| Stars | |
|---|---|
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1984 (1984) |
| Closed | 1999 (1999) |
| Previous owner | Jeremiah Tower |
| Food type | California cuisine |
| Location | 150 Redwood Alley, San Francisco, California, United States |
Stars was a landmark restaurant inSan Francisco, California,[1] from 1984 through 1999. Along withSpago,Michael's andChez Panisse, it is considered one of the birthplaces ofCalifornia cuisine,New American cuisine and the institution of thecelebrity chef.
Jeremiah Tower, former chef ofChez Panisse, opened Stars at 150 Redwood Alley near San Francisco's City Hall in 1984, together with investors fromBerkeley's Fourth Street Grill and Santa Fe Bar and Grill. With an opulent interior, a busy open kitchen and an unabashed preference forsocialites andcelebrities, Stars and its pioneering approach to food and dining became an instant sensation.[2]
The restaurant was among the top-grossing eateries in the United States for years. Tower opened branches of Stars inOakville (Napa Valley),Palo Alto,Manila andSingapore. He opened The Peak Cafe inHong Kong in the 1990s, as well as various related ventures in San Francisco including a more casualcafe and an upscalebistro Stars Cafe, next door, another restaurant nearby known as Speedo 690 located at 690 Van Ness Avenue described by Tower as "romantic Polynesian cuisine" and a kitchenware shop.[2] His side ventures invariably failed and by the late 1990s even Stars began losing money rapidly due to its inability to attract sufficient numbers of affluent diners who could support the restaurant's high overhead.[3] Stars closed in late 1999, after which a "bittersweet" Tower declared that he was done with California.[2]
After Tower's departure the restaurant was reopened briefly by new investors under the same name but with a less expensive, Mediterranean concept.[4] In 2004 it became the new location of San Francisco'sTrader Vic's, which had been closed since 1994. The Palo Alto location of Stars became a branch ofWolfgang Puck's Spago Restaurant in 1997.
Several independently noteworthy chefs worked at Stars. Stars alumni include:
| Buildings and business | |
|---|---|
| Geography | |
| Public art | |
| Transportation | |
