Frances Restaurant just opened in the Castro by owner and chef Melissa Perello. Perello has won many awards in the culinary field over the past decade and has become a fixture in the industry. She started out at Charles Nob Hill next to mentor Ron Siegel and she eventually became Executive Chef of the restaurant. Siegel taught her how to bring out the essence of each and every ingredient she would use in a dish. After some time she moved to Fifth Floor as Executive Chef. Fifth Floor is one of the countries' most recognized restaurants and in 2006 it was awarded a Michelin Star under Perello’s leadership. Perello is only in her early 30’s and has already created a very impressive resume and following amongst SF foodies.

After years of experience, Perello has finally opened her own restaurant, Frances, in the Castro. Named after her Texan grandmother, Frances uses the best seasonal, organic ingredients in it's dishes, delivering a true Californian take on upscale yet casual comfort food. The atmosphere is quaint, simple and chic, and was designed by Michael Baushke (interior designer of Ubuntu) using a simple yet elegant palate of cream, black and white. The cozy space is the perfect place to spend a chilly winter night lingering over refined comfort food like the slow roasted beef with creamed winter greens and butterball potatoes, chestnut soup with roasted cipollini and house-cured pancetta, or the applewood smoked bacon beignets which have already sparked a small cult following. Specialty cocktails are served, in addition to beer and wine. The standout is the house wine, a delicious combination of syrah, grenache, and cabernet, and runs for an affordable $1 per ounce.

Get Wize: Frances is located at 3870 17th St. in the former Palencia building. The menu changes daily according to what's in season. To see a sample menu, click here.