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San Francisco Chronicle​

S.F. chef opens second restaurant after a decade of cooking in the neighborhood

The chef and owner of 3rd Cousin, a California-inspired fine dining restaurant in San Francisco's Bernal Heights, is opening a new spot in the neighborhood where he's cooked for the past decade. Greg Lutes' newest venture, Precita Social, will be more 'laid back' than his first restaurant, he said. The cozy space at 300 Precita Ave. forgoes a tasting menu for a raw bar and an a la carte selection of dishes inspired by Japanese, Italian and French cuisine. It opens August 15. 'The concept is neighborhood bistro, so I just wanted to stay within a lower price point and have a few items on the menu where people could share,' Lutes said. 'If somebody wants to come in and celebrate, get some caviar and a bigger steak or something more luxurious, that's an option as well.' Lutes will be joined in the kitchen by Chef de Cuisine Leo Batoyan, who previously worked at fine dining restaurant Twelvemonth in Burlingame and the now-closed AL's Place in San Francisco. Precita Social's menu features a few key ingredients and dishes that Lutes is well-known for, including a Wagyu cheeseburger that was introduced to 3rd Cousin during the pandemic. The four ounce grind of Waygu was a surprise hit with customers, and is now known as the Precita Cheeseburger ($25.35). Sea urchin also plays a role on the new menu. Back at 3rd cousin, Lutes believes his uni creme brulee dish was a major factor in propelling the restaurant's success over the years. Later this fall, Lutes plans to begin a brunch service — a callback to his days before 3rd Cousin when he ran a breakfast popup on Cortland Avenue. The brunch will only be served on Saturdays and Sundays, and he anticipates a menu of what he calls 'Midwest diner meets California cuisine.' ' I grew up in Illinois, so I'm going to really go back to my roots where we had breakfast in the greasy spoon,' he said. Beyond the food, Lutes pays tribute to his family through the restaurant's decor. The interior was designed by Sky Creative Labs, a company owned by his wife. The walls feature photography and mixed media art pieces from his 16-year-old stepson, Miles Foxman. The dark, intimate space is filled with leafy green plants and illuminated by light from windows facing the nearby Precita Park. There's an open kitchen in the back, giving guests a sneak peak into the process behind each dish. Before the Bernal Heights space belonged to Lutes, it was a source of controversy in the Bay Area restaurant world. Marlena, a Michelin-starred restaurant led by chefs David Fisher and Serena Chow, closed unexpectedly in 2023 after the chefs had a public dispute with the restaurant's owner and landlord, Stephen Roulland. Fisher and Chow went on to open their own restaurant, 7 Adams, which also won a Michelin star. A replacement for Marlena, called Foliage, later closed. 'There's two sides to every story and there's a side that didn't really get told' Lutes said. 'But (Roulland) is a decent guy and he's been very accommodative with me.' Lutes also observed that Marlena was an expensive option for most people, and he hopes that Precita Social serves as a more accessible choice in the neighborhood. ' I'm just happy to be here for the community,' Lutes said. 'Who best can serve Bernal and the restaurant world than somebody who's been cooking (here) already for 10 years?'