo: Little Gem)

What you won't find in any of the meals at Little Gem: dairy, gluten, or refined sugar. Lilavois' personal diet doesn't contain any of these ingredients, and while his restaurant won't either, he doesn't want it to come off as a limitation. "It's actually un-limiting," he told us. "It means this is a place anyone can go, regardless of their diet." 

Skeptics can be reassured that the menu is designed to highlight real ingredients, not simulacra. There won't be gluten-free bread, or fake cheese—though there may be some gluten-free beer, as well as wine, for those who'd like a drink with their meal. (They have yet to find a gluten-free beer brand they like, but they're looking.)

Little Gem is expected to open next week, depending on a final inspection from the city. To start, it'll just offer dinner, served from 5-9pm, but the plan is to expand to breakfast, lunch, and weekend brunch service early next year.