Saran: Fried chicken – a crispy, crunchy fried chicken with a fountain of juicy aromatics. Grandmother’s cornbread – once you have had this cornbread you won’t want any other. Walnut, pepper and sumac spread. Spicy cabbage with peanut ginger slaw – turns humans into goats while endlessly grazing.

We'll also have Rose Levy Beranbaum’s favorite biscuits, served with house-made jams, jellies and marmalades. The Pie and Pastry Bible author has called these the ‘best biscuits she has ever had.’

Bay Area Bites: How will this be different from Devi?

Saran: Devi was my tribute to the home-cooking of India. This new project will showcase my love affair with the produce and meats found in San Francisco and will bring to life all that has captivated my attention over the years.

Bay Area Bites: What is the toughest part about opening?

Saran: Just being able to open! Luckily, financials have not been an issue as I have at my side entrepreneur extraordinaire, Paresh Ghelani. Paresh believes in me, believes in San Francisco and believes in gracious hospitality, generosity and good food.

Saran shows off berries at his farm. Photo: Ben Fink

Bay Area Bites: What do you think the Indian/farm-to-table scene is like in the Bay Area? And how do we compare with other cities?

Saran: Sadly, the Indian food scene across American is rather dismal, which is why I opened Devi. As I settle down in San Francisco I hope one day to open a fine dining Indian restaurant. Now, however, my focus will be on Californian cuisine and sharing food that reflects the global village that the world has become.

Since I moved to America in 1993, I have been traveling to San Francisco many times each year. To this day, no city matches it in terms of what their farms and markets have to offer. This was the main draw for me to move to San Francisco and open up a new restaurant.

Bay Area Bites: What’s your guilty food pleasure?

Saran: A pint of ice cream in bed at midnight!

Bay Area Bites: What else is new with you—locally and nationally?

Saran: Our upcoming move to San Francisco this May is keeping us very busy. I also have a new book coming out in April of 2015, which will be my second book with San Francisco-based publisher, Chronicle Books. And we just received Angora rabbits at our farm in New York.

Information
14 10th Street (at Market)
Twitter: @suvirsaran

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